1. General Manuscript Specifications

· Language: All manuscripts must be written in clear, concise, and grammatically correct British English (e.g., programme, behaviour, analyse).

· Length: Manuscripts should be between 4,000 and 7,000 words inclusive of abstract, tables, references, and declarations.

· Formatting:

· File format: Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx).

· Font: Times New Roman, 12-point font size.

· Line Spacing: Double-spaced throughout.

· Margins: 1 inch (2.54 cm) on all sides.

2. Structural Organization of the Manuscript

Submissions must strictly conform to the following structural sequence to move past initial desk screening:

Title Page (Submitted as a Separate File)

To preserve the integrity of our double-blind peer-review process, author identities must be restricted to a separate title page containing:

· Full manuscript title (concise, specific, and reflective of the core variables).

· Full names of all authors, their institutional affiliations, and email addresses.

· Clear indication of the corresponding author.

Main Manuscript File (Anonymised)

The main file must contain no author names or institutional identifiers. It must include:

1. Title and Abstract

· Abstract: A single, unbroken paragraph of 150 to 250 words. It must clearly outline the study’s objective, the theoretical framework, research design/methodology, sample characteristics, key findings, and policy recommendations.

· Keywords: 4 to 6 specific indexing terms separated by semicolons (e.g., Digital Media; Risk communication; Source credibility; Nigeria).

2. Introduction and Statement of the Problem

· Establish the operational context of the research.

· Explicitly articulate a robust, clear Statement of the Problem that exposes a definitive gap in existing communication literature.

3. Research Objectives / Questions / Hypotheses

· State the precise objectives of the study clearly.

· Match objectives directly to the research questions or statistical hypotheses.

4. Literature Review and Theoretical Grounding

· Synthesise contemporary academic literature critically rather than merely listing summaries of past studies.

· Anchor the study within a relevant, fully deconstructed theoretical model, explaining its direct application to the current study variables.

5. Methodology and Research Design

· Clearly define the research design (e.g., survey, content analysis, interviews, Focus Group discussion, experimental, mixed-methods,).

· Detail the target population, sampling technique, sample size determination, instruments for data collection, and validation protocols.

 

6. Results and Data Presentation

· Present findings clearly using APA 7th-compliant tables or figures. Do not duplicate tabular data within the text.

· Report statistical values with precision (e.g., Pearson Correlation r, t-test t, and exact p-values).

7. Discussion of Findings

· Interpret and explain why the findings occurred.

· Synthesise the empirical data back against the stated theoretical framework and contemporary global or regional literature.

8. Conclusion, Implications, and Recommendations

· Provide a concise conclusion based strictly on the empirical findings.

· Offer actionable, concrete recommendations for media practitioners, policy actors, or civil society organisations.

9. Mandatory Disclosures & Declarations (End Matter)

The following three distinct headings must be placed directly after the conclusion and immediately before the reference list:

· Declaration of Conflict of Interest: Authors must disclose any financial, personal, or professional relationships with individuals or organizations that could inappropriately influence or bias their work. If no conflict exists, authors must state: "The authors declare that they have no competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper."

· Funding Acknowledgement: Authors must specify the explicit source of funding for the research. State the funding agency name and grant numbers where applicable. If the research received no specific grant, authors must state: "This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors."

· Declaration on the Use of Artificial Intelligence: Authors must transparently declare if and how generative AI or AI-assisted technologies (e.g., large language models) were utilized during the writing or data analysis phase. Note that total AI-generated text must not exceed our strict 20% threshold.

· Example statement if used: "During the preparation of this work, the authors used [Tool/Model Name] in order to [state purpose, e.g., improve linguistic clarity and proofread text]. After using this tool, the authors reviewed and edited the content as needed and take full responsibility for the final output."

· Example statement if NOT used: "The authors declare that no generative AI or AI-assisted technologies were utilized in the writing, editing, or data analysis phases of this manuscript."

3. Reference and Citation Style (APA 7th Edition)

All in-text citations and reference lists must adhere strictly to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th edition). Every source cited in the text must appear in the reference list, and vice versa.