Submissions

Author Guidelines

Authors are welcome to submit manuscripts to the journal. Prior to submission, intending authors must first register by following the steps outlined below.

Registration Process on the OJS Platform

The journal uses the Open Journal Systems (OJS) platform to manage user registration, manuscript submission, peer review, and publication workflows. Registration on the platform is free and is required to access specific services such as manuscript submission, participation in peer review, and editorial management.

1. Account Creation

Prospective users must create an account by clicking the “Register” link on the journal’s OJS website. During registration, users are required to provide accurate and complete information, including their full name, email address, institutional affiliation, country, and preferred username and password.

2. Role Selection

During the registration process, users may select one or more roles depending on their intended interaction with the journal. Available roles typically include:

Reader – to receive notifications and access published content
Author – to submit manuscripts and track the progress of submissions
Reviewer – to participate in the peer-review process, subject to editorial invitation or approval

Editorial roles such as Editor, Section Editor, and Copyeditor are assigned exclusively by the journal’s editorial team.

3. Email Verification and Login

Upon successful registration, users receive a confirmation email to verify their account. Once verified, users may log in using their registered credentials to access the OJS dashboard and perform functions related to their assigned roles.

4. Profile Completion

Registered users are encouraged to complete and regularly update their profile information, including:

Institutional affiliation
ORCID iD (where applicable)
Areas of interest and expertise (particularly important for reviewers)

This information supports accurate reviewer selection and effective editorial communication.

5. Privacy and Data Protection

All personal information collected during registration is used solely for journal operations in accordance with the journal’s privacy policy. The journal complies with applicable data protection and confidentiality standards, and user data is not shared with third parties without user consent.

6. Account Management

Users may update their account details, change passwords, or request account deactivation at any time through their OJS profile settings or by contacting the journal’s editorial office.

A second visit to the site will require a login, whose procedure is outlined below:

Login Procedure

Registered users may access the journal’s Open Journal Systems (OJS) platform by logging in with their account credentials. Logging in is required to submit manuscripts, participate in peer review, and manage editorial tasks.

Step 1: Access the Login Page

Click the Login link located at the top of the journal’s website homepage.

Step 2: Enter Login Credentials

On the login page, enter your registered username or email address and password in the appropriate fields.

Step 3: Complete Login

Click the Log In button to access your OJS dashboard and assigned user roles.

Forgot Password

If you have forgotten your password, click the “Forgot your password?” link on the login page and follow the instructions sent to your registered email address to reset your password.

Login Support

If you experience any difficulties accessing your account, please contact the journal’s editorial office for assistance.

All submissions will be assessed by an editor to determine whether they meet the aims and scope of this journal. Those considered to be a good fit will be sent for peer review before determining whether they will be accepted or rejected.

Before submitting, authors are responsible for obtaining permission to publish any material included with the submission, such as photos, documents and datasets. All authors identified on the submission must consent to be identified as an author. Where appropriate, research should be approved by an appropriate ethics committee in accordance with the legal requirements of the study's country.

An editor may desk reject a submission if it does not meet the minimum standards of quality. Before submitting, please ensure that the study design and research argument are structured and articulated properly. The title should be concise, and the abstract should be able to stand on its own. This will increase the likelihood of reviewers agreeing to review the paper. When you're satisfied that your submission meets this standard, please follow the checklist below to prepare your submission.

Author Guidelines

The African Journal of Offshore, Marine Engineering and Naval Architecture (AJOMENA)

publishes high-quality, peer-reviewed research in marine engineering, naval architecture, offshore structures, ship design, ocean renewable energy, and related maritime technologies. Authors are invited to submit manuscripts that align with the journal’s aims and scope and adhere to the standards of ethical, transparent, and reproducible research.

1. Submission Overview

All submissions are assessed by the editorial team for suitability to the journal’s scope.
Manuscripts deemed suitable are sent for double-blind peer review before acceptance or rejection.
Editors may desk-reject submissions that do not meet minimum standards of quality, originality, or clarity.

Author Responsibilities Before Submission:

Obtain permission for any third-party material (images, datasets, tables, figures).
Ensure all listed authors consent to authorship.
Obtain appropriate ethical approval for research involving humans, animals, or sensitive data in accordance with national regulations.
Ensure the manuscript is clearly structured, with a concise title and a standalone abstract, to facilitate review.

2. Aims and Scope

AJOMENA is an international, peer-reviewed journal committed to advancing knowledge in marine engineering and naval architecture. The journal publishes innovative, quantitative, and applied research that addresses technical and societal challenges in maritime systems.

The scope of the journal includes, but is not limited to:

1. Hydrodynamics

Riverine craft resistance
Shallow water hydrodynamics (Regional and Niger Delta focus)
Sediment transport effects on propulsion

2. Structures

Corrosion analysis of aging offshore assets
Pipeline integrity in tropical waters
Retrofit structural analysis

3. Propulsion & Power

Maintenance regimes for marine diesel engines
Fuel quality impact studies
Hybridization of inland ferries.

4. Ocean Engineering

Shallow water platform design
Port infrastructure resilience
Dredging technology
Coastal erosion control

5. Maritime Safety and Operational Reliability

Safety engineering, risk assessment, and accident analysis
Operational optimisation for ships, offshore platforms, and ocean systems
Emergency response, resilience, and reliability studies

6. Emerging Technologies and Interdisciplinary Applications

Automation, digitalisation, artificial intelligence, and robotics in marine systems
Computational modelling, simulation, and experimental methods
Integration of renewable energy and sustainability-driven engineering solutions

7. Regional and Local Content Focus

Research reflecting African operational environments and maritime conditions
Locally generated data and context-specific case studies
Adapted engineering solutions for shipbuilding, ports, offshore, ocean, and inland water transport

AJOMENA publishes continuously and is indexed in Google Scholar and subsequently in WoS, Scopus, DOAJ, and other recognised databases.

3. Manuscript Types

The African Journal of Offshore, Marine Engineering and Naval Architecture (AJOMENA) publishes peer-reviewed scholarly articles that contribute to the advancement of marine engineering, naval architecture, and related maritime disciplines. The journal accepts the following types of manuscripts:

Article Type	Marine & Offshore focus	Core Sections
Original Research Articles (up to 8,000 words)	Marine, offshore, and naval engineering research	Abstract; Introduction; Methods; Results; Discussion; Conclusions; References
Review Articles (up to 12,000 words)	State-of-the-art marine and offshore topics	Abstract; Introduction; Review Method; Analysis; Future Directions; Conclusions, and References
Technical Papers (up to 4,000 words)	Applied marine and offshore engineering solutions	Abstract; Introduction; Technical Approach; Evaluation; Conclusions; References
Case Studies (up to 4,000 words)	Real-world maritime and offshore applications	Abstract; Introduction; Case Description; Outcomes; Lessons Learned; References
Short Communications (up to 4,000 words)	Emerging or preliminary marine findings	Abstract; Brief Introduction; Key Results; Conclusions; References
Methodological Articles (up to 4,000 words)	Marine research tools and techniques	Abstract; Introduction; Method Development; Validation; Conclusions; References
Design Innovation Papers (up to 7,000 words)	Creative process and solution	Abstract, Introduction, Methodology, Proposed design/innovation, Implementation/development, Results, Discussion, Conclusions and References

All submissions must be original, unpublished, and not under consideration by any other journal. Manuscripts are evaluated through a peer-review process to ensure scientific quality, relevance, and compliance with ethical publishing standards.

4. Manuscript Preparation

4.1 General Formatting

Language: British English
Paper layout: A4 (210mm x 297mm)
Font: Times New Roman or Arial 10-12 point
Spacing: Single-spaced
Margins: 25mm on all sides
File Format: Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) and PDF, LaTex
Typography: The text must be single-column, double-spaced
Line Numbering: Continuous line numbering

4.2 Title Page Construction
The Title Page should be provided as an independent file in order to promote double-blind peer review. It must have all the identification information not presented in the body of the manuscript.
● Title: The title must not be lengthy, confusing, or full of abbreviations. It must be explicit about its content (e.g., Experimental Analysis of Sloshing Loads in Liquefied Natural Gas Carriers as opposed to LNG Sloshing Study).
● Author Details: Full names of all authors, their institutional affiliations, and email addresses. The Corresponding Author should be stated with an asterisk (*). All communication with the journal will be done by this individual.
● Acknowledgments: All acknowledgments of technical support or funding should be included here and not in the body of the work, as doing so would maintain anonymity as the work goes through the review process.

4.3. The Abstract and Keywords
The abstract is the most frequently read part of any paper. It must be a standalone document that accurately summarizes the research.
● Length: 200 to 300 words.
● Structure: Although not explicitly labeled, the abstract should follow the logic of: Background (1 sentence), Methodology (2-3 sentences), Results (quantitative findings), and Conclusions (implications). Vague statements like "The results are discussed" are unacceptable; authors must state what the results were (e.g., "Drag was reduced by 12% at Froude number 0.25").
● Keywords: 4 to 6 keywords are required for indexing purposes. These should be specific terms (e.g., "Computational Fluid Dynamics," "Green Ship," "EEDI") that allow the article to be found in search engines. Authors should avoid general terms like "Ship" or "Engineering".

4.4 Main Manuscript Sections
The main body of the manuscript (the "Double-Blinded Manuscript") should follow the standard engineering research structure.
4.4.1 Introduction
The Introduction serves to contextualize the research. It should not be a broad historical survey but a focused analysis leading to the research question.
● Literature Review: Authors must cite relevant recent work, including papers from reputable and other leading journals, to demonstrate their familiarity and versatility with the field.
● Problem Statement: Clearly identify the gap in knowledge. Why is this research needed now?
● Objectives: Conclude the section with a clear statement of the study's goals.10
4.4.2 Methodology (Theoretical/Experimental)

This section must provide sufficient detail for the work to be reproduced.
● Numerical Studies: For numerical simulations/studies, authors must define the governing equations, boundary conditions, mesh generation strategy, and grid independence studies. Simply stating "ANSYS was used" is insufficient; the specific solver settings and turbulence models (e.g., k-epsilon, SST) must be detailed.
● Experimental Studies: Describe the physical setup, scaling laws (Froude/Reynolds scaling), uncertainty analysis, and data acquisition systems. Photos of the experimental setup are highly encouraged.

4.4.3 Results
Tables and figures should be used in presenting the results in a clear manner. The authors should not repeat the same data in the text that is obvious in the tables. The story must be based on taking the reader through the discoveries.
● Validation: In numerical papers, there must be the comparison of experimental results or benchmark data to test the method.
4.4.4 Discussion
Results interpretation is done in the Discussion section. It ought to indicate how the phenomena were realized.
● Analysis: What are the reasons why the results took place? What is their comparison with the past studies?
● Implications: This is what it implies to ship design or marine operations?
● Limitations: Authors should honestly discuss the limitations of their approach (e.g., scale effects, simplified boundary conditions).
4.4.5 Conclusions
A brief conclusion on the main findings should be the conclusion and it is usually a bulleted list. It must not present new arguments or information.
4.5 Figures, Tables, and Equations
Visual data presentation is critical in engineering.
● Figures: Should be of high quality (at least 300 dpi). All the text in figures (axis labels, legends) should be readable after being collapsed to column width. The captions are to be located below the figure.
● Tables: This has to be in the form of an editable text, not a picture. The captions are to be put over the table. Horizontal rules should be utilized to make a distinction between headers and data instead of vertical rules (lines).
● Equations: Have to be made with an equation editor (e.g., MathType). They are to be written in lists in parentheses at the right margin in a number sequence. Italicizing of variables (V) and boldness of vectors and matrices are recommended.

Example

V = s x t (1)

4.5 End matters

4.5.1 Acknowledgements

4.5.2 Conflict of Interest Statement

4.5.3 Data Availability Statement

4.5.4 AI usage disclosure

4.5.5 Funding Statement

5 5. Citation and Reference Style
5.5.1 AJOMENA utilises the Author-Date (Harvard) referencing style
5.5.2 In-Text Citations
The source is cited in the body text, followed by the last name of the author and the year of publication.
● One Author: (Smith, 2024) or "Smith (2024) stated..."
● Two Authors: (Kim and Park, 2023) or "Kim and Park (2023) found..."
● Three or More Authors: (Oterkus et al., 2022) or "Oterkus et al. (2022)
● Several Sources: In referencing several sources at a time, they must be separated with semicolons and must be arranged either in chronological order or alphabetically. Examples: (Ekman, 1905; Kim, 2015; Terziev et al., 2022).

5.2 The Reference List
The list of references is at the end of the manuscript and is arranged in alphabetical order according to the surname of the first author. It is not numbered. The particular arrangement of various types of sources is explained as follows.

Reference Formatting Guide Table for AJOMENA

Source	Format	Example
Journal Article	Author, A.A., Author, B.B., Year. Title of article. Journal Name (Abbrev.) Vol(Issue), Page range. DOI.	Terziev, M., Tezdogan, T., 2022. Sheared currents effect. Int. J. Nav. Archit. Ocean Eng. 14, 100461. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnaoe.2022.100461 7
Book	Author, A.A., Year. Title of Book. Publisher, City.	Lewis, E.V., 1988. Principles of Naval Architecture SNAME, Jersey City.
Conference	Author, A.A., Year. Title of paper. In: Proceedings of Conference Name, City, Country, pp. Pages.	Kim, Y., 2019. Sloshing loads. In: Proc. ISOPE 2019, Honolulu, USA, pp. 120-128
Thesis	Author, A.A., Year. Title of Thesis. Degree Level. University, City.	Odendaal, K., 2021. Yacht Energy Prediction. MSc Thesis. TU Delft, Delft. 37
Standard/Code	Organization, Year. Title of Standard, Number.	ASME, 2019. Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section VIII.
Website	Author/Org, Year. Title [Online]. URL (Accessed Date).	NIMENA, 2023. Blue Economy Goals. http://nimena.org.ng (Accessed 12 Dec 2024).

6. The Peer Review Process

AJOMENA uses a Double-Blind Peer Review and so applies the same rules.

6.1 The Review Workflow

1. Submission and Technical Check: A Managing Editor carries out a Technical Compliance Check on the Submission. This includes checking that the manuscript is formatted correctly and is within the scope, as well as plagiarism detection. Papers rejected by these checks are sent back to the author instantly (Unsubmitted). The Editor-in-Chief will receive the manuscript from ME, which has passed the preliminary check.

2. Editor Assignment: The Editor-in-Chief will allocate the manuscript to a Subject Editor (e.g., someone with expertise in Offshore Structures) depending on the keywords.

3. Reviewer Invitation: The Subject Editor requests the invitation of at least two independent experts. The authors should not be from the same institution as these reviewers.

4. Review Phase: The reviewers evaluate the paper based on technical soundness, originality, and comprehensibility. They provide a report containing recommendations: Accept, Minor Revision, Major Revision, or Reject.

5. Decision: The final decision is performed by the Subject Editor depending on the reviews.

Major Revision: The author should do a major revision of their analysis or text and submit it again to be checked.

Reject: The paper contains fatal flaws or is not new enough.

Accept: The paper is in readiness for publication (typically with slight revisions).

6.2 Responding to Reviewers

In preparing a revised manuscript, the authors have to include a Response to Reviewers document. This document must outline, in detail, on a point-by-point basis, how each of the comments that were raised by the reviewers was handled.

7. Submission Checklist and Post-Acceptance

The authors should use the given checklist to submit their work and cut delays to a minimum.

7.1 Submission Checklist

1. Cover Letter: State the importance of the work and ensure that they are not being sent in other places.

2. Files: Separate Title Page (including information about author) and Blinded Manuscript (no information about author).

3. Figures: All figures are of good quality that is captioned.

4. References: The in-text citations are collected in the reference list, and vice versa.

5. Ethics: Statement of Conflict of Interest and Funding mentioned.

6. Reviewers: Contact information of 3-5 recommended reviewers is given (compulsory with most systems to help editors).

7.2 Graphical Abstracts and Highlights

AJOMENA invites a Graphical Abstract to be submitted. It is a single and brief image that will provide the key finding of the paper in a nutshell. It is employed in a web-based table of contents to appeal to readers.

Also, authors are to give 3-5 "Highlights"--very brief bullet points (no more than 85 characters, including spaces) that describe the essence of the progress of the study.

7.3 Production and Open Access

● When the manuscript is accepted, it passes on to production. AJOMENA is an open-source journal, and this means that the articles are free to all.

● Proofs: A galley proof will be sent to the authors to correct typesetting mistakes. One should not rewrite the paper, but can only correct the mistakes.

8. Ethics and Compliance

Research must adhere to recognised ethical standards.
Authors must disclose conflicts of interest and funding sources.
Data, code, and materials should be made available where legally and ethically feasible.
Use of AI tools in writing, analysis, or visualisation must be disclosed.
Submission must adhere to plagiarism standards, with similarity not exceeding 15%, and self-plagiarism is strictly prohibited

9. Open Access and Licensing

Articles are published open access under CC BY-NC 4.0.
Authors retain copyright and may self-archive in institutional repositories.

10. Article Processing Charges (APCs)

APCs are applied after acceptance to support editorial, peer review, and digital preservation.
Waivers or discounts are available for authors from low- and middle-income countries or in cases of financial hardship.
APCs do not influence editorial decisions.

Submission Preparation Checklist

Submission Checklist

Authors are required to ensure that their manuscript complies with all items below before submission. Submissions that do not meet these requirements may be returned to the authors.

1. Exclusive Submission: The manuscript is not under consideration elsewhere and has not been submitted to any other journal.

2. Originality and Plagiarism: The manuscript has been checked using reputable plagiarism detection software, similarity is below 10%, and the content is not AI-generated without proper disclosure.

3. Previous Publication: The work has not been published previously in any form.

4. Commitment to AJOMENA: I agree not to submit this manuscript elsewhere while it is under consideration at AJOMENA, unless formally withdrawn.

5. File Format: The submission file is provided in Microsoft Word, RTF, or PDF format.

6. References and DOIs: Where available, DOI numbers have been included for all references.

7. Formatting Compliance: The manuscript adheres to AJOMENA’s stylistic and bibliographic requirements as outlined in the Author Guidelines.

8. Blind Review Compliance: For peer-reviewed sections, instructions for ensuring a blind review have been followed.

9. Reviewer and Copyright Forms: The ‘List of Reviewers’ and ‘Copyright Agreement’ forms have been completed and submitted to the editorial office. Review will not commence until these are received.

10. Suggested Reviewers: Three qualified reviewers (one national and two international) with affiliations and email addresses have been suggested. There is no conflict of interest with the suggested reviewers.

11. Submission Validity: I understand that manuscripts lacking the completed copyright and reviewer forms will be removed from consideration without notice if not received within one month of submission.

Uploadable files

When submitting to AJOMENA, authors are expected to provide the following files:

1. Title Page (separate file)

o Full names of all authors

o Institutional affiliations

o ORCID IDs (recommended)

o Email address of the corresponding author

o Acknowledgments, funding, and conflict of interest statements (if any)

2. Main Manuscript (blinded version)

o Contains the full text of the article (abstract, keywords, introduction, methods, results, discussion, conclusion, references) embedded with figures and tables

o Do not include author names, affiliations, or acknowledgments to ensure double-blind peer review.

3. Cover Letter

o Addressed to the Editor-in-Chief.

o Briefly explains the novelty, significance, and contribution of the work.

o Confirms that the manuscript is original, not under review elsewhere, and that all authors have approved submission.

4. Supplementary Materials (if applicable)

· Additional datasets, experimental protocols, codes, questionnaires, or appendices that support the article but are not essential for the main text

· Clearly referenced in the main manuscript and submitted as separate files

Original Research

Section default policy

Letters

No abstract. Just letters to the editor.

Copyright Notice

Upon acceptance of a manuscript, authors retain copyright of their work while granting the African Journal of Offshore, Marine Engineering and Naval Architecture (AJOMENA) the right of first publication.

All published content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0), which permits users to:

· Share: copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format

· Adapt: remix, transform, and build upon the material

Under the following conditions:

· Attribution: Appropriate credit must be given to the original authors and AJOMENA, including a link to the license, and any changes made must be indicated.

· NonCommercial: The material may not be used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from the authors and the journal.

Responsibilities of Authors:

· Ensure that all materials included (text, figures, tables, images) are original or used with proper permissions.

· Obtain and provide written permission for any previously published content reproduced in the manuscript.

· Disclose any third-party copyrighted materials and provide appropriate attribution.

Publisher Rights:

· AJOMENA reserves the right to distribute, archive, and display published articles online and in print.

· The journal may deposit the article in recognized digital repositories and indexing databases to ensure long-term accessibility and discoverability.

Privacy Statement

The names and email addresses entered in this journal site will be used exclusively for the stated purposes of this journal and will not be made available for any other purpose or to any other party.