Author Guidelines

1.0  Scope of the Journal

The Nigerian Journal of Technical Education (NJTE) is a multidisciplinary, peer-reviewed journal published twice a year (June and December) by the National Board for Technical Education, Kaduna. The Journal publishes theoretical, empirical, practical and analytical papers across all spheres of learning, with particular emphasis on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), science, engineering and applied technology.

As a multidisciplinary journal, NJTE welcomes submissions from a wide range of fields, provided the work makes a definitive contribution to knowledge and educational or technological development. Manuscripts are considered under the following broad thematic clusters:

• Technical and Vocational Education: TVET policy, funding, governance and reform; curriculum development and competency-based education; quality assurance, accreditation and standards; work-based learning (SIWES, apprenticeship, dual training).
• Engineering and Applied Technology: engineering education, design and fabrication, materials, energy and renewable technologies, adaptive and indigenous technology, and innovation reports.
• Science and Computing: applied science education, laboratory practice, digitalization, ICT integration, artificial intelligence and emerging technologies for teaching, learning and administration.
• Management, Social and Environmental Sciences: technical education management and leadership, entrepreneurship and employability, institutional effectiveness, sustainable development, green skills and climate-resilient technical education.
• Arts, Design and Communication: applied arts, design education, mass communication, library and information science, and related creative-technology disciplines.

Authors working outside these clusters but within the Journal's overall remit are encouraged to contact the Editorial Secretary before submitting.

2.0  Categories of Manuscript Accepted

All manuscripts must fall within the overall range of 2,000 to 5,000 words unless prior approval is obtained from the Editor-in-Chief.

3.0  General Formatting Requirements

4.0  Structure of the Manuscript

Manuscripts must be submitted as a single files

4.1  File 1 – Title Page (submitted separately)

1. Full title of the paper (concise, informative, not more than 20 words)
2. Full name of each author, in the order of contribution
3. Institutional affiliation, department and full postal address of each author
4. Email address and telephone number of each author
5. ORCID identifier of each author, where available (strongly recommended)
6. Name, email and telephone number of the corresponding author, clearly designated
7. Declarations: conflict of interest, funding source, and author contribution statement

• Abstract – a single paragraph of not more than 200 words, without citations, abbreviations or subheadings. It must state clearly the focus and thrust of the work, and provide a brief overview of the problem, the procedure adopted and the findings.
• Keywords – four to six keywords, separated by commas, placed immediately below the abstract
• Introduction – background to the study and a review of relevant previous work by other researchers on the subject, bringing out the objectives and scope of the study and highlighting the need for it. Where necessary, a definition of terms may be provided. All works consulted or authors cited must appear in the reference list.
• Methodology – sufficient detail on design, population and sample, instruments, validity and reliability, procedure and method of data analysis to permit replication. For engineering and technology papers, this section covers materials, design specifications, fabrication procedure and testing protocol.
• Results – findings presented logically, supported by tables and figures, without interpretation
• Discussion – interpretation of the findings in relation to the objectives and to existing literature, including implications and any limitations of the study
• Conclusion – a brief summary of the major findings, articulating their significance and their contribution to knowledge or to addressing a particular problem
• Recommendations – where necessary, recommendations for policy-making or suggestions for further research on the problem
• Acknowledgements – optional
• References – a full reference list of all works cited in the text, in APA 7th edition format

Review papers, technical reports and case studies may adapt this structure to suit the nature of the work, provided the abstract, introduction, body, conclusion and references are retained.

5.0  Tables, Figures and Illustrations

5.1  Tables

• Tables must be numbered consecutively in Arabic numerals (Table 1, Table 2, Table 3 …)
• Each table must carry a title written above the table
• Tables must be created using the table function of the word processor, not as images
• Every table must be referred to at the appropriate point in the text

Example:  Table 1: Population Trend in Nigeria, 1960 – 1990

5.2  Figures, Graphs and Photographs

• Figures and graphs must be numbered consecutively in Arabic numerals (Fig. 1, Fig. 2, Fig. 3 …)
• Each figure must carry a title written below the figure
• All necessary illustrations or photographs, where applicable, should accompany the manuscript
• Notations must be made in the manuscript to indicate the precise location and sequence of the illustrations
• Images must be of at least 300 dpi resolution and legible when reproduced in greyscale
• Authors must hold the rights to all images used, or provide written permission from the copyright holder

Example:  Fig. 4: Side view of Lathe Machine

5.3  Equations, Units and Symbols

• Equations must be produced with an equation editor and numbered consecutively in Arabic numerals in parentheses at the right margin
• SI units must be used throughout; where other units are unavoidable, give the SI equivalent in parentheses
• Define all symbols and abbreviations at first use; avoid abbreviations in the title and abstract

6.0  Referencing Style

The accepted referencing format for the Journal is the APA (American Psychological Association) style, 7th edition. In-text citations take the author–date form, and the reference list must be arranged alphabetically, double-spaced, with a hanging indent of 0.5 inch. Every work cited in the text must appear in the reference list, and every entry in the reference list must be cited in the text. Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) must be included where available.

6.1  Illustrative Examples

Journal article:  Nwineh, L., Akata, M. B., & Andy-Jack, O. (2026). Perceived usefulness of the Internet of Things among TVET educators. Nigerian Journal of Technical Education, 25(2), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.63996/njte.v25i2.88

Book:  Pfister, C. (2011). Getting started with the internet of things. O’Reilly Media.

Chapter in an edited book:  Bakla, A. (2022). Learning analytics through the Internet of Things. In L. Daniela (Ed.), The Internet of Things for education (pp. 123–143). Springer.

Institutional/government publication:  National Board for Technical Education. (2025). Directory of accredited programmes in Nigerian polytechnics. NBTE.

Conference paper:  Takpor, T., & Atayero, A. A. (2015). Integrating Internet of Things and eHealth solutions for students’ healthcare. Proceedings of the World Congress on Engineering, 1, 265–268.

Thesis:  Adebayo, Y. J. (2024). Competency needs of technical college graduates in Kaduna State [Unpublished doctoral thesis]. Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.

Web page:  International Labour Organization. (2026, March 4). Skills for a greener future. https://www.ilo.org/skills-green-future

7.0  Ethical and Integrity Requirements

7.1  Originality and Plagiarism

Manuscripts must be original, must not have been previously published, and must not be under consideration by any other journal. All submissions are screened using Turnitin. A similarity index of not more than 15% is acceptable; manuscripts exceeding this threshold will not be accepted for review. Authors are advised to run their own similarity check before submitting.

7.2  Authorship

Authorship must be limited to those who have made a substantive contribution to the conception, design, execution or interpretation of the work. All named authors must have approved the final manuscript. Changes to authorship after submission require the written consent of all authors.

7.3  Research Ethics and Consent

Studies involving human participants must state that informed consent was obtained and, where applicable, cite the approval of a recognised research ethics committee. Participants must not be identifiable in the text, tables, figures or photographs without their written consent.

7.4  Conflict of Interest and Funding

All authors must declare any financial or personal relationships that could be perceived to influence the work. Where no conflict exists, this must be stated. Sources of funding, including grant numbers, must be disclosed on the title page.

7.5  Use of Artificial Intelligence and Automated Tools

• Authors must disclose the use of generative artificial intelligence in preparing a manuscript, beyond straightforward language correction, editing and formatting.
• Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy and integrity of all content, including verifying the output of any automated tool used.
• Artificial intelligence tools cannot be credited as authors and cannot be cited as a source of information.
• Reviewers and editors shall not use generative artificial intelligence to produce their assessments.

8.0  Submission Procedure

8. Register or log in at https://www.digitalnjte.org/index.php/files/login.
9. Complete the five-step online submission process, uploading the Turnitin report of the manuscript,and the Main Manuscript as separate files.
10. Confirm compliance with the Submission Preparation Checklist presented during submission.
11. An acknowledgement of receipt will be issued automatically; the corresponding author will be notified of the outcome of editorial screening.
12. Manuscripts and Turnitin report of the manuscript as separate files should also be forwarded to njteeditorial@gmail.com

Submission checklist – confirm before you submit:

• Manuscript is within the stated word range and in Times New Roman 12 point, double-spaced
• Abstract of not more than 200 words, with four to six keywords
• Tables numbered in Arabic numerals with titles above; figures in Arabic numerals with titles below
• All in-text citations appear in the reference list, formatted in APA 7th edition
• Similarity index verified at not more than 15%
• Declarations of conflict of interest, funding and any use of artificial intelligence included

9.0  Review Process and Decisions

Manuscripts are first screened editorially for scope, originality and compliance with these guidelines. Those passing screening are subjected to double-anonymous peer review by three independent experts in the relevant subject area. At least two of the three assessors must recommend publication before a manuscript is considered by the Editorial Board, which conducts a further screening before a final decision is taken. Decisions are communicated on a rolling basis and take one of four forms: accept; accept with minor revisions; major revisions with re-review; or reject.

Rejected manuscripts are not normally returned to authors. Opinions expressed in published articles are strictly those of the authors and do not reflect the views of the Editorial Board or of the National Board for Technical Education.

10.0  Publication Charges

There is no submission fee. A processing and publication fee of ₦20,000.00 is payable only in respect of manuscripts accepted for publication. There are no page charges or colour charges. Payment details are communicated to authors upon acceptance.

Account Name: NBTE CONSULT LTD.
Account Number: 0643180722
Bank: GT BANK