Submission Guidelines

Manuscript Preparation

AAD publishes research-based articles focused on practical implications for agricultural development. To facilitate rapid review, publication, and consumption, AAD encourages authors to focus their manuscripts on findings, conclusions, implications, discussion, and recommendations.  Manuscripts should be no more than 15 double-spaced pages in length, which includes tables and figures. The references are not counted as a part of the 15 page limit.. Tables and figures should be placed in the text as soon after mention as possible. 

Manuscripts should include: title; abstract with keywords; introduction and problem statement; theoretical or conceptual framework; purpose; methods; findings; and conclusions, discussion, and recommendations. Authors should adhere to the publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.) for writing style, quoting, citing, and referencing.  Margins should be set to 1 inch on all sides. Times New Roman in 12-point font must be used. Pages must be double-spaced. All tables must be formatted using the Table function.  Manuscripts should be prepared using the Manuscript Guidelines and Template. AAD only allows authors to use generative AI technologies to improve the writing quality and readability of submitted manuscripts. By submitting, you are acknowledging compliance with this policy.

Title

List the title of the article on the top of the first page.

Abstract with Keywords

Maximum 200 words.  Abstracts should include the purpose of the study, methodology, major findings, and major recommendations.  Authors should identify up to three to five keywords not previously used in the title. General terms should not be used.  One of the keywords should be the UN Sustainable Development Goal which most closely aligns with your study. You may wish to indicate a geographic context, intended audience, method used, theoretical framework, applications of findings, or other identifiers which will help readers find your article. 

Introduction and Problem Statement

This section should be concise and broadly set the tone for the paper in the context of the problem being addressed. This section should conclude with a statement of the problem being studied. This section should be a maximum of one page in length. Figures and tables should be used sparingly and only when necessary. The same page space could be used to enhance your findings and/or conclusions.

Theoretical or Conceptual Framework

This section should be succinct and state the major theoretical or conceptual underpinnings of the problem being studied. This section should include a declarative statement about the theory or concept in context; there is no need to spend an exhaustive amount of text to explain well-established theories. Literature cited in this section and previous sections should include articles from journals in the narrower field of study while also connecting to journals from the broader disciplines. Citing other articles published in AAD is not a requirement or expectation. Some of the literature cited should come from journals listed in the Social Science Citations Index or the Emerging Sources Citations Index. The current lists of journals are available at: http://mjl.clarivate.com. This section should be between one and two pages in length. Figures and tables should be used sparingly and only when necessary. The same page space could be used to enhance your findings and/or conclusions.

Purpose

This section should include the overall purpose of the study and specific objectives or as appropriate research questions. Be sure to consult the Aims and Scope of AAD to ensure your research fits this journal. As a general rule, a description of research subjects should be included in the methodology, not as a research objective. This section should be a maximum of one-half a page in length.

Methods

This section should provide a concise description about the methods and procedures used in the conduct of the study, unless more information is needed about a novel method or procedure. Well-known terms and procedures do not need excessively long descriptions. Presentation of quantitative studies should include as appropriate: research design, description of target population, sampling, instrument description and appropriateness, validity, reliability, limitations, data collection procedures, response rate, and nonresponse. Presentation of qualitative studies should include as appropriate: research design, discussion of purposive sampling, limitations, and trustworthiness criteria. Mixed methods research must include the preceding aspects as appropriate. Authors must indicate if the data being presented is a part of a larger study, including citations to other publications. Authors must also indicate when data were collected. Given AAD's focus on research which informs practice, we typically do not accept research with data over three years old.  This section should be a maximum of two pages in length. Authors will be required to acknowledge IRB or similar approval during the submission process, no need to mention in the manuscript.

Findings

This section should be the major focus of the manuscript, present data being reported, and provide interpretations of such. Authors using tables must ensure they contain complete information needed to interpret findings. Narrative related to the tables should not simply repeat what is in the table but rather highlight specific features of importance. Authors of qualitative research must seek to provide a thick description yet should be mindful to balance the use of quotes by selecting only those which are essential to the findings. This section should be a maximum of eight pages in length.

Conclusions, Discussion, and Recommendations

This section must be based on the facts placed within the context of the theoretical or conceptual framework and problem statement. Conclusions should be drawn, either deductively or inductively, from the Findings section. Implications of the conclusions related to the problem being addressed should be discussed. Recommendations must be offered for agricultural development practice and future research. This section should be a maximum of two pages in length. 

Instrumentation

Authors are encouraged to include their instrumentation as a part of the submission. Quantitative and/or qualitative instruments can be submitted as separate files in the initial submission. Instruments do not count in the page length limits for articles described above. Authors will be given the option of having their instruments published if the article is accepted, provided the instruments are not copyrighted elsewhere.