Submissions

Author Guidelines

Authors are invited to make a submission to this journal. 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 making a submission, 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 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.

Article Types

GJBEI accepts the following manuscript types for submission and peer review:

Manuscript Structure

Cover Letter: addressed to the Editor-in-Chief, confirming the manuscript is original, not under review elsewhere, and has not been previously published; stating the manuscript's contribution to the field and identifying all authors and their affiliations.

Title Page (separate file): the full title, all author names, affiliations, corresponding author contact details, acknowledgements, and funding declarations.

Title and Abstract: a summary of approximately 200–300 words stating the purpose, methods, key findings, and conclusion of the study.

Keywords: 5–8 terms, listed immediately below the abstract.

Introduction: background, problem statement, and objectives of the study.

Literature Review: positioning of the study within existing scholarship.

Methodology: research design, data sources, sample, and analytical procedures, in sufficient detail to permit replication.

Results/Findings: findings presented clearly, supported by tables and figures as appropriate.

Discussion: interpretation of findings, implications, limitations, and comparison with existing literature.

Conclusion: concise summary of the study's contribution and, where relevant, recommendations for practice, policy, or further research.

Acknowledgements, Declaration of Generative AI Use (where applicable, per Section 5), and References (in APA style, per Section 13) follow the Conclusion.

Figures and Tables: embedded in the manuscript at appropriate locations, and also provided as separate high-resolution files where applicable.

Additional declarations: Conflict of Interest Declaration, Ethics Statement (where human subjects or sensitive data are involved), Data Availability Statement, and Author Contribution Statement (for multi-authored manuscripts).

Review articles, short communications, case studies, policy analysis papers, and conceptual papers may adapt this structure to suit the nature of the contribution, but must retain a title, abstract, and keywords.

Formatting Guidelines

To ensure consistency across submissions, authors must prepare manuscripts according to the following formatting requirements:

Font style: Century Gothic, used consistently throughout the manuscript, including headings, body text, tables, and figure captions.

Font size: 12 pt for body text; headings may be bolded at the same or a slightly larger size.

Line spacing: 1.5 lines throughout the body of the manuscript.

Margins: 1 inch (2.54 cm) on all sides - top, bottom, left, and right.

Page size: A4, with pages numbered consecutively at the bottom of each page.

Text alignment: justified, with paragraphs separated by a single blank line or first-line indent, applied consistently.

Tables and figures: numbered consecutively, with concise titles/captions, and referred to in the text.

Manuscripts that do not conform to these formatting requirements may be returned to authors for correction before proceeding to peer review.

Reference Style

GJBEI uses the American Psychological Association (APA) referencing style, 7th edition, for both in-text citations and the reference list.

In-text citations use the author–date format, e.g., (Abdi & Hassan, 2023) or Abdi and Hassan (2023) found that…; direct quotations include a page number.

The reference list appears at the end of the manuscript, titled "References," arranged alphabetically by the first author's surname, and formatted with a hanging indent.

Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs), where available, must be included for journal articles and other electronic sources.

All in-text citations must correspond to an entry in the reference list, and vice versa; authors are responsible for the accuracy and completeness of all references.

Illustrative reference examples:

Journal Article - Abdi, M. H., & Hassan, F. A. (2023). Economic diversification in post-conflict Somalia: Constraints and opportunities. African Development Review, 35(2), 112–128. https://doi.org/10.1111/example

Book - Todaro, M. P., & Smith, S. C. (2020). Economic development (13th ed.). Pearson Education.

Book Chapter - Hassan, I. A. (2021). Islamic finance instruments in Somalia. In A. Mohamed (Ed.), Finance in the Horn of Africa (pp. 67–89). East African Press.

Website/Online Source - World Bank. (2023, October 5). Somalia economic update 2023. World Bank Group. https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/somalia

Authors should consult the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th edition) for guidance on formatting specific source types.

Authorship Criteria and Responsibilities

Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made a substantial contribution to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the work; drafted or critically revised the manuscript; approved the final version; and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work. All listed authors must meet these criteria; individuals who contributed materially but do not meet authorship criteria should be named in the Acknowledgements. Authors must ensure that submitted work is original and has not been published elsewhere in any language, must disclose all funding sources and declare any conflicts of interest, and must obtain all necessary permissions for use of previously published material. The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring all co-authors have approved the final submission and for managing communication with the journal.

Research and Publication Ethics

Studies involving human participants must include a statement of institutional/ethics review board approval and informed consent.

Studies involving animals must confirm compliance with relevant institutional and national guidelines for humane treatment.

Authors must disclose any financial, institutional, or personal conflicts of interest that could influence the work.

Data fabrication, falsification, image manipulation, duplicate submission, and undisclosed redundant publication are treated as serious misconduct.

Reviewers must maintain strict confidentiality regarding manuscript content, must not use unpublished ideas for personal advantage, and must declare and recuse themselves from any conflicts of interest.

Editors must evaluate manuscripts solely on academic merit, without discrimination based on nationality, gender, religion, or institutional affiliation, and editorial decisions must not be influenced by commercial or personal interests.

The journal follows COPE flowcharts for investigating suspected misconduct at any stage, including after publication.

Publication Frequency and Fees

GJBEI publishes biannually, with Issue 1 released in September and Issue 2 in March. GJBEI operates as a fully Open Access journal. Submission fees and article processing charges (APCs) are currently waived for all articles submitted through December 2027; authors submitting during this period publish at no charge.