Orapuh Journal (Orap J) publishes dedicated Methods, Guidelines, and Procedures articles that describe innovative, updated, or standardized protocols in oral (dental) health and public health. Submitted articles must fall into one of the following categories:
1. New Methods, Guidelines, or Procedures: Completely original techniques, clinical standards, or step-by-step protocols developed to address an unaddressed need or challenge.
2. Substantive Modifications: Significant, evidence-based adaptations or improvements to existing methods, guidelines, or operational procedures.
3. Innovative Applications: Novel applications of established methods, guidelines, or procedures to new study populations, clinical models, or emerging scientific questions.
Conceptualizing Methods, Guidelines, and Procedures
To assist authors in framing their submissions, Orap J categorizes these protocols into three core domains:
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│ METHODS, GUIDELINES & PROCEDURES │
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1. METHODS 2. GUIDELINES 3. PROCEDURES
• Research • Evidence-based • Step-by-step
• Clinical recommendations actionable
• Laboratory for optimal care instructions
• Field / Community
• Teaching & Learning
1. Methods
Methods represent the underlying strategies, analytical processes, or practical techniques utilized to execute clinical, laboratory, educational, or research activities:
a) Research Methods: Practical strategies, qualitative/quantitative processes, or data collection techniques used to systematically gather and analyze evidence to uncover new findings or enhance conceptual understanding.
b) Clinical Methods: Standardized diagnostic and evaluative processes utilized by health and mental health professionals to form clinical judgments, arrive at diagnoses, or guide client/patient care in healthcare settings.
c) Laboratory Techniques: Recommended procedures, safety protocols, and execution standards for operating equipment, handling biological specimens, or conducting assays within laboratory environments.
d) Field Methods: Operational processes, sampling techniques, and logistical practices deployed during field-based research or community health interventions.
e) Teaching Methods: Broad pedagogical strategies, instructional designs, and educational frameworks applied by educators to facilitate student achievement of targeted learning outcomes.
f) Learning Methods: Structured activities, resource deployments, or self-directed strategies designed to support skill acquisition and knowledge retention at the individual, team, or organizational level.
2. Clinical Practice Guidelines
Clinical practice guidelines consist of systematically developed statements and actionable recommendations designed to optimize patient care. These guidelines must be grounded in a rigorous systematic review of available evidence and include a formal assessment of the relative benefits, risks, and harms of alternative management options.
3. Procedures
Procedures are written, highly specific, step-by-step operational instructions that outline exactly how a specific activity, intervention, or clinical workflow must be executed to ensure consistency, safety, and quality.
Language Requirements
All manuscripts must be written entirely in clear, formal English. Manuscripts that do not meet professional linguistic and academic writing standards will be returned to the authors for revision prior to peer review.
Pre-Submission Compliance Checklist
As part of the online submission process, authors must verify that their manuscript complies with every item on the following checklist. Submissions that fail to adhere to these criteria may be returned immediately without editorial evaluation:
a) Originality: The manuscript has not been previously published elsewhere, nor is it currently under consideration by any other journal (if exceptions exist, a full explanation must be provided in the Comments to the Editor).
b) File Format: The manuscript file is prepared in Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) format.
c) Digital Identifiers: Functional URLs or Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) have been provided for all eligible reference entries.
d) Typography & Layout:
- The text is single-spaced in 12-point Times New Roman font with black text.
- Margins are Justified, and pages are numbered sequentially.
- Formatting utilizes italics for emphasis rather than underlining (except for clickable URLs).
e) Embedded Graphics: All figures, illustrations, and tables are embedded directly within the text at their appropriate logical locations (not placed separately at the end of the document). Tables must be high-resolution and formatted cleanly without gridlines.
f) Bibliographic Adherence: The manuscript adheres fully to the stylistic, citation, and structural guidelines outlined below.
Author Guidelines: Step-by-Step Protocol Development Process
When preparing a Method, Guideline, or Procedure manuscript for Orap J, authors should follow this sequence:
Step 1: Identify Topic / Scenario
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Step 2: Assemble Research Team
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├──► [If part of an accepted Orap J paper] ──────┐
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Step 4: OREB Approval (Fresh Work) │
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Step 5: Literature Search & Appraisal │
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Step 6: Draft Concise Protocol ◄──────────────────┘
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Step 7: Submit to Orap J
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Step 8: Commit to Periodic Updates
1. Identify the Need: Define the specific clinical problem, research gap, or field scenario that the method, guideline, or procedure aims to solve.
2. Assemble a Collaborative Team: Recruit co-authors with complementary expertise to assist in literature gathering, protocol drafting, and evidence appraisal.
3. Determine Protocol Source:
a) If the protocol is derived from or expands upon a study already accepted for publication in Orapuh Journal, skip directly to Step 6.
b) If the manuscript represents new, standalone research, proceed to Step 4.
4. Obtain Ethical Clearance: For original projects, submit a formal research proposal to the Orapuh Research Ethics Board (OREB) for review and approval before gathering empirical data.
5. Conduct Evidence Gathering & Appraisal: Conduct a comprehensive review of existing literature to ensure the protocol does not duplicate established procedures without cause. Formulate explicit clinical or operational questions, and systematically acquire and critically appraise the evidence.
6. Draft the Protocol: Develop a clear, step-by-step rendition of the protocol. Drafts should be concise, logical, straightforward, and tailored explicitly to the needs of the end-user (e.g., clinicians, laboratory technicians, or researchers).
7. Submit Manuscript: Format the manuscript according to Orap J standards and submit via the online management portal.
8. Commit to Long-Term Updates: Maintain a commitment to conduct regular updates of the published protocol to ensure it reflects evolving scientific evidence over time.
Authorship & Contributorship
To claim authorship on an Orap J manuscript, every listed author must have made substantial, direct intellectual contributions to the conceptualization, design, data acquisition, or drafting of the work.
i. Author Responsibility: Although Orap J peer-review and editorial processes are structured to eliminate technical and factual errors, all authors retain personal accountability for the accuracy, authenticity, and integrity of the published content.
ii. Authorship Attestation: Prior to publication, authors must sign a formal statement confirming that all listed individuals meet international authorship criteria. The corresponding author may sign this declaration on behalf of the co-authors.
iii. Corresponding Author Role: When a manuscript has multiple co-authors, one individual must be designated as the Corresponding Author to manage all editorial communications, peer-review queries, and administrative revisions on behalf of the team.
iv. Submission Ownership: The submission must be uploaded directly by one of the manuscript's validated co-authors.
Manuscript Structure & Formatting
Manuscripts submitted under this section must be organized into the following required sections:
1. Title Page: Includes full article title, author names, institutional affiliations, ORCID iDs, and contact details for the corresponding author.
2. Abstract: A structured summary not exceeding 250 words outlining the purpose, scope, application, and primary steps of the protocol.
3. Keywords: 3 to 6 descriptive terms for indexing purposes.
4. Main Body: The core text featuring a clear, logical, step-by-step description of the protocol, method, or guideline.
5. Author Contributions: Detailed breakdown of individual roles using standard CRediT criteria.
6. Competing Interests: Explicit declaration of any financial, personal, or institutional conflicts of interest.
7. Acknowledgments: Optional recognition of funding sources, technical assistance, or non-author contributors.
8. Supplementary Material: Additional protocol manuals, data sheets, or video demonstrations (if applicable).
9. References: Formatted strictly according to APA 7th Edition standards.
10. Figures and Tables: Embedded within the text at relevant points, high-resolution, and without internal vertical gridlines (if applicable).
11. Images: Embedded high-resolution visual assets (if applicable).
12. Mathematical Scripts & Equations: Clearly rendered using standard equation tools or LaTeX formatting (if applicable).
13. Special Characters: Properly formatted symbols and non-ASCII notation (if applicable).
Submissions, Fees, & Editorial Policies
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Submission Deadlines: Orap J operates on a rolling submission schedule with no strict submission deadlines.
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Publishing Model: Articles are processed and released continuously on a publish-as-you-go basis.
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Article Processing Charge (APC): Orap J charges an APC upon formal acceptance to cover editorial processing, copyediting, formatting, and long-term digital preservation:
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African Authors: $60 USD per accepted article.
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International Authors (Other Regions): $120 USD per accepted article.
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Payment details and secure payment gateways are accessible upon acceptance.
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Editorial Policies: Authors should review the full suite of editorial standards, publication ethics, and operational guidelines on the official journal web portal.
The Publication Journey
Manuscript Submitted ──► Editorial Screening ──► Double-Blind Peer Review (2 Reviewers)
│ DOI & Archiving ◄── APC Payment ◄── Revision & Decision ◄─┘
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Submission Receipt: Manuscript submitted online through the journal management portal.
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Initial Editorial Screening: The editorial team checks the submission for completeness, scope relevance, plagiarism, and structural adherence.
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Double-Blind External Peer Review: The manuscript is assigned to two (2) independent external expert reviewers.
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Author Revision: Authors revise the manuscript in response to reviewer comments (if indicated).
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Editorial Decision: The Editorial Board issues a formal decision (Accept or Reject).
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APC Payment: Upon formal acceptance, the corresponding author remits the Article Processing Charge.
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Final Editorial Screening: Final administrative verification of revised files.
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Copyediting & Layout: Text is copyedited, and professional publication proofs are generated.
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Production: Galley proofs are approved, and a unique DOI is registered.
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Publication: The finalized article is published online.
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Indexing & Distribution: The article is made immediately open-access on the journal website and syndicated to third-party databases.
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Long-Term Preservation: The published article is deposited into permanent digital archives including LOCKSS and the PKP Preservation Network (PKP PN).
Authors receive automated status notifications at each major milestone and can track progress via their online journal account dashboard.
Copyright Notice
Authors of articles published in Orap J retain full copyright ownership of their work. Upon acceptance, authors grant third parties a perpetual, royalty-free license to access, read, download, copy, distribute, and reproduce the article freely without financial or registration barriers, provided proper credit is given to the original authors and the journal.
Contact & Editorial Office
For inquiries regarding manuscript submissions, technical issues, or editorial policies, contact the editorial team:
I. Physical Address: F. Gaye R., Sukuta-Jamisa, Greater Banjul Area, The Gambia.
II. Email: [email protected]
III. WhatsApp: +220-87-723-0480