Published by:

The National Institute for Policy and Strategic

Studies, Kuru, Nigeria
PMB 2024, Bukuru
Plateau State, Nigeria
Email:
[email protected]

STYLE MANUAL

HOUSE RULES FOR PUBLICATIONS IN

THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE

First Published 1994

Second edition 2003
Third edition 2005
Fourth edition 2011
Fifth Edition 2014

ISBN 978-978-198-097-8
All rights reserved. No part of this publication
may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording or otherwise without the prior written
permission of the National Institute, Kuru.

NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR POLICY AND

STRATEGIC STUDIES, KURU, NIGERIA

Printed by
The National Institute Press

ii

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Preface

- iv

Section 1: Introduction

-1

Section 2: Preparation of Manuscripts - 7

Section 3: Structure of SEC Participants
Individual Research Projects

-11

Section 4: References -

-35

-49

Section 5: Abstracts, Tables and

Diagrams -

Section 6: Format for Reports Submitted

by Senior Executive Course Participants 53
Section 7: Nigerian Journal of Policy and
Strategy

-67

Section 8: Guidelines for Executive

Summary -

-71

Section 9: Text Composition

-75

Section 10: Book Make up -

-89

Appendix: Publications Policy of the

National Institute

-93

iii

PREFACE

he law establishing the National Institute (Act 20 of 1979 now CAP 262
of 1990) requires it, among other
things, to disseminate, through published
books, records, reports and articles, information on any part of its activities.
Over the years, the National Institute
has published many journals, books, seminar reports and occasional papers which
have been widely circulated locally and internationally. To keep abreast of current
styles and rules in academic publishing,
the Institute has issued this Style Manual.
While there are many referencing
styles, the National Institute has adapted
elements from existing styles to create the
NIPSS Style Manual to suit its own purposes.
The NIPSS Style Manual provides the
Institutes approved guidelines for Participants, researchers, editors, printers and
authors in producing research works and
preparing manuscripts for publication.
The Publications Policy, included as
an appendix, was first approved by the
Board of Governors in 1992. It was revised
by the National Institute Management in
iv

2004. The Policy spells out the criteria for

publication as well as other relevant issues
associated with publishing by the Institute.
The first edition of NIPSS Style Manual was published in 1994. It has since
been revised in 2003, 2005 and 2011. This
is the 5th edition.
This 5th Edition has been approved
by the Publications Committee of the National Institute.

SECTION
1

INTRODUCTION
he National Institute was established
in 1979 as a high-level centre for reflection, research and dialogue. It
provides a forum for scholars, policy initiators and executors, and other citizens of
mature experience and wisdom from different sectors of Nigerias national life to interact and exchange ideas on issues of national and international concern.
In line with its enabling law, the Institute, through its Research Directorate,
carries out inter-disciplinary and policyrelated research into the political, economic, social, cultural and other issues facing
Nigeria. The Directorate of Studies, on the
other hand, organises the Senior Executive
Course (SEC) for participants from the upper echelons of the public service (both
State and Federal), the armed forces, the
police, para-military agencies, other relevant public organisations as well as the organised private sector.

The Publications Department, under

the Office of the Director-General, is primarily charged with the publishing of carefully assessed manuscripts from the Directorates of Research and Studies, as well as
works from scholars within and outside the
National Institute. The categories of publications approved by the Board of the National Institute include:
a) Conference/Workshop proceedings
b) Research Monographs
c) Occasional Papers
d) Individual Research Projects
e) Distinguished Annual Lecture Series
f) Concluding Seminars
g) Tour Reports
h) Books
i) The National Institute Journal
Through these outlets, the Institute
disseminates knowledge from its numerous
studies and research programmes. This is
in line with the Act establishing the Institute which requires it to present in usable
form results of its research efforts into the
social, economic, political, scientific and
other problems facing the country.
The main target-groups for the Institutes publications include:
1) Government at its policy-making levels;
2

2) The academic community;

3) Professionals, Civil Society Organisations and other interest and pressure
groups; and
4) Informed members of the Nigerian public both within and outside Nigeria.
Clearly, the presentation of findings
must be suitable for the above categories of
target audience. Policy makers do not always have the time to read official reports
in detail. Hence, a carefully constructed
executive summary is of an inestimable
value. Moreover, an academic readership
has its own conventions and expectations
regarding the standards and presentation
of published research. This Style Manual
is designed to provide some of the more
formal and technical guidelines on the
presentation of such works.
Writing and Communication Skills
Whatever the format, there are
agreed standards concerning good writing. These include clarity of thought; simplicity and precision in language; avoidance of verbose language; a methodically
presented and logically developed argument; accuracy of data such as facts, figures, illustrations and references.
3

Both writing and communication are

organic in value. Writing is an art. It is an
act of communication which demands good
communication skills. The following will
serve additionally as guides to good writing
and communication skills:
1.
Ensure relevance, lucidity of language and clarity.
2.
Ensure logical presentation of material with persuasiveness.
3.
Adhere to grammatical rules on tenses and other related grammatical
functions.
4.
Ensure brevity of words/ communications (economy of words by avoiding unduly long sentences).
5.
Remain
confident,
logical
and
demonstrate conviction on issues and
conclusions.
6.
Proof-read and edit carefully to eliminate factual and grammatical inaccuracies.
Plagiarism and Copyright Violation
Plagiarism is a form of Intellectual
theft and should be avoided.
What is plagiarism? It is the presentation of another persons thoughts or
words verbatim without any acknowledg4

ments. Every research work submitted

should be expressed in ones own words.
Failure to provide a source or attribution or to include quotation marks on materials lifted or cited from other literature
sources may be taken as the authors own
ideas and judgments. Therefore, every quotation, whether short or long that is not
acknowledged constitutes plagiarism. This
includes direct copying, word for word, of
ones own writings already published or in
circulation.
Plagiarism is a serious offence and
penalties can include awarding zero marks
for work, expulsion from the course programme, or withdrawal of certificates and
honours
and/or
severe
disciplinary
measures.
Arrangement of Sections
The first six sections of this Style
Manual are guidelines to ensure uniformity
of style in manuscripts submitted to the
Institute. Section Seven provides hints on
writing an executive summary, while other
aspects focus on technical details relevant
to the production process.

SECTION
2

The British English is to be used throughout (not the American or a mixture of

both).

GENERAL PREPARATION OF MANUSCRIPTS

ll manuscripts should be typewritten, double-spaced and set on 14point font size on Times New Roman
typeface. Manuscript should be submitted
in both hard and electronic formats.
Manuscripts should be printed on
one side only, leaving generous margins at
the top, bottom and the sides of pages.
The pages should be numbered consecutively and properly fastened. Page numbers
should be centred at the bottom.
All chapters in the manuscript
should be divided into sections with appropriate headings and sub-headings. The
sections may be highlighted in bold or italics.
Beginning of paragraphs, indenting,
and other spacing arrangements must be
clearly indicated. The same thing applies to
diagrams, illustrations and tables.
Manuscripts should be carefully revised and spell-checked before submission.
6

Senior Executive Course (SEC) Projects

Chapters and Sections of SEC Projects should be numbered in an orderly
fashion as indicated in Section 3. References in SEC projects should follow the
pattern indicated in Section 4.
Each Participant is required to provide a brief profile of himself/herself. Example:
John Agbo was born in 1962 in Eboya, Benue
State where he received primary and secondary
education. After his B.Sc. (Political Science) at
the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, he enlisted
in the Nigerian Army in 1987. He returns to the
Army after his Senior Executive Course in
NIPSS.

The title of the project on the cover

page and title pages should be in upper
case (capital letters) 20-points, Times New
Roman.
The authors name and other information on the cover and title pages should
be in initial capitals only.

Information for cover pages: Title of project,

authors name (without any title(s), SEC
number and year, short title of the Institute (National Institute, Kuru) and month
and year of submission (see example below).

EXAMPLE OF COVER PAGE

An Individual Research Project Submitted to the National Institute for Policy

and Strategic Studies, Kuru, in partial
fulfillment of the requirement for the
award of the Member of the National Institute (mni).
This will be followed by month and year of
submission. The spine bears the authors
name, SEC, NIPSS and year of publication.

PENSION ADMINISTRATION AND THE

CHALLENGES OF THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY
By
Tom Dick Harry
Senior Executive Course 35, 2013
National Institute, Kuru
November, 2013

Half title: same as cover page except that

the name of the Institute will be written in
full (National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru)
Full title page: same as the half title page,
but with the following additional information:

SECTION
3

GUIDELINES FOR PREPARATION OF

SENIOR EXECUTIVE COURSE
PARTICIPANTS INDIVIDUAL RESEARCH
PROJECTS
3.1 Structure
The Individual research Projects of Senior
Executive Course Participants should be
structured as follows:
PRELIMINARY PAGES
Title Page
Certification
Restricted Publication Notice
Dedication (where applicable)
Acknowledgments
List of Tables (Where applicable)
Table of Contents
List of Abbreviations (Where applicable)
List of Figures (Where applicable)
Abstract

10

CHAPTER ONE:
GENERAL INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
1.2 Statement of the Research Problem
1.3 Research Questions
1.4 Aim and Objectives of the Study
1.5 Scope
1.6 Limitations
1.7 Significance of the Study/Policy Relevance
1.8 Conceptual Clarifications
1.9 Theoretical Framework
1.10 Hypothesis (where applicable)
1.11 Methodology
1.12 Organisation of the Study
CHAPTER TWO:
LITERATURE REVIEW
CHAPTER THREE:
HISTORICAL AND POLICY CONTEXT OF
THE STUDY
CHAPTER FOUR:
GIVE AN APPROPRIATE TITLE

11

CHAPTER FIVE:
CONCLUSION, RECOMMENDATIONS AND
IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES
References and Appendices
3.2

GUIDELINES ON WRITING THE

SECTIONS OF CHAPTER ONE
3.2.1 Background to the Study
This section involves the writing of a
brief overview of the setting of the study.
The Background of the Study is a statement on the factors that contribute to the
problem being investigated in the study,
efforts made so far to address the problem
and the strengths and/or weaknesses of
such efforts.
The main task is to situate the concern of the study within the ongoing research dialogue. The major variables of interest to the study are to be captured and
discussed coherently in such a way as to
highlight the focus and arouse interest.
The temptation to review literature here
should be resisted.
The Background should be between
2 and 3 pages.

12

3.2.2 Statement of the Research

Problem
Often times, a careful reading of existing/available literature on the subject of
research would assist the researcher to articulate his/her specific area of research
interest in order to state his/her research
problem in clear and precise terms. The
statement of problem seeks to provide answers to the following questions, among
others:
a. What is happening in the area of study
that arouses curiosity and makes the
study necessary? What this implies is
that the statement of the research problem should spell out the need/purpose
of the study and the focus of the problem that the researcher wants to address.
b. Why is it happening? This involves a description of the cause of the problem or
the circumstances creating the problem.
c. What is done now to address the problem? This involves describing the approaches or steps taken towards solving
the problem to date.
13

A clear presentation of answers to these

questions would enable the researcher to
avoid going over grounds already covered
by earlier researchers. It would also enable
the researcher to articulate his or her research questions and hypotheses in a clear
and precise way. The statement of the research problem should not be more than
1 pages.
3.2.3 Research Questions
A research question is an extension
of a research problem. That is, a problem
is a question requiring an answer. The goal
of a research question is to formally state
what it is that the researcher wants to better understand. It is important to note that
the Research Questions are not the same
as Hypotheses. However, for our purposes,
after Research Questions there is no need
for Hypotheses. Both Research Questions
and Hypotheses logically derive from the
statement of the research problem. The research questions just like hypotheses, provide yardsticks for finding out why the
identified research problems exist. They also help to provide clues to the solution of
the research problems and hence assist
the researcher to meet the objectives set
14

out by him/her at the beginning of the research process. The research questions
should not be too many; they should be between three and five.
3.2.4 Aim and Objectives
Having identified the research problem and questions, the researcher should
then specify the aim and objectives of the
study. These naturally also derive from the
statement of the research problem. Aim
specifies in broad terms what the researchers goal is. On the other hand, objectives specify exactly what the researcher expects to achieve through the conduct
of the research. Example: Let us assume
that you are conducting a research on inter-religious conflict in Nigeria. The aim
could be: At the end of the study, to produce enough facts and evidence to guide
policy makers on what should be done to
curb the incidence(s) of inter-religious conflicts in Nigeria. The objectives, on the other hand, would be the reformulation of the
research questions in sentence forms.
Thus, the objectives should correspond
with the research questions and should be
between three and five. They are guide

15

posts to research activities and should be

accounted for in chapter four.
3.2.5 Scope of the Study
Every study should have a clearly defined scope. The scope provides the justification of the study in terms of its thematic
and geographic coverage. It usually also
indicates the period to be covered in the
study. It is important that the researcher
states what he/she will not include so that
the scope of the research is clearly defined.
3.2.6 Limitations of the Study
Limitations of the study have to do
with constraints faced or shortcomings encountered by the researcher in the course
of conducting the study. Such problems often tend to restrict the scope and coverage
of the study but they should not be confused with the scope of the study. These
may include limited finances available to
the researcher to conduct field work or
constraints of time to cover all grounds
necessary to enrich the research effort or
barriers faced by the author in accessing
some information and so on. Although the
researcher could anticipate some limitations prior to conducting the research, the
16

actual limitations would be encountered in

the course of the research and should be
reported at the end of the research. The researcher should also state the extent of accomplishing the objectives of the study despite the limitations.
3.2.7 Significance/Policy Relevance of
the Study
In the light of the mandate of the National Institute, it is important that each
researchers effort should shed light on the
policy implications of the research findings.
This section is, therefore, meant to highlight the policy implications of the research
findings. The section seeks to answer the
question: How would the research results
assist policy makers (government officials)
and other stakeholders in their search towards turning Nigeria into a better society?
It should not be numbered but presented
in paragraphs.
3.2.8 Conceptual Clarifications
Conceptual clarifications seek to explain the various contested meanings and
usages of key concepts as used by scholars
and practitioners and how these are important for a better understanding of the
17

topic under study. They go beyond definitions of terms. What is required is the
elaboration of the concepts as propounded
by well-known authorities.
3.2.9 Theoretical Framework
A theoretical framework provides a logical understanding and interpretation of a
subject matter from a particular perspective or prism. Whether in the fields of social sciences, business studies; education,
international relations; conflict and peace
studies and development studies, every
theory has four dominant characteristics:
a.
to describe,
b.
to explain,
c.
to analyze and
d.
to predict the course(s) of events and
outcomes.
Generally,
theories
have
subtheoretical perspectives, and a vast literature abound. A theoretical framework that
describes a particular theory should be selected by the researcher from among other
competing theories. It is also important to
state the rationale for the choice of a particular theoretical frame in terms of how it
elucidates or provides a suitable explanatory context for the topic. Sometimes, one
18

theory is not sufficient to capture the complexity of a given topic or issue-area. In

this case, researchers may opt to present a
synthesis of theoretical models in a more
general or integrated framework.
3.2.10 Hypothesis
The term hypothesis has been defined as an assumption or a tentative
statement that can be accepted as probable in the light of existing literature or perspective. A hypothesis is a reasonable and
intelligent guess that is subject to verification as to the correctness or otherwise. It
provides a researcher with some point of
reference around which he can direct his
thinking towards finding a solution to his
problem.
For example, a researcher wishing to
study fertility differentials may assume or
hypothesize that the fertility of rural women would be higher than that of urban
women. The hypothesis can eventually be
accepted or rejected depending on what the
facts reveal in the actual study conducted.
A hypothesis should, therefore, not
be used as a statement of fact unless there
is some evidence of its validity. In strictly
statistical terms (i.e. in statistical inference
19

methodology), a hypothesis is a statement

of a probable condition, which is assumed
to exist in a population and is tested using
any appropriate instrument of data collection and analysis.
The statement to be tested is presented as a null hypothesis (Ho). A null
hypothesis is an assumption of no difference concerning the variables or parameters which the statistician is interested in.
To illustrate this point let us refer to
the following examples:
a. We want to test our assumption that
a new method of teaching mathematics will lead to a better understanding
of the subject.
b. We then put forward a null hypothesis that there will be no (null) difference in understanding regardless of
the method of teaching used.
c. We then compare the result of the
group of students taught by the old
method with that of students taught
by the new method to see if in fact
the new method produced a significantly different result. Statistically, a
significant difference is accepted as
20

one which shows a more than 5 percent differential over the other
group. Thus, a statistically significant difference would be one that is
more than 5%.
d. If the difference is statistically significant, then we can assume that it is
due to the difference in teaching
method. However, the researcher
must be cautious in regard to the
conclusion he draws from the null
hypothesis. For one thing, the results
obtained by the students taught by
the old and new methods respectively
may equally be affected by some unrecognized external factors. This
makes it more important for the researcher to be careful in interpreting
his hypotheses against what his data
tend to show. In other words the researcher must be on the lookout for
spurious results in his/her research.
(For a detailed description of steps in
Hypothesis Testing, consult any
statistics textbook).
For the purposes of Participants research
projects, Research Questions would be suf21

ficient guides to the issues been investigated and could be used in place of hypotheses.

ology of the data collection. This is particularly pertinent in survey research in which
the researcher collects his/her own data.

3.2.11 Methodology
Methodology has to do with method
of organisation and analysis of the relevant
data on the subject of research. Most researchers seek to discover what is true
through the analysis of data. In seeking
the truth, the researcher has to explain
what his/her data mean. Thus, what the
researcher does at any point in time is to
collect numerical or textual information
and translate them meaningfully. This presupposes that the data are either already
available or they have to be collected by the
researcher.
The data that are available to the researcher (having been collected by other
people, groups or organizations) are called
Secondary data. On the other hand, data
collected by the researcher himself/herself,
are referred to as Primary data. It is important to note that data can be defective.
If the researcher uses defective data, the
validity of the research conclusions would
be affected. It is, therefore, important to
pay considerable attention to the method-

Note also that the Methodology section of

the research report must describe in full:

22

a. The overall approach to data collection, whether qualitative, quantitative

or a combination of both;
b. The sources(s) of data (whether secondary or primary);
c. The precise methods (or techniques)
of data collection in the case of primary data;
d. The sample population and process
of sample selection. In both interview
and survey methods, the researcher
is required to describe the sample
design (i.e. how the respondents were
selected) and the rationale for their
selection;
e. The questionnaires or interview
guides used to elicit information from
respondents as well as the fieldwork
procedure;
23

f. The statistical, econometric or content mapping or mining tools of data

analysis employed by the researcher
should be specified (e.g. frequency
distribution,
chi-square,
content
analysis etc).
Please note that the brief note on the
Methodology is obviously not exhaustive.
Participants should read it in conjunction
with the lectures on methodology. As a
corollary, methodology is not necessarily
sources of data, but the method of data
analysis. For example, every research problem has both primary and secondary
sources. However, the most demanding
remains the employment of appropriate instruments or tools of data analysis or interpretation as earlier mentioned (frequency distribution, regression, chi-square as
the case may apply).
3.2.12 Organisation of the Study
This gives a brief overview of the organisation of the Chapters of the research
project.

24

3.3

GUIDELINES ON WRITING
CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW
The Sections of the Literature Review
should address the perspectives on the
topic of the Project and will include identifiable gap(s).
Research is carried out in the context of
those who had earlier conducted similar or
related research. Understanding the previous research on the topic will inform the
development of ones own research by
clarifying what one already knows about
the topic and how one learned it. It is thus
critical that the researcher considers previous research carefully before proceeding
with his/her own research. A literature review should address the following three
questions:
i. What does previous research on related topics tell us about your topic?
ii. How does your research project build
on or depart from previous studies?
iii. Why do you expect to obtain different
(or similar) findings or reach different
(or similar) conclusions?

25

Literature review should be written as a

discussion of the previous research in light
of the above-stated objectives. A good approach to start is to organize the literature
review by first explicating the organization
of the literature on the topic and then reviewing it thematically. The topics for review must address the major variables of
concern to the study.
This chapter should end with a summary of the literature reviewed in terms of
major findings and existing knowledge
gaps to be filled. A literature review summarizes and critically analyzes the
strengths and weaknesses of research on a
topic or research question.
To write a literature review, you first collect and read the research that has been
written on the topic. The best literature reviews analyze the existing research by
drawing conclusions about what parts of it
are most valuable and important, and
about how future research could be conducted to have the most substantial influence on the field.
You are most likely to find the relevant
literature in books, articles in scholarly or
policy journals, or research papers.

26

Nowadays there is much information on

the internet but one has to be careful that
data collected from the internet are from
scholarly or peer reviewed journals or
books. Newspaper or magazine articles
have to be consulted with great care as
some of their claims cannot be substantiated.
Just like most academic papers, literature reviews also must contain at least
three basic elements: an introduction or
background information section; the body
of the review containing the discussion of
sources; and, finally, a conclusion indicating gap(s) and the direction of ones own
research.
Introduction: Gives a quick idea of the topic
of the literature review, such as the central
theme or organizational pattern.
Body: Contains your discussion of sources
and should be organized thematically.
Conclusion: Presents the findings from your
review of literature so far. What are the
gap(s)? Where is the direction of your own
research?

27

3.4

GUIDELINES ON WRITING
CHAPTER THREE

3.5

HISTORICAL AND POLICY CONTEXT OF

THE STUDY
The National Institute is more interested in Policy Research. This type of research adopts descriptive approach which
presents the empirical state of the world
without making any theoretical or causal
claims. Examples of this type of research
include government documents and some
think-tank style of reports. Policy research
may also include descriptions of events
presented in newspapers, magazines, and
other general-circulation and trade union
publications. Policy research helps us to
establish background facts, sequences of
events, and provide examples of phenomenon.
This chapter should address the historical and policy context of the project, including the dynamics of the issues involved. The actual title of the Chapter and
the Sections will depend on the nature of
the theme or subject matter of the study.

28

GUIDELINES ON WRITING
CHAPTER FOUR

GIVE AN APPROPRIATE TITLE

There shall be an appropriate chapter
title in the context of the subject of the research study. For instance, if you are doing
a study on NIPSS and Efficiency in the 21st
Century, the Chapter could be titled as follows: NIPSS and Efficiency: Data Presentation and Analysis. This is the body of
the study where the researcher is expected
to utilize the bulk of the data gathered to
discuss the substantive issues of the research. Data include literature (content
analysis) and fieldwork where applicable.
Chapter Four usually focuses on two
main issues: Data Presentation and Discussion (Analysis).
Data Presentation
Straight reporting of the results
should be the focus of this chapter. It is
useful to present the results under some
headings corresponding to the research
questions, hypotheses, or your objectives.
That is, your discussion of the results
should be systematic, providing a logical
flow of information and linked to the re29

search objectives/questions. The raw data

may not be presented along with the results; rather they can appropriately be
placed in the appendix.
This chapter is the heart of the report
and will consist of text, tables or figures,
depending on the nature of the project. The
way results are presented is important. For
example, tables, charts, graphs and other
figures should illustrate and illuminate the
text. If they do not, then there is no point
they take up space. And the text, which
should be written after the results are prepared, should not duplicate information in
the tables and figures but should highlight
significant aspects of the findings, so that
all relevant facts are presented in a way
which draws the readers attention to what
is important.
In qualitative studies, relevant quotations from interview transcripts and/or
documents should be presented to support
the researchers narratives and claims before deductions are made.
Data Presentation should be organised in sections as appropriate.

30

Summary of Findings
It is best to start this section with a restatement of the problem or purpose before
discussing how the results affect the existing knowledge in the area of study. The
main task in this section is to justify the
findings, especially in terms of whether
they support or contradict earlier findings.
The researcher must be able to offer probable reasons for his/her findings. For example, if the findings contradict earlier
ones, the reasons for this should be explained. And if the findings point to unanswered questions, these should be indicated. Drawing attention to these might be the
researchers
own
contribution
to
knowledge! But the discussion must be
situated within the context of the existing
knowledge or findings of previous studies
in the chosen area. This again underscores
the need to be thoroughly familiar with the
literature related to the study. The summary should also include the implications
of the findings as they relate to existing
knowledge and the research questions or
hypotheses.

31

3.6

GUIDELINES ON WRITING
CHAPTER FIVE

CONCLUSION, RECOMMENDATIONS
AND IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES
5.1 Conclusion
Conclusion should summarise the salient
points of the research. It should be short
and clearly highlight what you believe to be
the major components of the research. Explaining the contribution should constitute
the bulk of the conclusion. This is your
opportunity to step back from the nittygritty of the research and consider its place
in a broader context. In doing so, you may
also indicate how your findings might help
to achieve more policy goals. It is often
wise to consider the strengths and weaknesses of the study acknowledge where
you succeeded in meeting your objectives
and where you did not (no study succeeds
in meeting every one of the authors goals).
5.2

Recommendations and Implementation Strategies

Recommendations must be precise
and innovative.
Recommendations must derive from
the work.
32

Implementation strategies should not

only indicate how the policy should
be carried out but who should carry
it out.
Sometimes, it would be useful if timeframe for the implementation is suggested.
References and Appendices
The references section provides a list of the
works cited, arranged alphabetically by
surnames of authors. And if there are appendices, these are reflected on a separate
page(s) immediately after the reference list.
NOTES:
1. About the Author: Note on the Author (maximum of half a page).
2. On the Sections of Chapters: Apart
from Chapter One, the number of the
sections for subsequent Chapters depends on the nature of the subject
under investigation.
3. Length of Chapters: It is recommended that Chapter One should be
between 10 and 12 pages while the
entire research project should be between 80 and 100 pages.

33

SECTION
4

Examples:
Jones (2003) has argued
a recent study (Smith, 2009) has described
it has been noted (Jones, 2003: 36-42) that

REFERENCES
here are several conventions and systems for the academic citation of references. The policy of the National
Institute is to use the Harvard referencing
system, with relevant adaptations, in line
with international best practices.

The Harvard system is an author and date

system of referencing. That is, the authors
last name and year of publication should
be cited within the text and a complete reference list is provided at the end of the
work.
Format for Referencing in the Text
References to books, monographs, journals, articles, statistical sources, etc.,
should be worked into the text by the last
name of the author(s), year of publication
and pagination where appropriate.

34

As Eliagwu (1998) has argued, globalisation has

led to CNNization.
For Yahezekel Dror (1973: 19-20), the fundamentalist and system analysis is one and the same
approach.

Where there are two authors, give both

names, joined by and:
The literature on the subject has highlighted this problem (Ajilima and Agba,
1986).
it has been stated (Jones and Smith,
2004)

35

Book or Journal with three authors

Fisher, Ury and Patton (1991:37) suggest
that when emotional issues cloud negotiation, some thoughts are best left unsaid.
Or
Some thoughts are best left unsaid when
emotional issues cloud negotiation (Fisher,
Ury and Patton, 1991:37).

Where there are more than three authors

cited, use only the first author, followed by
et al.
Jordan et al. (2010) disagreed with
some investigators (Brown et al., 2005)

Same author has more than one work published in one year:

36

These should be distinguished by small letters:

One of the authorities in the field has
drawn attention to this previously neglected aspect of the subject (Obi, 1985a,
1985b).
Obi (1985a, 1985b) has drawn attention
to this previously neglected...
a series of studies (Smith et al.,
2008a, 2008b) produced
it was described as monumental
(Jones, 2007b: 103-105)

Same author has different years, separate

the date with a comma:
As Elaigwu (2003, 2008) has insisted,
this issue has been vigorously reassessed.
the author has stated this in several
studies (Smith, 2005, 2009)

37

Enclose within the parentheses any brief

phrases associated with the reference:
several investigators have claimed this
(but see Thompson, 2001: 21-34)
Corporate authors
Cite the organization or body responsible
for the work.
a recent statement (National Office of
Statistics, 2012: 10)
occupational data (APIN, 2010: 24-26)
reveal such trends
As emphasized by NIPSS (2007), policy
harmonization is a major national

For authorless articles or studies, use the

name of the magazine, journal, newspaper
or sponsoring organization and not the title
of the article:

it was reported (The Guardian, 2005)

that
Chapter authors in edited books
Use the name of the Chapter author, not
the editor, within the text. Details of the
Chapter and editor will come in the reference section.
Further examples:
a) Kann (1980:170) noted:
The interpretative approach to
the study of politics (among
others) is not a cohesive set of
perspectives and methods. Rather, it is the common base of
several methods of political investigation/study
developed
during varying periods.
Use this kind of block quotation above
when quoting more than three lines verbatim. You may also do the following when
using a concept or a few words from another author.
e).

38

As Richardson and Jordan (1985: 26)

noted, the concept seems attractive,
39

f).

g).
h).
i).

but a closer examination indicates

that it has some flaws.
This observation was earlier reported
by other writers in the field (Njoku,
1972; Mohammed and Abdullahi,
1978; Odeyemi et al., 1980).
Jordan et.al. (1970) disagreed with
the claims of Richard (1988).
The results are similar to those reported from the United States (Jackson, 1984: 20-25).
The issue was discussed in some detail in an editorial of a Nigerian daily
(The Guardian, February 7, 1992).

Note:
As a rule of thumb references within the
text should include the page(s) of the
sources. In the case of unpublished conference papers, lectures or internet sources
(unless electronic books and journals),
page references may be omitted.

Endnotes
Explanatory notes, observations, etc.
should be denoted by Arabic numerals in
the text and arranged serially at the end of
the article or each chapter before References. Endnotes should be used only when
absolutely necessary. Endnotes and References should begin on a new page.
Reference List
Note:
The reference list at the end of the work
should be titled References and not Bibliography. The reference list refers to
works actually used in preparing the text
and should be listed alphabetically by the
authors surnames at the end of the work
in the following manner: surname of author; initials of author; year of publication;
title of book in italics; place of publication;
publisher. Examples:

Do not use op.cit, ibid, infra, supra. Instead, show the subsequent citation of the
same source in the same way as the first.

40

41

Books
Bala, A.M. (1985) Structural Adjustment
Programmes, Ibadan:
University
Press.
Alubo, O. (2011) Ethnic Conflicts and Citizenship Crises in Central Nigeria,
2nd Edition, Ibadan: PEFS
McCarthy, P. and Hatcher, C. (1996)
Speaking Persuasively: Making the
most of your Presentations, Sydney:
Allen and Unwin
Fisher, R., Ury, W. and Patton, B. (1991)
Getting to Yes: Negotiating an
Agreement Without Giving In, 2nd
Edition, London: Century Business
Frank. A.G. (1970) Latin America: Underdevelopment or Revolution, New York:
Monthly Review Press.
Books by same author in the same year
Napier, A. (1993a) Fatal Storm, Sydney: Allen and Unwin.

Books by same authors in different

years
List normally starting with the earliest
year:
Diamond, L. (ed.) (2001) Political Parties
and Democracy, Baltimore: The
John Hopkins University Press
Diamond L. (2008) The Spirit of Democracy:
the struggle to build free societies
throughout the world, New York:
Henry Holt and Company.
For edited book
Danaher, P. (ed.) (1998) Beyond the Ferris
Wheel, Rockhampton: CQU Press.
For a chapter in an edited book
Snowdown, F.M. Jr. (1988) Before Colour
Prejudice: Black-White Relations in
the Ancient Mediterranean World
in McNeil, G.R. and Winston, M.R.
(eds.) Historical Judgments Reconsidered, Washington, D. C.: Howard
University Press.

Napier, A. (1993b) Survival at Sea, Sydney:

Allen and Unwin.

42

43

Books with anonymous or unknown author

The University Encyclopedia (1985) London:
Roydon.

For Newspapers
Ogunrinde, A. (1992) Politics and Social
Order, National Concord, 7 February, p. 8.

For articles in journals:

Surname of author followed by initials;
year of publication; the title of the article in
inverted commas; title of the journal italicized; volume and no. of journal; the pages.

Ike, J. (1983) South Africa: The Way Forward, New Nigerian, 11 December,
p. 12.
The New York Times, Editorial, 5 June
1986, p. 3.

Examples:
Suberu, T. (1991) The Struggle for New
States in Nigeria, 1976-1990, African Affairs, 90 (361): 499-522.
Ajayi, I.A. (1986) An Assessment of the
Second Republic, Journal of Political Science, 4(2): 361-379.
Kwaja, C. M. (2012) Citizenship and Indigeneity: Rethinking the MultiLayered Rights of Civic and Ethnic
Citizens in Nigeria, Nigerian Journal of Policy and Strategy, 17(1): 3144.

44

For website sources

Name of author, title of work, website address and date accessed. Examples:
Hannah, J. (2007) The Decline and End of
Witch Trials in Europe, http.//
www.bede.org.uk /decline-Retrived
06/01/2009.
In the case of electronic journal articles
from a Database, cite as indicated in the
following example:
Elder, R. and Neal, C. (2004) Patient Satisfaction with Triage Nursing in a Rural Hospital Emergency Department,
Journal of Nursing Care Quality, (19):
263-268. Retrieved June 30, 2004,

45

from Academic Search Premier Database.

In the case of electronic journals but not
from a Database, cite as indicated in the
following example: Rego, P. (2003) Confronting Embodiment Nuritinga: Electronic
Journal
of
Nursing:
(5):
1-6,
http//www.health.sci.utas.edu.au
/tson/nuritinga/issues/confronting
embodiments.pdf., Retrieved June 20, 2004.
For Unpublished Dissertations/Theses
Within the text, this should be referenced as in the case of books.
In the References, it should be cited
as in the following example:
Ogundele, E.O. (2013) Awaiting Trial and
Prison Decongestion in Nigeria: A
Study of Federal Capital Territory,
Abuja (Individual Research Project
submitted to the National Institute
for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, in partial fulfillment for the award
of the Member of the National Institute, mni).

46

For Unpublished Conference Papers

Within the text, this should be referenced as in the case of journal articles but there is no need to indicate
pages.
At the end of the work, it should be
referenced as follows:
Nweze, A. (1990) Social and Psychological Considerations of Imprisonment in Nigeria, (Paper presented
at the National conference on Prison Reforms in Nigeria, Organised
by the Ministry of Internal Affairs,
Abuja International Conference
Centre, 18-20 June, 1990)
For Unpublished Lectures
Within the text, this should be referenced as in the case of journal article
but there is no need to indicate pages.
At the end of the work it should be
referenced as in the following example:
Eliagwu, J.I. (2011) Federalism and National Integration in Nigeria (Lecture
delivered to Participants of Senior
47

SECTION
5

Executive Course No. 33, 2011, of the

National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, 16 February,
2011)

ABSTRACTS, TABLES AND DIAGRAMS

Abstracts
n abstract is a clear statement of the
research problem, the rationale for
carrying out the project, the objectives, methodology, and key findings and
implications. A significant part should
highlight the major findings and recommendations. It should also indicate any
short comings of the study and suggest areas for further research. As a highly concise statement of a larger report, it has no
place for verbose and repetitive expressions. It is not another section for the
summary and conclusions of a study,
which is normally long and is intended to
elucidate concisely the issues, problems
and recommendations. An abstract, therefore, should be written after all the other
chapters or sections have been finalised.
Very often, several drafts of the abstract may have to be written until a text is

48

49

produced which accurately captures the

essence and content of the study. The abstract should not exceed one type-written
page (preferably, on A4-size paper, single
space).
Tables, Graphs and Diagrams
Tables, graphs and diagrams usually serve
to illustrate ideas or points contained in
the study. However, a haphazard presentation of these illustrative materials can mar
the quality of a book or report. An orderly
presentation therefore requires the following steps:
i. Numbering: Each table, graph and
diagram should be properly numbered. For example, tables in chapter
one may be serially numbered Table
1.1, Table 1.2, Table 1.3, etc. Similarly, diagrams in chapter two may be
numbered as: Figure 2.1, Figure 2.2,
etc. Also, graphs should be serially
numbered as they appear in a book
or report. For example, the number
for graphs, say in chapter 6, could be
as follows: Graph 6.1, Graph 6.2,
Graph 6.3, etc.
ii. Labels: Each of the illustrations should
be appropriately titled and labeled.
50

iii.

Explanations: As these illustrative materials are introduced, explanations to

enhance the quality of the analysis
should be built into the text. Tables,
graphs and diagrams introduced without discussion in the text could be confusing and, indeed, lower the quality of
the work. The temptation to include
several pages of computer print-out
which are not directly relevant to the
analysis should be resisted.

51

SECTION
6

First Individual Essay on

Challenging Career Experience
The Essay should be between 8 and 10
pages with the following format:
1. Introduction
2. Personal Data and Family Background
3. Educational Background
4. Working Experience
5. Challenging Career Experience
6. Conclusion
7. Recommendations and Implementation Strategies
7.1 Recommendations
7.2 Implementation Strategies
7.3 References
(C) Local Study Tour Report
The report consists of three volumes, the
reports of the two states visited consisting
of between 50 and 60 pages and a synthesized volume of the two reports consisting
of 80 to 90 pages. The format is as follows:i.
Preliminary Pages
Title page
Composition of the Study Group
Dedication
Acknowledgement
(B)

FORMAT FOR REPORTS SUBMITTED BY

SENIOR EXECUTIVE COURSE
PARTICIPANTS
(A) Project Research Proposal
The proposal consists of 8 to 10 pages and
written in the following format:
1. Background of the Study
2. Statement of the Research Problem
3. Research Questions
4. Aim and Objectives of the Study
4.1 Aim
4.2 Objectives
5. Scope of the Study
6. Limitations of the Study
7. Significance and the Policy Relevance
of the Study
8. Conceptual Clarification
9. Methodology
10. Organization of the Study
References

52

53

iv.

List of Appendices
List of Figures
List of Tables
List of Abbreviations
Table of Contents
Executive Summary

9.1
9.2
9.3

ii.
Chapter One: Introduction
1.1 Background
1.2 Aim and Objective of the Study
1.2.1 Aim
1.2.2 Objectives
1.3 Scope
1.4 Limitations of the Study
1.5 Methodology
1.6 Conduct of the Visit
1.7 Profile of the State
1.7.1 Brief History of the State
1.7.2 Geography
1.7.3 Demography
1.7.4 Culture
1.7.5 Human Development Index
References
iii.
From Chapter Two to Eight will depend on the sub-themes of the theme for
that year.

54

Chapter Nine
Critical Success Factors
Preamble
Critical Success Factors
SWOT Analysis

v.
Chapter Nine
Conclusion, Recommendations and Implementation Strategies
10.1 Conclusion
10.2 Recommendations and
Implementation Strategies
Bibliography
Appendices
D)
African Study Tour Report
Approved length: 60 to 70 pages with the
following format:
i.
Preliminary pages
Title pages
Composition of the Study Group
Dedication
Acknowledgement
List of Appendices
List of Figures
List of Tables
List of Abbreviation
Table of Contents
Map of the country visited
Executive Summary
55

ii.
Chapter One: Introduction
1.1 Background
1.2 Aim and Objectives of the Study
1.2.1 Aim
1.2.2 Objectives
1.3 Scope of the Study
1.4 Limitations of the Study
1.5 Methodology
1.6 Conduct of the Visit
1.7 Profile of the country visited
1.7.1 Geography
1.7.2 Brief History
1.7.3 Demography, Ethnic Groups,
Religion and Culture
1.7.4 Politics and Governance
1.7.5 Economy
1.7.6 Bilateral Relations with Nigeria
References
iii.
Chapter Two to Eight will depend on
the Sub-themes given under the theme for
that year.
iv.
Chapter Ten: Conclusion, Recommendations and Implementation Strategies
10.1 Conclusion
10.2 Recommendations and
Implementation Strategies
References
Appendices
56

(E) Foreign Study Tour Report

The report for the Foreign Study Tour is
similar in number of pages and format as
that of African Study Tour Report.
(F)

Strategic Tour Report

(G) Term Paper

Consists of 50 to 60 pages of an in-depth
research on a given topic to the group. The
format is as follows:
i
-

Preliminary Pages
Title page
List of members of the Study Group
Dedication
Acknowledgements
Table of Contents
List of Abbreviations
Executive Summary

i.
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4

Chapter One: Introduction

Background
Statement of the Research Problem
Research Questions
Aim and Objectives

1.4.1 Aim
1.4.2 Objectives
57

1.5
1.6
1.7

Scope
Limitations
Significance and Policy Relevance of
the Study
1.8 Conceptual Clarifications
1.9 Theoretical Framework
1.10 Methodology
References
iii.

Chapter Two
Literature Review

iv.

Chapter Three
The main thrust of the Paper (give
appropriate title)

v.

Chapter Four
Challenges and Prospects

vi.

Chapter Five
Conclusion, Recommendations and
Implementation Strategies
5.1 Conclusion
5.2 Recommendations and
Implementation Strategies
References

58

(H) Second Individual Essay

Recommended pages 8 to 10 pages and the
format is as follows:
Title of the Paper
1.1
Introduction
1.2
Background
1.3
Aim and Objectives
1.3.1 Aim
1.3.2 Objectives
1.3.3 Scope
2 4 Consist of the Body of the Essay and
sub-titles are given based on the topic and
the Authors breakdown.
1.
Conclusion, Recommendations and
Implementation Strategies
5.1 Conclusion
5.2 Recommendations and
Implementation Strategies
References
(I)
Concluding Seminar Paper
The Paper discusses the Sub-theme as given to the group in line with the main
theme for that year. Recommended pages
are 60 to 70, while the format is as follows:

59

i.
-

Preliminary pages
Title page
List of members of the group
Dedication
Acknowledgement
Table of Contents
Acronyms
Executive Summary

iv.
Chapters Three and Four
The titles of Chapters Three and Four and
Sections are based on the Sub-Theme given to the Group.

ii.
Chapter One: Introduction
1.1 Background
1.2 Statement of the Research Problem
1.3 Research Questions
1.4 Aim and Objectives
1.4.1 Aim
1.4.2 Objectives
1.5 Scope
1.6 Methodology
1.7 Limitations
1.8 Significance and Policy Relevance of
the Study
1.9 Conceptual Clarifications
1.10 Theoretical Framework
References
iii.

Chapter Two
Literature Review

60

v.
Chapter Five
Conclusion, Recommendations and Implementation Strategies
5.1 Conclusion
5.2 Recommendation and
Implementation Strategies
References
Appendices
(J)
Individual Research Project (as
provided in Section 2-5 of the Style Manual)
(K) Presidential Parley
Recommended number of pages is between
80 to 100.
NB: The chapters depend on the subthemes.
Format: There will be two volumes. Volume I (Main Report) will be like the Concluding Seminar while Volume II will be the
Presentation Paper summarizing the Main
Report.
61

SECTION
7
NIGERIAN JOURNAL OF POLICY AND
STRATEGY
The Nigerian Journal of Policy and
Strategy is published by the National Institute. The journal seeks to promote a
deeper understanding of the complex
problems of public policy and strategy in
the context of rapid socio-political
changes on the Nigerian, African and
world scenes. It seeks to provide a forum
for dialogue and exchange of ideas
among scholars, educators, policy makers, administrators, security experts and
men and women of affairs through the
scientific analysis of issues. The journal
welcomes contributions from a wide
range of disciplines, especially as they relate to Nigerias policy and strategic interests, including:
Politics and Society
Economics
Foreign Affairs
62

Science and Technology

Environment
Law
Religion, Ethnicity and the State
Culture, Literature and Media
Gender and Development
Defence and Security

NOTES TO CONTRIBUTORS
Preparing the Manuscript
Author of manuscripts for consideration
should pay attention to the following:
1.
Manuscripts submitted for publication must not be previously published; neither should they be under
simultaneous review elsewhere.
2.
While theoretical and conceptual debates are encouraged, authors are
expected to suggest policy and strategy outcomes from these as well as
provide options for implementation.
3.
Papers for publication should be
typed double spaced on A4 size paper, leaving 2 margins on the top,
bottom and on both sides of the page.
The ideal length for essays is between
15 and 20 pages or not more than
4000 words including an Abstract of
not more than 300 words.

63

4. Each manuscript should have a detachable cover page indicating the title, full names and institutional affiliation of the author, including telephone numbers and email. The first
page of the essay should carry the title but without the authors name.
Two hard copies of the manuscript as
well as an electronic copy in MS
Word, 12-point font size and Times
New Roman typeface should be submitted to the editor.
5. All manuscripts received will be
acknowledged within one week of receipt. All authors actually cited
should be integrated into the
text and documented in References at the end of the article in
conformity with NIPSS Style
Manual. This Style Manual requires all cited authors to be
worked into the text by the authors surname, year of publication and page(s) as appropriate.
For example: It has been observed that since the return of
democracy in Nigeria in 1999,
too many ethnic conflicts have
occurred (Egwu 2001: 25).

64

6.

Endnotes and References: Where applicable Notes should be indicated in

Arabic numbers within the text and
placed just before References at the
end of the Essay.

All references should be listed alphabetically at the end-of the essay as follows:
Books
Books should be listed by author(s) surname and initial(s), date of publication in
brackets, title of the book in italics, place
of publication, comma and publisher.
Here are some examples:
Egwu, S. (2001), Ethnicity and Religious
Violence in Nigeria, Abuja: Afrigov
Kukah, M. (1999), Democracy and
Civil Society in Nigeria, Ibadan:
Spectrum Books Ltd.
Journal
Journal articles should be listed by authors surname, initials, year article was
published in brackets, title of article in parenthesis, the title of the journal in italics;
then volume; then number in bracket;
then followed by the pages of the article.
Examples:

65

Alubo S.O. (2001) The Promise and the

Limits of Private Medicine: Dilemmas
in Health Policy Options in Nigeria,"
Health Policy and Planning, 16(3):
313-321

language although not compromising logic

and professional standards.

Ibeanu, O.0. (1999) "Exiles in Their

Own Homes: Conflicts and Internal Population Displacement in
Nigeria" Journal of Refugee Studies
12(2):161-179
Newspapers/Magazines
This should be listed basically like journal
articles, for example:
Abati, R (2001) "The Odification of Tivland,"
The Guardian, 28 October: 14-20
7. Tables: All tables should be clearly indicated where they fit in the text. Tables
should be numbered consecutively.
8. Graphs and Figures should be professionally prepared and submitted in
camera-ready forms.
9. Styles and Language
Authors should avoid unnecessary academic jargon but write in straightforward

66

67

SECTION
8
GUIDELINES ON THE EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY
t is sometimes necessary to provide an
executive summary of an essay, dissertation or official report. The executive
summary is intended to assist very busy
readers, policy advisers, decision makers
and executive managers in their consideration and application of ideas contained in
the piece of work. An executive summary is
therefore a very important aspect of the
work. A statement on background may not
be included, unless it is absolutely essential in understanding the justification of
the issues presented for further action (as
deemed necessary). It should be very brief
but should include statement of the problem, its justification and objective, all of
which should be concise and stated with
maximum precision.
In writing an executive summary, the
main pre-occupation should be accuracy,
technical precision, clarity in the statement

68

of concepts, and utmost brevity in description or analysis. Elegant style or literary

beauty is not important considerations
here. While literature review is not necessary in an executive summary, references
may be made to authors whose works are
of special significances in the field of analysis or in the subject area under consideration. The references to such authors
which may not include their title and year
of their publication, should only deal with
the basic ideas they propound as related to
the analysis in the work being summarised.
Sufficient space and attention should
be devoted to the core of the analysis contained in the work. The systems or the
concepts being discussed and the analysis
should be clearly and precisely stated
along with the merits and demerits of such
systems or concepts.
Illustrative materials, such as statistical tables, charts and graphs contained
in the main work, should not be reproduced in an executive summary but could
be attached as an appendix. However, brief
references should be made to them. Figures, such as relative total and comparative percentages or the characteristics of
69

curves, should also be briefly stated.

Where applicable, the magnitude of quantities should also be stated briefly in order to
provide greater clarity to the thrust of the
work being summarised.
Mathematical illustrations, (for example, equations), should not be included.
It should be sufficient to state the elements
or substances represented by algebraic notations (where used) and their relationship
in words, if such statements will give
greater clarity and support for new ideas
and relevant recommendations. Statements of such relationships should be very
brief. As much as possible, algebraic notations and geometric representations should
be avoided or included at the end of the
Executive Summary as an appendix.
Sufficient space should also be devoted to the statement of new ideas, recommendations or suggestions contained in
the main work including the supporting
arguments. However, where a particular
argument is considered essential or vital to
the entire piece of work, it should be stated, as precisely as possible, in the appropriate contexts of suggestions or recommendations. When recommendation or
suggestions are provided in an executive
70

summary, it is advisable not to include

conclusions, except those of them that may
be regarded as vital, or of considerable importance to facilitate understanding. Capitals and italics can be used for emphasis
or to draw attention to important issues,
concepts and new ideas. Underlining may
also be employed.
As much as possible, an executive
summary should not be more than 20% of
the length of the original work. It would be
better if it were substantially less, preferably 10%.

71

SECTION
9

full stop and should have more space

above than below the line.

TEXT COMPOSITION

1.

Setting
here should, normally, be no space
between the types (except where specially requested). Spaces between
words on the same line should be equal,
with no extra space after the full stop at
the end of a sentence. The pages should
have a uniform and even appearance without wide gaps.
As a general rule, do not carry over to
a fresh page less than three lines of a paragraph, or leave on the previous page less
than three lines. The last line of a paragraph should contain not less than seven
letters and should not end with a hyphenated word.
Titles, displayed lines, chapter headings, side headings, running headlines,
page headlines, dates or the names of
speakers in plays where occupying a line to
themselves should not be followed by a

72

2.
Abbreviations
Abbreviations should generally not be used
in solid text. All words should be fully spelt
out unless a specific instruction is received
to the contrary. The following rules are for
the exceptions.
a. Degrees and decorations after names, or
abbreviations generally recognised (e.g.
i.e., a.m., p.m,) should not be spelt out.
Degrees and decorations should be set
in capitals and small capitals (lower
case where necessary).
Examples:
B. Sc (Econs)
OFR
mni
fss
b.

In general, if the word written in

full has a capital letter, the abbreviation will also have a capital letter.
Example: He stays at Queens Road
would be abbreviated
He stays at Queens Rd.
73

c.

Do not put a space between abbreviations consisting only of initial letters

Example: Private Mail Bag is abbreviated

as PMB, not P.M.B.
d.

Some abbreviations do not require

full stops between the letters, such
as when the abbreviated form is pronounced like a word.

Example: NIPSS
UNICEF
UNESCO
INEC
WHO

Hyphens and Word Division

A hyphen need not be used for example in:
An elaborately prepared lunch,
But when the word might not be recognised easily as a combined adjective use
the hyphen:
4.

This is a well-known speaker

Do not hyphenate adverbs or combined adjective elements after the word qualified:
This publication is well known.

3.
Spelling and Miscellaneous Rules
a.
acknowledgment no e between the
g and the m
b.

a.m. use only with figures (not with

numbers spelt out)
Example:
(wrong) They left home at six a.m
(right ) They left home at 6 a.m

74

The hyphen is necessary where words are

used in combination or as compounds.
Examples:
a first-hand account
a disease-prone community
a twentieth-century phenomenon
a cross-section
an aide-de-camp
However, for a compound noun which has
through general usage become familiar, no
hyphen is necessary:

75

airport
upstairs
seaport
schoolboy
The following should be applied as far as
possible when dividing words. Divide the
word where there is a definite syllable, prefix or suffix; try to avoid ambiguous breaks
and remember that disjoined words do not
allow the readers eye to flow easily and
quickly. Always let the first part of the
word suggest the second, such as:
starva-tion
not: star-vation
profess-sor
not: pro-fessor
Most affixes can be detached from the word
without interfering with the flow such as:
Dis-obey
un-challenged
Re-appear
re-arrange
Proper names should not be broken; also
do not end a page with a hyphenated word.
5.

Suffixes
Words ending with e generally lose
the e when able or ible is added but as
76

there are exceptions to this rule on which

the experts do not agree, it is best to consult the Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary or the Chambers Dictionary or the
BBC English Dictionary.
6.
The Use of is and ize
In general, the U.K. English (not the American) form of spelling should be used
throughout the manuscript.
For example, the following words are
those adopted by the Oxford Advanced
Learners Dictionary or the BBC English
Dictionary to be spelt with ise; in all other
words ize is used.
advertise
exercise
advise
franchise
afranchise
improvise
appraise (to inform)
incise
chastise
merchandise
circumcise
misadvise
compromise
paradise
comprise
precise
contrariwise
premise
demise
prise up; prise open
despise
eprise
devise
seise (in Law)
disfranchise
supervise
disguise
urmise
77

emprise
enfranchise
enterprise
excise

surprise
televise
treatise

7.

Italics
Any emphasis that is required in the
text should be set in italics. Italics should
also be used for the names of books, ships,
magazines, newspapers, films, plays,
opera, foreign words and phrases not generally in use:
Chinua Achebes Things Fall Apart
Adhoc
No quotation marks are needed for
words or sentences set in italics, but if the
author refers to a magazine or newspaper
article, the title of the article should be in
roman within double quotation marks followed by the magazine or newspaper from
which it is taken in italics.
A short preface to a book can be set
in italics, but if it occupies more than one
page, it is best to set the whole in roman.
Extracts from books, plays or articles
should not be set in italics, but set one size
down, single-spaced and indented and
78

without quotation marks. Sometimes this

is called block quotation. Example: commenting on the problem, Alubo has observed:
As part of this widespread practice,
families,
particularly
around Benin in Edo State,
mortgage or sell their houses to
send their daughters to Italy.
This form of modern slavery
further illustrates the relationship between poverty and gender oppression and disease
(Alubo, 2002:561).
Semicolons and colons always go
outside quotation marks.
8.

Quotation Marks
Use double quotation marks whenever necessary. Single quotation marks
should be used for quotations within a
quotation: Tom said: I heard him say,
Dont do that.
Long extracts of another book when
used and set in a smaller size type need
not have quotation marks. Put comma and
full stop inside the quotation marks, not
outside: He told me, I am sick today.
79

When single and double quotation

marks are used at the end of a sentence,
the punctuation usually goes inside the
single quotation mark. Example: I had
him say, Dont do that.
Put question marks and exclamation
marks inside the quotation marks when
they apply to the matter closed by the quotation marks.
Examples: (Wrong) why do you call it an
agreement?
(Right) Why do you call it an agreement?
(Right) John asked the student, Do you
know the meaning of the word enfranchise?
(Right) He called out, Im being chased!
9.

Capitals
No definite rules can be laid down for
the use of initial capitals. When rightly
used, they give emphasis to important
words to which the author wishes to give
prominence, such as:
Middle Ages
Renaissance
Royal and place names should start with
capitals:
His Excellency
80

His Royal Highness

Tafawa Balewa/
Yakubu Gowon Centre
Eagle Square
Names of parties and religious denominations should start with capitals:
National Party of Nigeria
Christian Association of Nigeria
The Roman Catholic Church
Jamaatu Nasril Islam
But when used in general terms: He is a
baptist or He is a socialist, capital is not
required.
When a person is addressed by his
rank instead of name, a capital should be
used.
Greetings, Colonel
How are you, Father?
But He is an army colonel or
Your father is in the house
When using who, whom or whose
in relation to God, lower case is to be used:
God, whose wisdom is divine
Do not use capitals for geographical
locations such as southern Nigeria or
eastern Africa but generally accepted
place names such as East Africa, South
America, Kwara, South Africa should
start with capital letters.
81

10.

Punctuation
A full stop (period in American English) marks the end of a sentence.
A colon is at the transition point of a
sentence.
A semicolon separates different
statements
An em rule (a dash) marks abruptness or irregularity, an expansion of ideas.
An en rule stands as an abbreviation
for to (especially between figures, e.g. pp
20 22)
An exclamation marks surprise
An interrogation marks a question
An apostrophe marks elisions or the
possessive words
Parentheses enclose interpolations in
the sentence
Brackets enclose words, figures, etc.,
in a sentence.
Do not use or - at a break in a
sentence which starts a new line; use only
: (colon).
11.

Figures and Numerals

When setting solid text, use words for
numbers between 1 and 9. Use figures for
10 and over.

82

Examples: Nigeria created only two additional states in 1989. There are now 36
states in Nigeria.
For an exact, accurate figure, use
figures not words. When it is an approximate number, write out in words.
Examples: He has about three thousand trees in the plantation
He sold 3,000 boxes
Ordinals: first to tenth use words, not
figures
Examples: (Wrong) - he lived in the 3rd
house.
(right) - he lived in the third house
Ordinals: 11th and over - use figures, not
words.
Examples: (Wrong) - the country was in
the eleventh position
(right) - the country was in the 11th position
Ordinal fractions - one-tenth, etc (use hyphens)
Generally, statistical information denoting quantity should be in figures.
Examples: The import of food increased
from 9.5% in 1975 to 15.6% in 1980

83

A deficit of 5.5 million tones of grains

Nigeria lies between latitudes 4oN 14oN
Never begin a sentence with a figure
Example: (wrong) 23 states participated
(right) - Twenty three states participated.
Indefinite numbers such as I have done it
a hundred times should be written in
words. For decimals, O should come before the decimal points, e.g. 0.163.
Use an en rule and not a hyphen between
specified numbers or dates, e.g. 13-27;
1964-70.
As a general rule, Arabic numerals
should be used for a chapter and part
numbers. Roman numerals should be used
for appendices and preliminary pages.
Lower case italics should be used when
enumerating clauses.

et al. (et alli, et aliae, et alia) and others

should be in italics. Et alibi (and elsewhere) should also be in italics. (Please
note the information in Section 4 regarding
the use of these terms in references.)

12. Some Common Reference Terms

The following reference terms commonly
used in printing should be in roman and
lower case:
ibid. or ibidem in the same place
op. cit. (opera citato) in the work quoted
loc. cit. (loco citato) in the place cited
sic quoted correctly; print without alteration
84

85

SECTION
10
BOOK MAKE-UP
book generally consists of three major divisions: (a) the front matter or
preliminaries, (b) the text and (c) the
back matter or end matter. Below is the
traditional order for the divisions which
should be followed as much as possible.
Not all books may contain all items, but it
is easy to follow the order even when only
the minimum is required.
Front matter pages are usually numbered with lowercase roman numerals. In
some books, however, Arabic numbering
begins with the first page (half title) and
continues straight through the books. This
may be useful where the preliminaries are
very long or in other cases as may be determined by the publisher.
It should be noted that each page is
counted although no folio (page number) is
expressed (printed) on display pages (half
title, title, copyright, dedication, epigraph)
or blank pages (i-vi).

86

The opening page of each chapter in

the book carries a drop folio (or none). This
applies also to the opening of each section
in the back matter. A recto page is a righthand page while a verso page is a left-hand
page. Recto folios are odd numbers; verso
folios, even numbers.
PRELIMINARIES (FRONT MATTER)
The half title
i
Blank or series or list of contributors or
frontispiece
ii
Title page
iii
The Imprint or Copyright Notice
iv
Dedication
v
Blank
vi
Table of Contents
vii
(List of) Illustrations (where applicable)
recto (List of) Tables (where applicable) -recto
Acronyms recto
Acknowledgments
recto
Foreward recto
Preface
recto
Introduction (if not part of text) recto

87

TEXT
First text page (Introduction or Chapter 1)
1
OR
First part title
1
Blank
2
First text page
3
BACK MATTER
Appendix(es)
Notes
Glossary
References/Bibliography
Index(es)

recto
recto
recto
recto
recto

APPENDIX
PUBLICATIONS POLICY OF THE
NATIONAL INSTITUTE
(REVISED 2004)
1.

PREAMBLE
The Act establishing the National Institute requires it, among other things, to
disseminate the results of its research and
studies to the public through publication
of books, journals, monographs, reports, et
cetera. Consequent upon this, the Institute
hereby formulates a Publications Policy to
guide the production of the aforementioned
categories of publications as it strives Towards a Better Society.
2.

COMPOSITION OF THE
PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE
The Publications Committee shall comprise
the following:
a. The Director General
-Chairman
b. The Director of Studies -Member
c. The Director of Research -
d. The Sec/Director of Administration
e. The Institute Librarian

f. The Institute Editor- Member/Secretary

88

89

2.

FUNCTIONS OF THE
PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE
The Publications Committee shall perform
the following functions:
a) Ensuring that all publications of the National Institute are in consonance with
the mandate and status of the Institute;
b) Approving publications of books, journals, monographs, bulletins, records
and other materials by the National Institute;
c) Appointing three assessors in respect of
research monographs and manuscripts
in specialised fields and ensuring that at
least two positive assessments are received in respect of any manuscript before approval for publication;
d) Deciding on and vetting matters of copyright and royalties;
e) Recommending copyright agreements,
where relevant, to the Research and
Studies Committee of the Institute
Board of Governors.
4.
CATEGORIES OF PUBLICATIONS
There shall be the following categories of
publications:
a) Conference/Workshop proceedings
90

b) Research Monographs
c) Occasional papers (interactive sessions/brainstorming sessions)
d) Individual Research Projects
e) Abstracts
f) Distinguished Annual Lecture Series
g) Concluding Seminars
h) Tour Reports
i) Books
j) The National Institute Journal
5.
EDITING POLICY
a.
As a matter of general policy, all substantive specialists editing shall be undertaken by the respective Departments of Research and Studies leaving the textual, stylistic editing and proof-reading to the Seminar and Publications Unit.
b.
For manuscripts (specifically, the
Concluding Seminars and the Individual
Research Projects) emanating from the
Studies Department, the following special
arrangements shall apply:
i.
The Director of Studies shall ensure
that every Individual Research Project of a
Senior Executive Course (SEC) Participant
and every report featured in the Concluding Seminars meet the minimum requirements with respect to:
91

Style and presentation (grammar,

punctuation, clarity, coherence, relevance, evidence, analysis, among
others);
Standard references as provided for
in the approved National Institute
Style Manual;
Avoidance of plagiarism (including
quotation, acknowledgement, paraphrasing, among others);
Production of clean copies (since the
responsibility for accuracy and readability lies with the author(s) rather
than the secretaries and computer
operators).
ii.
The Director of Studies shall ensure
and certify, in an appropriate and uniform
manner, that every Individual Research
Project and every group paper has met the
minimum requirements as set out above.
iii.
To facilitate access, and for the prevention of any possible loss of materials so
certified, the Director of Studies shall send,
at least, four copies of every paper (including those of Guest Speakers and Rapporteurs reports during sessions of the Concluding Seminars) as well as four sets of
92

every Individual Research Project to the Office of the Director-General, National Institute, at least, seven working days before
Graduation. One set of these copies shall
be for the exclusive use of the Director
General; two sets for the exclusive use of
the National Institute Library; and the
fourth shall be for the exclusive use of the
Institute Editor.
iv.
In addition, these general principles
shall apply to other potentially publishable
documents such as the various tour reports.
6.
a)

b)

c)

CRITERIA FOR PUBLICATION

All categories of publications, with
the exception of the National Institute
Journal, shall go to the Publications
Committee for approval.
All papers of the National Institute
Journal shall be subject to external
assessments before publication. The
assessments shall be handled by the
Journal Editor, i.e. The Director of
Research;
The Director of Research shall ensure
that all manuscripts for publication
emanating from Conferences, Workshops, and Seminars are properly as93

d)

e)

7.
a)

b)
c)

sessed and the reports and manuscripts sent to the Publications

Committee for approval.
The National Institute Board of Examiners shall assess and score every
project as stipulated in the Guidelines for Assessment of Participants
Research Projects. The composition
of the Board of Examiners shall be as
recommended by the Director of
Studies and approved by the Board of
Studies.
The Board of Examiners shall indicate the Individual Research Projects
that are published for each year.
INDIVIDUAL RESEARCH PROJECT
SERIES.
Authors of Individual Research Projects shall not publish their works
without the express permission of the
National Institute Publications Committee;
Individual Research Projects found
publishable shall be edited and published by the National Institute
Authors of Individual Research Projects may be granted permission to
publish their projects, except where
94

d)

the National Institute has declared

such projects as classified.
The National Institute may collaborate with the authors of Individual
Research Projects in effecting publication of projects in (b) above.

8.

CONCLUDING SEMINARS
The Concluding Seminars shall be
published and made available to the
public except where the Publications
Committee decides otherwise.

9.

COPYRIGHT AND ROYALTIES

a)
i.
The National Institute
shall retain copyright for all
publications sponsored by the
Institute.
ii.
Authors of publications
not sponsored by the Institute
but deemed publishable, shall
retain copyright
iii.
Authors of Individual Research Projects granted permission to publish shall retain a
joint copyright with the Institute.
Royalties

b)

95

i.
For all corporate Institute
publications, no royalty shall be
paid.
ii.
In all other cases, royalties shall be paid in accordance
with agreements reached between the National Institute
and the author(s)
10.

AUTHORSHIP
Authors, who are members of staff of
the Institute, shall claim editorship/authorship in respect of work done in
the course of their duties.
11.

PRINTING
As a matter of general policy:
a. All National Institute publications
shall be printed in the National Institute Press;
b. In special cases, National Institute
manuscripts may, from time to time,
be printed outside as decided by the
Publications Committee.

12. DISTRIBUTION
a.
The National Institute shall continue
to reserve a limited number of copies of the
relevant publications for distribution to:
96

The President of the Federal Republic

of Nigeria;
The Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria;
The Senate President;
The Speaker of House of Representatives;
The Chief Justice of the Federation;
The Chairman and Members of the
Board of Governors of the National
Institute;
The Director General of the National
Institute;
The Directors, Members of the Management and Senior Academic Staff
of the Institute;
The National Institute Library;
The National Library of Nigeria;
Any other bodies, as may be specified
from time to time by the Publications
Committee.
b.
There shall be an exchange of publications between the National Institute and
other institutions at home and abroad as
specified from time to time by the Publications Committee.

97

13.
a.

b.
c.

ADVERTISEMENT AND SALES

In order to attract maximum publicity and sales, copies of selected books
shall be reviewed and advertised in
newspapers, journals and on the Internet.
A stock-list and catalogue shall be
produced periodically and made
available to the public.
The Institute shall participate in book
fairs to facilitate advertising and
sales of its publications.

14.

IMPLEMENTATION
The Publications Committee shall ensure effective implementation of this
policy.

15.

POLICY REVIEW
The Publications Policy shall be reviewed from time to time as the need
arises.

98