Instructions for Authors

Waterlines: Journal of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for Development publishes peer-reviewed, practice-oriented research focused on sustainable WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) solutions in low- and middle-income countries. Authors are invited to submit original manuscripts aligned with the themes and guidelines outlined below.

1. Scope and Themes

• Water supply and sanitation technologies
• Hygiene behaviour and health outcomes
• WASH and climate resilience
• Urban and rural water systems
• Social inclusion and gender in WASH
• Community-led initiatives and innovations
• WASH governance, policy and financing
• WASH in emergencies and public institutions
• Digital tools and monitoring systems
• WASH, environment, and sustainable development

2. Types of Manuscripts

Type	Word Count	Abstract	Peer Reviewed
Original Research Article	4,000–7,000	Yes	Yes
Review Article	5,000–8,000	Yes	Yes
Case Study / Field Report	2,500–5,000	Yes	Yes
Policy or Practice Note	1,500–3,000	Optional	Yes
Short Communication	1,000–2,500	Yes	Yes
Commentary / Opinion	1,000–2,000	No	No
Book / Project Review	800–1,200	No	No

3. Manuscript Preparation

• Submit in MS Word format (.doc/.docx)
• Use Times New Roman, 12pt font, 1.5 spacing
• Include page numbers and continuous line numbers

Manuscript Structure

• Title Page: Title, authors with affiliations, corresponding author, funding, conflict of interest
• Abstract: 150–250 words summarizing objectives, methods, results, and implications
• Keywords: 4–6 keywords
• Main Text: Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusion
• Acknowledgments, Conflict of Interest declaration
• References: APA 7th edition

4. Tables and Figures

• Embed in manuscript and upload separately
• 300 dpi minimum resolution
• Number and caption all tables/figures appropriately

5. Referencing Style (APA 7th Edition)

Example in-text: (Smith, 2022)

Example reference:

Smith, J. (2022). Water innovation in Africa. Routledge.

6. Ethical Considerations

• Include ethical approval and consent (if applicable)
• Disclose conflicts of interest
• Do not submit previously published or under-review content
• Disclose use of AI tools in the manuscript (if any)

7. Authorship and Contributions

List contributors according to the CRediT taxonomy. Only those meeting authorship criteria should be listed as authors.

8. Submission and Review Process

• Submit via online portal
• Include cover letter highlighting novelty and fit
• Double-blind peer review with at least two reviewers
• Revisions expected within 2–4 weeks

9. Article Processing Charges (APC)

• Waterlines is open access; APC may apply upon acceptance. While most of articles are promoted in closed access, author can request for Open Access with an APC of 500 USD.
• Waivers available for authors from low-income countries.
• Articles published under Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 license.

10. Data and Archiving Policy

• Authors encouraged to deposit datasets in repositories (e.g., Zenodo, Figshare)
• DOIs or links to data should be included in manuscript
• All content digitally preserved for long-term access

11. Post-Acceptance

• Manuscripts undergo copyediting and typesetting
• Proofs sent to authors for final corrections
• Early online publication with DOI assigned