Article Style Guide

Articles submitted to the Bowie Bold Journal come from a variety of disciplines. Authors should identify and consistently follow the style guide typically used in their discipline, e.g. APA, MLA, etc.

In addition, the Bowie Bold Journal asks that authors also follow guidelines specific to the Bowie Bold Journal as outlined below:

Faculty Approval

• The article, as written, has been approved by the faculty mentor.

Audience

• The article is written to be understandable to well-educated non-specialists, to the extent feasible. This may require definitions of technical terms and background information
• The article has an introduction that explains why the research topic is relevant to the general public

Content

• Papers must present original undergraduate research completed under the guidance of a Bowie State faculty mentor.
• Collaborative submissions with multiple authors are welcome, but the primary author must be a Bowie State undergraduate at the time the work was completed.
• Each article must include the project’s motivation, a clear description of methods, results, and a discussion of findings.
• Creative writing that is not research-based is not accepted.

Body and Format

• Manuscripts should be double-spaced and use 12-point Times New Roman, unless a disciplinary style requires otherwise.
• Write in past tense, describing completed work and findings.
• Begin with an introduction that outlines the project and its importance.
• Use left-justified margins and indent new paragraphs using the tab/indent function, not spaces.
• Do not use all caps for headings or section titles, except standard acronyms.
• Do not include page numbers; these will be added during layout.
• Avoid headers and footers, as they interfere with typesetting.

Photographs, Tables, Graphs, and Figures

• Label all visual materials using full words such as “Table 1” or “Figure 1.”
• Refer to tables and figures by full name within the text.
• Provide titles for all visual elements.
• Graphs must include clearly labeled axes with units.
• Limit visual materials to 3–4 items unless essential to the research.
• Ensure all graphics remain readable in grayscale.
• Authors must obtain permission for any images not personally created.
• All photos and borrowed images must include proper credits.

Punctuation

• Use one space after each period ending a sentence.
• Do not add spaces around slashes used for single-word options.
• Use spaces around slashes only when separating phrases.
• A comma is consistently used (or not used) before the final element in a series
• Hyphenate compound adjectives where appropriate.
• Place punctuation inside quotation marks.

Conjunctions and Abbreviations

• Use formal abbreviations such as “i.e.,” “e.g.,” and “et al.”
• Use “and,” not “&,” in running text.

Numbers

• Spell out numbers under 10.
• Apply the same rule to ordinals (e.g., first, ninth, 10th).

Specifically for the biographical paragraphs

• The biography should be 100-150 words in which you state your major(s) and/or minor(s), your graduation date, any affiliation you have with scholarship programs, and 2-3 sentences about your future plans. Also say thank you to anyone you wish to acknowledge (such as your faculty advisor)
• Write in the third person.
• Start with the author's name and major, "David Smith is a biological sciences major .... "
• Where there are two authors, their bios will be provided separately

Things to look for

• Check for clear logical flow throughout the manuscript.
• Ensure correct noun–verb agreement.
• Use proper plurals and possessives.
• Maintain consistent tense.
• Format scientific names accurately.
• Ensure correct capitalization and italicization.
• Choose precise, formal wording.
• Use parallel structure in lists and sentences.