By Julius Mugaga Tukacungurwa
Sept 09, 2026: The College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS) has commenced a two-day Manuscript Development and Publication Workshop aimed at strengthening the scholarly writing and publication capacity of its PhD students.
Organized by the CoBAMS Doctoral Forum, the workshop running from 8th to 9th September 2026, is held under the theme: “From Research to Publication: Developing High-Quality Manuscripts for Scholarly Impact.”
The training brings together PhD scholars who have completed or are at advanced stages of their research and are preparing manuscripts for publication. It is designed to equip participants with practical skills and tools to transform research findings into well-structured, rigorous and publication-ready papers that meet the standards of reputable journals.
Participants are undertaking hands-on sessions on crafting compelling problem statements, literature reviews, theoretical frameworks, methodologies and discussions, as well as strengthening coherence, originality and academic contribution.
The workshop also covers identifying suitable target journals, aligning manuscripts to journal requirements, and navigating the submission, peer-review and revision processes.
The training aims to enable participants to substantially improve at least one manuscript from their PhD research, develop effective journal submission strategies, and foster a stronger culture of scholarly writing, peer feedback and publication within CoBAMS.
Officiating at the workshop, Associate Prof. James Wokadala, Deputy Principal, CoBAMS, challenged PhD scholars to transform research into solutions for societal problems.
“The overall aim of this workshop is to provide hands-on guidance to PhD scholars in developing high-quality manuscripts ready for submission to reputable, high-impact journals,” said Associate Professor Wokadala.
He noted that the training aligns with Makerere University’s strategic direction as a research-led University. He added that the forum is critical for equipping researchers with research tools and repositioning the College and Makerere University as a key hub for global training in Africa.
He urged scholars to use the acquired skills to publish in peer-reviewed outlets and to pursue action research that addresses community challenges.
In his facilitation, Prof. Stephen Korutaro Nkundabanyanga of Makerere University Business School (MUBS) challenged PhD scholars to target a specific journal genre before they write.
“Before writing the manuscript, know the genre you are targeting, urging students to read extensively in their target journals to understand ongoing conversations, thematic interests and special calls.
He observed that journals are clubs with distinct writing styles and structures. “If you don’t write like them, they don’t want you to contaminate them.”
He noted that while a PhD thesis is defended for a viva at Makerere, a manuscript must be written for the world. “University comes from universal. When you acquire a PhD, you must become a thought leader.”
He emphasized storytelling, coherence and influence: “Your paper is a true story. Does it add up? Will you ever get a supporter? For us, followers come from citations.”
Associate Professor Ibrahim Mike Okumu, Dean, School of Economics, CoBAMS, decried the low publication rates that stall PhD completion, noting that some scholars have “one paper, and another is still under review.”
He said the engagement aims to transform research findings into publishable work.
“Publication starts with the quality of the paper,” Associate Professor Okumu said, stressing that editors check references and abstracts first. “These days, on account of AI, anybody can write. So your contribution today is the uniqueness of the problem and the data.”
He cautioned scholars against predatory and low-tier journals, warning that publishing in Grade C/D journals affects both the University and personal visibility.
“Where you want to publish is important. I urge you to consider strategic journal matching.”
The College has PhD scholars at different stages- with those in the first year of study undertaking coursework in Management, Accounting and Finance, and others pursuing research by thesis. Though their focus areas differ, the foundation remains the same: a collective push towards attaining Makerere University’s strategic aspiration of becoming a research-led institution.