Guidelines
Comprehensive guidelines for authors, reviewers, editors, and publication agreements.
Scope and Originality
Authors must ensure that their submitted manuscripts fall within the defined aims and scope of this journal. We prioritize original research that offers novel contributions to the field; therefore, any work submitted must not have been previously published, nor should it be under consideration by any other journal or conference proceedings simultaneously. Therefore, a statement of originality is expected to be included in the forwarding (cover) letter.
Formatting and Structural Requirements
To maintain a consistent professional standard, all manuscripts must be submitted in Microsoft Word format, using 12-point Times New Roman font and double-spacing throughout. The structure of the paper should typically follow the IMRAD format (Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion), ensuring that each section is clearly labeled with bold headings. This consistency is vital for readability and helps our layout editors prepare the final proofs efficiently.
Title Page and Blind Review
Authors are expected to submit their work in one MS-Word file, including the title page containing the full title of the paper, all author names, institutional affiliations, and the email address of the corresponding. However, in alignment with our double-blind peer-review policy, manuscripts considered for review is usually made to be completely anonymized, stripped of any metadata or internal references that could reveal the identity of the authors to the reviewers. This practice ensures an unbiased evaluation process.
Abstract and Keyword Specifications
Every submission must include a structured abstract of no more than 250 words that succinctly summarizes the research objective, methodology, key findings, and primary conclusions. Following the abstract, authors should provide 5 to 7 keywords that are specific to the research topic to enhance the searchability and discoverability of the article once indexed. These keywords should avoid overly broad terms and instead focus on the technical niches addressed within the study.
Ethical Standards and Informed Consent
We insist that authors strictly adhere to international ethical standards for research involving human or animal subjects, including obtaining approval from relevant Institutional Review Boards (IRB). A specific statement regarding ethical clearance and the procurement of informed consent from participants must be included within the methodology section of the manuscript. Any violation of these ethical prerequisites will result in an immediate desk rejection of the submission. Authors must give attribute to used material by citing all sources at the point they are used. To avoid plagiarism, authors must limit and be attributed or quoted in the text. AJSSM promotes best practices in compliance with the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
Conflict of Interest Disclosure
For transparency, we require that all authors must declare any potential conflicts of interest that could be perceived as influencing the research. This includes financial support, employment, or personal relationships related to the subject matter of the paper. If no such conflict exists, a formal statement declaring "The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose" must be included before the reference list.
Language and Copyediting
All manuscripts must be written in clear, grammatically correct English (either British or American, but not a mixture of both). Authors for whom English is a second language are strongly encouraged to have their work professionally edited or reviewed by a native speaker before submission. High-quality language is a prerequisite for successful peer review, as technical errors can obscure the scientific value of the research.
Referencing Style and Accuracy
The journal adopts the APA (7th Edition) referencing style for all citations and the final bibliography. Authors are responsible for the accuracy of all references, ensuring that every in-text citation has a corresponding entry in the reference list and vice versa. Where available, Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) must be provided for all cited electronic sources to facilitate easy cross-referencing by indexers.
APA 7 guide →Data Availability Statement
To promote transparency and reproducibility in research, authors are encouraged (and in some cases we may require them) to provide a data availability statement. This statement should indicate where the data supporting the results can be found, whether in a public repository or available upon reasonable request from the corresponding author. Providing access to raw data significantly strengthens the credibility of the research.
Figures, Tables, and Illustrations
All figures and tables must be numbered consecutively and cited within the text in chronological order. Figures should be submitted in high-resolution formats (minimum 300 DPI) to ensure clarity in the final digital publication, while tables should be created using the table function in Word rather than being submitted as static images. Captions should be descriptive enough to allow the reader to understand the visual data without referring back to the main text.
Mathematical Equations and Formulas
For technical papers involving complex mathematics, all equations should be created using a standard equation editor and numbered sequentially in parentheses at the right-hand margin. Use LaTeX formatting only when standard text or basic equation tools are insufficient for the complexity of the variables. We require this particularly to ensure that the mathematical logic of the paper is preserved across different digital market reading platforms.
Authorship Criteria and Acknowledgments
The journal follows the ICMJE criteria for authorship, meaning that all listed authors must have made a significant intellectual contribution to the study and approved the final version for publication. Individuals who contributed to the work but do not meet the criteria for authorship (e.g., providing technical assistance or general supervision) should be recognized in an "Acknowledgments" section. This prevents the practice of "ghost" or "guest" authorship, which is a major concern for ethical publishing. AJSSM will allow authors to correct authorship on a submitted article before the paper is accepted for publication. Once a paper is accepted for publication, adding an additional author will not be permitted. However, any author could be removed if the corresponding author and the author to be removed jointly make a request for the proposed change and contact the journal's editor.
Editors as Authors
Editors and editorial team members are excluded from publication decisions when they are authors or have contributed to a manuscript.
Plagiarism Policy and Language
We maintain a zero-tolerance policy toward plagiarism in any form, including self-plagiarism or salami-slicing of research. All submitted manuscripts will be screened using professional plagiarism detection software (such as ithenticate's CrossCheck or Turnitin) upon receipt. Any paper found to have a similarity index exceeding our established threshold (25%) will be rejected or returned for significant revision. It is recommended that you check your paper before submission. If a manuscript is returned to author for significant revision, the editor will require the report of author's plagiarism check (showing 25% or less). All manuscripts of journals published by AJSSM are in English version. For authors from non-English-speaking countries, we suggest you engage a professional English editor to assist with the English translation. For assistance in paper handling contact [email protected].
Check plagiarism →Submission Process and Platform
Thank you for your interest in African Journal of Social Sciences and Management (AJSSM). Note that submission implies that the content has not been published or submitted for publication elsewhere except as a brief abstract in the proceedings of a scientific meeting or symposium. If otherwise, the author will be responsible for any consequences. All manuscripts must be submitted through our email ([email protected]) to ensure proper tracking and correspondence. If you employed generative AI or AI-assisted technology in preparing this work, please place a declaration note right before the references, stating the tool name and reason for use, and confirming that the author took full responsibility for the published article's content. The editorial team can reject a paper if they discover that AI generated content does not suggest substantive human author's effort.
Open Access and Publication Fees
As an online journal, we operate under an Open Access model to ensure that your research reaches the widest possible audience globally. Authors should be aware of applicable Article Processing Charges (APCs) that cover the cost of manuscript handling, hosting, and global dissemination.
ORCID
As part of our commitment towards supporting authors at every step of the publishing process, African Journal of Social Science and Management (AJSSM) requires the corresponding author (only) to provide an ORCID iD when submitting a manuscript or when a paper is accepted for publication.
Declarations to be Made
In the article (end of the paper): (i) Funding should be declared if applicable. (ii) Any potential or perceived conflicts of interest should be declared if applicable. (iii) Contributions from anyone (or institution) who is not an author should be acknowledged. (iv) Thanks to anonymous reviewers are not appropriate. Where funding and conflicts are not declared, it is believed that there is no funding received and no conflicts of interest. In the cover letter: (i) Declare that manuscript has been submitted solely to this journal (AJSSM) and is not published, in press, or submitted elsewhere. (ii) Disclose any prior posting, publication or distribution of all or part of the manuscript if any. (iii) Confirm that you have checked the manuscript submission guidelines and complied with any specific policy requirements specified.
Review of Manuscript
Every manuscript that is submitted will undergo an initial review by the editors and plagiarism check. The only manuscripts sent for formal evaluation are those that are most likely to fit the editorial requirements and have only 25% plagiarism or less. The editors will quickly reject papers without external review if they are deemed to be of insufficient general interest or to fall short of basic expectations. For additional assessment and feedback on each paper, two or three reviewers are usually invited. Kindly note that AJSSM reviewers are not just examiners; they function more like research mentors. As a result, AJSSM reviewers typically use MS-Word track modifications to evaluate papers. They are permitted to make direct tracked comments in the manuscript during review. The track modifications or comments allow paper authors to learn while reflecting suggested recommendations. This is why AJSSM continues to be one of the top preferred journal publishers among early career researchers in social sciences, management and related studies.
Watch review process →Post Publication
When your article is published online, the corresponding author will receive an email alert. You can share your published article through social media, placed on your personal online profile, etc. You're expected to start promoting your article for wider readership and referencing.