Submission Guidelines for Journal of African Interdisciplinary Studies (JAIS)
The Journal of African Interdisciplinary Studies (JAIS) is an online journal. The JAIS is the principal academic and scholarly journal of the Centre for Democracy, Research and Development (CEDRED) and African Interdisciplinary Studies Association (AISA). The JAIS appears monthly. Manuscripts submitted to the journal should be typed double-spaced, 12 point font (preferably Times New Roman). Submission must be in electronic version, saved as MS Word or RTF attachment (not as PDF). Articles should be between 6,000 and 7,000 words (25 to 30 pages). If copies of maps, charts and graphs are used, they should be provided in camera-ready form. For style manual, use the APA or Harvard Reference System (author - date) for bibliographic referencing, e.g.:
The Abasiekwe clan of Bunyore in Western Kenya are regarded as rain makers largely because of their knowledge of reading weather and climate patterns over the years (Amutabi 2015: 119).
Cover page: Name and institutional affiliation: Authors should indicate their full name, address (including e-mail contact, fax and telephone), their academic status and their current institutional affiliation. This should appear on a separate cover page since manuscripts will be sent out anonymously to outside readers. Manuscripts should be submitted as Word or RTF documents via e-mail attachment to either the corresponding editor This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or the editor responsible for a particular edition.
Originality
Articles submitted to Journal of African Interdisciplinary Studies should be original contributions and should not be under consideration by another publication at the same time. If an article is under consideration by another publication the author should inform the editor at the time of submission. Authors are entitled to 40 complementary (free) electronic off-prints in form of pdf file for either printing or distribution.
Abstract and keywords: Authors should provide an abstract of their paper (not exceeding 150 words). The abstract should state the main research problem, major findings and conclusions. Articles that do not follow this format will have their processing delayed. A maximum of six words should be given below the abstract.
Line spacing: Articles should be double-spaced excluding abstracts, notes and references).
Font: Articles, including tables and illustrations, should be submitted in 12pt Times New Roman font.
Paragraphs: Authors should indent each new paragraph, except those immediately following a heading, which should be flush left. Do not leave blank lines between paragraphs.
Mission: The mission of JAIS is to publish the highest quality articles, as well as book and film reviews in all academic disciplines that are of interest to the interdisciplinary audience of the academic world. The editors welcome manuscript submissions from scholars everywhere, whether or not they are from Africa or abroad. Each submitted article is usually sent out to panels of peer reviewers whose verdict the editors rely upon in deciding whether to accept the script for publication or not. The articles that appear in the JAIS are edited by Maurice Amutabi (Lukenya University), Linnet Hamasi (Kenyatta University), Pamela Akinyi Wadende (Kisii University) and Magdalene Ndeto Bore (Lukenya University). Book reviews are commissioned and edited by Joe Mwinzi (University of Nairobi).
The Review Process: Each manuscript received by JAIS for publication is immediately assigned a review number to facilitate tracking, and an acknowledgment is sent to the author. The editors read the article and decide whether to go forward with a peer review or to decline to consider it because it fails to meet the JAIS mission or format. If the manuscript is to be reviewed, the editors consult the frequently updated reviewer database of JAIS and AISA, to construct a unique panel of reviewers, whose expertise matches the content of the manuscript. Individuals on this panel are then invited to review the manuscript, and to return their reviews within 20 days. Once three blind peer reviews are received, the editors make a decision whether to accept, to decline the manuscript, or to invite the author to correct and resubmit it. The editors notify the author immediately, and in all cases, the reviewers’ observations are sent to the authors, with the reviewers’ personal identities masked. The revised articles are then published after satisfying remaining editorial requirements.
Manuscript Reviews: The JAIS is a double-blind peer-reviewed journal. The editors, while knowledgeable in African studies, cannot possibly command the entire breadth of scholarship on Africa, and so depend on a vast network of experts to evaluate manuscripts and to write substantive reviews. It is double blind because neither the reviewer nor the author knows each other’s identity. JAIS invites original, scholarly articles that discuss the education and learning of adults from different academic disciplines, perspectives and traditions. It encourages diversity in theoretical and methodological approach and submissions. All published contributions in JAIS are subjected to a rigorous peer review process based on two moments of selection: an initial editorial screening and a double-blind review by at least two anonymous referees. Clarity and conciseness of thought are crucial requirements for publication. The peer review process is the best assurance that JAIS will maintain its scholarly quality into the future.
The title page: The title page of each paper or article should include, in the following order: Title of the article; Author name(s) (preceded by first names, but with no academic titles given); Name of the institution or organization (if there is more than one author or institution, affiliations should be indicated using superscript Arabic numerals); and an address for correspondence (including the name of the corresponding author with e-mail address and fax and phone numbers).
Reference citation: Reference citations in the text and in the reference list proper should follow conventions listed in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association latest edition, referred to hereinafter as the APA Manual. Provide a reference or bibliography that lists every work cited by you in the text.
Tables: Tables should be numbered. They must be cited in the text (e.g., ―As shown in Table 1). Below the table number, a brief descriptive title should be given; this should then be followed by the body of the table.
Figures: Figures should be numbered. Each figure must be cited in the text (e.g., ―As illustrated in Figure 1). As online submission requires papers to be submitted as one file, figures and tables etc should be embedded or appended to the paper and not be sent as separate files. However, upon acceptance of an article, it may be necessary for figures to be supplied separately in a form suitable for better reproduction: preferably high-resolution (300 dpi) or vector graphics files. Where this is necessary, the corresponding author will be notified by the publishers. Figures will normally be reproduced in black and white only. While it is possible to reproduce color illustrations, authors are reminded that they will be invoiced for the extra costs involved.
Scientific classification and style: Authors should follow the guidelines of the APA Manual regarding style and nomenclature. Authors should avoid using masculine generic forms in their manuscripts. Statements about groups of people should be written in gender-neutral form (See APA manual, 66-7).
Language: It is recommended that authors use American English spelling. Standard US American spelling and punctuation as given in Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary should be followed.
Proofs: Proofs of camera-ready articles will be sent to the corresponding author for errors. Changes of content or stylistic changes may only be made in exceptional cases in the proofs.
Copyright Matters: By submitting an article, the author confirms and guarantees on behalf of him-/herself and any co-authors that the manuscript has not been submitted or published elsewhere, and that he or she holds all copyright in and titles to the submitted contribution, including any figures, photographs, line drawings, plans, maps, sketches, and tables, and that the article and its contents do not infringe in any way on the rights of third parties. The author agrees, upon acceptance of the article for publication, to transfer to the publisher the exclusive right to reproduce and distribute the article and its contents, both physically and in nonphysical, electronic, or other form, in the journal to which it has been submitted and in other independent publications, with no limitations on the number of copies or on the form or the extent of distribution. These rights are transferred for the duration of copyright as defined by international law.
Online Rights for Articles appearing in JAIS: Authors of articles published in JAIS may post a copy of the final accepted manuscript for noncommercial purposes, as a word-processor, PDF, or other type of file, on their personal web page or on their employer‘s website after it has been accepted for publication.
