AUTHOR GUIDELINES

Authors submitting to the Innovative Journal of African Education (IJAE) are strongly advised to carefully review the journal's Focus and Scope. This is to ensure that your manuscript aligns with the interdisciplinary themes central to the journal. Submissions should directly contribute to the intersection of education, technology, and cultural relevance within the African context. It is essential that manuscripts are free from grammatical errors and written in clear, professional British English. Authors must take the crucial step of thoroughly proofreading their work before submission.

Furthermore, all manuscripts must undergo a plagiarism check by the authors themselves, ensuring that the similarity index is 10% or below. The IJAE meticulously screens all submissions for originality via TurnItin software. Manuscripts that exceed the acceptable similarity threshold will be returned to the authors without further processing. It is important to note that IJAE does not permit redundant submissions. Therefore, authors bear the responsibility of ensuring that their work is original and has not been submitted elsewhere for consideration. Moreover, authors are expected to adhere to the highest ethical standards throughout their research and writing process. This includes ensuring that your research complies with all ethical guidelines, avoiding any falsification of data, and ensuring that all listed authors have contributed significantly to the manuscript.

By adhering to these comprehensive guidelines, authors significantly contribute to maintaining academic integrity and upholding the high standards of the IJAE.

Manuscript Submission

  • Article Types: IJAE accepts original research articles, review articles, case studies, and theoretical papers.
  • Language: Manuscripts must be written in British English.
  • Length: Manuscripts should be between 5,000 to 8,000 words, including references, tables, and figures.
  • Formatting:
    • Font: Use Times New Roman, 12-point font.
    • Spacing: Double-space the text.
    • Margins: Set margins to 1 inch (2.54 cm) on all sides.
    • Cover page: Include a title page with the article title, author names, affiliations, city of the affiliation, department and faculty, contact information and ORCIDs of all authors.
    • Main Manuscript: All main manuscripts submitted to IJAE must be anonymised to ensure a fair and impartial review process. Authors should remove any identifying information from the manuscript, including names, affiliations, and acknowledgements, to maintain the integrity of the double-blind peer-review process.
    • Abstract: Provide an abstract of 150-250 words summarising the research.
    • Keywords: Include 4-6 keywords that reflect the content of the manuscript.
    • Headings: Use a clear hierarchy of headings (e.g., Heading 1, Heading 2) to organise the content.
    • Figures and Tables: Place figures and tables within the text near where they are referenced. Each should be numbered consecutively and include a descriptive caption.

Referencing Style

Authors must use the APA 7th Edition referencing style throughout their manuscript. Ensure all sources cited in the text are included in the reference list and vice versa. In-text citations should follow APA guidelines, and all references should be formatted correctly according to APA standards.

Copyright and Licensing

  • Copyright: Authors retain copyright of their work.
  • License: The IJAE operates under the CC BY 4.0: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. This license allows others to share, copy, distribute, and transmit the work, as well as adapt it, provided the original author and source are credited.
  • Article Processing Charge (APC): There is no APC for submissions to the IJAE at this time.

Review Process

The IJAE employs a double-blind peer-review process to ensure impartiality and the highest standards of scholarly integrity.

  • Initial Submission: Manuscripts are submitted through the IJAE’s online submission system.
  • Editorial Assessment: Upon submission, the Managing Editor conducts an initial assessment to ensure the manuscript aligns with the journal’s focus and meets basic submission requirements.
  • Editor Allocation: If the manuscript passes the initial assessment, it is allocated to a suitable editor who has expertise in the relevant field.
  • Reviewer Identification: The editor identifies and assigns at least two independent reviewers who will evaluate the manuscript's quality, originality, and relevance.
  • Review Process: Reviewers provide detailed feedback and recommendations (e.g., accept, revise, or reject). The double-blind process ensures that both the reviewers and authors remain anonymous.
  • Decision: Based on the reviewers’ feedback, the editor makes a decision, which could involve accepting the manuscript, requesting revisions, or rejecting the submission.
  • Revisions: If revisions are requested, authors must submit the revised manuscript within the specified timeframe. The revised submission may undergo further review.
  • Final Decision: The Managing Editor, in consultation with the Editor-in-Chief, makes the final decision regarding publication.

Article Publication Charges

IJAE operates under a fully open access model and charges no fees for manuscript submission, processing, or publication. This ensures that there are no financial barriers for authors wishing to publish their work, and it allows researchers, educators, and policymakers around the world to freely access and disseminate the valuable research published in our journal. Also, there are no hidden costs or surcharges whatsoever.

Publication Frequency

The IJAE publishes two issues per year.