Review process

The African Journal of Advanced Pure and Applied Sciences (AJAPAS) is committed to publishing high-quality, rigorously reviewed research. To ensure the scientific integrity and scholarly merit of all accepted manuscripts, AJAPAS employs a double-blind peer-review process. This means that both the identities of the authors and the reviewers are kept confidential throughout the review process.

Our comprehensive peer-review process typically follows these stages:

  1. Initial Editorial Assessment: a. Upon submission, all manuscripts are first evaluated by the Managing Editor or a relevant Section Editor. b. This initial check assesses the manuscript's suitability for AJAPAS's scope, adherence to journal guidelines, overall quality, and plagiarism using appropriate software. Manuscripts with a plagiarism rate exceeding 20% will be desk-rejected without further review. c. Manuscripts that do not meet the journal's basic requirements or are outside its scope may be rejected at this stage without further review.

  2. Assignment to Academic Editor: a. If the manuscript passes the initial assessment, it is assigned to an Academic Editor with expertise in the relevant field. b. The Academic Editor oversees the entire review process for that specific manuscript.

  3. Peer Reviewer Selection and Invitation: a. The Academic Editor invites at least two independent expert reviewers who possess relevant knowledge and experience in the subject area of the manuscript. b. Reviewers are selected based on their academic profile, research interests, and previous reviewing experience.

  4. Conduct of Peer Review: a. Reviewers critically evaluate the manuscript for its originality, scientific validity, methodological soundness, clarity of presentation, relevance to the field, and ethical considerations. b. They provide constructive feedback and recommendations to help authors improve their work. c. The review period typically ranges from 2 to 4 weeks.

  5. Editor's Decision: a. Once all reviews are received, the Academic Editor makes an informed decision based on the reviewers' recommendations, their own assessment of the manuscript, and its significance. b. Possible decisions include: i. Accept: The manuscript is accepted for publication as is. ii. Minor Revisions: The manuscript requires minor changes as suggested by reviewers, and a revised version will be re-evaluated by the editor. iii. Major Revisions: The manuscript requires substantial changes and may be sent for re-review by the original reviewers or new reviewers. iv. Reject: The manuscript is not suitable for publication in AJAPAS, often due to fundamental flaws or lack of novelty.

  6. Author Notification and Revision: a. Authors are promptly notified of the decision and receive the anonymous reviewers' comments. b. If revisions are requested, authors are given a specific timeframe to make the necessary changes and submit a revised manuscript along with a point-by-point response to the reviewers' comments.

  7. Final Decision: a. For revised manuscripts, the Academic Editor will either make a final decision or send the revised version back to the reviewers for further assessment. b. Once a manuscript is accepted, it proceeds to the production stage for copyediting, typesetting, and publication.

AJAPAS is committed to a fair, timely, and transparent peer-review process that upholds the highest standards of academic publishing. We greatly appreciate the invaluable contributions of our dedicated editors and reviewers, whose expertise ensures the quality and credibility of the research published in our journal.