Submissions

Author Guidelines

Author Guidelines

Thank you for considering the Interdisciplinary Journal of the African Alliance for Research, Advocacy and Innovation (IJAARAI) for the publication of your scholarly work. IJAARAI is a peer-reviewed, open access interdisciplinary journal published quarterly by the African Alliance for Research, Advocacy and Innovation.

The journal provides a platform for researchers, policymakers, practitioners, innovators, and advocates to disseminate high-quality, evidence-based, and impactful scholarship relevant to Africa, Asia, and the wider Global South. IJAARAI welcomes rigorous interdisciplinary research that contributes to scientific advancement, policy development, innovation, advocacy, sustainable development, and societal transformation.

All submitted manuscripts undergo an initial editorial screening to assess:

• relevance to the journal scope,
• scholarly quality,
• ethical compliance,
• originality,
• formatting standards,
• plagiarism similarity,
• and AI-generated content thresholds.

Manuscripts that successfully pass the preliminary screening are subjected to a rigorous double-blind peer review process. Based on reviewers’ recommendations and editorial evaluation, manuscripts may be accepted, returned for revision, or rejected.

1. Ethical Responsibilities

Authors are responsible for ensuring that:

• All listed authors have made substantial scholarly contributions to the manuscript and approve its submission.
• The submitted work is original and has not been previously published or simultaneously submitted elsewhere.
• Appropriate ethical approval has been obtained where required.
• Research involving human participants or animals complies with relevant institutional, national, and international ethical standards.
• Informed consent has been obtained where applicable.
• Data presented are accurate, honest, and not fabricated, falsified, or manipulated.
• Conflicts of interest are fully disclosed.
• Permission has been obtained for copyrighted materials including figures, tables, illustrations, datasets, and photographs.
• All references and citations are properly acknowledged and traceable.

The journal reserves the right to request ethical approval documentation and supporting materials at any stage of the editorial process.

2. Types of Manuscripts Accepted

IJAARAI welcomes submissions including, but not limited to:

• Original Research Articles
• Systematic Reviews
• Scoping Reviews
• Narrative Reviews
• Policy Analyses
• Short Communications
• Case Reports and Case Studies
• Methodological Papers
• Commentary and Perspective Articles
• Innovation and Practice Reports
• Conceptual and Theoretical Papers
• Editorials and Opinion Pieces

Submissions should align with the interdisciplinary focus of the journal and may address fields including:

• Public Health and Global Health
• Education and Learning Innovation
• Public Policy and Governance
• Technology and Digital Innovation
• Environmental Sustainability and Climate Change
• Gender and Social Justice
• Economics and Development Studies
• Humanities and Social Sciences
• Community Development and Advocacy
• Research and Innovation Systems
• Evidence-Based Policy and Practice

Comparative, regional, and cross-disciplinary studies involving Africa, Asia, and other Global South contexts are strongly encouraged.

3. Manuscript Preparation

Authors should ensure that manuscripts are scientifically rigorous, clearly written, professionally formatted, and carefully proofread prior to submission.

General Formatting

Authors must ensure that:

• Manuscripts are written in clear academic English.
• Times New Roman, 12-point font is used throughout the manuscript.
• Double spacing is maintained.
• Pages are numbered consecutively.
• Appropriate headings and subheadings are used consistently.
• Section numbering is used where applicable.
• Titles and section headings follow appropriate capitalization standards and should not be written entirely in uppercase letters.
• Excessive bolding, decorative formatting, inconsistent fonts, and unnecessary styling are avoided.
• Manuscripts are free from grammatical, typographical, and formatting inconsistencies.
• APA referencing style is strictly followed for both in-text citations and reference lists.
• All abbreviations are defined at first use.
• Technical terminology is used consistently throughout the manuscript.

Submissions that fail to meet minimum editorial and formatting standards may be returned to authors prior to peer review.

4. Structure of Original Research Articles

Title

The title should be concise, informative, and reflective of the study content.

Abstract

Provide a structured abstract of 250–300 words including:

• Background
• Methods
• Results
• Conclusion

The abstract should stand independently and accurately summarize the study.

Keywords

Provide 4–6 relevant keywords.

Introduction

Clearly present:

• background,
• rationale,
• problem statement,
• and study objectives.

Methods

Provide sufficient methodological detail to allow replication. Include:

• study design,
• study setting,
• participants,
• sampling methods,
• data collection procedures,
• data analysis methods,
• and ethical considerations.

Results

Present findings clearly using appropriate tables and figures where necessary.

Discussion

Interpret findings in relation to existing literature and discuss implications for:

• research,
• policy,
• advocacy,
• innovation,
• and professional practice.

Conclusion

Summarize major findings and provide recommendations where appropriate.

Acknowledgements

Optional but encouraged where applicable.

Funding Statement

Clearly indicate funding sources or state if no external funding was received.

Conflict of Interest Statement

Authors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest.

5. Reference and Citation Standards

To ensure scholarly credibility, reliability, and traceability:

• All citations and references must be accurate, complete, and verifiable.
• APA referencing style must be used consistently throughout the manuscript.
• Authors are strongly encouraged to cite peer-reviewed scholarly literature.
• References should include traceable Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) wherever available.
• Excessive reliance on unverifiable websites, blogs, predatory journals, or non-academic sources is discouraged.
• References should reflect current and relevant scholarship within the field of study.

Recommended Reference Limits

• Original Research Articles: 25–45 references
• Review Articles: 25–50 references
• Short Communications and Commentaries: references as appropriate
• Case Reports and Case Studies: concise and relevant references only

The editorial board reserves the right to request revision of reference lists where necessary.

6. Tables and Figures

Tables and figures should be used selectively and only where they meaningfully enhance understanding of the manuscript.

Authors must ensure that:

• Tables and figures are clearly numbered consecutively according to their order of appearance in the manuscript.
• Each table and figure includes a concise and descriptive title or caption.
• All tables and figures are properly cited, explained, and interpreted within the main text.
• Tables and figures should not duplicate information extensively described in the text.
• Statistical charts, graphs, and illustrations should be professionally prepared and clearly legible.
• High-resolution images should be provided where applicable.
• Composite figures should be properly organized and labeled.
• Tables should preferably be editable and not submitted solely as image files.

To maintain publication quality and readability:

• Manuscripts should not contain more than four (4) figures unless exceptional justification is approved by the editorial board.
• Excessive or unnecessary visual materials may be removed during editorial review.

Authors are responsible for obtaining copyright permission for all copyrighted visual materials.

7. Authorship and Contributor Responsibilities

Authorship must reflect substantial intellectual contribution to the work.

All listed authors must have participated meaningfully in:

• study conception or design,
• data collection,
• data analysis or interpretation,
• manuscript drafting or revision,
• and approval of the final manuscript.

The journal discourages:

• honorary authorship,
• gift authorship,
• ghost authorship,
• and unethical manipulation of authorship.

Author Contribution Statement

Authors must provide a clear description of each author’s contribution to the study and manuscript preparation.

Examples may include:

• conceptualization,
• methodology,
• supervision,
• investigation,
• data analysis,
• writing – original draft,
• writing – review and editing,
• project administration.

The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that all co-authors approve the submission and publication process.

8. Peer Review Process

IJAARAI operates a rigorous double-blind peer review system.

• Reviewer identities remain anonymous to authors.
• Author identities remain anonymous to reviewers.
• Manuscripts are evaluated based on originality, methodological rigor, relevance, clarity, ethical compliance, and scholarly contribution.
• Authors may be requested to revise manuscripts in response to reviewer comments before a final editorial decision is made.

Editorial decisions may include:

• acceptance,
• minor revision,
• major revision,
• or rejection.

The editorial board reserves the right to make the final publication decision.

9. Plagiarism, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Academic Integrity

IJAARAI maintains strict standards regarding originality, responsible scholarship, and ethical academic publishing.

Plagiarism Policy

All manuscripts are screened for plagiarism and similarity before peer review.

• Manuscripts must have a similarity index of less than 10%, excluding references, quotations, and standard methodological expressions where applicable.
• Manuscripts containing plagiarism, duplicate publication, unattributed content, or unethical academic practices will be rejected immediately.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy

The journal recognizes the increasing use of artificial intelligence tools in academic writing; however, authors remain fully responsible for all submitted content.

• AI-generated or AI-assisted content must not exceed 30% of the manuscript.
• AI tools must not be listed as authors.
• Authors are responsible for verifying all AI-assisted outputs, references, interpretations, and factual statements.

Mandatory Similarity and AI Reports

All submissions must include:

• a plagiarism/similarity detection report; and
• an AI-content detection report.

The editorial office reserves the right to independently verify all submissions using editorial screening tools.

10. Open Access Policy

IJAARAI is a fully open access journal. All published articles are freely accessible online without subscription or access barriers.

The journal supports broad dissemination of scholarly knowledge to researchers, institutions, practitioners, policymakers, and communities worldwide.

Accepted articles may be assigned Crossref DOIs and other digital identifiers to support citation tracking, discoverability, and long-term accessibility.

11. Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

IJAARAI adheres to internationally recognized standards of publication ethics and academic integrity.

Responsibilities of Authors

Authors must ensure that:

• submitted manuscripts are original and unpublished;
• data are accurate and honestly presented;
• ethical requirements are fully met;
• conflicts of interest are disclosed;
• and all contributing authors approve the final manuscript.

Responsibilities of Editors

Editors are responsible for:

• making fair and unbiased editorial decisions;
• ensuring confidentiality throughout the review process;
• managing manuscripts based on scholarly merit and relevance;
• and addressing ethical concerns appropriately.

Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers are expected to:

• provide objective, constructive, and timely reviews;
• maintain confidentiality;
• declare conflicts of interest;
• and identify important uncited literature where appropriate.

Handling of Misconduct

Allegations of:

• plagiarism,
• duplicate publication,
• data fabrication,
• unethical research conduct,
• citation manipulation,
• or authorship misconduct
  will be investigated thoroughly.

Where misconduct is confirmed, the journal may:

• reject manuscripts,
• retract published articles,
• issue corrections,
• publish notices,
• or notify relevant institutions.

12. Article Processing Charge Policy

The African Alliance for Research, Advocacy and Innovation is a non-profit organization committed to accessible and inclusive scholarly publishing.

IJAARAI is an open access journal that ensures free and unrestricted access to published content. To support editorial processing, peer review management, website maintenance, digital archiving, and publication operations, the journal may charge a modest Article Processing Charge (APC) after acceptance usually between $15-$35 as appropriate.

• There is no submission fee.
• APCs apply only to manuscripts accepted after peer review.
• Waivers or partial fee reductions may be considered for authors facing financial constraints, particularly researchers from low-resource settings or those addressing priority development challenges.

All applicable publication charges will be communicated transparently.