About the Journal
Focus and Scope
The International Journal of Educational Development in Africa (IJEDA) specifically encourages potential submissions that engage African-centrism, that honour local traditions and epistemologies, and that challenge the day-to-day of systemic oppression. This includes an encouragement of multilinguality, artistic expressions, collaborative authorships, and engagement with praxis, such as when proposals demonstrate decolonial theory through practical on-the-ground applications.
Topics related to broad definitions of education and development are welcome, and can include, but are not limited to, African indigeneity, social reproduction, democratisation, structural inequalities, decolonialities, global development concerns operating at local levels, the purpose and structure of primary, secondary, and tertiary educational systems, culture, language, transformation, access and opportunity, poverty reduction, literacies, and sustainability of resources, including land and people. Specific focus on intersectional identities (such as race, gender, sexuality, class, religion, language, geography, culture, disability) is encouraged.
Process:
In adhering to the journal’s mission of fostering critical and applied African-centric scholars, IJEDA offers several creative approaches to supporting manuscript development. These include ongoing publication and scholarly writing workshops for potential authors and those with already developed ideas. All submissions require author positionality statements, linking personal and professional identities to research conducted, scholarship engaged, or otherwise to clarify author identities in relation to manuscript content. These will be separated from the review process, but will inform editorial review in accordance with IJEDA’s mission and purpose.
Peer Review Process
The International Journal of Educational Development in Africa (IJEDA) uses a double-blind peer review system to ensure the anonymity of both the author and the reviewer. Usually, articles are sent to two reviewers, if there is a disagreement a third reviewer is used. Based on their recommendations, the Editor decides whether the manuscript should be accepted as is, should be revised or rejected. The final decision whether to publish any article remains with the Editor. Reviewers are encouraged to provide detailed critical and constructive comments. We strive towards a review period of 8 weeks.
Publication Frequency
The journal only publishes online.
The International Journal of Educational Development in Africa publishes one volume per year consisting of a single issue.
Articles are published online as they are finalised if they are intended for the current issue. A DOI is immediately allocated. These articles are assigned to a volume and issue according to the journal's publication schedule. Articles retain their initial page numbering.
Open Access Policy
This journal provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge.
Fees
In order to finance open access, IJEDA requires authors of accepted articles to pay article processing charges (APCs). APCs are payable when the article has been accepted for publication and when an invoice has been delivered. APCs are used to cover all costs related to language editing, publishing, online hosting, and the archiving of each article.
The current rate is ZAR 9100 per article for 2026 submissions. These charges are reviewed annually.
The submitting author is responsible for the payment of the APC, which must be confirmed at the time of submission. All amounts are due within 30 days from invoicing. The article will only be published once full payment has been received.
Digital Archiving Policy
IJEDA is also available on the PKP Digital Archive.
Self-Archiving Policy
IJEDA allows for all versions of manuscripts to be deposited in an institutional or other repository of the author’s choice without embargo.
Plagiarism
Manuscripts containing plagiarism will not be considered for publication in the journal. Plagiarism is defined as the use of another's work, words or ideas without attribution or permission, and representation of them as one's own original work. Plagiarism may take many forms, ranging from major plagiarism (the copy-and-paste of large amounts of text), to minor plagiarism without dishonest intent (e.g. when an author uses parts of an introduction from an earlier paper) and even self-plagiarism (the reuse of significant, identical or near-identical portions of one's own work without citing the original version).
IJEDA subscribes to plagiarism detection software and all contributions submitted to the journal will be scanned to verify originality. Ithenticate (http://www.ithenticate.com/) is currently used.
If major plagiarism is brought to light after a manuscript has been published, the journal will proceed to conduct a preliminary investigation. The journal reserves the right to formally retract such manuscripts and publish statements to reference material as plagiarism.
All records are archived.
Licensing and Publishing
In consideration for the publication of your article by Unisa Press, you hereby agree to grant to Unisa Press an irrevocable nonexclusive licence to publish in print and electronic format, and further sublicense the article, for the full legal term of copyright and any renewals thereof in all languages throughout the world in all formats, and through any medium of communication.
The author shall retain the perpetual royalty-free right to reproduce and publish in print and electronic format, and further sublicense the article in all languages throughout the world in all formats, and through any medium of communication provided that you make reference to the first publication by the Journal and Unisa Press.
Guidelines on Preprints
Definition of Preprints
Preprints are versions of scholarly papers that precede formal peer review and publication in a scientific journal. They are typically shared on public repositories to facilitate early dissemination of research findings.
Submission of Preprints
Authors are encouraged to submit their manuscripts to preprint servers prior to or simultaneously with submission to our journal. This allows for early feedback from the community and can help improve the quality of the final published paper.
Preprint Repositories
Authors may post their preprints on recognized repositories such as arXiv, bioRxiv, medRxiv, or other discipline-specific preprint servers. Authors affiliated with Unisa are encouraged to post their preprints on the Unisa Press preprint server UnisaRxiv. The repository should provide a DOI or a persistent link to ensure proper citation.
Citation of Preprints
When citing preprints, authors should include the DOI or persistent link and clearly indicate that the work is a preprint. For example: “Author(s), Title, Preprint Repository, Year, DOI.”
Peer Review and Publication
Submission of a manuscript to a Unisa Press journal that has been previously posted as a preprint will not affect the peer review process. The manuscript will undergo the same rigorous peer review as any other submission. Double blind peer review cannot be ensured in the case of preprints so preprint articles will undergo single blind peer review.
Ethical Considerations
Authors must ensure that their preprints comply with ethical standards, including proper attribution of sources, avoidance of plagiarism, and adherence to guidelines for the use of human and animal subjects.
Updates and Revisions
Authors are encouraged to update their preprints with new data or corrections as needed. Significant updates should be clearly indicated in the preprint repository.
Communication with the Journal
Authors should inform the journal at the time of submission if their manuscript has been posted as a preprint. This information should be included in the cover letter and the manuscript itself.
Impact on Journal Metrics
The journal recognizes that preprints can increase the visibility and impact of research. Citations to preprints will be considered in the context of the final published article.
Licensing and Copyright
Authors should ensure that their preprints are posted under a license that allows for reuse and distribution, such as a Creative Commons license. The journal will not consider manuscripts that have been posted under restrictive licenses that limit dissemination.
Ethics Statement (Unisa Press Journals)
As part of fulfilling the University of South Africa's vision of being "the African university shaping futures in the service of humanity" the vision of Unisa Press Journals is to "publish with integrity" and, as such, Unisa Press Journals would like all parties involved in the publication process to adhere to the expected ethical behaviour set out in this ethics statement.
- Responsibilities of the Publisher and the Institutions and/or Societies on Behalf of Which It Publishes
Unisa Press Journals and the institutions and/or societies on behalf of which it publishes shall ensure that:
1.1. Good practice is maintained to the standards set out in this statement.
1.2. Collaborations with other publishers and industry associations adhere to standards for best practices on ethical matters, errors and retractions.
1.3. The publisher's address and contact details are published in all journals and on these journals' websites.
1.4. Guidelines on how the review process works are published on all journals' websites.
1.5. Journals publish guidance on what is expected from reviewers.
1.6. Journals publish guidance on what is expected from authors.
1.7. Journals have properly functioning editorial boards and international advisory boards.
- Responsibilities of Editorial Boards
A properly functioning editorial board of a journal is of vital importance to ensure that the journals are governed efficiently. The board is responsible to ensure that the requirements for journals to be accredited by the South African Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) are adhered to.
Editorial boards need to:
2.1. Meet regularly and be actively involved in the editorial management of the journal.
2.2. Have terms of reference.
2.3. Keep minutes of their meetings.
2.4. Be comprised of members from beyond a single institution, and with more than two-thirds of the editorial board members beyond a single institution.
2.5. Be reflective of expertise in the relevant subject area.
2.6. Ensure that the names, titles and affiliation of board members are published in the journal and on the journals' website.
2.7. Ensure that all board members serve for a clearly defined term, after which they may be re-elected in order to remain on the board.
2.8. Ensure that their journal has a mechanism for authors to appeal against editorial decisions. This should be managed by the editorial board and not the editor.
2.9. Appoint the academic editor of the journal
- International Advisory Boards
The international advisory board, advises the editorial board and the editor on the academic standard of the journal. This is a critical part of our editorial component as it helps the journal to foster excellence in scholarship.
- Responsibilities of Academic Editors
Academic Editors should:
4.1. Execute their duties in an objective and fair way without discriminating on the basis of ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religious or political affiliation or sexual orientation of authors or reviewers.
4.2. Ensure that articles include English abstracts if their language of publication is not English.
4.3. Ensure that their journal uses a rigorous peer review method, which is described in the policies of the journal.
4.4. Pursue suspected cases of misconduct and not just simply reject articles that raise suspicion.
4.5. Give authors an opportunity to respond to any complaints and, if they are not satisfied, ask the authors' employers to investigate. Editors should persist until they obtain a resolution to the problem in question.
4.6. Follow reasonable procedures when complaints of conflict of interest or of an ethical nature arise, and follow the procedures of the society or institution which owns the journal, where appropriate, to resolve the complaint. Journals owned by Unisa need to follow the guidelines set out in the relevant Unisa policies.
4.7. Keep all documentation relating to the investigation of a complaint.
4.8. Correct any inaccuracy or misleading statement that has been published in order to maintain the integrity of the academic record. They have to publish errata, corrigenda or even retract articles if need be.
4.9. Make sure their journals comply with all the requirements of the South African Department: Higher Education and Training's Research Outputs Policy (2015)
- Responsibilities of Peer Reviewers
Reviewers should:
5.1. Maintain the confidentiality of all information supplied by the editor.
5.2. Review each manuscript objectively, in a timely manner, contribute to the decision-making process regarding publication of articles, and assist in improving the quality of the manuscript.
5.3. Alert the editor to any suspected plagiarism or substantially similar content.
5.4. Keep the integrity of the chosen peer review method intact by ensuring they comply to the peer review policy of the journal.
5.5. Be aware of any potential conflict of interest, and decline the review on those grounds.
- Authors' responsibilities
Authors should:
6.1. Declare any real or potential conflict of interest regarding the research and the publication process.
6.2. Confirm that each submission has not been previously published and that it is not under consideration by another journal.
6.3. Confirm that the work in submission is original, and acknowledge and cite content from other sources.
6.4. Confirm that they have obtained permission to reproduce any content that is not theirs.
6.5. Notify the journal editor or publisher immediately if a significant error in their publication comes to light, and should cooperate with the editor and publisher if it is necessary to retract the article or to publish an erratum, addendum or corrigendum notice.
6.6. Maintain accurate records of data associated with their submission, and should grant access to these data if reasonably requested. Where allowed and where appropriate, authors should deposit this data in a suitable repository or storage for sharing and further use.
6.7. Ensure that any studies involving human or animal subjects conform to local, national and international laws and requirements. Authors should obtain express permission from human subjects and respect their privacy.
6.8. Be aware that online originality checking will be conducted to protect the integrity of the journal.
- Misconduct
Misconduct and unethical behaviour may be identified and brought to the attention of the editor and publisher at any time, by anyone. Sufficient evidence should be provided in writing by any complainant when informing the editor or publisher for an investigation to be initiated. All allegations should be taken seriously and must be treated appropriately. Those who report such behaviour in good faith must be protected in accordance with relevant Unisa policies and procedures. When misconduct or unethical behaviour is confirmed, appropriate actions should be taken timeously, including correcting the research record (Singapore Statement, 2010).
Disclaimer
The International Journal of Educational Development in Africa (IJEDA) and Unisa Press make every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information contained in our publication. However, IJEDA, our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the contributions. Any opinions and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors, and are not the views of or endorsed by IJEDA or Unisa Press. IJEDA and Unisa Press shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to, or arising out of the use of the content of the publication.
