Open Access Policy
ABSU Journals adopt a Gold Open Access model, ensuring that published content is freely accessible to readers worldwide, with a strong commitment to removing barriers to knowledge dissemination.
Preamble
ABSU Journals comprise a collection of multidisciplinary, peer-reviewed Open Access journals established to advance high-quality scholarly research, foster global knowledge exchange, and promote impactful contributions across diverse fields of study. The journals are committed to inclusivity, interdisciplinary research, and amplifying the visibility of scholarship from Africa and other emerging regions. All ABSU Journals operate in full compliance with international best practices in scholarly publishing and align with the requirements of leading indexing platforms, including the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ).
1. Aims and Scope
ABSU Journals serve two primary multidisciplinary outlets.
- JAMESLSS:A multidisciplinary journal dedicated to advancing scholarship across the humanities and social sciences, including arts, management, education, law, and related disciplines.
- JEST:A multidisciplinary journal committed to advancing research in environmental science, scientific innovation, and technological development, with relevance to Africa and other emerging economies.
2. Open Access Policy
ABSU Journals are Gold Open Access journals. All articles are freely and immediately available upon publication. Article Processing Charges (APC) of $50.00 (N50,000.00) are required from authors. Users are permitted to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to full texts without prior permission. This policy is in accordance with the Budapest Open Access Initiative (BOAI).
3. Copyright and Licensing
Authors retain full copyright of their work.
- Articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0).
- Users must provide appropriate credit to the original author(s) and source.
4. Peer Review Policy
ABSU Journals operate a double-blind peer review system.
- Process:Initial editorial screening, assignment to at least two independent reviewers, review based on originality, rigor, and relevance, and editorial decision.
- Timeline:Initial screening takes 1–2 weeks; peer review takes 4–6 weeks.
5. Publication Ethics and Malpractice
ABSU Journals adheres strictly to international publication ethics standards.
- Zero tolerance for plagiarism.
- No data fabrication or falsification.
- No duplicate or redundant publication.
- Plagiarism screening:All manuscripts screened using plagiarism detection tools. Acceptable similarity index: ≤ 20%.
7. Conflict of Interest Policy
Authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any conflicts of interest. All disclosures are transparently managed.
8. Article Processing Charges
ABSU Journals operates a Gold Open Access model with $50.00 (N50,000.00) Article Processing Charges (APC).
9. Data Availability Policy
Authors are encouraged to make research data publicly available. Where restrictions apply, justification must be provided.
10. Archiving and Preservation Policy
ABSU Journals ensures long-term preservation through institutional repositories, LOCKSS/CLOCKSS systems where applicable, and digital backups. All articles remain permanently accessible.
11. Digital Identifiers and Indexing
All articles are assigned DOIs via DataSite. ORCID IDs are encouraged for all authors. Metadata is structured for indexing in major databases.
12. Publication Frequency
ABSU Journals publishes on a quarterly basis, with options for continuous publication.
13. AI and Generative Technology Policy
The use of AI tools must be handled transparently.
- Authors must disclose use of AI tools.
- AI tools cannot be listed as authors.
- Authors retain full responsibility for content accuracy.
14. Reviewer Guidelines
Reviewers are expected to provide objective and constructive feedback, maintain confidentiality, declare conflicts of interest, and adhere to timelines.