Author Guidelines

African Journal of Business, Management and Social Sciences (AJBMSA)

Thank you for considering the African Journal of Business, Management and Social Sciences (AJBMSA) as the outlet for your scholarly work.

AJBMSA is a peer-reviewed, open-access academic journal published by ARM Publishers. The journal is committed to publishing high-quality, original research that advances knowledge and practice in business, management, human resource management, public administration, governance, economics, finance, accounting, marketing, entrepreneurship, and the broader social sciences.

The journal welcomes contributions from academics, researchers, policymakers, practitioners, postgraduate students, and research institutions worldwide, with particular interest in studies that contribute to sustainable development, innovation, organisational excellence, public sector transformation, and social development across Africa and other emerging economies.

All manuscripts submitted to AJBMSA are evaluated solely on their scholarly merit, originality, methodological rigour, ethical compliance, and contribution to knowledge.

Authors are encouraged to read these guidelines carefully before submitting a manuscript, using the New Journal Template (2026).

Before You Submit

Before submitting a manuscript, authors should ensure that the work:

• Falls within the aims and scope of AJBMSA.
• Presents original scholarly work that has not been published previously.
• Is not simultaneously under consideration by another journal or publisher.
• Has been prepared using the official AJBMSA Manuscript Template.
• Complies with APA 7th Edition referencing style.
• Has been carefully proofread for language, grammar, clarity and formatting.
• Includes all required manuscript sections.
• Meets applicable ethical and reporting standards.
• Has received ethics approval where required.
• Includes all permissions required for copyrighted material, figures, photographs, datasets or other third-party content.

All authors listed on the manuscript must have made a significant scholarly contribution to the work and must approve the final version submitted for publication.

Publication Process

Publishing a manuscript in AJBMSA involves several stages designed to ensure the quality, integrity, transparency, and scholarly contribution of every published article.

Step 1: Manuscript Preparation

Authors should prepare their manuscript according to the AJBMSA template and ensure that all submission requirements have been met before beginning the online submission process.

Step 2: Online Submission

All manuscripts must be submitted through the AJBMSA Online Journal System (OJS).

During submission, authors will be required to:

• Provide complete author information.
• Identify the corresponding author.
• Upload the manuscript.
• Upload supplementary files where applicable.
• Provide an abstract.
• Select keywords.
• Complete all required metadata.
• Declare funding sources.
• Declare conflicts of interest.
• Complete the submission checklist.

Incomplete submissions may be returned to authors before editorial assessment.

Step 3: Initial Editorial Assessment (Approximately 2 Weeks)

Every submission undergoes an initial editorial screening conducted by the Editorial Office.

During this stage, the manuscript is evaluated to determine whether it:

• Falls within the journal’s scope.
• Meets minimum scholarly standards.
• Demonstrates originality.
• Complies with journal formatting requirements.
• Uses appropriate academic language.
• Includes all required manuscript sections.
• Meets ethical standards.
• Successfully passes plagiarism screening.

Following editorial screening, manuscripts may be:

• Sent for peer review;
• Returned for technical corrections before review; or
• Declined if they fall outside the journal’s scope or fail to meet the journal’s minimum publication standards.

The Editor may issue a desk rejection where the manuscript is clearly unsuitable for peer review.

Step 4: Double-Blind Peer Review (Approximately 4–6 Weeks)

Manuscripts that successfully pass the editorial assessment are sent for double-blind peer review.

Neither authors nor reviewers know each other’s identities throughout the review process.

Each manuscript is normally evaluated by at least two independent expert reviewers.

Reviewers assess:

• Originality
• Significance of the contribution
• Literature review
• Theoretical foundation
• Research methodology
• Data analysis
• Results
• Discussion
• Practical implications
• Overall scholarly quality

Reviewer recommendations assist the Editor in making the final editorial decision.

Step 5: Editorial Decision

Following peer review, authors will receive one of the following decisions:

• Accept
• Accept with Minor Revisions
• Major Revisions Required
• Reject

Where revisions are requested, authors should prepare a detailed response indicating how every reviewer comment has been addressed.

Step 6: Revision by Authors (Approximately 2–4 Weeks)

Authors invited to revise their manuscript should:

• Address every reviewer comment.
• Highlight all revisions made.
• Submit a clean revised manuscript.
• Submit a detailed response-to-reviewers document.

Failure to respond adequately to reviewer comments may result in rejection.

Step 7: Final Editorial Decision (Approximately 2 Weeks)

The revised manuscript is evaluated by the handling editor and, where necessary, may be returned to the original reviewers.

The Editor-in-Chief makes the final publication decision.

Step 8: Copyediting, Production and Publication (Approximately 2–3 Weeks)

Accepted manuscripts proceed through the production process, including:

• Professional copyediting
• Language editing
• Typesetting
• Layout formatting
• Proofreading
• Author proof approval
• DOI assignment (where applicable)
• Online publication

Accepted articles are published in the next available issue of the journal.

Publication Timeline

Although timelines may vary depending on reviewer availability and the extent of revisions required, AJBMSA aims to maintain the following schedule:

Article Processing Charges (APCs)

AJBMSA is committed to reducing barriers to scholarly publishing.

At present, the journal does not charge any fees for:

• Manuscript submission
• Editorial assessment
• Peer review
• Publication
• Online access

Should Article Processing Charges (APCs) be introduced in the future, they will apply only after a manuscript has been accepted and will be communicated clearly on the journal website before publication.

Publication Formats

AJBMSA accepts the following categories of scholarly manuscripts:

• Original Research Articles – Reports original empirical research using quantitative, qualitative or mixed-methods approaches (6,000–10,000 words).
• Review Articles – Comprehensive reviews of existing literature, including systematic, scoping and narrative reviews (6,000–10,000 words).
• Conceptual Papers – Develop, extend or critically examine theories, models or conceptual frameworks (5,000–8,000 words).
• Case Studies – In-depth analyses of organisations, industries, public institutions or communities (4,000–7,000 words).
• Policy Papers – Evidence-based analyses that inform business, governance or public policy (4,000–8,000 words).
• Short Communications – Brief reports presenting preliminary findings, innovative methods or emerging research (2,000–3,500 words).

After Publication

All published articles remain permanently accessible through the AJBMSA website under the journal’s open-access policy.

Authors are encouraged to:

• Share links to their published articles.
• Deposit published articles in institutional repositories where permitted.
• Update their ORCID, Google Scholar and institutional research profiles.
• Promote their research through academic, professional, and social networks.

Submission Checklist

Before submitting your manuscript, please confirm that:

• The manuscript has not been published previously and is not under consideration elsewhere.
• The manuscript falls within the aims and scope of AJBMSA.
• All authors have approved the submission.
• Ethical approval has been obtained where required.
• Permission has been obtained for all copyrighted material.
• The manuscript follows the AJBMSA template.
• References comply with APA 7th Edition.
• All figures and tables are correctly labelled and cited.
• Funding sources and conflicts of interest have been declared.
• The manuscript has been proofread for grammar, spelling, and formatting.

Submissions that do not meet these minimum requirements may be returned to authors for correction or declined before peer review.

We look forward to receiving your manuscript, and thank you for choosing the African Journal of Business, Management, and Social Sciences (AJBMSA) as your publishing partner.