About the Journal
Sources of Support
Author fees in the shape of article processing fee: Nigerian authors: 20,000 NGN (twenty thousand Nigerian naira only) Foreign authors: 60 USD (sixty US dollars only).
Subscription/hardcopy fees
There is currently no subscription charge for the journal. The journal is free to read online.
Publisher Information
Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
Peer Review
The African Journal of Pharmaceutical Research and Development (AJOPRED) has a peer review policy structured on international best practices. When the editorial team receives an original article, the Managing Editor or Associate Editor will first decide whether the article meets the formal criteria indicated in the Instruction to authors and whether it fits within the aims and scope of the journal. As part of this preliminary evaluation, a plagiarism test is also conducted on the manuscript. Only papers that are successful after the preliminary editorial screening will be sent for peer review. All articles shall be handled by an Editorial board member who does not have any potential conflict of interest with any of the manuscript’s authors. All manuscripts will undergo a double-blind peer-review process, where the authors and reviewers do not know each other’s identity to ensure the highest quality of the journal. Article handling editor will select the potential reviewers for each article who must (i) not have co-authored publications with the author and (ii) not be affiliated with the same institution as the author(s). All articles except Editorials will be sent out for peer review process and at least two reviewer comments per manuscript will be collected. Reviewers will be asked to complete their review within two weeks; however, they are allowed to extend the review period of time in order to complete and submit their report. Peer reviewers can make one of the following recommendations for the editors to consider: Accept the manuscript without any change. Accept after minor revision (i.e., article can be accepted if the author makes the requested minor revisions) Accept after major revision (i.e., article can be accepted after major revisions have been made – the manuscript may be sent out for another peer review round) Reject manuscript (i.e., the manuscript is flawed or not sufficiently novel) When all reviewers have submitted their reports, the Editor can make one of the following editorial recommendations: Accept Need revision Reject Authors are usually sent the reviewers reports alongside any editorial comments to guide their revisions. When authors submit their revised manuscripts, the papers are re-evaluated by the editors (and possibly the external reviewers) to ensure that the recommendations are adhered to and the paper is of high quality before it is accepted for publication. The number of rounds of revision depends upon how the authors are able to revise their papers carefully and accurately. Publication If the manuscript is accepted, the author will be sent a galley proof in order for them to make any final corrections. All accepted peer reviewed manuscripts will be published online and are citable by the digital object identifier (DOI) assigned at the time of online publication. Time from submission to decision The duration from submission to first editorial review comments is about one week. The duration from submission to first peer review reports is about 4 to 6 weeks. The period from acceptance to publication is about 2 weeks. Roles of AJOPRED Peer Reviewers Through the editorial communications with the author, peer reviewers are expected to guide the author in improving the paper in several ways including improving the quality of presentation and research rationale. A reviewer who feels unqualified to review a manuscript or knows it will be impossible to provide a prompt review of the manuscript should notify the Editor-in-Chief and withdraw from participating in the review process. It is critical that any manuscript that is received for review be treated as a confidential document. except authorized by the Editor-In-Chief, the manuscript must not be shown to, or discussed with others. Reviewers are expected to express their opinions clearly and support them with evidence. Reviewers are required to check the Instruction to authors to ensure that the manuscript adheres to the standard set forth by the journal. It is unacceptable for a reviewer to criticize the author(s) personally. Reviewers should identify relevant published work that has not been cited by the authors of the article. A reviewer has a duty to inform the Editor of any substantial similarity or overlap between the manuscript under consideration and any other previously published paper of which the reviewer is aware. Reviewers must not consider manuscripts with conflicts of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships or connections with any of the authors, companies, or institutions linked to the papers. AJOPRED follows IMJE’s guidance on Disclosure of Financial and Non-Financial Relationships and Activities, and Conflicts of Interest, so reviewers must follow this guide to disclose any conflict when fulfilling their roles in the article review process.
Publication Scheduling
The journal publishes three (3) Issues per year.
