African Journal of Neurodiversity

About the Journal

Aims and Scope

The African Journal of Neurodiversity aims to advance knowledge of neurodiversity and neurodiverse individuals from an Afrocentric perspective. The journal publishes original research, reviews, case studies, policy briefs, implementation notes, practice toolkits, commentaries/book reviews, and theoretical papers that contribute to understanding neurodevelopmental conditions within African contexts. Our focus areas include:

Family education, empowerment and support for neurodiverse individuals
Community engagement and awareness initiatives on neurodiversity
Advocacy and inclusive practice development related to neurodiversity
Epistemic equity in neurodiversity between the global north and south.
Personal, family, school and community narratives and pathways to neuro-inclusion
Community, school, workplace and lived experiences regarding neurodiversity
Approaches acknowledging strengths, affirming identities, and challenging deficit-based models concerning neurodiversity.

The journal particularly welcomes submissions that:

Challenge conventional Western paradigms of neurodiversity
Document Indigenous knowledge and practices regarding neurodiversity
Present innovative approaches to neurodiversity-affirming support
Examine socioeconomic and cultural factors affecting neurodiverse populations in Africa
Promotes neuro-affirming practices, programmes and collaborations

Author Guidelines

Role of Authors

Originality: Authors must submit only original manuscripts that have not been published elsewhere and are not under review by another journal. Preprints may be submitted, provided this is disclosed at submission.
Ethics: Authors are responsible for ensuring compliance with ethical standards, including obtaining necessary approvals from recognized research ethics committees for studies involving human participants.
Transparency: All sources of funding, conflicts of interest, and contributions must be declared. Each submission must include an Authorship Contribution Statement following the Contributor Role Taxonomy (CRediT). Author declarations must be done in line with ICJME Disclosure of Financial and Non-Financial Relationships and Activities, and Conflicts of Interest.
Accuracy: Authors are accountable for the accuracy of the data, analyses, and references used in their work. They must promptly notify the journal if significant errors are discovered after publication.
Language: Authors can submit manuscripts written either in English or Sesotho language.
Submission Format: Authors are required to submit a manuscript version without author details and another version with full authorship details

Article Types

AJN Board of Editors will allow authors to submit the following types of papers:

Original Research Articles (4000-8000 words)
Review Articles (5000-8000 words)
Case Studies (2000-8000 words)
Theoretical Papers (3000-8000 words)
Policy Briefs (1500-8000 words)
Commentaries/Book Reviews (1000-3000 words)
Practice Toolkits (3000-8000 words)
Implementation Notes (2000-6000 words)

Manuscript Preparation

Format: All manuscripts are expected to be submitted using Microsoft Word.
Language: Manuscripts need to be written in English. Authors whose native language is not English should ensure their manuscripts are professionally edited before they submit.
Suggested Structure:

Title Page: Title of paper, name of author(s), institutional affiliation, correspondence information, email address and ORCID
Abstract: 150-250 words
Keywords: 4-6 keywords
Introduction
Methodology
Findings
Discussion
Conclusion
Authorship
Declaration Statement
Acknowledgments
References
Tables and Figures (if applicable)

References: Follow APA style, current edition.
Tables and Figures: Should be numbered consecutively and referred to in the text. Include captions for all tables and figures.

Editorial Process

Role of Reviewers

Peer Review Process: All submitted manuscripts are assessed through a double-blind process conducted by a minimum of two qualified autonomous assessors.
Responsibilities: Reviewers evaluate manuscripts for originality, methodology, clarity, and contribution to the field. They provide constructive, evidence-based feedback and must maintain strict confidentiality.
Ethics: It is essential for reviewers to divulge any competing interest and to turn down review assignments where impartiality cannot be guaranteed.

Role of Editors

Initial Screening: The Editors-in-Chief assess each submission for relevance, originality, and compliance with author guidelines before sending it to peer review.
Decision-making: Editors make autonomous decisions based on reviewer feedback, the relevance to the journal’s scope, and the quality of the work. Final decisions may encompass acceptance, minor revision, major revision, or rejection.
Ethical Oversight: Editors are responsible for handling suspected cases of plagiarism, duplicate submission, data fabrication, or unethical research practices in line with Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines.
Communication: Editors ensure timely communication with authors during all stages of review and decision-making.

Role of the Editorial Board

Governance: The Editorial Board advises on journal strategy, scope, and policy development.
Promotion of Standards: Board members support the journal’s mission to maintain high-quality, ethical, and inclusive scholarship.
Reviewer Support: Board members may assist as article handling editors and in identifying suitable reviewers within their area of expertise.
Representation: The board reflects diverse geographic regions, disciplines, and perspectives, with strong representation from African and Global South scholars.

Editorial Workflow

Submission: Authors upload manuscripts via the online submission platform, including metadata, cover letter, and required declarations.
Screening: The editorial team checks formatting, scope, and originality (including plagiarism screening).
Peer Review: Suitable manuscripts are sent to at least two reviewers under a double-blind process.
Decision: Editors evaluate reviewer reports and issue a decision (accept, revise, reject).
Revision: Authors must respond to reviewer comments point by point and resubmit within the specified timeframe.
Final Acceptance: Once revisions are satisfactory, the manuscript is accepted.
Production: Accepted manuscripts undergo copyediting, typesetting, and DOI assignment.
Publication: The article is published online as the Version of Record with full open access. Submission, acceptance, and publication dates are displayed.
Post-publication Oversight: Corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern are issued as needed to safeguard the scholarly record following COPE guidelines.

Timelines

Average time from submission to first decision: 12-16 weeks.
Accepted articles are typically published within 4-8 weeks of final acceptance.

Privacy Statement

The African Journal of Neurodiversity (AJN) is dedicated to safeguarding the privacy of all individuals who engage with the journal as authors, reviewers, editors, board members, or readers. This statement outlines what information we gather, how it is used, and the measures taken to protect it.

Information Collected

Personal data: Names, institutional affiliations, ORCID, postal and email addresses collected during submission, peer review, and editorial management.
Usage data: Non-identifiable statistics such as downloads, article views, and browsing patterns to enhance our services.

Purpose of Data Use

Editorial processes: Managing manuscripts, coordinating peer review, and making editorial decisions.
Communication: Informing users about journal updates, calls for papers, and policy changes.
Platform improvement: Analyzing aggregated data to optimize website function.

Data Access and Security

Restricted access: Only authorized editorial and technical staff handle personal information.
Third-party tools: Service providers supporting publishing functions must comply with AJN’s privacy standards.
Protection: Appropriate security systems are in place to prevent unauthorized access or disclosure.

Data Retention and Rights

Personal information is stored only as long as necessary for publishing or legal purposes. Individuals may request access to, correction of, or removal of their information, except where retention is required by law.

Updates

This statement may be revised as needed, with the effective date clearly indicated on the journal website.

Copyright Notice

When authors publish with AJN, they maintain the exclusive rights of their paper but provide the journal with the authorization to publish and distribute it as the definitive version of record.
Ownership: Authors remain the legal copyright holders.
License grant: Authors allow AJN to make their work openly accessible and citable.
Reuse: Articles are released under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence (CC BY 4.0), which permits sharing and modification for any purpose, including commercial utilisation; however, appropriate credit must be specified.
Depositing rights: Authors may immediately upload preprints, accepted versions, and final published versions to institutional or subject repositories, personal websites, or academic networks with proper citation.

Authors may also reuse their work in teaching, grant applications, conference presentations, and future publications, provided that AJN is credited as the first place of publication.

Open Access Policy

AJN is a Gold Open Access publication. All content is freely accessible online as soon as it is published, with no paywalls, embargo periods, or registration requirements.

License

All articles carry a CC BY 4.0 license to maximize reuse and dissemination.

Fees

An Article Processing Charge (APC) of R7000 applies to accepted articles.

Waivers

AJN considers full or partial fee waivers on a case-by-case basis, particularly for authors from low- and middle-income countries.

This model ensures unrestricted global access to knowledge while maintaining equitable publishing opportunities for researchers regardless of funding status.

Policy on Retractions, Corrections, and Editorial Notices

AJN follows Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) best practice for maintaining the scholarly record.

Corrections

In AJN, significant errors that do not alter the main findings are fixed through a formal correction notice linked to the original article.

Retractions

Articles may be retracted if results are unreliable due to error or misconduct, if plagiarism or duplicate publication is found, or if ethical standards are violated. Retracted articles remain accessible but are clearly marked as such.

Expressions of concern

This will be issued when potential problems are under investigation but evidence is not yet conclusive.

Withdrawals

In rare cases, articles may be withdrawn before or after publication for legal or ethical reasons, with a notice provided.

All notices are free to read, citable, and permanently linked to the article concerned.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy

Authors are advised to adhere to COPE recommendations on use of AI tools. AJN will be guided by COPE recommendations and other emerging guidelines. Permitted uses

Generative AI tools may assist with editing, language polishing, data processing, or visualization.

Disclosure requirement

Authors must include an AI Use Statement in the manuscript specifying which tools were used, their purpose, and extent of use.

Accountability

AI tools cannot be named as authors. All responsibility for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of the work rests with the human authors.

Image and media use

Any AI-generated figures, images, or audio must be labelled as such and described in the methods.

Data handling

Confidential or personal information may not be entered into AI systems unless legally permitted and consented.

Policy on Authorship and Contributor Roles

AJN applies the CRediT taxonomy to define contributions.

Criteria: Authorship requires substantial contribution to the research, drafting or revising the manuscript, approval of the final version, and accountability for the work.
Contributor Roles: This pertains to, but is not restricted to, conceptualization, methodology, analysis, writing, supervision, project administration, or funding acquisition
.Corresponding Author: Responsible for coordinating contributions, ensuring ethical compliance, and managing submission.
Changes to Authorship: Any adjustments after submission require agreement from all authors and editorial approval.
Limits on Endogeny: Articles authored by editors, board members, or reviewers must not exceed 25% of annual publications.

Licensing Policy

The circulation of all papers in AJN will occur under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).

Users’ rights: Content may be copied, redistributed, remixed, transformed, and built upon as long as there is appropriate attribution.
Author rights: Authors keep copyright, may reuse their work, and may deposit any version in repositories.
Third-party material: Authors hold the responsible to obtain the required rights for any aspect not covered by the license.

License details: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Archiving and Repository Policy

To guarantee long-term access and preservation, AJN will employ the following measures:

Archiving services: Content will be deposited in trusted archives such as CLOCKSS, Zenodo and the University of Johannesburg Library.
Redundancy: Backups will be maintained in multiple geographic locations.
Repository rights: Authors are encouraged to self-archive preprints, manuscripts accepted, and final versions in institutional or subject repositories as soon as they are published.
Metadata and DOIs: Each article will be assigned a DOI through Crossref, and metadata will be regularly updated with indexing services to maximise discoverability.

Plagiarism Policy

The African Journal of Neurodiversity upholds the highest standards of academic integrity and originality. We do not tolerate plagiarism, self-plagiarism, duplicate submissions, or any form of research misconduct. Plagiarism occurs when an author presents another person’s work, ideas, data, or words as their own without appropriate acknowledgement. This includes:

Copying text, figures, or tables without proper citation.
Close paraphrasing that reproduces the original structure or expression without attribution.
Submitting the same or substantially similar content to multiple journals (“duplicate publication”).
Utilizing considerable parts of one’s own earlier published work without appropriate citation (“self-plagiarism”).

Screening and Detection

All submissions are checked using plagiarism detection software prior to peer review.
Manuscripts with suspected overlap are examined by editors who decide whether the similarity is acceptable (e.g., methods descriptions) or requires correction or rejection.

Handling Misconduct

Minor overlap: Authors may be asked to revise and resubmit with appropriate citation.
Serious plagiarism or duplicate submission: The manuscript will be rejected outright, and future submissions may be restricted.
Post-publication detection: If significant textual overlap is discovered in any form after your work has been published, AJN will issue a correction, retraction, or expression of concern following Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines.

Author Responsibilities

Authors have to ensure that all sources are appropriately cited and permissions are obtained for third-party material.
In view of submitting your work, you agree that it is original and not published anywhere else (except preprints), and is not under review at another journal.

Reviewer and Editor Responsibilities

Reviewers and editors must report any suspected overlap.
Editors will investigate and act in line with Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines for handling misconduct.

AJN employs plagiarism checker (Turnitin) to ascertain the uniqueness of all submissions. This process is undertaken before manuscripts are sent out for external peer review. Only manuscripts with a similarity index of 15% or lower will normally proceed to peer review. Minor cases of overlap (e.g., references, methodology descriptions) may be reviewed at the editor’s discretion. Papers exceeding the acceptable similarity threshold will be returned to authors for revision or may be rejected outright. If any form of plagiarism is discovered after publication, AJN will issue a retraction or correction in line with COPE guidelines, and appropriate sanctions may be applied, including restrictions on future submissions.

Policy on Special Issues

All special issue proposals must be approved by the Editors-in-Chief
Guest editors' credentials will be thoroughly vetted before appointment
Special issue articles must undergo the same rigorous peer review as regular submissions
Articles contributed by guest editors (limited to 25% of the issue) are handled by regular editorial board members to ensure independent review.
All special issue articles are clearly labelled as such.

Publication Ethics Policy

AJN is steadfastly dedicated to the values of honesty, transparency, and accountability in academic publishing. The journal adheres to globally acknowledged standards, taking direction from entities like COPE, the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME), the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), and the Open Access Scholarly Publishing Association (OASPA). These frameworks guide the behaviour of everyone involved in the publishing process, ensuring that ethical practice remains at the center of our operations.

Authors submitting to AJN are expected to follow clear authorship standards. Each contributor’s role must be transparently described using the CRediT taxonomy, which identifies specific tasks such as conceptualization, methodology, or data analysis. Authorship is reserved for those who have made meaningful intellectual contributions, approved the final version, and accepted accountability for the integrity of the work. By adopting these guidelines, the journal ensures fairness and prevents inappropriate practices such as guest or honorary authorship.

Editors and members of the Editorial Board carry the responsibility of safeguarding the quality and credibility of the journal. Submissions are screened and evaluated with impartiality, and the peer review process is designed to maintain confidentiality and independence. If concerns about misconduct are raised, whether plagiarism, falsification of data, or unethical research practices, the editorial team will investigate promptly and in line with COPE’s recommendations. Depending on the outcome, the journal may issue a correction, a retraction, an expression of concern, or another suitable editorial notice to protect the integrity of the academic record.

Transparency extends beyond research methods to the disclosure of potential conflicts of interest. Authors are expected to declare both monetary and non-monetary associations that may influence their submitted work. Failure to disclose relevant information is treated as a form of misconduct. In addition, AJN recognizes the increasing use of generative artificial intelligence tools in research and writing. Authors must clearly state whether such tools were used, for what purpose, and to what extent. AI tools cannot be listed as authors, and responsibility for the accuracy and originality of the work rests entirely with human contributors.

The journal supports open science practices by encouraging authors to make research data available in trusted repositories where possible. Raw data should be preserved for a reasonable period after publication, and authors are urged to deposit their material in recognized platforms such as institutional repositories or services like Zenodo. This approach enhances reproducibility and transparency, while protecting the rights and privacy of research participants.

The editorial team also works actively to identify and prevent unethical practices such as plagiarism, citation manipulation, and data fabrication. All manuscripts are checked using similarity detection software before peer review. Submissions with excessive overlap are either returned for revision or rejected. If evidence of plagiarism emerges after publication, AJN will follow COPE procedures, which may involve retraction and possible sanctions on future submissions.

Copyright remains with the authors, who retain control over their work while granting AJN the right to disseminate it as the version of record. Articles are issued under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence (CC BY 4.0), which authorizes significant reuse and modification, contingent upon the acknowledgment of the original work. Authors are responsible for securing permissions for third-party materials before submission.

The journal has clear procedures for addressing mistakes in the published record. Authors may request a retraction if they discover a major error in their work, and the Editor-in-Chief may also initiate retraction when necessary. Retractions, corrections, or replacement articles are issued in a transparent and timely manner, always in accordance with COPE guidance. Minor errors that do not affect the scientific findings are corrected through editorial notes or corrigenda, ensuring that readers are kept fully informed.

Revenue Sources, Advertising, and Marketing Policy

Revenue Sources

The African Journal of Neurodiversity (AJN) is financially supported through the Article Processing Charge (APC) model. Authors of accepted manuscripts are required to pay an APC. Consistent with our commitment to equity, fee waivers and discounts are reviewed individually, especially for researchers from LMIC and for studies that do not receive external funding. These charges sustain essential publishing services, including peer review management, copyediting, online hosting, long-term archiving, indexing, and dissemination.

Direct Marketing Policy

AJN maintains a strict policy against using third-party agencies to solicit submissions. Calls for Papers and announcements are communicated only through:

The AJN official website.
The publisher’s website and AAN website.
AJN official email and CND@UJ official email.

Advertising Policy

AJN and its publisher do not host or display advertisements on the journal website, in published articles, or in any associated communication channels. This policy ensures that editorial independence and scholarly integrity are never compromised by commercial interests.

Business Model of the Journal

The African Journal of Neurodiversity will serve as a Gold Open Access journal, ensuring that every article is available to readers around the world at no cost right upon publication. This model is essential to promote equitable access to neurodiversity knowledge, particularly for researchers, practitioners, and communities across Africa and the Global South, where paywalls remain a major barrier to scholarly communication.

To sustain operations, the journal will charge an Article Processing Charge (APC) of R7000 per accepted manuscript. This fee will cover the costs of online hosting, copyediting, typesetting and long-term digital preservation. In light of the financial difficulties experienced by various authors, particularly those from LIMIC, waivers and partial fee reductions will be granted based on individual circumstances. This ensures that high-quality research is not excluded due to financial barriers. There are no submission fees, page charges, or colour charges.

Additional measures to ensure sustainability will include:

Institutional Support and Partnerships: The Editorial Board of AJN will work towards establishing collaborations with universities, professional societies and research centres to sponsor special issues or subsidize APCs for early-career scholars.

Grant and Donor Engagement: The Editorial Board of AJN will work towards seeking support from funders for thematic special issues or long-term funding streams.

Indexing and Visibility: The Editorial Board of AJN will pursue indexing of the journal in Scopus, Web of Science, DOAJ, and other DHET-approved bodies, which will strengthen the journal’s reputation and encourage author submissions.

Digital Infrastructure: The Editorial Board of AJN will use a cost-effective, open-source publishing platform to reduce overheads and ensure long-term accessibility.

The intended market and readership for the journal

AJN is positioned to become a leading resource for academics, practitioners, and policy makers working in the fields of education, psychology, disability studies, and the social and health sciences. Its primary readership will include researchers and lecturers in higher education and those engaged in postgraduate supervision and advanced scholarship at doctoral and master’s levels. It will also serve teachers, school-based support teams, clinicians, therapists, and counsellors who work directly with neurodivergent individuals in schools, health settings, and community contexts.

The journal’s secondary readership consists of advocacy groups, families, and neurodivergent-led organizations who are increasingly demanding access to research findings presented in accessible formats. The journal will also attract the attention of international development partners and non-governmental organizations, who require contextually relevant data to inform interventions in low- and middle-income countries. By bridging theory, practice, and policy, AJN will extend its influence beyond academic audiences to stakeholders in policy and community engagement.

Geographically, the journal will have its strongest appeal across Africa, including Southern, West, North and East Africa, where the need for neurodiversity research is pressing. It will also resonate in other regions of the Global South such as Asia and Latin America that face similar challenges of resource constraints and cultural adaptation of inclusive practices. At the same time, AJN will contribute to global debates, offering perspectives that challenge and enrich existing Global North scholarship. Its focus on decolonial, equity-oriented, and practice-ready research will ensure its relevance internationally, even while its strongest impact remains rooted in Africa.

Publication schedule of the journal, in terms of issues per year

Two issues per year (June and December).

Journal launch date

December 31, 2025

Ethical Clearance Policy

The African Journal of Neurodiversity is committed to maintaining the highest ethical standards in research and publication. We recognize that many studies in the field of neurodiversity involve human participants, vulnerable groups, educational and medical records, or other forms of sensitive or confidential information. Accordingly, all submissions to the journal must adhere to internationally accepted ethical guidelines and obtain appropriate ethical clearance where required.

Manuscripts reporting research involving human participants must state clearly that ethical approval was obtained from a recognized IRB, REC, or equivalent authority. Authors must confirm that informed consent (and assent, where applicable) was obtained from participants, and that participants’ privacy, confidentiality, and dignity were respected throughout the study. Where access to personal or confidential records (e.g., educational, medical, or institutional data) is involved, authors must provide evidence of appropriate permissions and ethical clearance.

Research involving vulnerable populations (such as children, neurodivergent persons, or persons with disabilities) requires additional safeguards. Authors must outline measures taken to protect participants from harm, ensure voluntary participation, and minimize risks.

Authors are expected to add a dedicated section in their manuscript specifying:

The name of the ethics committee or institutional body that granted approval.
The reference number of the approval.
A statement confirming informed consent procedures.
If ethical clearance was not required, authors must provide a clear justification, referencing national or institutional policies.

The editorial board reserves the right to request supporting documentation for ethical clearance before publication. Manuscripts lacking sufficient ethical justification will be rejected.