1. Overview of Reviewer Policies

Reviewers are crucial to the peer review process at the African Journal of Political Science. As a reviewer, you are expected to provide a thorough, unbiased, and constructive evaluation of the manuscript. Below are the key policies and guidelines to ensure a fair and transparent review process.

2. Review Process

The review process follows the double-blind peer review method, ensuring that both authors and reviewers are anonymous to each other. Reviewers are expected to:

• Assess the Manuscript: Reviewers evaluate the manuscript's originality, methodology, significance, and clarity.
• Provide Constructive Feedback: Comments should be respectful, constructive, and aimed at improving the manuscript.
• Confidentiality: The details of the review process must remain confidential. Reviewers must not share or use the manuscript for personal gain.
• Timeliness: Reviewers should complete their reviews within the agreed timeframe. If unable to meet the deadline, they should notify the editorial office promptly.

3. Conflict of Interest

Reviewers must disclose any potential conflicts of interest that could affect their impartiality. A conflict of interest can include:

• Personal Relationships: Close personal or professional relationships with the authors.
• Financial Interests: Any financial interests in the outcome of the manuscript review.
• Professional Competition: Reviewing a manuscript that could directly impact the reviewer’s own research or career.

If any conflicts of interest exist, the reviewer must inform the editorial office immediately and recuse themselves from the review process.

4. Ethical Conduct

Reviewers are expected to adhere to the highest ethical standards. This includes:

• Originality: Reviewers should assess whether the manuscript presents original work and whether proper citations have been provided for previous research.
• Plagiarism: Reviewers must report any suspected plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct they may detect during the review process. The journal follows the COPE Recommendations for Plagiarism for handling such issues.
• Confidentiality: Reviewers should not share the manuscript with anyone else and must respect the privacy of the authors and the content of the submission.

5. Timeliness of Review

Reviewers are expected to provide their feedback in a timely manner. The typical review period is 2-3 weeks, but the timeline may vary depending on the complexity of the manuscript and the availability of reviewers. If a reviewer is unable to meet the deadline, they should notify the editorial office immediately.

6. Reviewer Guidelines

The African Journal of Political Science provides specific guidelines for reviewers to help them in their evaluation process. These guidelines include:

• Reviewer Evaluation Criteria
• Ethical Guidelines for Reviewers
• How to Submit Your Review

7. Reviewers’ Rights and Responsibilities

Reviewers have the following rights and responsibilities:

• Right to Decline: Reviewers may decline to review if they feel they are not qualified or do not have the time to complete the review.
• Right to Confidentiality: Reviewers have the right to confidentiality and should not disclose the contents of the manuscript to others.
• Responsibility to Provide Constructive Feedback: Reviewers are responsible for providing constructive, detailed feedback that helps the authors improve their manuscript.
• Responsibility to Be Impartial: Reviewers must evaluate manuscripts based on academic merit, not personal biases.

8. COPE Recommendations for Conflict of Interest (Specific to Reviewers)

Reviewers are required to adhere to the COPE Recommendations for Conflict of Interest. These guidelines outline how to handle potential conflicts of interest during the review process, ensuring impartial and ethical evaluation of manuscripts.