Peer Review Process
All manuscripts submitted to African Gender Studies Quarterly undergo a thorough double-blind peer review to ensure academic quality, accuracy, and integrity. In this process, both authors’ and reviewers’ identities remain confidential, promoting impartial and fair evaluation.

Stages of the Review Process

1. Manuscript Submission
   Authors submit manuscripts through the journal’s online submission system. Submissions must include supporting documents such as author declarations, ethical approvals (where applicable), and metadata for indexing.
2. Initial Screening
   The Editorial Office performs a preliminary review to ensure compliance with formatting, ethical, and thematic requirements. The Editor-in-Chief assesses whether the manuscript aligns with the journal’s scope and meets quality standards to proceed to peer review.
3. Peer Review Assignment
   Eligible manuscripts are sent to at least two independent experts in the relevant field. Reviewers are chosen based on subject expertise, academic reputation, and absence of conflicts of interest.
4. Review Process
   Reviewers evaluate the manuscript’s originality, methodology, significance, ethical standards, and overall contribution to the field. They provide constructive, evidence-based feedback to help authors improve their work.
5. Editorial Decision
   Based on reviewer reports, the Editor-in-Chief or Section Editor decides to:

• Accept the manuscript as submitted;
• Request minor or major revisions; or
• Reject the manuscript, providing reasons and recommendations to the author.

6. Revision and Resubmission
   Authors revise their manuscripts according to reviewer and editorial feedback. Revised manuscripts should include a response letter detailing how each comment was addressed. In some cases, the original reviewers may re-evaluate the revised submission.
7. Final Approval and Publication
   Once the manuscript meets the journal’s quality and ethical standards, it proceeds to copy editing, proofreading, and layout formatting. The final version is sent to authors for approval before publication in an upcoming issue.

Key Principles of the Peer Review Process

• Expert Evaluation: Manuscripts are assessed by qualified experts for academic contribution, methodological rigor, and relevance to the journal’s focus.
• Confidentiality: All stages of review are strictly confidential; manuscripts and related communications cannot be shared or cited before publication.
• Constructive Feedback: Reviewers provide objective, detailed, and respectful feedback to support the refinement of the research.
• Integrity and Fairness: Reviews are unbiased and based solely on scholarly merit.
• Timeliness: The journal aims to complete initial peer review within five weeks, though this may vary depending on reviewer availability and the extent of required revisions