Focus and Scope

The African Journal of Reproductive Health (AJRH) is a multidisciplinary and international Open-Access journal published by the Women’s Health and Action Research Centre (WHARC), a non-profit, non-governmental organization in Nigeria. https://www.wharconline.org/

Established in 1997, AJRH has progressively increased its publication frequency in response to the growth of reproductive health scholarship and submissions. The journal was published three times a year (April, August, and December) from 1997 to December 2008; quarterly (March, June, September, and December) from 2009 to 2020; bimonthly (February, April, June, August, October, and December) in 2021; and monthly (January–December) from 2022 to 2025. From January 2026, AJRH has been published biweekly, with two issues per month, on the 15th and 31st, in addition to Special Editions, which may be published at any time of the year.

As an Open-Access journal, AJRH provides unrestricted access to its published articles. The full texts of published articles are also available through established scholarly platforms and repositories, including African Journals Online (AJOL), JSTOR, Sabinet, and other recognized scholarly information services.

Publication and Authorship Criteria

The African Journal of Reproductive Health (AJRH) considers for publication high-quality, original and ethically conducted research that advances knowledge, policy or practice in reproductive health and its determinant factors, particularly in Africa and other low- and middle-income countries. The journal welcomes multidisciplinary contributions from African and international researchers and considers original research articles, comprehensive reviews, short reports, commentaries and other scholarly contributions that fall within its scope.

Manuscripts submitted to AJRH are expected to make a clear and meaningful contribution to the existing body of knowledge. The journal considers the scientific or scholarly importance of the research question, originality and novelty, methodological rigour, appropriateness of the analysis, clarity of presentation, ethical conduct of the research, relevance to reproductive health, and potential contribution to policy, practice or further research.

Originality and exclusive submission

AJRH considers only manuscripts that are original and have not been previously published, in whole or in substantial part, in another publication. Authors are required to certify that a manuscript submitted to AJRH is not under consideration by another journal. Simultaneous or multiple submission of the same manuscript to more than one journal is not permitted.

The journal does not consider manuscripts that constitute redundant or duplicate publication. Authors must not divide substantially overlapping research into multiple manuscripts merely to increase the number of publications ("salami" publication). Where a manuscript builds substantially on an author's previous publication, the earlier work must be clearly disclosed, appropriately cited and the new manuscript must contain a sufficiently distinct and substantive contribution.

AJRH also does not accept the substantial republication of previously published material presented as new research. Any related manuscripts, reports, conference papers, preprints or previous publications that could overlap with the submitted manuscript should be disclosed to the editors at submission.

Authorship

All individuals listed as authors must have made specific contributions to the conception or design of the study, acquisition, analysis or interpretation of the data, or the development of the scholarly work; must have participated sufficiently in drafting or critically revising the manuscript; must approve the final version; and must accept responsibility for the integrity and accuracy of the work.

Individuals who have not made a substantive intellectual contribution should not be listed as authors. Conversely, individuals who meet the criteria for authorship should not be omitted. All authors must agree to the submitted version of the manuscript and to its submission to AJRH.

The corresponding author has particular responsibility for ensuring that all persons who qualify for authorship are appropriately included, that all authors have approved the manuscript, and that the author list accurately reflects the contributions made to the work.

AJRH requires authors to complete an authorship guarantee confirming that all listed authors have contributed sufficiently to the work and that the manuscript has neither been previously published nor is being considered for publication elsewhere.

Research integrity and ethical standards

AJRH expects all authors to conduct and report research honestly, transparently and responsibly. Research involving human participants must have appropriate ethical approval and comply with recognised international ethical standards. Authors must disclose relevant funding sources and conflicts of interest.

The journal does not tolerate plagiarism, fabrication, falsification, manipulation of data, inappropriate image manipulation, misrepresentation of authorship or other forms of research misconduct. AJRH screens manuscripts for plagiarism and investigates suspected cases of misconduct. Depending on the nature and severity of the violation, manuscripts may be rejected and published articles may be retracted.

Editorial consideration

Meeting the basic submission requirements does not guarantee publication. Manuscripts are subject to editorial assessment and peer review. The editors consider the scientific quality, originality, methodological soundness, relevance, ethical standards and potential contribution of each manuscript. AJRH reserves the right to decline manuscripts that do not meet the journal's standards or scope.

Through these requirements, AJRH seeks to ensure that the research it publishes is original, scientifically credible, ethically conducted, appropriately authored and of genuine value to the reproductive-health community in Africa and globally.

This wording is stronger than simply listing the existing requirements, because it explicitly addresses the issues that Scopus reviewers may look for: originality, exclusive submission, duplicate/redundant publication, salami publication, appropriate authorship, omitted/guest authorship, ethical conduct, conflicts of interest and editorial/peer-review standards.

Revenue Sources

The African Journal of Reproductive Health (AJRH) is funded through Article Processing Charges (APCs) paid by authors and financial and institutional support from the Women’s Health and Action Research Centre (WHARC).

These revenue sources do not influence the journal’s editorial decisions, peer-review process, or acceptance of manuscripts.

Section Policies

Articles

Open Submissions

Indexed

Peer Reviewed

Peer Review Process

AJRH uses peer review to assess the scientific quality, originality, methodological soundness, ethical integrity, relevance, and contribution of submitted manuscripts.

Initial Editorial Assessment

• All manuscripts undergo initial editorial assessment for scope and basic submission/ethical requirements.
• Editors may reject manuscripts at this stage if they are outside scope, fail minimum scholarly/methodological standards, or raise significant ethical/integrity concerns.

Double-Blind Peer Review

AJRH operates a double-blind process:

• Author identities are not disclosed to reviewers
• Reviewer identities are not disclosed to authors
• Reviewers assess independently and objectively
• Authors must prepare manuscripts to support anonymous review
• Reviewers must not attempt to identify authors

The editorial team may know both identities where necessary but keeps them confidential from each party.

Selection of Reviewers

Reviewers are chosen based on subject expertise, methodological competence, and availability, after manuscripts pass initial assessment.

Reviewer Responsibilities

Reviewers must:

• Treat manuscripts as confidential
• Give objective, constructive comments
• Evaluate on scholarly/methodological grounds
• Identify relevant literature where appropriate
• Disclose conflicts of interest
• Decline if lacking sufficient expertise
• Avoid using unpublished information for personal/professional benefit
• Report suspected plagiarism, duplicate publication, fabricated/falsified data, or other serious concerns

Confidentiality

• All manuscripts are confidential
• Reviewers must not disclose contents, discuss with unauthorized persons, or use unpublished info for personal/professional gain
• Must respect double-blind anonymity (no attempting to identify authors)

Conflicts of Interest

• Reviewers must disclose relationships/interests that could affect (or appear to affect) objectivity
• Must decline when a significant conflict exists (close personal, professional, institutional, or competitive relationship with authors)
• Editors must also manage conflicts of interest when assigning/assessing manuscripts

Editorial Decisions

• Based on overall scholarly assessment, not solely on one reviewer's recommendation
• Editor may seek additional reviews if assessments substantially conflict or clarification is needed

Appeals

• Authors may appeal if they believe a substantive error occurred or procedures weren't followed
• Appeals must state specific grounds, not just restate the manuscript's merits

Reviewer Misconduct

• Concerns (breach of confidentiality, misuse of unpublished info, undisclosed conflicts, abusive comments, manipulation of review process) will be investigated
• Possible actions: removal from reviewer pool, referral to appropriate institution/authority

Editorial Records

• AJRH maintains records of peer review and editorial decisions
• Procedures are periodically reviewed to ensure consistent, fair, confidential, and ethical application of double-blind review

Open Access Policy

This journal provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge.