FAQs

Q: How do I know if the ASR is a good fit for my prospective article? Is the ASR is publishing other pieces along the lines of what I am submitting?

A: The best way to ascertain whether the ASR is the right venue for your scholarship is to read multiple articles in several recent editions of the journal and to comb through the index online, searching for keywords that resonate with your scholarship. But if you can’t find what you’re looking for, don’t despair. The ASR is actively seeking critical new scholarship in African studies, particularly from underrepresented fields, disciplines, and sites of study. The ASR is an interdisciplinary African studies journal. Its historical focus has always been sub-Saharan Africa (sometimes called Black Africa), but we publish articles that examine any issue of interest to scholars working in or on any country or island nation or community that is part of continent, including North Africa and the Maghreb. We publish disciplinary work, but it must be accessible to scholars beyond the discipline. We publish interdisciplinary work that transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries. We are also interested in scholarship that places Africa and Africans in a global comparative context, and African studies research that addresses questions pertaining to the African diaspora.

Q: Is there a preference for the work of senior scholars over that of graduate students and junior scholars?

A: The ASR welcomes new and original scholarship from all scholars of African studies, regardless of rank. In recent years we have published a number of exciting articles by emerging scholars, some of whom were graduate students at the time of submission, and others of whom were new assistant professors. We also actively welcome articles from established scholars We also have a workshop program dedicated to attracting new work from emerging scholars called the Pipeline for Emerging African Studies Scholars (PEASS).

Q: How do I submit to the ASR? Do I have to use the online portal ScholarOne?

A: The ASR only accepts articles submitted via the online scholarly submission portal, ScholarOne. In order to submit an article, you will need to create an account. You should populate this account carefully and thoughtfully, as it will assist us in identifying potential reviewers of your prospective article. We no longer accept hard copy submissions.

Q: How does the journal define an article suitable for its multidisciplinary audience?

A: The ASR seeks to publish articles that speak to its membership-at-large. We are interested in disciplinary scholarship that connects case studies or theoretical literature to broader debates that Africanists of many disciplines understand. There is no one recipe for interdisciplinarity, and submissions can be clearly disciplinary in focus or approach, or entirely multi or transdisciplinary. But ultimately our goal is, for example, a historian to want to read an article by a geographer, and an anthropologist to pick up and peruse an article by a literature or film studies scholar. If you’re writing about a particular country, people, region, or community, for example, think about debates that might draw in readers working in the same site, community, region, or theme, who have very different methods or approaches.

Q: What advice do you have for writing an abstract?

A well-composed abstract is key to the effective dissemination of your research. Many articles are only ever read in abstract form. Anonymous peer-reviewers of your scholarship will read the abstract first. The ASR provides abstracts in English, French, and (soon) in Portuguese, in order to reach the widest possible global audience. You need to provide one 250-word version in at least one language. The abstract is not the first paragraph of an article. An abstract is a complete version or form of your article. It is the entire article epitomized, covering the major points, content and scope of your argument, the theoretical framework or scholarly point of departure, as well as the methodology, and type of evidentiary basis. It should be able to stand alone. For more information on how to write an excellent African studies abstract, visit Writing an Effective Abstract.

Q: Is ASR an open source journal?

A: The ASR is not an open source journal. It is the flagship journal of the African Studies Association (USA) and members receive it as part of their annual membership. Please consider joining the ASA; for students based on the African continent it is only $5/year. Many colleges and universities purchase licenses to access the ASR and you may be able to access the journal through a college or university near you. If you are unable to access the journal, individual articles may be purchased.

Q: What is double-masked redacted anonymous peer review, and why is it used?

A: Double-masked redacted anonymous peer review (DMRAPR) is a way of shielding the identities of the author and the reviewers to enable honest, forthright, frank, and productive scholarly dialogue. Some journals refer to this “double-blind,” but the ASR editorial team, like many journals today, adopts non-ableist language. The ASR uses DMRAPR because surveys show that anonymity results in more impartial assessment of manuscripts, helps avoid conscious or unconscious bias against particular researchers, and facilitates the creation of a positive post-review context free of tension or concerns about reprisal. [See A. Mulligan, L. Hall, and E. Raphael, “Peer review in a changing world: An international study measuring the attitudes of researchers.” Journal of the American Society of Information Science Technology 64 (2013): 132–161. doi:10.1002/asi.22798]. To facilitate this, authors need to ensure that their manuscripts are prepared in a way that does not give away their identity. You can learn how to do this on our Instructions for Contributors page.

Q: What is the average time between submission and decision on a submission?

A: When an article is submitted to us for consideration, it passes through several stages before it moves into the peer review process. The Managing Editor reviews it for consistency with our publication requirements, then it goes to the Editor-in-Chief for a preliminary editorial quality review, before going to the team of eight editors for a full review and discussion. This first stage lasts 2-3 weeks depending on the schedule for editorial meetings. If the article is sent for review, a list of reviewers is prepared and they are invited in succession. Reviewers have approximately 1-2 months to complete their manuscript evaluation. The editorial team then reads and reviews these evaluations and makes its own determination or seeks additional input if necessary. This second stage can take 3-4 months.

Q: Who reviews the manuscript to decide if it will be sent out for peer review?

A: Submitted manuscripts are reviewed by the Managing Editor for consistency with journal requirements. They are then reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief for general scholarly merit and shared with the complete team of eight editors before a decision is made whether or not to send something out for peer review.

Q: How many reviewers are selected and how?

A: We ideally like to receive at least three substantive manuscript evaluations before proceeding toward an editorial discussion of the merits of the article. Reviewers are selected on the basis of a number of criteria. We cast a wide net for reviewers to account for diversity of educational background and geographic location. We look for reviewers familiar with the country, region, or site of study. We look for reviewers who have scholarly expertise in the field, whether that is disciplinary or interdisciplinary. We look for scholars who have an established track record of interdisciplinary publication who can assist our contributors with their efforts to address the wider readership of the ASR. And we return to reviewers who have previously produced reviews for us that we useful and intellectually generous. Unlike some journals, we don’t require that reviewers have published in the ASR, but ideally, they will have published in peer-reviewed journals of similar standing. We view the reviewing process as a key element in the decolonization of knowledge by, about, and of Africa, and actively recruit reviewers on the African continent. We recognize that one of the most effective ways to become a better scholar is to review for journals.

Q: How should I respond to a set of contradictory reviews?

A: Many editors prefer to receive a set of contradictory reviews because it allows for a frank exchange of views among the editors. Indeed, homogeneity of opinion can be unhelpful at times. A difference of opinion about the scholarly merits of a prospective article is part of the review process. Along with the reviews, you will receive a letter of guidance from the editors. We write our own letter to highlight several matters, but firmly reiterate that the final product for resubmission and which aspects you respond to are entirely your decisions. If you receive contradictory reviews, embrace this divergence and read them carefully for their advice and criticism. Use the opportunity to decide for yourself what you want to do and what you don’t want to do in your revision. Take the time to revise; don’t rush. Don’t make cosmetic revisions, unless our letter says that is all that is required. If you receive a request from the editors to rewrite and resubmit, when you re-submit your rewritten manuscript, always provide a cover letter that details how you have dealt with the various issues raised by the reviewers and our editors’ letter. You must always respond to specific comments or suggestions, but you’re under no obligation to incorporate all recommended changes.

Q: One reviewer gave me a negative review, but I received an invitation to Revise & Resubmit (R&R). When I resubmit, will my submission be sent to the same reviewer(s)?

A: We reserve the right to send resubmissions back to reviewers who have previously evaluated a manuscript, or to new reviewers, or to both. Usually, however, those who have written a strongly negative review decline the opportunity to re-review a manuscript. We ideally seek two reviews for our second round of evaluation. We find that the quality of the prospective article improves dramatically after a second round of revision. Some journals employ three or more rounds of revision. Our goal is to publish the best critical interdisciplinary scholarship in African studies. So, if your submission is sent out for a second round of reviews, consider this a very encouraging sign. If we are invested to the point of sending the article for a second round of evaluation, you are very close to having a prospective article accepted for publication.

Q: I received an invitation to Revise & Resubmit (R&R), and was asked to submit a response to the comments made by the reviewers and the editors. What should this look like?

A: This is an opportunity for you as an author to explain to the ASR editors what changes you did or did not make to your article, and why. This response is just as important as the revised article itself, and should be written with care. For an example of an exemplary response to the ASR editors and reviewers, please see this letter.

Q: Can I submit more than one article to ASR at a time, and if so does this affect the acceptance?

A: You’re welcome to submit to the ASR at any time, but while your prospective article is under consideration, we do not recommend submitting another. Exceptions to this might include introductions to Forums (if you are an author contributor to a forum and also an editor), scholarly review essays, commissioned essays, or opinion pieces. If you are unsure, please write to our Managing Editor.

Q: May I submit a paper presented at a conference (and available online), and how does this affect the submission of my article?

A: You’re welcome to submit a paper presented at a conference; often papers that have been presented to a scholarly audience and revised with the comments and criticism received are ideal for the ASR. We, however, cannot consider for publication papers that are currently available or disseminated in any way, including online or as part of an anthology. If you have given permission to share your draft paper online, we suggest you withdraw that permission before considering submitting it to a journal, such as the ASR.

Q: Does the ASR publish special issues?

A: The ASR does not publish special issues because the expansive membership and diverse interests of the ASA, our parent organization, are not best served by devoting an entire issue to a topic. The editors do, however, welcome suggestions for topical forums consisting of between three and five articles. The publication of a Forum as part of a regular issue of the journal allows our readers to explore a topic in considerable depth and from multiple points of view. You can learn about these on our Instructions for Contributors page.

Q: Can I suggest any reviewers or name any with whom I feel I have a conflict of interest?

A: The online submission portal submission tool allows you to identify potential reviewers whom you may have a conflict of interest, meaning they may be unsuitable as evaluators. You should state the name, affiliation, and email of the individual(s), and a short reason or rationale. There is no need to suggest reviewers when you submit your work; but occasionally we may follow up with your directly for possible suggestions.

Q: Who are the members of the ASR’s Editorial Review Board and what role do they play in the journal?

A: The Editorial Review Board encompasses leading Africanist scholars from around the globe, covering many disciplines and interdisciplinary research sites. Members may serve as peer reviewers of articles, connect potential contributors with the editors, serve on subcommittees that are designed to develop new ideas, programs, and policies, and implement these, and a variety of other capacities. Future editors of the journal may be selected from current ERB members. And the ERB also comprises many former editors of the ASR and other journals, directors of African studies centers, and ASA leadership.

Q: What percentage of your submissions are accepted and published?

A: The editorial team does not have a defined rubric for publishing a particular percentage of articles. We actively recruit, and we accept for review, and ultimately accept for publication, the best and most engaging scholarship submitted to the journal. On average, each issue may feature 7-10 articles, in addition to scholarly reviews of films, books, or other scholarly activities of interest to Africanist scholars. In 2018, we are publishing three issues. In 2019, we move to a quarterly publication schedule. We publish between 25-40 articles per year. We receive between 160 and 200 submissions in any given year.

Q: What happens when my article is accepted? What is the average time between acceptance and publication?

A: The period between acceptance of your submission and publication is highly elastic. Once your submission is accepted, you are required to upload a permission to publish known as a Transfer of Copyright. Failure to do this can delay production. The article then goes into production, where it is copyedited in-house by Cambridge University Press. You will receive a copyedited version, and you will need to respond within seven days to all copyedits and queries. The submission then goes into production and you will also receive a proof, which may include an additional round of minor corrections and queries. You have four days to respond to these. Finally, it will go into production and be made available first online and finally in print. Most of the articles that appear in the April 2018 volume of the ASR were initially submitted in late 2016 or early 2017, so the timeline to production is generally between nine and sixteen months, although this varies considerably depending on the responsiveness of authors and reviewers, and the workload of editors and copyeditors.

Q: Will my article appear digitally or online, or only in print?

A: All publications in the ASR appear in print and digitally, online. Electronic publication now precedes print publication because the ASR employs FirstView.

Q: Who is responsible for copyright on in-text figures or illustrations?

A: Contributors are solely responsible for securing reproduction permission for any figures or illustrations that are copyrighted. If your article is accepted, you must submit all copyright permissions with the final draft of your submission before the work will move into production.

Q: Are footnotes permitted for contributions heavily based on archival material?

A: The ASR uses in-text citations and endnotes only. Footnotes are not permitted. You can find precise guidance on these and related matters on our Instructions for Contributors page.

Q: Can I include images and/or maps with my submission?

A: Yes! The journal strongly encourages the inclusion of images, particularly maps, and photographs relevant to the content. There are many good reasons to include images. Images often attract new readers; articles with images included often have wider circulation than those that don’t. You will need to obtain permissions for all images in advance of acceptance and publication.

Q: Can I include audio or video files with my submission?

A: Yes! The journal welcomes the inclusion of audio or video recording data relevant to the content. There are many good reasons to include audio or video files. Some data may emerge from your research site, such as videoing a ceremony, or recording an interview, and this may greatly increase the circulation of your scholarship. Video and audio material cannot be printed, but it will be hosted on the Cambridge University Press website and there will be a hyperlink in your article to supplementary material. You will need to obtain permissions for all images in advance of acceptance and publication.

Q: I’ve been asked for a biography for my article. What should I supply?

A: All publications in the ASR, with the exception of book reviews, include a short biographical description of the author and along with an email address. We recommend two or three short sentences, and no more than 50 words, and you might include your academic affiliation, your research interests, or the title of a recent publication.

Q: What is a commentary? How do I submit one?

A: A commentary is a short scholarly essay that engages succinctly with a pressing issue, theme, or question in African studies. Recent commentaries have considered the African “migration crisis,” Africa and Obama, and the bicentenary of African independence. Other commentaries are responses to essays published in the ASR or elsewhere, or summaries of current debates. Commentaries are shorter than scholarly articles are not peer-reviewed, and submitted in response to an invitation from an editor.