Editorial Policy

The Kaduna Journal of Geography (KJG) is committed to upholding the highest standards of research integrity, ethical publishing, and transparency in scholarly communication. Our practices align with the 16 Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), the Open Access Scholarly Publishing Association (OASPA), and the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME).

1. Journal Identification & Identity

  • Journal Name: Kaduna Journal of Geography (KJG)

  • ISSN: 2636-5308 (Print) | eISSN: 3121-6463 (Online)

  • Publisher: Department of Geography and Sustainability Studies, Kaduna State University (KASU), Nigeria.

  • Scope: KJG publishes original research, reviews, and short communications spanning human geography, physical geography, environmental management, GIS and remote sensing, spatial analysis, and related interdisciplinary fields.

2. Web Infrastructure & Security

The journal’s platform operates on Open Journal Systems (OJS) and is maintained under the secure HTTPS protocol to ensure data security, user privacy, and uninterrupted access to published research.

3. Publishing Schedule & Model

KJG operates under a Continuous Publication Model within a single annual volume (1 issue per year).

  • Articles are published online immediately upon final acceptance, copyediting, and proofreading to enable rapid dissemination and immediate citation.

  • Articles are sequentially added to the current year's open volume until the close of the calendar year.

4. Archiving & Preservation

To ensure long-term digital preservation and permanent access to published scholarly content, KJG archives its published articles through [Insert Archiving System, e.g., PKP Preservation Network (PKP PN) / LOCKSS / CLOCKSS] and maintains local institutional repositories.

5. Copyright & Licensing

  • Copyright: Authors retain the copyright to their work while granting KJG the right of first publication.

  • Licensing: Published articles are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0), which allows others to share, adapt, and build upon the work, provided appropriate credit is given to the original authors and source.

6. Publication Ethics & Academic Integrity

KJG strictly enforces publication ethics and investigates suspected cases of misconduct following COPE workflows.

Plagiarism Policy

All submitted manuscripts undergo automated similarity checks prior to peer review.

  • Manuscripts displaying a similarity index exceeding 20% (excluding references and standard methods) will be automatically rejected.

  • Plagiarism, self-plagiarism, text recycling, or duplicate publication are strictly prohibited.

Image Manipulation & Data Fraud

Fabrication, falsification, or improper manipulation of data, maps, spatial datasets, or visual images is considered serious misconduct. Confirmed instances will result in manuscript rejection or article retraction, accompanied by institutional notifications where appropriate.

7. Peer Review Process

KJG uses a double-blind peer-review process to evaluate all research submissions.

  • Every submission is evaluated by at least two independent expert reviewers.

  • Reviewers evaluate submissions based on original contribution, scientific rigor, methodology, and relevance to the journal’s scope.

  • Editors ensure that reviewer feedback is constructive and free from commercial or personal bias.

8. Access & Open Access Policy

KJG is a fully Open Access journal. All content is freely available to readers, researchers, and the public without subscription fees or paywalls immediately upon publication.

9. Ownership & Governance

KJG is published and owned by the Department of Geography, Faculty of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Kaduna State University (KASU), Nigeria. The journal's governance is managed by the Editorial Board in accordance with academic standards.

10. Editorial Team & Governance

The journal maintains an international, multidisciplinary Editorial Board consisting of recognized scholars in geography and environmental sciences.

  • Full names, institutional affiliations, and contact details for the Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Board members are maintained on the Editorial Team Page.

  • Editorial decisions are independent and made solely on the basis of scholarly merit.

11. Author Fees (APC) & Financial Transparency

  • Submission Fees: KJG does not charge submission fees.

  • Article Processing Charges (APCs): A submission fee of ₦5,000/$5 applies during submission, while a publication fee of ₦15,000 / $15 applies only upon acceptance of the manuscript to cover operational costs.

  • Waiver Policy: Fee waivers or discounts are available for eligible authors from low-income countries or those experiencing financial hardship upon formal request.

12. Business Practices, Advertising, & Direct Marketing

  • KJG does not accept commercial advertising on its platform.

  • Direct marketing activities, such as calls for papers, are conducted ethically, targeted appropriately, and designed to be unobtrusive.

13. Competing Interests (Conflicts of Interest)

All participants in the publication process (authors, peer reviewers, and editors) must disclose any financial, personal, or professional competing interests that could influence or be perceived to influence the research or its evaluation. Declarations must be stated clearly in the submitted manuscript.

14. Authorship & AI Guidelines

Authorship Criteria (adapted from ICMJE)

To qualify for authorship, individuals must meet four criteria:

  1. Substantial contributions to study design, data acquisition, analysis, or interpretation.

  2. Drafting or critically revising the manuscript for important intellectual content.

  3. Final approval of the version to be published.

  4. Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Authors must specify individual contributions using the CRediT (Contributor Roles Taxonomy) framework.

Use of Generative AI Tools

  • Authorship: Generative AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Claude) cannot be listed as authors as they cannot assume legal or ethical responsibility for the work.

  • Permitted Use: AI tools may only be used to assist with language polishing, grammar improvement, or translation.

  • Disclosure: Authors must disclose the use of AI in the Methods or Acknowledgments section, specifying the tool name and version used.

  • Prohibitions: Generating core narrative text, data analysis, maps, or figures using AI is strictly forbidden. Peer reviewers are strictly prohibited from uploading manuscripts into AI tools to protect intellectual property.

15. Post-Publication Discussions, Corrections, & Retractions

KJG maintains the integrity of the scholarly record through the following mechanisms (guided by COPE):

  • Corrections (Erratum/Corrigendum): Issued for genuine errors that do not invalidate the scientific conclusions of the paper.

  • Retractions: Applied in cases of clear evidence of unreliable data, plagiarism, redundant publication, or unethical research.

  • Expressions of Concern: Issued if an investigation into alleged misconduct is inconclusive or ongoing.

  • Readers and authors are encouraged to submit post-publication comments or concerns directly to the Editorial Office.

16. Research Ethics & Human/Animal Rights

  • Human/Fieldwork Ethics: Research involving human participants, community interviews, or field surveys must obtain ethical clearance from an appropriate institutional ethics committee and obtain informed consent from participants.

  • Environmental & Conservation Ethics: Fieldwork involving protected areas, endangered species, or sensitive natural resources must comply with national and international environmental legislation.

Last Updated: February 2026

Questions regarding these policies should be directed to the Editor-in-Chief at kjg@kasu.edu.ng.