Editorial Policy
Preprint policy
African Vaccines and Immunization supports the early dissemination of research findings through preprint platforms. Authors may submit manuscripts that have previously been posted on recognized preprint servers before submission to the journal. Authors must disclose any prior posting of the manuscript on a preprint server at the time of submission and provide the corresponding preprint DOI or link. Posting a manuscript as a preprint does not constitute prior publication and will not affect consideration for publication in the journal. If the manuscript is accepted and published, authors are encouraged to update the preprint record with a link to the final published article.
Prior Publication Policy
Manuscripts submitted to African Vaccines and Immunization must be original and must not have been previously published in another peer-reviewed journal or be under consideration for publication elsewhere. The journal does not consider manuscripts that substantially duplicate previously published work. However, publication of preliminary findings in conference abstracts, presentations, or recognized preprint servers is acceptable provided that the manuscript submitted to the journal represents a full and original research article. Authors must disclose any related publications at the time of submission.
Authorship policy
Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made substantial contributions to the research and manuscript preparation. To qualify as an author, individuals should have contributed significantly to one or more of the following: Conceptualization or design of the study; data collection, analysis, or interpretation; drafting or revising the manuscript critically for intellectual content; and approval of the final version of the manuscript. All authors must agree to the submission and publication of the manuscript. The journal encourages authors to describe their contributions using the Contributor Roles Taxonomy (CRediT). Individuals who contributed to the work but do not meet authorship criteria should be acknowledged in the acknowledgments section.
Handling misconduct and complaints
African Vaccines and Immunization takes allegations of research or publication misconduct seriously and follows established procedures recommended by the Committee on Publication Ethics. Examples of misconduct include: Plagiarism, data fabrication or falsification, duplicate publication, undisclosed conflicts of interest, and improper authorship practices. When concerns are raised, the editorial team will investigate the matter by reviewing the available evidence and, when appropriate, contacting the authors and their institutions. Complaints regarding editorial decisions, peer review, or publication ethics may be submitted to the editorial office. All complaints will be handled confidentially and fairly.
Handling corrections and retractions
The journal is committed to maintaining the accuracy and integrity of the scholarly record. If errors are identified after publication, the journal may issue:
Corrections (Errata or Corrigenda): For minor errors that do not affect the overall conclusions of the article.
Retractions: For articles containing major errors, plagiarism, data manipulation, or research misconduct that invalidate the findings.
Expressions of Concern: Issued when there are serious concerns about an article but further investigation is required.
All corrections and retractions will be clearly linked to the original article to ensure transparency.
Competing interests
Authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any competing interests that could influence the research or its interpretation. Competing interests may include financial relationships, employment affiliations, consultancies, stock ownership, or personal relationships that could be perceived as influencing the research. Authors must include a Competing Interests statement in their manuscript. If no competing interests exist, authors should state: “The authors declare that they have no competing interests.”
Funding disclosure
Authors must clearly disclose all sources of funding that supported the research described in the manuscript. Funding statements should include the name of the funding organization, grant number (if applicable), and the role of the funder in study design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, or manuscript preparation. Transparency in funding disclosures helps readers assess potential influences on the research.
ORCID policy
The African Vaccines and Immunization Journal encourages authors to register for an ORCID identifier, a unique digital identifier that distinguishes researchers and ensures proper attribution of scholarly work. Corresponding authors are strongly encouraged to provide their ORCID ID during manuscript submission. Use of ORCID helps improve author identification, research visibility, and integration with research databases.
Privacy statement
The names, email addresses, and other personal information entered on the journal website will be used solely for the journal’s editorial and publishing processes. This information will not be shared with third parties or used for any other purposes. The journal is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of authors, reviewers, and readers in accordance with applicable data protection standards.
Plagiarism Policy
African Vaccines and Immunization has a zero-tolerance policy for plagiarism in any form, including copying text, data, figures, or ideas without proper attribution. All submitted manuscripts are screened using plagiarism detection software before peer review. Author responsibilities: Ensure that all text, data, and ideas from other sources are properly cited. Avoid self-plagiarism (reusing significant portions of one’s previously published work without disclosure).
Consequences of plagiarism:
- Manuscripts found to contain significant plagiarism will be rejected immediately.
- If plagiarism is discovered after publication, the article may be retracted and the authors’ institutions notified.
- The journal follows COPE guidelines when handling suspected cases of plagiarism.
Human and animal research ethics policy
African Vaccines and Immunization Journal is committed to upholding the highest ethical standards in research involving human participants and animals.
Human research:
- Studies involving human subjects must comply with the Declaration of Helsinki and local ethics regulations.
- Manuscripts must include ethical approval from an institutional review board or ethics committee.
- Authors must confirm that informed consent was obtained from all participants or their guardians.
Animal research: - Studies involving animals must comply with institutional and national guidelines for animal care and use.
Manuscripts should describe the measures taken to minimize pain and suffering of animals.
Manuscripts lacking evidence of ethical approval or failing to meet ethical standards will not be considered for publication.
Clinical trial registration policy
African Vaccines and Immunization requires that all prospective clinical trials be registered in a recognized public clinical trial registry (e.g., ClinicalTrials.gov, Pan African Clinical Trials Registry).
Requirements:
- Registration must occur before patient enrollment.
- The trial registration number and registry name must be included in the Methods section of the manuscript.
This policy ensures transparency, accountability, and reproducibility in clinical research and aligns with ICMJE recommendations.
Appeals and Complaints Policy
Authors, reviewers, and readers may appeal or submit complaints regarding editorial decisions, peer review, or publication ethics.
Submission of appeal or complaint: Contact the Editor-in-Chief via the journal’s official email. Include manuscript details and the reason for the appeal.
Acknowledgment: The editorial office acknowledges receipt within 5 business days.
Review: The Editor-in-Chief and, if necessary, an independent editorial board member will review the appeal or complaint.
Decision: A written response will be provided, usually within 4–6 weeks.