Jimma University in Ethiopia has initiated a project to strengthen the sustainability and improve the quality of three scholarly Diamond open access journals that it publishes: the Gadaa Journal, the Ethiopian Journal of Social Sciences and Language Studies, and the Ethiopian Journal of Education and Sciences.
The Gadaa Journal publishes original, research in all aspects of life of the Oromoo people; the Ethiopian Journal of Social Sciences and Language Studies publishes research in the diverse fields of social sciences and language studies, and the Ethiopian Journal of Education and Sciences focuses on original research findings, short communication and review articles in the sciences and education.
The project will achieve its goals through experience sharing visits, training and workshops for key stakeholders (management boards, editorial and technical staff) organized at Jimma University. The specific objectives of the project are to enhance the capacity of editors and reviewers in using Open Journal Systems (OJS); to increase the quality and number of issues and articles produced by the three journals, and to improve the three journals’ accessibility, visibility and sustainability. Through mentorship and training, the project will foster diversity and inclusivity, specifically focusing on gender inclusivity within the editorial process, enriching the journals' content and broadening the scope of contributions.
Technical improvements include the upgrading of technical infrastructure, the adoption of cloud-based storage solutions to improve workflows and data security, and improving webpage appearances and OJS performances.
The project is one of 30 that have received grant support through a three-year project to strengthen no-fee open access publishing in Africa implemented by EIFL, AJOL (African Journals Online) and WACREN (the West and Central African Research and Education Network), with funding from Wellcome.
Activities
- Upgrading the OJS publishing platform; the journal’s technical infrastructure and improving the journals’ websites
- Organizing workshops to build capacity of editorial teams, including reviewers
- Building technical capacity of editors and reviewers in OJS, plagiarism checker (Turnitin) and Al use, and DOI assignments
- Developing and implementing a mentorship programme to foster diversity and inclusion at the three journals
- Transitioning the journals from a volunteer-dependent model to a more professional, sustainable academic publishing system, strengthening their contribution to African and global scholarship.
Timeline
September 2025 - August 2026
More about the three journals
