Reviewer’s Guide
Download ARAS Reviewer Guide 2025 with the Word/Docx format
Our reviewers have three options to submit their anonymous review which are (1) Submitting a Track Changed document (2) Submitting a Qualitative Report and (3) submitting a Rating Table. You can also do a combination of these options. In any case, a reviewer will make a decision to Accept, Revise or Reject and should ensure anonymity.
Review criteria
1. Relevance of the title and topic to African Studies which means centering research on African ways of knowing and giving Africa agency in all components of research, teaching and learning. Read this post to understand that African Studies is an academic discipline, epistemology and is the politics of decolonisation NOT as anything about Africa –
2. Does the paper address issues of importance? Does it have an argument? (does it ‘have something to say’?)
3. African Studies pedagogical and research approaches present in the research and manuscript
4. Importance and originality of the manuscript. Contribution of new knowledge
5. Soundness of methodology and adequacy of data
6. Does analysis take a critical approach? (does it consider different angles of the argument?)
7. Language and style. Is the presentation of the paper reasonable in terms of grammar and language generally?
8. Organization and logical development
9. Evidence supports conclusions and implications
10. Adequacy of literature cited and acceptable reference list. Has African literature been used adequately.