About the Journal

The West African Journal of Open and Flexible Learning (WAJOFEL) is a peer-reviewed, open-access journal published twice a year by the Regional Training and Research Institute for Distance and Open Learning (RETRIDOL). The journal serves as a scholarly platform for advancing knowledge and practice in open, distance, and flexible learning across diverse contexts.

Focus and Scope

WAJOFEL publishes manuscripts in English from all disciplines that emphasise open and distance learning, e-learning, distributed learning, and asynchronous learning. The journal particularly welcomes research with significance for open and flexible learning in policy development, best practices, and administration. Among research submissions, articles that present qualitative and/or quantitative data are generally preferred.

All submissions must represent original work that has not been previously published and is not under consideration elsewhere. Manuscripts must comply with the journal’s Author Guidelines, Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement, and Artificial Intelligence Policy.

Article Types

The journal accepts the following manuscript types:

  • Research Articles (4,000–6,500 words): Original empirical studies presenting new findings with sufficient methodological detail for verification and replication.
  • Review Articles (8,000–10,000 words): Comprehensive, critical evaluations of existing literature that synthesise current knowledge and identify research gaps.
  • Technical Reports, Case Studies, and Invited Commentaries (up to 2,500 words): Focused contributions detailing technical innovations, contextual case examinations, or expert perspectives on specific topics.
  • Book Reviews (1,000–2,000 words): Critical assessments of recently published books relevant to the journal’s scope.

All article types must comply with ethical standards. Research involving human or animal subjects requires ethical approval statements. See the Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement for detailed requirements.

Submission Process

Manuscripts may be submitted at any time for publication consideration. Submit via the journal website at https://wajofel.org. Authors must complete all required forms and declarations, including disclosure of any artificial intelligence use in manuscript preparation.

For detailed formatting requirements, citation style, and technical specifications, please consult the Author Guidelines.

Peer Review Process

WAJOFEL operates a rigorous double-blind peer review process. All submissions undergo:

  1. Initial screening by the editorial team for scope, quality, format compliance, and ethical standards;
  2. Plagiarism detection using Turnitin software (manuscripts with a similarity index above 30% are returned to the authors for revision);
  3. Expert peer review by at least two independent subject specialists;
  4. Editorial decision based on reviewer assessments and recommendations.

Reviewers must maintain confidentiality and must not upload manuscripts or any portion thereof into external AI systems. See the Artificial Intelligence Policy for detailed guidance.

Reviewers and editors must declare conflicts of interest and step aside where appropriate. See the Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement for details.

Editorial Policies

WAJOFEL maintains comprehensive policies governing all aspects of the publication process, ensuring alignment with international standards established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), and the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME).

Publication Ethics and Research Integrity

The journal is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics throughout all stages of the editorial process. Our comprehensive Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement addresses:

  • Authorship and Contributorship: Criteria for authorship, corresponding author responsibilities, and prohibition of guest, gift, and ghost authorship
  • Research Misconduct: Policies on plagiarism, data fabrication or falsification, image manipulation, citation manipulation, and duplicate publication
  • Conflicts of Interest: Disclosure requirements and management procedures for authors, reviewers, and editors
  • Ethical Oversight: Requirements for ethical approval, informed consent, and compliance with international standards
  • Data Sharing and Reproducibility: Expectations for data availability, citation, and research transparency
  • Corrections and Retractions: Procedures for issuing corrections, expressions of concern, and retractions
  • Complaints and Appeals: Mechanisms for submitting complaints and appealing editorial decisions
  • Post-Publication Discussions: Procedures for addressing concerns about published work

Key requirements include:

  • All submissions must represent original work not under consideration elsewhere
  • Plagiarism screening is conducted on all manuscripts; manuscripts with a similarity index above 30% are returned to the authors for revision
  • Authors must preserve original data and ensure proper citation and acknowledgement of all sources
  • Research involving human or animal subjects requires ethical approval with details provided in the manuscript

Artificial Intelligence Use

Authors may use AI tools for specific purposes such as language enhancement, translation assistance, and formatting, subject to strict transparency and accountability requirements. Our Artificial Intelligence Policy establishes clear standards for:

  • Permitted Uses: Language improvement, literature searches, data visualisation support, translation assistance, and technical formatting
  • Prohibited Uses: Generation of original research content, data fabrication, undisclosed content generation, creating or altering primary research images, reference fabrication, and plagiarism
  • Mandatory Disclosure: All substantive AI use must be disclosed in an AI declaration in the manuscript or, where AI forms part of the research method, in the Methods section
  • Authorship: AI tools cannot be listed as authors or co-authors
  • Peer Review Confidentiality: Reviewers must not upload manuscripts to external AI systems

Authors remain fully accountable for all content regardless of AI use and must verify the accuracy, originality, and integrity of all material.

Conflicts of Interest

All authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any financial or non-financial interests that could influence their work or decisions. Disclosure requirements and management procedures are detailed in the Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement.

Data Sharing and Research Transparency

WAJOFEL encourages authors to make research data openly available to support reproducibility and verification. All manuscripts must include a data availability statement specifying how the data can be accessed or explaining any restrictions. Exceptions may apply for ethical, legal, or confidentiality reasons. See the Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement for detailed requirements.

Corrections and Retractions

The journal is committed to maintaining the integrity of the scholarly record. Corrections, expressions of concern, and retractions are issued in accordance with COPE guidelines when errors or ethical concerns are identified. All such notices are published prominently and linked to the original articles. See the Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement for procedures.

Complaints and Appeals

Authors may appeal editorial decisions within four weeks on grounds of factual error, procedural irregularity, or bias. Appeals are reviewed by an independent senior editor who was not involved in the original decision. Concerns about the editorial process or published work can be raised with the Editor-in-Chief. The journal maintains clear procedures with defined timelines to ensure fair, impartial handling of all complaints. See the Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement for submission procedures and timelines.

Open Access Policy

WAJOFEL provides immediate open access to all published content under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0) License. This license permits anyone (including original authors) to use, share, and adapt the content for any purpose, provided:

  • Proper attribution is given to the original authors and WAJOFEL
  • Any derivative works are shared under the same license
  • No additional restrictions are applied

Upon acceptance, copyright is transferred to WAJOFEL, which then publishes the work under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license. Authors may deposit any version of their manuscripts (submitted, accepted, or published) in institutional or subject repositories of their choice.

The CC BY-SA license supports the free dissemination of knowledge, encourages collaboration, and advances open scholarship globally.

Publication Fees

An article processing charge (APC) of ₦20,000 (US$60) is required for all manuscripts submitted for publication, payable in two instalments:

  • ₦10,000 (US$30) upon submission for review
  • ₦10,000 (US$30) upon acceptance for publication

Payment information is provided to authors whose manuscripts have been cleared for review.

Fee waiver: Publication fees are waived for authors submitting manuscripts from outside Nigeria. This policy supports international participation and is reviewed annually.

Editorial decisions are independent of authors’ ability to pay, and fee waiver status is not disclosed to reviewers.

The journal is available in both print and online formats. Online access is free of charge; print copies are available for purchase.

Copyright and Licensing

Submission of a manuscript implies:

  • The work has not been previously published (except as an abstract, conference presentation, or thesis chapter, provided this is disclosed at submission);
  • It is not under consideration for publication elsewhere;
  • Upon acceptance, authors transfer copyright to WAJOFEL.

All articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0) License. This means that once published, anyone (including the original authors) may use, share, and adapt the content for any purpose, provided proper attribution is given and derivative works are shared under the same license.

Authors must ensure their work is original and properly attributes all sources. Authors are responsible for obtaining necessary permissions for any third-party content (figures, tables, extensive quotations) included in their manuscripts. Failure to obtain permissions may result in content removal or publication delays.

For detailed information on copyright, permissions, and intellectual property rights, see the Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement.

Preservation and Archiving

WAJOFEL is committed to ensuring long-term accessibility and preservation of all published content. Journal content is deposited with:

  • PKP Preservation Network (PKP PN)
  • National Library of Nigeria

These arrangements ensure permanent access to the scholarly record and protect against content loss.

Contact Information

Editorial Office
West African Journal of Open and Flexible Learning (WAJOFEL)
Regional Training and Research Institute for Distance and Open Learning (RETRIDOL)
National Open University of Nigeria
Email: wajofel@noun.edu.ng
Website: https://wajofel.org

For manuscript submissions, editorial enquiries, ethical concerns, or general questions, please contact the editorial office using the details above.

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