Editorial Policy

About the Journal

The University of Nairobi Journal of Language and Linguistics (UoNJLL) is a peer-reviewed scholarly journal published by the Department of Linguistics and Languages, University of Nairobi, Kenya. Established in 2010, the journal provides a platform for the dissemination of high-quality research in theoretical and applied linguistics, language usage, and communication, with a particular emphasis on African languages and contexts while remaining globally relevant. The journal publishes original research articles, review articles, and theoretical contributions across a wide range of linguistic subfields but does not publish articles in literary studies. The journal is registered under Print ISSN 2224-1655 and eISSN 3079-1170, and its scope is reflected in keywords such as theoretical linguistics, applied linguistics, language usage, and communication.

Aims and Scope

The UoNJLL aims to provide a credible platform for high-quality scholarly research in theoretical linguistics, applied linguistics, sociolinguistics, psycholinguistics, discourse analysis, language policy and planning, translation and interpretation studies among others. The journal welcomes qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods research that contributes to the advancement of knowledge in language and linguistics.

Open Access Policy

The UoNJLL is a fully open-access journal, meaning that all content is freely available without charge to users or their institutions. Users are permitted to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of articles, or use them for any other lawful purpose without prior permission from the publisher or the author. All articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial (CC BY-NC) license, which allows sharing and adaptation of the material provided appropriate credit is given to the original author(s) and source and that the use is strictly non-commercial.

Peer Review Process

The UoNJLL operates a double-anonymous peer review process to ensure fairness and academic rigor. All submissions undergo an initial editorial screening to assess their suitability in terms of scope, quality, and adherence to submission guidelines. Manuscripts that do not meet these requirements are returned to authors for revision and possible resubmission. Suitable manuscripts are then sent to at least two independent reviewers with expertise in the relevant field. Reviewers are not restricted by rigid evaluation templates and may comment on all aspects of the manuscript, including language, methodology, and factual accuracy. They are required to recommend one of the following decisions: accept, accept with minor revisions, accept with major revisions, or reject. Reviewers are encouraged to complete their evaluations within six weeks, and feedback is communicated to authors promptly. Authors submitting revised manuscripts must clearly indicate the changes made in response to reviewer comments. The overall publication process typically takes between six months and one year.

Editorial Responsibilities

The editorial team of the UoNJLL is committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity and ethical publishing. Editors ensure that all manuscripts are handled in a fair, unbiased, and timely manner without discrimination based on gender, race, nationality, institutional affiliation, or personal beliefs. Editorial decisions are based solely on scholarly merit, including originality, methodological soundness, clarity, and relevance to the journal’s scope. The editorial team maintains strict confidentiality throughout the submission and review process and does not disclose information about manuscripts except to authors, reviewers, and the publisher as appropriate. Editors take reasonable steps to detect and prevent plagiarism, data falsification, and other forms of research misconduct and follow established best practices when addressing ethical concerns. They also ensure transparency in handling conflicts of interest and recuse themselves where necessary. Furthermore, the editorial team is responsible for maintaining the accuracy of the scholarly record by issuing corrections, clarifications, or retractions when required.

Author Responsibilities

Authors submitting to the UoNJLL must ensure that their work is original, has not been published elsewhere, and is not under consideration by another journal. They must properly acknowledge all sources, ensure the accuracy of their data and findings, and confirm that all co-authors have approved the submission. Authors are required to disclose any conflicts of interest and obtain permission for copyrighted materials used in their work. Manuscripts containing evidence of plagiarism or the use of generative artificial intelligence to produce text or data without appropriate disclosure are automatically rejected, and authors will not be permitted to resubmit such manuscripts.

Reviewer Responsibilities

Reviewers are expected to provide objective, constructive, and timely feedback that contributes to the improvement of manuscripts. They must maintain confidentiality, disclose any conflicts of interest, identify relevant literature not cited by the authors, and report any suspected ethical issues, including plagiarism or data irregularities.

Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

The UoNJLL adheres to internationally recognized standards of publication ethics, including the principles outlined by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). The journal does not tolerate plagiarism, data fabrication or falsification, duplicate publication, or improper authorship attribution. All allegations of misconduct are investigated thoroughly, and appropriate actions are taken, including rejection, correction, or retraction of articles where necessary.

Copyright and Licensing

Authors retain copyright of their work while granting the journal the right to publish and disseminate it. All published articles are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC) license, allowing sharing and adaptation with proper attribution for non-commercial purposes.

Archiving and Repository Policy

The UoNJLL ensures long-term digital preservation of its content through the Open Journal Systems (OJS) platform and the University of Nairobi institutional repository. Authors are permitted to deposit any version of their work, including submitted, accepted, and published versions, in institutional or subject repositories.

Publication Fees

The journal does not charge submission fees, article processing charges, or publication fees.

Conflict of Interest

All participants in the publication process, including authors, reviewers, and editors, are required to disclose any conflicts of interest. Where such conflicts exist, appropriate measures are taken, including recusal from the editorial or review process.

Corrections and Retractions

The UoNJLL is committed to maintaining the integrity of the scholarly record. Errors identified after publication are corrected through errata or corrigenda sheets, while serious ethical breaches may result in retraction. All corrections and retractions are clearly documented and linked to the original articles.

Indexing, Metadata, and Standards

The UoNJLL is committed to ensuring the persistent identification, discoverability, and citation of published research through the use of standardized unique identifiers. Each published article is assigned a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) to provide a permanent and reliable link to its online location. The DOI ensures that articles remain accessible even if URLs change over time.

Where applicable, authors are encouraged to provide their Open Researcher and Contributor ID (ORCID) during submission. ORCID identifiers help uniquely distinguish authors and ensure proper attribution of their scholarly work. The journal may also use additional identifiers and metadata standards to enhance indexing, interoperability, and long-term digital preservation of its content. These practices support transparency, accurate citation, and the long-term accessibility of scholarly communication. The journal complies with international standards such as the Initiative for Open Citations (I4OC), ensuring transparency, discoverability, and proper indexing of published content.

Plagiarism

The journal is committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity and ethical publishing. All submitted manuscripts must be original works of the authors and must not contain any form of plagiarism. Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to:

  • Copying text, ideas, images, or data from other sources without proper acknowledgment
  • Presenting another author’s work as one’s own
  • Self-plagiarism (reuse of significant portions of previously published work without proper citation)
  • Improper paraphrasing or close imitation of another work’s structure or wording

All submissions are subject to plagiarism screening using reliable detection software. If plagiarism is detected at any stage of the publication process:

  • The manuscript may be rejected immediately
  • Authors may be required to revise and properly cite sources
  • In cases of severe misconduct, the journal reserves the right to notify the authors’ institutions and/or impose a submission ban

Authors are responsible for ensuring that all sources are appropriately cited and that permissions are obtained where necessary. By submitting to this journal, authors affirm that their work is original and has not been published elsewhere, nor is it under consideration by another publication.

Business Model

The journal operates as a fully open access publication, providing immediate and free access to all published content without subscription barriers. All articles are available online to readers worldwide at no cost. The journal is supported through institutional funding, sponsorship, and/or grants. This funding model ensures the sustainability of the journal while maintaining full editorial independence and adherence to ethical publishing standards.

Article Processing Charges (APCs): The journal does not charge any fees to authors at any stage of the publication process. There are no submission fees, processing fees, or publication charges.

The journal does not generate revenue from subscriptions or paywall access. All content is freely accessible immediately upon publication in line with open access principles.

Publication Frequency

The journal is published on annual basis. Issues are released according to a regular schedule to ensure the timely dissemination of scholarly research. In addition, the journal may adopt a continuous publication model, whereby articles are published online immediately after acceptance and final editing and later assigned to an issue.