Archiving Policy

Manuscript Data Storage

1. 1. Scope of Data Storage: Our Journal is primarily committed to storing and archiving manuscripts submitted by authors. We do not operate or maintain a separate data repository for primary research data, supplementary materials, or associated metadata beyond the content of the submitted manuscripts.
   2. Submission Guidelines: Authors must submit their manuscripts complete with all essential data, figures, and tables integral to the research’s content and understanding. Supplementary datasets, which are vital for the validation and replication of the research, should be mentioned within the manuscript, and authors should provide clear guidelines on how interested parties can access them, if applicable.
   3. ORCID Number: All authors must provide an ORCID number. ORCID (Open Researcher and Contributor ID) is a unique identifier that ensures proper attribution and recognition of your work. If you do not have an ORCID number, you can register for one at ORCID website https://orcid.org/.
   4. External Data Repositories: While we do not host a dedicated data repository, we encourage authors, where applicable, to deposit their primary research data in recognised external data repositories relevant to their field. Upon doing so, authors should include a citation or link to the dataset within their manuscript to allow for transparency and validation.
   5. Data Privacy and Sensitivity: For research involving sensitive data, confidential information, or data that cannot be shared publicly due to ethical considerations, authors should provide a detailed justification within their manuscript submission.
   6. Integrity and Authenticity: Authors are accountable for the authenticity of their data. Any significant alterations or manipulations of the primary data should be transparently communicated and justified in the manuscript.
   7. Manuscript Archive: All accepted manuscripts and their associated data as submitted by the authors, will be archived and stored securely by our Journal. These can be accessed as per the Journal’s access guidelines and policies.
   8. Preservation of Past Journals: All archived or previous editions of our Journal are stored and can be accessed via the SABINET platform. We recommend authors and readers use this platform as a reference for past publications and their associated data sets if linked. The African Journal of Governance and Development is published online through the Open Journal Systems (OJS), with all issues archived in the OJS system. This allows all journal issues to be accessed from a single location. Archiving is supported by the PKP Preservation Network (PKP PN).

By submitting their work to this Journal, authors acknowledge and agree to this data storage clause, ensuring a transparent and accountable research publication process.

Self Archiving Policy

External Data Repositories:  we encourage authors, where applicable, to deposit their primary research data in recognised external data repositories relevant to their field. Upon doing so, authors should include a citation or link to the dataset within their manuscript to allow for transparency and validation.

We encourage authors to self-archive their articles in institutional or specialised repositories, on personal websites and on social networking platforms like ResearchGate and Academia.edu. There is no embargo period, so authors can archive all versions of their articles immediately (Submitted version, Accepted version and Published version). Authors should cite the original published source and include a link to the published article. They are also welcome to share copies with colleagues without any embargo restrictions.