Journal Editorial Directorate

Research outputs (knowledge and technology) are valuable inputs to the growth of any country’s economy and the enhancement of national development. Research findings are mainly communicated to a wider audience (end users: researchers, development practitioners, and policymakers) through journals. A scientific journal is also one of the key indicators of research involvement/a tool by which universities are evaluated (MoE Directive/policy).

To this end, Wolaita Sodo University (WSU) launched the Journal of Science and Inclusive Development (JSID) at the end of 2018. This journal is a peer-reviewed/double-blind, open-access journal published biannually. The journal is devoted to disseminating the findings of original scientific investigations related to all science and development disciplines.

As the founding editor-in-chief, I have executed several tasks in collaboration with the managing editor that required me to work hard day and night. The tasks included organising the office, naming the journal, gaining experience, having associate editors, language editors, and international advisory board members, preparing policy and guidelines for approval by the Senate, launching a workshop and call for paper (posters, WSU websites, Facebook), constructing the journal website by copy editor, and making the journal layout and logo. Then, the manuscript receiving and reviewing processes began. Finally, the first ever journal published in the history of WSU. Other key achievements by the directorate included applying for and receiving an ISSN from the International Centre for the Registration of Serial Publications (CIEPS-ISSN International Centre), located in Paris, and receiving a DOI from the ministry. Plagiarism Detection Software | iThenticate was deployed. The office is actively working towards maintaining the quality, visibility, and sustainability of the journal. The journal was nationally accredited in March 2022 by the Ministry of Education after a rigorous evaluation of the Ethiopian Science Academy. The journal is also accepted for inclusion by DOAJ, AJOL, the WorldCat database, CABI, and others; JSID is under the Web of Science.

Regular tasks of the office include receiving manuscripts & peer-review process (pre-evaluation/initial checking for completeness/content, initial suitability, and plagiarism check; evaluation by associate editors & reviewers, feedback to authors, check-up, language edition); Inviting/sending articles to associate editors and reviewers; communicating the decision to the author; chase late reviewers’ reports; dealing with queries; acknowledging receipt; copy editing (proof-reading; references check; layout/header; footer; page numbers) and publishing.

Capacity building training provided to WSU potential authors (how to prepare manuscripts and get published their original, high-quality research). Further, researchers/authors have also been given feedback, information/comments to have a positive publishing experience for new/future submissions. We have shared our publishing experience with universities upon request.

On behalf of the directorate, I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to the vice president for research, and technology transfer and to WSU management for the support forwarded and for seeing the journal become a reality.

We invite you to publish your papers in our journal. Would you, or any of your associates, be interested in submitting manuscripts to JSID? You can submit your manuscripts to the journal’s online submission system or by email. (NB. Please read the submission guidelines of the journal for further details.).

Thank you all for your contributions to the JSID.

Habtamu Lemma (PhD; Associate Prof.)
Editor in chief of Journal of Science & Inclusive Development Journal Editorial Office
JSID website: https://jsid.edu.et/
Wolaita Sodo University, Ethiopia