I have read a variety of comments on the original call for papers and the follow-up clarifications offered by Dele Ashiru. What I observed is that most of the comments are critical, and justifiably so, of the approach adopted the department in promoting their journal. However, beyond these criticisms, I am waiting to read about offers from senior scholars and interested stakeholders in the diaspora who are willing to support the department in improving the quality of its academic journal. One way that I thought someone would assist is to request the UNILAG's department of political science to submit a grant application for some funding to cover the cost of production of the journal, as a form of support for the department. This is different from just asking them look for available grant support. I am sure that they must have applied for funding support from different places before resorting to this present approach, after all we are told that the journal was originally launched with a ford foundation grant. Another way in which diaspora colleagues could assist the department is to offer their services (free of charge) as reviewers under the relevant themes of the journal. Additionally, there may be a department in any of the institutions across the pond that is willing to host, again free of charge, the journal online, by making available spaces on their institutional servers, and a contact person to manage the updates.
-- It is easy to criticize the method adopted by the journal's management, and I agree with those criticisms; but what would be more helpful, more constructive ultimately, is to propose sustainable approaches that the journal can carry forward. After all, out of similar journals that exist across universities in Africa, they have brought themselves forward to this platform...
Thanks,
Felix
On Monday, September 2, 2013 1:25:56 PM UTC+1, Dele Ashiru wrote:
On Monday, September 2, 2013 1:25:56 PM UTC+1, Dele Ashiru wrote:
I have followed with keen interest the controversy which my initial post on Unilag Journal of Politics: Call for Papers have generated. While I share the sentiments of great many scholars who have reacted to the post about the propriety of "paying" to ventilate research findings, I think it is important to make the following clarifications at least for posterity:1) The Journal started with a grant from the Ford Foundation to the Department of Political Science, University of Lagos.2) When the Funds from Ford dried up, the Editors resorted to self help in order to keep the journal alive by asking contributors to pay for assessment and production.3) The money is often paid to assessors as honourarium to encourage them read and return manuscripts within the stipulated deadline.4) Ridiculous as this may sound, this is the reality and tragedy of knowledge production and dissemination in Nigeria5) For the avoidance of doubt, the Journal is not "cash and carry" as insinuated by some commentators. The payment of fee is not a guarantee that the paper will or must be published.6) Manuscripts are blind peer reviewed by established scholars in the field and their assessment is sacrosanct.7) Indeed, papers submitted by colleagues in the Department and Faculty have been rejected following assessors comment of 'poor quality' even after the payment of fees.8) The journal is highly rated as this could be verified from the quality of papers published therein.9) Finally, flowing from this controversy and in line with some suggestions by those who have reacted to the post, the Editorial team may want to review the question of payment or the modalities of payment and make such public for the benefit of all. This may include a commitment to publish well researched quality papers in the Journal whether the author agrees to pay or not.What must not be lost is that we solicit for scholarly contributions from you all for the survival of the Journal and we are open to suggestions and criticisms.Thank you.'Dele Ashiru.
Department of Political Science,
University of Lagos,
Lagos,Nigeria.
+234-8026274712, +234-8019119573.
http//:www.politicalscienceunilag.org
http//:www.unilag.edu.ng
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