About

The UNIZULU Open Journals platform facilitates the open-access publication of peer-reviewed scholarship, highlighting the contributions of African researchers and promoting global knowledge exchange. By ensuring that each insight advances learning, informs practice, and endures for future generations, the platform contributes to the global advancement of knowledge.

Vision

Connecting African research with the world through open access.

Mission

  • Make UNIZULU research freely accessible to everyone.
  • Support quality, peer-reviewed scholarship across all disciplines.
  • Promote knowledge sharing, collaboration, and global visibility.
  • Preserve scholarly work for long-term impact.

Board of Directors

Chairman: Prof Byron Brown

Vice Chairperson:

Management

Library Director: Ms Zanele Mathe

Senior Librarian: Digital Curation

Technical Support and Platform Administration

Manager: Integrated Library Management Systems

Criteria for Inclusion on UNIZULU Open Journals

Journals included on the UNIZULU Open Journals platform are:

  • Peer-reviewed and committed to open access.
  • Editorially independent while adhering to ethical publishing standards.
  • Technically compliant with hosting, DOI registration, indexing, and preservation requirements.
  • Scholarly in focus, contributing original research and amplifying African perspectives where applicable.
  • Have received a recommendation from the UNIZULU Peer Review Panel for inclusion and meet the platform’s criteria.

Benefits for Journals on UNIZULU Open Journals Platform

  • Global Visibility: Open-access publishing increases readership and accessibility.
  • Editorial Independence: Journals retain full control while receiving institutional support.
  • Technical Support: Hosting, DOI registration, metadata management, and digital preservation.
  • Indexing & Discoverability: Assistance to improve visibility and citation impact.
  • International Reach: Connects research to global audiences and collaboration opportunities.
  • Institutional Credibility: Affiliation with the University of Zululand Library enhances trust and recognition.
  • Journals are indexed by Google and DOAJ (Directory of Open Access Journals), which makes them highly visible.
  • Assistance with compliance with the SA National Code of Best Practice in Scholarly Journal Publishing, Editing, and Peer-Review.

Included in the UNIZULU Open Journals service offering

  • IT support (Office hours).
  • Full hosting of the journal, combining a website and a journal content management system.
  • Full autonomy over the journal, within the UNIZULU Open Journals framework/policies/vision/mission.
  • Regular system and plugin upgrades, as well as back-ups.
  • Crossref integration for the depositing of DOIs.
  • Automated deposits with CLOCKSS (digital preservation).
  • Automated export of metadata to DOAJ.
  • Initial setup of the journal and upload of one retrospective issue. Upload of further backfiles for the account of the journal owner.
  • Registration with Google Search Console, Google Scholar, and Google Analytics.
  • User training and continuous support on new developments.
  • Citation export.
  • Publishing of ORCIDs.
  • Social share buttons.

Excluded from the UNIZULU Open Journals service offering

  • Registration and annual renewal of domain name (see costs at https://xneelo.co.za/domain-name-registration/).
  • We prefer for the journal to own its own domain name, so that it accompanies the journal wherever it goes now and in the future. It is similar to a physical address - an asset to the journal.
  • Migrating backfiles from another platform to UNIZULU Open Journals (request a separate quote).
  • Online ISSN. If the journal does not have an online ISSN yet, it is the journal's owner's responsibility to register and pay for it.
  • Update details with other indexes. It is the responsibility of the journal team to update any changes, such as the domain name, editors, and others, with other indexes, including Sabinet, SciELO SA, and others.
  • Honouring contracts with indexes/current publisher. It is the responsibility of the journal owner to verify that the journal is not in breach of any existing agreements.
  • Managing the workflow from submission to publication.
  • Layout/copyediting of articles by a 3rd party.
  • Plugins for which there is a fee payable.
  • Advertisements are allowed to generate income, provided it does not overshadow the scholarly content, nature, and branding of the journal. Advertisements will be the responsibility of the journal itself.
  • It remains the responsibility of the journal owner to keep the journal website and information up to date, to regularly review it, and to report any technical problems to the UNIZULU Open Journals platform administrator.