The University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania has initiated a project that will improve the quality and contribute to future sustainability of the University of Dar es Salaam Library Journal (UDSMLJ).

The UDSMLJ is a biannual peer reviewed no-fee open access interdisciplinary academic journal that publishes scholarly articles on all aspects of Library and Information Science (LIS) and related fields of study. Content analysis has shown that the journal’s scope extends beyond LIS, to include research outputs in domains such as the humanities, legal studies, management and education.

The journal currently relies on a slim base of experienced and skilled peer reviewers, the majority of whom are approaching retirement age. However, UDSMLJ currently does not have an established mentorship programme for new peer reviewers, editors and editorial teams.

The University of Dar es Salaam project will develop a mentorship programme to leverage skills of experienced reviewers and editorial staff for the future. The project will also establish a partnership between UDSML and the Journal of the Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Branch of the International Council on Archives (ESARBICA). The partnership will focus on capacity building, sharing best practices and human resource outsourcing.

The project is one of 17 that have received grant support through a three-year project to strengthen no-fee open access publishing in Africa implemented by EIFL, AJOL (African Journals Online) and WACREN (the West and Central African Research and Education Network), with funding from Wellcome.

Timeline

October 2024 - May 2025

Activities

• Develop succession, recruitment and mentorship plans for the journal;
• Develop mentorship and training programme content and conduct six workshops for potential reviewers and editorial team members;
• Establish a knowledge-sharing and capacity building partnership with ESARBICA.

More about the University of Dar es Salaam Library Journal.