AUTHORS GUIDELINES/ INSTRUCTIONS
The Uganda Higher Education Review Journal (UHERJ) is a peer-reviewed, open-access academic journal published by the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE). The Journal publishes high-quality, original research and scholarly analyses on higher education theory, policy, and practice from national, regional, and international perspectives
1. Peer Review Process
All manuscripts submitted to UHERJ undergo a rigorous double-blind peer review process.
Review Stages
1.Initial Editorial Screening
Submissions are assessed for scope, originality, structure, ethical compliance, and plagiarism.
2. Double-Blind Peer Review
Suitable manuscripts are reviewed by at least two independent experts. Both authors and reviewers remain anonymous throughout the process to ensure objectivity and fairness.
3. Editorial Decision
Based on reviewer reports, the Editor may decide to:
- Accept
- Request minor or major revisions
- Reject the manuscript
Editors with conflicts of interest do not handle affected manuscripts. UHERJ follows COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) principles in managing peer review and publication ethics
2. Article Processing Charges (APCs)
UHERJ operates under a Gold Open Access model.
- No Article Processing Charges (APCs) are levied.
- Authors do not pay submission, review, or publication fees.
- All published articles are freely accessible to the public immediately upon publication
3. Open Access Licensing
All articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial (CC BY-NC) License.
This license allows users to:
- Read, download, copy, and distribute articles
- Remix, adapt, and build upon the work for non-commercial purposes
- Use content with proper attribution to the author(s) and journal
Users must:
- Credit the author(s)
- Provide a link to the license
- Indicate if changes were made
- Not imply author endorsement of derivative works
4. Ethical Declarations
UHERJ is committed to ethical scholarly publishing and transparency.
Authors must declare:
- Originality of the manuscript and absence of plagiarism
- Conflict of interest / competing interests
- Funding sources, or state if none were received
- Availability of data and materials
- Use of generative AI tools in the writing process (if applicable)
Authors are fully responsible for the content of their work. Misconduct, including plagiarism, duplicate submission, data fabrication, or unethical authorship practices, may result in rejection or retraction. The Journal follows COPE guidelines in handling ethical concerns
5. Article Format and Structure
Length and Format
- Maximum length: 7,000 words (including references and appendices)
- Abstract: 200–250 words
- Keywords: 3–5
- Font: 12-point Times New Roman
- Layout: Single-spaced, one-column
- File format: MS Word (.doc/.docx)
Required Structure
Manuscripts should be organised as follows:
- Title Page
- Abstract
- Keywords
- Introduction
- Literature Review
- Methodology
- Results/Findings
- Discussion
- Conclusion and Implications
- Declarations (funding, conflicts, data availability, AI use)
- References (APA 7th edition)
- Appendices (where applicable)
Tables and figures must be editable, clearly labelled, and limited in number. Generative AI tools must not be used to create or alter images
Getting Started
Manuscripts are submitted through the Journal’s online submission system. Authors are encouraged to review the full Guidelines before submission.
For more information, visit the Journal website or contact the editorial office at journal@unche.or.ug