About this journal
Aims and scope
The African Journal of Range & Forage Science is the leading rangeland and pastoral journal in Africa. The Journal is dedicated to publishing quality original material that advances rangeland ecology and pasture management. The journal aims to publish research of international importance from any region, but as an African journal, we are particularly interested in research from Africa and relevant to the continent. The Journal promotes both science and its application and authors are encouraged to explicitly identify the practical implications of their work. Peer-reviewed research papers and research notes deal primarily with all aspects of rangeland and pasture ecology and management, including the ecophysiology and biogeochemistry of rangelands and pastures, terrestrial plant–herbivore interactions (both domestic and wild), rangeland assessment and monitoring, effects of climate change on rangelands, rangeland and pasture management, rangeland rehabilitation, ecosystem services in support of production, conservation and biodiversity goals, and the identification and development of intensive and semi-intensive pasture and forage resources to meet livestock production needs. Articles highlighting transdisciplinary linkages among biophysical and social sciences that support management, policy and societal values are particularly encouraged. The Journal includes relevant book reviews and invited perspectives that contribute to the development of range and forage science. Letters to the editor that debate issues raised in the Journal are acceptable. The African Journal of Range & Forage Science is the official journal of the Grassland Society of Southern Africa.
Journal metrics
Usage
- 27K annual downloads/views
Citation metrics
- 1.4 (2023) Impact Factor
- 1.8 (2023) 5 year IF
- 4.0 (2023) CiteScore (Scopus)
- Q1 CiteScore Best Quartile
- 0.778 (2023) SNIP
- 0.516 (2023) SJR
Speed/acceptance
- 6 days avg. from submission to first decision
- 66 days avg. from submission to first post-review decision
- 18% acceptance rate
Understanding and using journal metrics
Journal metrics can be a useful tool for readers, as well as for authors who are deciding where to submit their next manuscript for publication. However, any one metric only tells a part of the story of a journal’s quality and impact. Each metric has its limitations which means that it should never be considered in isolation, and metrics should be used to support and not replace qualitative review.
We strongly recommend that you always use a number of metrics, alongside other qualitative factors such as a journal’s aims & scope, its readership, and a review of past content published in the journal. In addition, a single article should always be assessed on its own merits and never based on the metrics of the journal it was published in.
For more details, please read the Author Services guide to understanding journal metrics.
Journal metrics in brief
Usage and acceptance rate data above are for the last full calendar year and are updated annually in February. Speed data is updated every six months, based on the prior six months. Citation metrics are updated annually mid-year. Please note that some journals do not display all of the following metrics (find out why).
- Usage: the total number of times articles in the journal were viewed by users of Taylor & Francis Online in the previous calendar year, rounded to the nearest thousand.
Citation Metrics
- Impact Factor*: the average number of citations received by articles published in the journal within a two-year window. Only journals in the Clarivate Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE), Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Arts and Humanities Citation Index (AHCI) and the Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI) have an Impact Factor.
- Impact Factor Best Quartile*: the journal’s highest subject category ranking in the Journal Citation Reports. Q1 = 25% of journals with the highest Impact Factors.
- 5 Year Impact Factor*: the average number of citations received by articles in the journal within a five-year window.
- CiteScore (Scopus)†: the average number of citations received by articles in the journal over a four-year period.
- CiteScore Best Quartile†: the journal’s highest CiteScore ranking in a Scopus subject category. Q1 = 25% of journals with the highest CiteScores.
- SNIP (Source Normalized Impact per Paper): the number of citations per paper in the journal, divided by citation potential in the field.
- SJR (Scimago Journal Rank): Average number of (weighted) citations in one year, divided by the number of articles published in the journal in the previous three years.
Speed/acceptance
- From submission to first decision: the average (median) number of days for a manuscript submitted to the journal to receive a first decision. Based on manuscripts receiving a first decision in the last six months.
- From submission to first post-review decision: the average (median) number of days for a manuscript submitted to the journal to receive a first decision if it is sent out for peer review. Based on manuscripts receiving a post-review first decision in the last six months.
- From acceptance to online publication: the average (median) number of days from acceptance of a manuscript to online publication of the Version of Record. Based on articles published in the last six months.
- Acceptance rate: articles accepted for publication by the journal in the previous calendar year as percentage of all papers receiving a final decision.
For more details on the data above, please read the Author Services guide to understanding journal metrics.
*Copyright: Journal Citation Reports®, Clarivate Analytics
†Copyright: CiteScore™, Scopus
Editorial board
Editor-in-Chief
Dr. Urs Kreuter
Department of Ecology & Conservation Biology at Texas A&M University, United States of America
Administrator
Freyni du Toit
Grassland Society of Southern Africa, South Africa
Associate Editors
Dr Andrew Ainslie, University of Reading, United Kingdom
Prof Serkan Ates, Oregon State University, United States of America
Dr Sarita Bennett, Curtin University, Australia
Dr Casper Crous, Independent, South Africa
Dr Abubeker Hassen, University of Pretoria, South Africa
Dr Glynis Humphrey, University of Cape Town, South Africa
Dr Saheed Jimoh, University of Wyoming, USA
Dr Chris S Jones, International Livestock Research Institute, Ethiopia
Dr Mounir Louhaichi, International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), Jordan
Dr Chloe MacLaren, Swedish University of Agricultural Science, Sweden
Dr Siriwan Martens, Saxon State Office for Environment, Agriculture and Geology, Germany
Mr Craig D Morris, Agricultural Research Institute, South Africa
Dr Francuois Muller, Agricultural Research Council, South Africa
Prof Jesse Nippert, Kansas State University, United States of America
Dr Patrick J O’Farrell, CSIR, Natural Resources and the Environment, South Africa
Dr Tiffany Pillay, Rhodes University, South Africa
Dr M Igshaan Samuels, Agricultural Research Council, South Africa
Dr Rheinhardt Scholtz, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, USA
Dr Lobke Steyn, Stellenbosch University, South Africa
Dr Pieter Swanepoel, Stellenbosch University, South Africa
Dr Michelle J Tedder, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Prof Solomon Tefera, University of Fort Hare, South Africa
Dr Liz (E) A Trenchard, Coventry University, United Kingdom
Prof Wayne C Twine, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa
Dr Corli Wigley-Coetsee, South Africa National Parks, South Africa
Mr Zander Venter, Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Norway
Book Reviews Editor
Craig Morris, Agricultural Research Council, South Africa
Administrative Office
African Journal of Range & Forage Science
e-mail: [email protected]
Editorial Advisory Panel
Prof Sally Archibald, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa
Dr James E Bennett, Coventry University, United Kingdom
Mr C Richard Hurt, Kiwiflora Nurseries, New Zealand
Prof Graham I H Kerley, Nelson Mandela University, South Africa
Prof Klaus Kellner, North-West University, South Africa
Prof Kevin P Kirkman, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Prof Nkobi M Moleele, RESILIM - Resilience in the Limpopo River Basin, Botswana
Mr Craig D Morris, Agricultural Research Institute, South Africa
Prof Anthony R Palmer, Rhodes University, South Africa
Prof Elly N Sabiiti, Makerere University, Uganda
Prof Peter F Scogings, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Dr Susanne Vetter, Rhodes University, South Africa
Open access
African Journal of Range & Forage Science is a hybrid open access journal that is part of our Open Select publishing program, giving you the option to publish open access. Publishing open access means that your article will be free to access online immediately on publication, increasing the visibility, readership, and impact of your research.
Why choose open access?
- Increase the discoverability and readership of your article
- Make an impact and reach new readers, not just those with easy access to a research library
- Freely share your work with anyone, anywhere
- Comply with funding mandates and meet the requirements of your institution, employer or funder
- Rigorous peer review for every open access article
Article Publishing Charges (APC)
If you choose to publish open access in this journal you may be asked to pay an Article Publishing Charge (APC). You may be able to publish your article at no cost to yourself or with a reduced APC if your institution or research funder has an open access agreement or membership with Taylor & Francis.
Use our APC finder to calculate your article publishing charge
Society information
4 issues per year
Currently known as:
- African Journal of Range & Forage Science (1993 - current)
Formerly known as
- Journal of the Grassland Society of Southern Africa (1984 - 1992)
- Proceedings of the Annual Congresses of the Grassland Society of Southern Africa (1966 - 1983)
Advertising information
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