About this journal
Aims and scope
Since it was established in the Department of English at the University of the Witwatersrand in 1958, English Studies in Africa has published a number of key interventions in literary studies. The journal has emphasized, as its name attests, the study of world literature in English within African contexts, at the same time as it set about promoting the study of African literature worldwide. Its founding editors clearly wished to establish a conduit between Anglo-American and Southern African literary studies, and this ethos persists, though in a revised form. Despite this commitment to its context, however, English Studies in Africa is unique in its willingness to publish articles on any literary, educational or language topic that the editors adjudge will be of interest to its diverse readership. While articles regarding English-language education and the English language in its various African manifestations are welcomed, contributors should be apprised of the fact that literary studies remain the core concern of the journal.
All articles are double-anonymized peer reviewed, and the journal is listed on both the Arts & Humanities Citation Index (A&HCI) and is accredited by the South African Department of Higher Education and Training. Guest editors are appointed for special editions of the journal, which alternate with general editions. In addition to the Editors, two Associate Editors and the Editorial Board are responsible for deciding on the themes of special editions and for arbitrating readers’ reports on submissions. The journal has been published by UNISA Press (South Africa) since 2008 and in collaboration with Taylor and Francis since 2009. English Studies in Africa appears biannually.
Journal metrics
Usage
- 23K annual downloads/views
Citation metrics
- 0.3 (2023) Impact Factor
- 0.3 (2023) 5 year IF
- 0.6 (2023) CiteScore (Scopus)
- Q1 CiteScore Best Quartile
- 0.707 (2023) SNIP
- 0.110 (2023) SJR
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
Editorial team
Victor Houliston (Consulting Editor)Karl van Wyk and Grace Musila (Managing Editors)
Esthie Hugo (Associate Editor)
Editorial board
South African members
Margaret Daymond, University of Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa
Natasha Distiller, Independent Scholar
Ashleigh Harris, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa
Isabel Hofmeyr, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa
Victor Houliston, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa
Hilary Janks, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa
Dirk Klopper, Rhodes University, South Africa
Nhlanhla Maake, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa
Sarah Nuttall, Stellenbosch University, South Africa
Simon van Schalkwyk, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa
Merle Williams, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa
Laurence Wright, Rhodes University, South Africa
International members
David Attwell, University of York, UK
Rita Barnard, University of Pennsylvania, USA
Jacques Berthoud, University of York, UK
Louise Bethlehem, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
Josiah Blackmore, Harvard University, USA
Elleke Boehmer, University of London, UK
Timothy Clark, University of Durham, UK
Stephen Donovan, Uppsala University, Sweden
Lars Engle, University of Tulsa, USA
Simon Gikandi, Princeton University, USA
Gareth Griffiths, University of Western Australia, Australia
Stefan Helgesson, Stockholm University, Sweden
Peter Hulme, University of Essex, UK
Yanbin Kang, Tongji University, China
Zoë Norridge, University of York, UK
Ato Quayson, New York University, USA
Meg Samuelson, University of Adelaide, Australia
Mark Sanders, New York University, USA
David Watson, Uppsala University, Sweden
Robert Young, New York University, USA
Open access
English Studies in Africa 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
2 issues per year
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