Editorial Policies

1. Originality and plagiarism

Authors must ensure that their work is original and has not been published elsewhere. Manuscripts are checked for plagiarism using appropriate software. Any manuscript with a high similarity index may be rejected or returned to the authors for revision.

2. Scope and quality standards

The journal publishes original, high-quality scholarly work that advances psychological knowledge, research, policy, education, and professional practice. Manuscripts must demonstrate scientific rigour, ethical integrity, and make a meaningful contribution to psychology, particularly within African contexts while maintaining international relevance.

3. Peer review policy

ZJP operates a double-blind peer review system in which the identities of both authors and reviewers remain anonymous throughout the review process. Each manuscript deemed suitable after preliminary editorial screening will normally be reviewed by at least two independent experts in the relevant field. Where the recommendations of reviewers differ substantially, the Editor may appoint an additional reviewer or make an editorial determination based on the available evidence.

Editorial decisions may include:

• acceptance without revision;
• acceptance subject to minor revisions;
• invitation to revise and resubmit;
• rejection.

The Editor-in-Chief reserves the right to make the final decision on all manuscripts.

4. Editorial screening

All submissions undergo an initial editorial assessment to determine their suitability for the journal. During this stage, manuscripts may be declined without external review if they:

• fall outside the scope of the journal;
• fail to meet minimum scholarly or methodological standards;
• do not comply with the submission requirements of the journal;
• contain significant language or presentation deficiencies; or
• raise concerns regarding research ethics or academic integrity.

5. Publication ethics

The journal adheres to internationally accepted principles of publication ethics and expects authors, reviewers, editors, and editorial board members to uphold the highest standards of honesty, transparency, fairness, and professional conduct.

The journal does not tolerate:

• plagiarism;
• data fabrication or falsification;
• duplicate or redundant publication;
• inappropriate authorship practices;
• undisclosed conflicts of interest; or
• any other form of academic misconduct.

Where misconduct is suspected, the journal reserves the right to investigate and take appropriate action, including rejection, retraction, publication of corrections, or notification of relevant institutions.

6. Research ethics

Research involving human participants must have received approval from a recognised research ethics committee or institutional review board where applicable. Authors must confirm that informed consent was obtained and that research was conducted in accordance with recognised ethical principles governing psychological research.

7. Conflict of interest

Authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any financial, professional, institutional, or personal interests that could reasonably be perceived to influence the publication process. Where conflicts exist, appropriate measures shall be taken to safeguard the integrity of editorial decisions.

8. Confidentiality

Editors and reviewers shall treat all submitted manuscripts as confidential documents. Information contained in submitted manuscripts shall not be disclosed or used for personal advantage prior to publication.

9. Authorship

Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made substantial intellectual contributions to the conception, design, execution, analysis, or interpretation of the study, and who approve the final version of the manuscript submitted for publication. All authors share responsibility for the integrity of the published work.

10. Copyright and licensing

Authors retain copyright of their published work while granting the Zimbabwe Journal of Psychology the right to publish the article.

11. Corrections, retractions and expressions of concern

Where significant errors or ethical concerns are identified after publication, the journal will publish corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern as appropriate to preserve the integrity of the scholarly record.

12. Artificial intelligence

Authors are responsible for the originality, accuracy, and integrity of their manuscripts, including any content developed with the assistance of artificial intelligence tools. AI technologies shall not be listed as authors. Authors should disclose the use of AI where it has materially assisted in manuscript preparation, while retaining full responsibility for all submitted content.

13. Article processing charges and open access

The Zimbabwe Journal of Psychology is an open-access, peer-reviewed psychology journal. For article processing fees, charges are as follows:

1. Zimbabwean Authors

• ZPA Members: USD $20.00
• Non-ZPA Members: USD $30.00

2. International Authors

• USD $100.00

14. Commitment to open access

All articles published in ZJP are made freely and permanently accessible online immediately upon publication. Readers may view, download, and share published content without restriction, provided that proper citation and acknowledgement of the source are maintained.

15. Privacy statement

By submitting a manuscript to or reviewing for this publication, your name, email address, affiliation, and any other contact details the publication might require, will be used for the regular operations of the publication, including, when necessary, sharing with the publisher, the Zimbabwe Psychological Association, and partners for production and publication.

The publication and the publisher recognise the importance of protecting the personal information collected from users in the operation of these services, and have practices in place to ensure that steps are taken to maintain the security, integrity, and privacy of the personal data collected and processed.