What Editors Look for in African Affairs Submissions — Jonathan Fisher

16. 6. 2026

Today, it is a real pleasure to speak with Professor Jonathan Fisher, co-editor of African Affairs — one of the leading journals in the field of African Studies. African Affairs is a peer-reviewed academic journal published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the London-based Royal African Society.

It was established as the Journal of the African Society in 1901, then it was published as the Journal of the Royal African Society from 1936 until it obtained its current name in 1944.

The journal is broadly interdisciplinary, with a primary focus on the politics and international relations of sub-Saharan Africa, though it also draws on sociology, anthropology, economics, history, literature, and the arts where these illuminate debates on contemporary Africa.

Co-Editors

George M. Bob-Milliar

Jonathan Fisher

Amanda Lea Robinson

Gabrielle Lynch

Impact Factor: 2.2 / 5-Year Impact Factor: 2.7

Indexed: Scopus / Web of Science

Jonathan Fisher

Jonathan Fisher is Professor of Global Security at the University of Birmingham where he also serves as Deputy Director of Research and Knowledge Transfer for the College of Social Sciences.

His research centres on the role of ideas and legitimacy within authoritarian systems, with extensive fieldwork across eastern Africa, where his work has examined how guerrilla heritage shapes contemporary governance, conflict, and cooperation, as well as the growing phenomenon of digital authoritarianism.

Content

00:00 – Introduction

01:41 – The Journal’s Evolving Mission and Research Identity

08:00 – Balancing Intellectual Coherence with Disciplinary Diversity

11:19 – The Place of Empirical and Theoretical Research in Submissions

13:03 – Emerging Trends in Manuscripts and Desired Research Directions

16:27 – Underexplored Regions and Research Gaps across Africa

18:40 – Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed-Methods Approaches in Publication

24:04 – The Most Frequent Mistakes in Article Submissions

25:49 – Common Pitfalls for Early-Career Researchers

27:26 – Structural and Technical Weaknesses in Academic Articles

29:00 – The Impact of AI on Editorial and Peer-Review Processes

31:30 – Editorial Reforms and the Journal’s Growing Academic Standing

33:46 – The Role and Significance of the Editorial Board

37:14 – Supporting Marginalised and Underrepresented Scholars

40:37 – Contributions from Latin America, Asia, and China

41:57 – Does the Journal Encourage Authors to Suggest Reviewers?

42:43 – Future Vision, Priorities, and Strategic Goals of the Journal