The East African Association of Neurological Surgeons (EAANS), based in Nairobi, Kenya, has initiated a project to improve production and editorial processes, and strengthen the visibility and impact of its official journal, the East African Journal of Neurological Sciences (EAJNS).

 EAJNS is a dynamic, rapidly growing Diamond open access journal dedicated to advancing neuroscience research across Africa. EAJNS focuses on original research on clinical and experimental neurosurgery, clinical neurophysiology, neuroanatomy, neurology, neuro-ophthalmology, neuroradiology, neuropathology, neuro-otology, neuro-oncology and molecular biology.

Limited operational infrastructure and human resources make it difficult for the journal to manage a growing volume of submissions, maintain consistent communication with authors and reviewers, and ensure editorial quality and continuity. The project will address these challenges by upgrading its Open Journal Systems (OJS) publishing platform, thereby streamlining operations and improving functionality. A redesigned, mobile-optimized website will enhance navigation, accessibility and technical performance. The integration of DOI and ORCID systems will improve metadata quality and support international discoverability. The project will build human capacity by providing training for journal editors and reviewers, and improve journal visibility through indexing, search engine optimization, and digital outreach.  

‘Empowering Neuroscience Research in Africa: Strengthening the Visibility and Impact of the East African Journal of Neurological Sciences’ project is one of 30  projects that have received grant support through a three-year project to strengthen no-fee open access publishing in Africa implemented by EIFL, AJOL (African Journals Online) and WACREN (the West and Central African Research and Education Network), with funding from Wellcome.

Activities

• Upgrading the OJS publishing software and migrating the journal to the new platform
• Enhancing editorial processes through standardized workflows, updated guidelines and plagiarism checks 
• Strengthen publishing capacity through targeted training for reviewers, and editors
• Boosting journal visibility through indexing, search engine optimization (SEO) and digital outreach

Timeline

September 2025 - September 2026

More about the East African Journal of Neurological Sciences