AN AFRICAN JOURNAL OF HUMANITIES, LIVEWAYS, AND HERITAGE STUDIES

Research remains an important human activity that propels society forward. Research remains indispensable. But unfortunately, many scholars and lecturers experience paper rejections, especially by well-known, reputable journals. Despite the high rate of paper rejections, journal articles on how to reduce journal rejections are very few. The impact of journal rejection on researchers is rarely spoken about. This is what makes this paper important. This paper argues that there is a serious need for researchers to be aware of the steps and preparation needed to reduce journal paper rejections, as well as the digital tools and ways that can also reduce paper rejection. The paper is a qualitative library research based on secondary sources and the personal experience of the present writer. As a qualitative study, it relies on critical analysis and hermeneutical interpretation to unravel the issues involved in the paper. The paper finds that many researchers have their papers rejected by journals for lack of adequate preparation, lack of knowledge of the issues needed for acceptance, and lack of adequate contribution to knowledge and originality. The paper concludes that if the preparatory steps towards submission of papers are undertaken and there is a positive and healthy attitude towards peer review, even challenging ones, researchers will get many more journal acceptances instead of rejections.

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