About the Journal

About the Journal

The International Journal of Indigenous Language Media and Discourse (IJILMD) -  ISSN: 3080-700X is a peer-reviewed, open access scholarly journal published by the Indigenous Language Media in Africa Research Entity, North-West University, South Africa. The journal provides an international platform for the publication of original research that advances scholarship on indigenous language media, communication, journalism, digital communication, and discourse across diverse cultural and linguistic contexts.

IJILMD promotes interdisciplinary research that explores the role of indigenous languages in media, communication, journalism, digital technologies, democracy, development, identity, culture, education, and social transformation. The journal particularly welcomes studies that contribute to the preservation, promotion, and sustainable development of indigenous, local, and minority languages through media and communication.

Topics include, but are not limited to:

• Indigenous language journalism
• Media and cultural identity
• Indigenous language broadcasting
• Digital media and emerging technologies
• Artificial intelligence and indigenous language communication
• Language policy and multilingualism
• Political communication
• Development communication
• Health communication
• Corporate communication
• Traditional and indigenous communication systems
• Media economics and political economy
• Indigenous language education and literacy
• Social media and community communication
• Comparative studies of indigenous and dominant language media

The journal welcomes original research articles, review articles, conceptual papers, and comparative studies that contribute to theory, policy, and practice.

All submissions undergo a rigorous double-anonymous peer review process to ensure academic quality, fairness, and integrity.

IJILMD is committed to the principles of open scholarship and makes all published content freely available immediately upon publication without subscription barriers.

Publication Frequency

The journal publishes two issues annually (June and December). Articles are published online immediately after final editing and production where applicable.

Peer Review Process

All manuscripts submitted to IJILMD undergo an initial editorial screening to determine suitability for the journal's scope and compliance with submission requirements. Suitable manuscripts undergo double-anonymous peer review, in which neither the authors nor the reviewers know each other's identities throughout the review process.

All manuscripts submitted to the International Journal of Indigenous Language Media and Discourse (IJILMD) undergo an initial editorial screening to determine their suitability for the journal's scope and compliance with the submission requirements. Manuscripts that meet these requirements undergo a double-anonymous peer-review process.

Reviewers are required to conduct their evaluations objectively, confidentially, and ethically, in accordance with the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Ethical Guidelines for Peer Reviewers. In the rare event of suspected misconduct or manipulation of the peer-review process, IJILMD will investigate and manage such cases in accordance with COPE guidelines and best practices to uphold the integrity, fairness, and transparency of the editorial process.

Each manuscript is evaluated by at least two independent reviewers based on:

• originality
• methodological quality
• significance
• clarity
• ethical compliance
• relevance to the journal

The Editor-in-Chief makes the final publication decision based on reviewers' recommendations.

Typical review time: 6–10 weeks

Publication Ethics

IJILMD is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics. The journal follows internationally recognised principles of research integrity and expects authors, reviewers, and editors to adhere to ethical publishing practices.

The journal does not tolerate:

• plagiarism
• duplicate publication
• data fabrication
• data falsification
• inappropriate authorship
• undisclosed conflicts of interest

Cases of misconduct are handled in accordance with the journal's editorial policies.

Plagiarism Screening

All submitted manuscripts are screened for originality using plagiarism detection software before entering peer review.

Manuscripts with unacceptable levels of similarity may be rejected or returned for revision.

Open Access Policy

IJILMD provides immediate open access to all published content on the principle that making research freely available promotes greater global exchange of knowledge.

Readers may read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, and link to the full text of articles without prior permission, provided appropriate attribution is given.

Copyright

Authors retain copyright of their published work.

Articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) licence, allowing others to share and adapt the work for non-commercial purposes with appropriate attribution and under the same licence.

Digital Preservation

Published articles are preserved through the North-West University's institutional repository (Boloka) and the journal platform to ensure long-term accessibility.

Abstracting and Indexing

IJILMD is indexed in:

• Boloka Institutional Repository
• Google Scholar
• Crossref

Why Publish with IJILMD?

Authors benefit from:

• rigorous double-anonymous peer review
• international editorial expertise
• immediate open access publication
• global visibility
• interdisciplinary readership
• no barriers to readership
• commitment to ethical publishing

Audience

The journal serves researchers, academics, postgraduate students, policymakers, media practitioners, linguists, communication specialists, journalists, and professionals interested in indigenous language media, multilingualism, and communication studies.

Review Timeline