JOKAP Editor and Reviewer Training Workshop
Date: Saturday, 15th March 2025
Venue: PrideInn Paradise, Westlands – Nairobi
Theme: Building Capacity for Impactful Publishing
Supported by: Electronic Information for Libraries (EIFL)
The Journal of the Kenya Association of Physicians (JOKAP), with funding from EIFL, successfully hosted its Editors and Reviewers Training Workshop on 15th March 2025 at Pride Inn Paradise, Westlands, Nairobi. The full-day training brought together editors, reviewers, and members of the scholarly publishing community to strengthen editorial capacity, uphold ethical standards, and enhance the journal’s visibility and impact.
The program covered three main themes: Roles and Responsibilities of Editors and Reviewers, Editorial Standards and Ethics and Contemporary Issues in Peer Review and Publishing.
Speakers included Prof. George O. Oyoo (EIC, JOKAP), Dr. James Kigera (Editor-in-Chief, AAS), Dr. Jeremiah Munguti, Dr. Isaac Kiptum, Dr. Fiona Nyaanga, Dr. Eugene Wechuli, Dr. Cinamon Nyagaka, Dr. Vincent Kipkorir, Mohammed Onyango, Khulud Nurani, Gloria Natalia and Samwel Thuranira.
Download the workshop program here.
Morning Session 1: Roles and Responsibilities of Editors and Reviewers
Moderator: Dr. Vincent Kipkorir
1.Opening Remarks by Prof. George O. Oyoo (Editor-in-Chief (JOKAP), MBChB, MMed, FACR, FRCP (Edin), FIPH, Cert Trop Med, Clin Rheum, Cert Clin Epid, FCP (ECSA)).
Prof. Oyoo provided an overview of the training objectives and sharing the journey of JOKAP so far. Emphasized the journal’s mission to promote high-quality scholarly work and the importance of strengthening editorial and reviewer capacity.
2.Responsibilities of Editors, Reviewers, and Ethical Considerations in Peer Review by Dr. Isaac Kiptum (BSc, MBChB, MSc – Editor, African Annals of Surgery). Dr. Kiptum highlighted the key duties of editors and reviewers in maintaining scientific rigor, and stressed the importance of impartiality, confidentiality, and integrity during manuscript assessment.
3.Criteria for Manuscript Evaluation and Good Reviewer Work Ethic by Dr. Jeremiah Munguti (BSc, MBChB, MSc, MMeD, PhD)
Dr. Munguti outlined structured criteria for reviewing manuscripts, including originality, methodology, clarity, and relevance. He also underscored timeliness, constructive feedback, and professional conduct as hallmarks of an effective reviewer.
4.The JOKAP Reviewer Guideline by Samuel Thuranira (Biostatistician & Editorial Assistant, JOKAP)
Samuel presented the official reviewer guidelines developed for JOKAP and demonstrated how these guidelines standardize reviews, reduce bias, and improve the overall quality of feedback provided to authors.
Midday Session 2: Editorial Standards and Ethics
Moderator: Khulud Nurani
1.Ethical Considerations in Publishing , Authorship and Contributorship and Handling Retractions and Corrections by Dr. James Kigera (MBChB, MMed, PhD – Editor-in-Chief, Annals of African Surgery; Trustee, Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE)). This interactive series discussed conflicts of interest, plagiarism detection, data integrity, and confidentiality safeguards; international authorship criteria; and best practices when retracting flawed or unethical work.
2. Publishing Models, Preprint Servers, and Predatory Journals by Mohammed Onyango (BSc, HMX Anatomy & Physiology, Editor-in-Chief, Journal of African Medical Students (JAMS)). Mohamed's session compared traditional vs. open-access publishing models, highlighted the role of preprint servers in accelerating science while cautioning about their limitations and discussed predatory journals, with strategies to identify and avoid them.
Afternoon Session 3: Contemporary Issues in Peer Review and Publishing
Moderator: Gloria Natalia
1.Converting a Thesis to a Manuscript by Dr. Fiona Nyaanga (BSc, MBChB)
This session offered practical steps for turning lengthy academic theses into publishable manuscripts. It focused on condensing methodology, reframing literature reviews, and emphasizing original contributions.
2.AI and Machine Learning in Editorial and Peer Review Processes by Dr. Eugene Wechuli (MBChB, Software Developer & IT Intern- Eden Health Care)
This presentation explored how AI tools can assist in plagiarism checks, language editing, and identifying potential reviewers. He also discussed both opportunities and ethical risks of automation in peer review.
3.Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in Scholarly Publishing by Dr. Cinamon Nyagaka (MBChB, Gender Equity Advocate, Policy & Advocacy Project Coordinator, RESPEKT)
This session highlighted the importance of inclusive editorial policies and shared best practices for ensuring fair representation of gender, geography, and underrepresented groups.
4.Journal Impact and Visibility by Gloria Natalia (BSc, Editorial Intern, JOKAP)
Gloria discussed the current reach of the journal and strategies for increasing JOKAP’s global presence. She covered indexing, use of social media for scholarly communication, and the value of partnerships.
5.The JOKAP Manuscript Submission Workflow: From Submission to Publication by Khulud Nurani (BSc, Editorial Intern, JOKAP)
Khulud walked participants through the journal’s online submission system, and explained editorial decision-making, peer review stages, revision cycles, and final publication steps.
6.Recap and Closing Reflections by Dr. Vincent Kipkorir (BSc, MBChB, Managing Editor, JOKAP)
Dr. Kipkorir summarized the day’s key lessons and encouraged participants to adopt best practices, uphold ethics, and contribute to strengthening JOKAP’s peer review process.
Closing & Networking
The day concluded with evening tea and networking, giving participants the chance to interact with the speakers and fellow editors, laying the groundwork for future collaborations in enhancing Kenya’s scholarly publishing ecosystem.
