1. Journal Aims and Scope

The African Journal of Marine Engineering and Naval Architecture (AJOMENA) is an international, peer-reviewed scholarly journal dedicated to advancing high-quality research in marine engineering, naval architecture, offshore engineering, and ocean engineering systems. The journal provides a platform for original, applied, and theoretically robust studies that contribute to the design, analysis, construction, operation, monitoring, optimisation, and sustainability of marine and offshore systems.

AJOMENA places strong emphasis on engineering relevance, methodological rigour, validated scientific contribution, and demonstrable impact on maritime technology, offshore infrastructure, and ocean-based engineering systems. The journal particularly encourages research that integrates sustainability, digital transformation, and advanced computational methods in marine engineering practice.

1.1 Journal Focus

The journal focuses on integrated marine and offshore engineering systems, including ships, offshore platforms, subsea structures, coastal infrastructure, and marine renewable energy systems. Submissions must demonstrate clear engineering application, validated methodology, and relevance to real-world maritime, ocean, and offshore challenges.

AJOMENA particularly welcomes studies that combine physical understanding, computational modelling, experimental validation, and system-level engineering approaches.

1.2 Primary Research Areas

AJOMENA welcomes high-quality contributions in the following core domains:

• Naval architecture and ship design (conventional, advanced, autonomous, and special-purpose vessels)
• Marine and offshore engineering systems, including fixed, floating, and subsea structures
• Hydrodynamics, wave mechanics, and fluid–structure interaction
• Offshore engineering systems including platforms, risers, pipelines, mooring systems, and subsea facilities
• Marine renewable energy systems, including wave, tidal, offshore wind, and hybrid technologies
• Structural integrity, fatigue, fracture mechanics, reliability engineering, and marine safety risk assessment
• Coastal and ocean engineering systems with clear infrastructure and structural engineering relevance
• Emerging maritime systems, including autonomous vessels, cyber-physical marine systems, and smart offshore infrastructure

1.3 Secondary and Enabling Research Areas

The journal also considers interdisciplinary and enabling studies that support marine engineering advancement, including:

• Computational fluid dynamics (CFD), finite element analysis (FEA), and multiphysics simulation
• Artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), digital twins, and data-driven marine engineering systems
• Experimental hydrodynamics, scale modelling, and full-scale field validation studies
• Marine materials, corrosion science, fatigue behaviour, fracture mechanics, and protective coatings
• Marine geotechnics and soil–structure interaction in offshore and seabed environments
• Marine robotics, autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), and remotely operated vehicles (ROVs)
• Marine instrumentation, sensing technologies, ocean data systems, and monitoring frameworks
• Marine operations, inspection, maintenance engineering, integrity management, and lifecycle asset performance
• Digitalisation of maritime systems, including smart monitoring, cyber-physical systems, and intelligent control frameworks

1.4 Lifecycle and Systems Engineering Perspective

AJOMENA strongly encourages research that addresses the complete lifecycle of marine and offshore systems, including:

• Conceptual design and engineering system modelling
• Structural, hydrodynamic, and performance analysis
• Fabrication, construction, and installation processes
• Operational performance, monitoring, and control systems
• Maintenance, inspection, integrity management, and reliability assessment
• Decommissioning, recycling, and sustainability evaluation
• System-level integration, optimisation, and digital engineering applications

Studies adopting a systems engineering, lifecycle optimisation, or digital transformation perspective are particularly encouraged.

1.5 Accepted Research Methodologies

Manuscripts submitted to AJOMENA must demonstrate rigorous scientific and engineering methodology, including:

• Analytical and theoretical modelling with engineering validation
• Numerical simulation (CFD, FEA, AI/ML-based approaches, and multiphysics frameworks)
• Experimental laboratory investigations and physical model testing
• Field measurements, offshore trials, and in-situ validation studies
• Reliability, risk, uncertainty, and performance optimisation analyses
• Hybrid modelling approaches combining physics-based and data-driven techniques

Purely descriptive studies, or those lacking engineering validation, methodological rigour, or technical depth, are not considered suitable for publication.

1.6 Exclusion Scope

To maintain strong academic quality and alignment with international indexing standards (Scopus, Web of Science, and DOAJ), AJOMENA does not consider manuscripts that fall into the following categories:

• Studies lacking analytical, computational, or experimental engineering rigour
• Research not directly related to marine, offshore, ocean, or coastal engineering systems
• Purely terrestrial engineering studies without marine or offshore application
• Conceptual or theoretical papers without validation, modelling, or engineering contribution
• Opinion-based articles, commentaries, or editorials without scientific methodology (unless invited)
• Studies with weak methodology, insufficient data, or unsupported conclusions
• Purely environmental, ecological, oceanographic, or policy-focused studies without engineering integration
• Biomedical, agricultural, or chemical studies outside marine engineering relevance
• Previously published, redundant, or non-novel contributions

2 Journal Aim

The journal aims to promote cutting-edge research that bridges theory, practice, and digital transformation in marine and offshore engineering. AJOMENA fosters innovation in sustainable maritime systems, resilient offshore infrastructure, intelligent marine technologies, and advanced naval engineering.

It seeks to contribute to global knowledge exchange and provide engineering solutions for ocean, coastal, and offshore challenges, particularly in the context of sustainability, climate resilience, and digitalisation of maritime systems.