1 Indexing and Discoverability Policy

1.1 Commitment to Discoverability

AJOMENA is committed to ensuring that all published articles are widely accessible, discoverable, and permanently preserved. To support global visibility and academic impact, the journal assigns persistent identifiers and integrates recognised scholarly communication standards. All published articles are optimised for discoverability through:

• Digital Object Identifier (DOI) assignment
• Author identification via ORCID integration
• Long-term digital preservation systems (LOCKSS/CLOCKSS)
• Metadata optimisation for indexing and search engines

1.2 Digital Object Identifiers (DOI)

Each article published in AJOMENA is assigned a unique Digital Object Identifier (DOI) to ensure permanent identification and citation stability.

DOIs:

• Provide a persistent link to the article online
• Enable accurate citation tracking and referencing
• Support integration with global research databases

1.3 ORCID Integration

AJOMENA encourages all authors to register and use an ORCID iD (Open Researcher and Contributor ID) during manuscript submission.

ORCID:

• Ensures accurate author identification across publications
• Reduces author name ambiguity
• Enhances research visibility and academic profile tracking

Authors are strongly encouraged to include ORCID IDs for all co-authors where available.

1.4 Long-Term Archiving (LOCKSS/CLOCKSS)

To guarantee permanent preservation of published content, AJOMENA participates in digital archiving initiatives such as:

• LOCKSS (Lots of Copies Keep Stuff Safe)
• CLOCKSS (Controlled LOCKSS)

These systems ensure that journal content remains permanently accessible, even in the event of website failure or discontinuation, through distributed archiving across partner libraries and institutions.

1.5 Indexing and Abstracting Services

AJOMENA is actively working toward inclusion in leading international indexing and abstracting databases to enhance visibility, citation impact, and academic recognition.

1.5.1 Current and Target Indexing Platforms

AJOMENA is committed to meeting the standards required for indexing in the following databases:

Current:

• Google Scholar (ongoing indexing and discoverability optimisation)
• Crossref (DOI registration and citation linking)  

Target:

• Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) (application in progress/targeted)
• Scopus (Elsevier) (future application upon meeting eligibility criteria)
• Web of Science (Clarivate Analytics) (future indexing target subject to evaluation)
• EBSCOhost databases (target for inclusion in subject-based collections)
• ProQuest databases (target for abstracting and full-text inclusion)
• African Journals Online (AJOL) (regional visibility platform)
• Dimensions / OpenAlex / Lens.org (scholarly metadata aggregation platforms)

2 Indexing Policy Statement

Inclusion in indexing databases is subject to evaluation by each indexing body based on quality, editorial standards, publication ethics, regularity, and citation performance. AJOMENA does not guarantee immediate inclusion in any external database but is committed to meeting and maintaining international indexing standards.

3 Enhancing Discoverability

To maximise global reach, AJOMENA implements the following practices:

• Structured abstracts and standardised metadata
• Keyword optimisation for search engines
• Reference linking via Crossref
• Open-access licensing (CC BY 4.0)
• Mobile and web indexing optimisation

4 Continuous Improvement

AJOMENA continuously reviews its editorial, technical, and publishing standards to improve eligibility for higher-tier indexing platforms and to enhance the global visibility of published research.