MOA volume 63 issue 3 Cover and Back matter

The Journal of Modern African Studies offers a quarterly survey of developments in modern African politics and society.It seeks to publish original empirical research, which helps to illuminate broader issues affecting Africa.Papers derived from fieldwork in Africa are particularly welcome.Its main emphasis is on current issues in African politics, economies, societies, and international relations, seeking to benefit from the work of specialists in different academic disciplines, and of those who are currently engaged in the affairs of the continent.It does not normally publish general overviews, literature surveys, or expressions of personal opinion.While recognising that sound research is an essential prerequisite for public policy, its central concern is with understanding, rather than with policy implications.Historical studies will normally be accepted only when they are directly relevant to the understanding of modern Africa.The Journal, which is fully refereed, seeks to promote a deeper understanding of what is happening in Africa today.It is intended not only for students and academic specialists, but also for general readers and practitioners with a concern for modern Africa, living and working both inside and outside the continent.Contributions should therefore be presented in such a way as to be accessible to any informed and interested reader, and papers which take a narrowly technical or disciplinary approach will not be accepted.Editorial policy avoids commitment to any political viewpoint or ideology, recognising that a wide range of different approaches are needed in order to understand developments in Africa, and that approaches which are unfashionable at one moment may well become widely accepted at another.Controversial papers, and papers which seek to challenge current orthodoxies, are therefore welcome, subject only to the recognition that the purpose of the Journal is to promote understanding, rather than to act as the mouthpiece for polemic.