ISSN 0075-6458 print version
ISSN 2071-0771 online version

ABOUT THIS JOURNAL

• Basic information
• Historic overview
• Index sources
• Copyright
• Peer review

Koedoe is a peer–reviewed, open access journal, published since 1958, which promotes protected area and biodiversity science and conservation in Africa. Koedoe, with its subtitle ‘African Protected Area Conservation and Science’, aims to provide a forum for all aspects of protected area science and management in order to facilitate integration and shared learning. Koedoe publishes original papers on all aspects of conservation science, as well as on policy and management–related issues. This journal provides innovative, exciting and baseline scientific information on many conservation areas within South Africa, as well as throughout the African continent.

With its platform in the open access arena, Koedoe is becoming the journal of choice for conservation scientists, ecologists, biologists and protected area practitioners across Africa. We feature research all forms of protected areas, from large state national parks, to small regional and local game and nature reserves, cultural and environmental heritage sites, private conservation endeavours and general aspects related to biodiversity conservation. Furthermore, we promote shared learning through the integration of evidence–based policy and management–relevant science across a variety of settings in Africa and beyond. To this end, we have introduced a new structured abstract format that concludes with a 50–word summary statement entitled ‘Conservation implications’, in which authors succinctly highlight the core outcome of their research and the implications thereof for conservation practice.

Disseminating reliable scientific and policy information is increasingly vital as global biodiversity faces increasing pressures and protected areas become more important in maintaining habitats, species, ecosystem services and in ensuring environmental resilience. However, the protected areas estate is increasingly fragmented under pressure from development and other global environmental change drivers. Africa’s unique socio–ecological systems, together with some of the largest protected areas in the world, are of global importance. Moreover, tourism initiatives are frequently centred on protected areas, thus providing economic stimulus in otherwise marginalised regions. Koedoe works towards understanding, documenting and mitigating the negative influences of human development on conservation areas within the context of complex socio–ecological interactions. Koedoe publishes stimulating original research, essays, short communications on issues of general interest, in–depth and critical reviews, book reviews on new releases, as well as checklists, which form the foundation on which further science and management is developed.

The journal publishes one volume a year and articles are published on a rolling pass basis. Occasionally a second issue is published.

Articles are published on a rolling pass basis.

The journal’s key abbreviated title is Koedoe.

In the 1950s it was decided that the research conducted in South Africa’s national parks was of sufficiently high quality to be published in a specialist journal. Seeking such a research portal for Africa, the launch of Koedoe was welcomed and the first issue was published in 1958. Published annually by the then National Parks Board and biannually since 1989, more than 1000 articles have been published in the journal and it continues to grow.

What does Koedoe mean? The word 'Koedoe', which is the title of the journal, is the Afrikaans term for Kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros), the large and graceful antelope that is the corporate logo of the South African National Parks.

Koedoe has stimulated research and added immeasurably to our knowledge of South Africa’s biodiversity and its appropriate management. In addition, articles in Koedoe have included a number of checklists and reports of species new to science.

When the journal started the Afrikaans subtitle was, Tydskrif vir wetenskaplike navorsing in die Nasionale Parke van die Unie van Suid–Afrika, and the English, Journal for scientific research in the National Parks of the Union of South Africa. Today the subtitle 'African Protected Area Conservation and Science' aims to provide a forum for all aspects of protected area science and management in order to facilitate integration and shared learning. Koedoe publishes original articles on all aspects of conservation science, as well as on policy and management–related issues.

Scanning the output of the journal over the decades provides clear evidence of how, from early and tentative scientific ventures in the national parks of South Africa, knowledge of species has grown. In later years, the emphasis in science changed and more articles in Koedoe appeared on patterns of vegetation and habitats and articles on identification and collection of species gave way to ecosystems research. Koedoe has also spread its reach over the years, and early concentration on scientific research in the Kruger, Kalahari Gemsbok and Addo Elephant National Parks has adapted to include all South Africa’s national parks as well as conservation areas under other structures, and even those protected elsewhere in Southern Africa. Koedoe has covered a variety of fields, producing baseline information as foundation on which management plans and monitoring programmes are built today.

Koedoe aims to be a bridge where people from all over Africa can meet and share their conservation knowledge. To this end we have introduced a new structured abstract format that concludes with a section entitled 'Conservation implications' in which authors are explicitly requested to defend the relevance of their work to a broader constituency.

Disseminating reliable scientific and policy information is increasingly vital as global biodiversity faces increasing pressures. Protected areas become more and more important in order to maintain habitats, species, ecosystems and to ensure environmental resilience. However, the protected areas are increasingly fragmented and under pressure from development and global climate change. Africa’s unique socio–ecological systems, together with some of the largest protected areas in the world, are of critical significance.

Koedoe publishes stimulating original research, essays, short communications on issues of general interest, in–depth and critical reviews, monographs on large data sets and complicated issues and book reviews on new releases. We welcome your submission to the journal.

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• Thomson Reuters Web of Science Core Collection, Science Citation Index Expanded, SCIE (previously known as ISI)
• Thomson Reuters Web of Science Other Coverage: BIOSIS Previews, Zoological Record
• Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ)
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All manuscripts undergo a double–blinded review process.