Chapter Contributor Terms & Conditions

📖 Definitions

In these Terms and Conditions, the following definitions apply:

• "Publisher" means Contemporary Innovations Journal (CIJ) own by Lujosh Ventures Ltd, its editors, and authorised representatives.
• "Contributor" / "Author" means the individual(s) submitting an expression of interest or a chapter manuscript.
• "Chapter" means the original scholarly work submitted for inclusion in a CIJ open access book.
• "Call for Chapters" means the Publisher's public invitation for chapter contributions to a proposed book.
• "Expression of Interest (EOI)" means an initial application submitted in response to a Call for Chapters.
• "Manuscript" means the full draft chapter submitted after receiving a formal invitation.
• "APC" means the Chapter Processing Charge payable by the Contributor upon acceptance.
• "Creative Commons Licence" means the open access licence under which the published chapter is released.
• "Publication" means the act of making the accepted chapter publicly available online under an open access licence.

✅ Agreement to Terms

By submitting an Expression of Interest or a chapter manuscript to Contemporary Innovations Journal, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agree to be legally bound by these Terms and Conditions in their entirety, including any supplementary author guidelines issued at the time of invitation.

If you are submitting on behalf of co-authors, you confirm that you are authorised to bind all co-authors to these Terms and that you have obtained their explicit consent to do so before submission.

👤 Eligibility

To be eligible to contribute a chapter, you must:

• Hold a relevant academic qualification or demonstrate equivalent professional expertise in the subject area
• Have the legal capacity to enter into a binding agreement
• Not be under any contractual obligation that would prevent you from granting the rights described in Section 5
• Not have been found guilty of research misconduct by any institution or publisher in the past five years

Postgraduate students are eligible to contribute with the endorsement of a supervising academic who must be listed as a co-author. There is no nationality, institutional affiliation, or career-stage restriction on eligibility.

🔬 Originality, Integrity & Academic Standards

4.1 Originality

By submitting your chapter, you warrant that:

• The chapter is your own original work and has not been copied in whole or in part from any other source without proper attribution
• The chapter has not been previously published in any form (journal article, book chapter, conference paper, thesis, preprint, or otherwise), in any language
• The chapter is not currently under review or consideration by any other publisher or journal
• The chapter will not be submitted elsewhere while it is under review by CIJ

4.2 Plagiarism

All submitted chapters are screened for plagiarism using similarity-detection software. A similarity score above acceptable thresholds — typically 15% excluding references and common phrases — will result in rejection. Self-plagiarism (reproducing substantial passages from your own prior publications without disclosure and proper attribution) is treated as seriously as plagiarism of others' work.

4.3 Artificial Intelligence (AI) Tools

Contributors must disclose in their submission whether any AI writing tools (such as ChatGPT or similar) were used in preparing the chapter. AI tools may not be listed as authors. Any undisclosed use of AI to generate substantial portions of the manuscript may be treated as a breach of academic integrity. The use of AI for grammar checking, language editing, or reference formatting does not require disclosure.

4.4 Data Fabrication and Falsification

The fabrication, falsification, or selective reporting of data, results, or citations constitutes research misconduct and will result in immediate rejection or retraction, with notification to the Contributor's institution.

©️ Copyright, Compilation Rights & Open Access Licence

5.1 Author Retention of Copyright in Chapters

Each contributing author retains full copyright in their individual chapter. Contemporary Innovations Journal, operated by Lujosh Ventures Ltd, does not require the transfer of copyright in any chapter as a condition of publication. You remain the copyright holder of your chapter throughout and after publication, regardless of who funds the Article Processing Charge (APC) for your chapter.

5.2 Compilation Copyright — Owned by the Publisher

While each author owns copyright in their individual chapter, Lujosh Ventures Ltd (trading as Contemporary Innovations Journal) owns the copyright in the book as a compilation — that is, the selection, arrangement, coordination, and editorial structure of the chapters as a whole, together with all editorial matter including forewords, prefaces, introductions, chapter summaries, indexes, book metadata, cover design, and any commercial or sponsor material (including advertisements) included in the book or any chapter thereof.

This compilation copyright exists separately from and does not conflict with any individual author's copyright in their respective chapter. This arrangement is standard in edited academic volumes and is consistent with intellectual property law in Nigeria and internationally.

5.3 Licence Granted to Publisher

Upon acceptance of your chapter for publication (not merely upon payment of the APC, which may be paid by a third party on your behalf), you grant Contemporary Innovations Journal / Lujosh Ventures Ltd a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide, perpetual, and irrevocable licence to publish, reproduce, distribute, transmit, adapt the format of, and make your chapter publicly available — including within the compiled book — under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY NC SA 4.0) licence, or such other Creative Commons licence as specified in the individual Call for Chapters.

This licence is granted whether the APC is paid by you, your institution, a funding body, or a sponsor. The identity of the APC payer does not affect the scope of this licence or your copyright ownership.

5.4 What the CC BY NC SA 4.0 Licence Means for Readers

Under CC BY NC SA 4.0, any reader may freely read, download, copy, distribute, print, adapt, and build upon your chapter — including not for commercial purposes — provided they give appropriate credit to you as the author(s) and include a link to the original CIJ publication. The Publisher's compilation copyright does not restrict readers' rights under CC BY NC SA 4.0 in respect of individual chapter content.

5.5 Third-Party Material Within Chapters

If your chapter contains material from third-party sources (text, figures, tables, images, or data), you must obtain written permission from the relevant copyright holder before submission and provide copies of all permissions to the editorial office. You are solely responsible for any costs, royalties, and liabilities arising from the inclusion of third-party material. Third-party material within a chapter is not automatically covered by the CC BY NC SA 4.0 licence applied to the rest of the chapter.

5.6 Sponsor-Funded Publication — Advertisement Disclosure

CIJ operates a sponsorship model under which a third-party sponsor — such as a corporation, institution, NGO, or individual — may fund the APC for one or more chapters, or fund the open access publication of an entire book. Where this applies to your chapter:

• You will be notified in writing in your invitation letter or acceptance notification that your chapter's publication costs are being funded by a named or unnamed sponsor.
• A sponsor advertisement or acknowledgement will be placed on the final page of your chapter (and/or in the book's front or back matter). This advertisement is part of the Publisher's compilation material — it is not part of your scholarly chapter and is not subject to the CC BY NC SA 4.0 licence applied to your chapter content.
• The sponsor's advertisement constitutes a separate, standalone page or insert appended to your chapter by the Publisher. It is clearly distinguished from your chapter content by layout and labelling (e.g. "This chapter is published with the support of [Sponsor]").
• Copyright in the advertisement material belongs to Lujosh Ventures Ltd and/or the sponsor, not to the chapter author.

5.7 What a Sponsor Does NOT Acquire

For the avoidance of doubt, a sponsor who funds the APC for a chapter or an entire book does not acquire any of the following:

• Any copyright, ownership interest, or intellectual property rights in any chapter
• Any right to modify, influence, approve, reject, or withdraw any chapter or its content
• Any right to be listed as an author or co-author of any chapter
• Any right to prevent the chapter from being cited, criticised, built upon, or reproduced by others under CC BY NC SA 4.0
• Any editorial influence over the book's content, structure, or conclusions
• Any right to use the chapter content in their own commercial materials without following the CC BY NC SA 4.0 attribution requirements applicable to all readers

Sponsorship of publication costs is a commercial arrangement between the sponsor and Lujosh Ventures Ltd (CIJ). It does not create any legal relationship between the sponsor and the chapter author(s) beyond the acknowledgement described in Section 5.6.

5.8 Your Rights After Publication

After your chapter is published, you may — without seeking further permission from CIJ:

• Post the published (final, DOI-linked) version of your chapter on your personal website, institutional repository, or any preprint server, with a citation and link to the CIJ published version
• Include the chapter in a thesis, dissertation, or habilitation
• Present the work at conferences and share it with colleagues for academic purposes
• Reuse your own figures, tables, and text in your subsequent publications, citing the original CIJ publication
• Translate the chapter into another language for non-commercial academic use, provided you clearly state it is a translation and link to the original

When posting or reusing your chapter, you may reproduce the sponsor advertisement page that was appended by the Publisher, as that material is not part of your chapter and is not covered by your copyright or the CC BY NC SA 4.0 licence applied to your content.

✍️ Authorship & Contributorship

6.1 Authorship Criteria

CIJ follows the ICMJE (International Committee of Medical Journal Editors) authorship criteria, adapted for book chapters. All listed authors must have:

• Made a substantial intellectual contribution to the conception, design, analysis, or interpretation of the chapter
• Drafted or critically revised the chapter for important intellectual content
• Approved the final version submitted for publication
• Agreed to be accountable for all aspects of the work

6.2 Ghost Authorship and Gift Authorship

Listing individuals as authors who do not meet the above criteria (gift authorship), or failing to list individuals who do meet the criteria (ghost authorship), constitutes a breach of these Terms and may result in rejection or retraction.

6.3 Changes to Authorship

Changes to the author list (adding, removing, or reordering authors) after submission require written approval from all original authors and must be submitted to the editorial office with a signed statement of consent. Changes after acceptance are only permitted in exceptional circumstances and require editorial board approval.

6.4 ORCID iD

All authors are strongly encouraged to provide their ORCID iD. Corresponding authors are required to provide a verified ORCID iD before publication. ORCID iDs are linked to the published chapter in all CrossRef and repository metadata.

6.5 Conflicts of Interest

Contributors must disclose any financial, professional, or personal relationships that could reasonably be perceived as influencing the content of the chapter — including funding sources, employment, and consultancy arrangements. Disclosures are published with the chapter.

📨 Submission Process & Obligations

7.1 Expression of Interest

Submission of an EOI does not guarantee an invitation to submit a full chapter. CIJ reserves the right to accept or decline any EOI without providing reasons. No APC is payable at the EOI stage.

7.2 Formal Invitation

An invitation to submit a full chapter is issued at the Publisher's discretion. An invitation does not constitute an acceptance of the chapter — the chapter must still pass editorial review.

7.3 Submission Deadlines

Contributors are expected to submit their chapter by the deadline stated in the invitation letter. If you require an extension, you must contact the editorial office at least 14 days before the deadline. Extensions are granted at the Editor's discretion. Failure to submit by the deadline without an agreed extension may result in withdrawal of the invitation.

7.4 Formatting

Chapters must be submitted in Microsoft Word (.docx) format using CIJ's author template, unless otherwise stated in the Call for Chapters. Chapters not formatted in accordance with the author guidelines may be returned without review.

7.5 Exclusivity During Review

From the date of submission of the full chapter, the manuscript must not be submitted to or accepted by any other publisher until CIJ has issued a final editorial decision.

🔍 Peer Review & Editorial Decisions

All submitted chapters undergo editorial screening and at least one round of peer review. CIJ operates a double-blind peer review process: reviewer identities are not disclosed to contributors, and contributor identities are not disclosed to reviewers.

8.1 Possible Outcomes

• Accept: The chapter is accepted as submitted or with minor copyediting only.
• Minor Revision: Small, clearly defined changes are required. Revised chapter expected within 3–4 weeks.
• Major Revision: Substantial changes are required. Revised chapter expected within 6–8 weeks. The revised version undergoes re-review.
• Reject: The chapter does not meet the required standard or falls outside the book's scope. The decision is final.

8.2 Finality of Editorial Decisions

All editorial decisions are final. Contributors may request a reconsideration only if they believe a procedural error was made in the review process. Disagreement with the reviewers' academic judgment is not grounds for reconsideration.

CIJ is not obliged to provide detailed reviewer comments in every case, though we endeavour to do so.

💳 Chapter Processing Charge (APC)

9.1 When the APC is Due

The APC is invoiced only upon acceptance of the chapter following peer review. No payment is required at the EOI stage or during review. You will not be charged if your chapter is rejected at any stage.

9.2 APC Amount

The APC applicable to your chapter is as stated in the Call for Chapters at the time of your invitation. The current standard APC is:

• USD 359.00 for international contributors
• NGN 285,950 for contributors based in Nigeria

CIJ reserves the right to change APC rates for future calls. The rate applicable to your chapter is the rate published in the Call for Chapters you responded to, not any subsequently revised rate.

9.3 What the APC Covers

The APC covers all costs of publication, including:

• Professional copyediting and typesetting
• Conversion to HTML, PDF, EPUB, and XML formats
• DOI registration with CrossRef
• Submission to DOAB, OpenAIRE, Google Scholar, BASE, and CORE
• ORCID metadata linking
• Perpetual open access hosting on the CIJ platform
• Certificate of publication

9.4 Payment Deadline

The APC must be paid within 21 days of the acceptance notification. Failure to pay within this period may result in the chapter being withdrawn from the book and the acceptance offer being rescinded. Extensions to the payment deadline may be granted by written request to the editorial office at least 7 days before the payment deadline.

9.5 Refund Policy

• The APC is non-refundable once the chapter has been published and DOI registered.
• If the chapter is retracted after publication due to a Publisher error, a full refund will be issued.
• If the chapter is withdrawn by the Contributor after acceptance but before publication, a 50% administration fee is retained and the remainder refunded.
• If the book project is cancelled by the Publisher through no fault of the Contributor, a full refund of any APC paid will be issued within 30 days.

9.6 Institutional Payment

If your institution or funder is paying the APC, it is your responsibility to arrange institutional payment before the due date. CIJ can issue a formal invoice addressed to your institution on request. Contact dop@cij.com.ng with the required invoice details.

↩️ Withdrawal & Retraction

10.1 Withdrawal Before Acceptance

A Contributor may withdraw a submitted chapter at any time before acceptance without penalty by notifying the editorial office in writing. Once withdrawn, the chapter may be submitted elsewhere.

10.2 Withdrawal After Acceptance

Withdrawal after acceptance — but before publication — must be requested in writing to the editorial office with a clear explanation. Withdrawal at this stage may incur a 50% administration charge of the APC even if no APC has been paid. CIJ reserves the right to decline the withdrawal if production has already commenced.

10.3 Retraction After Publication

Once published with a DOI, a chapter may be retracted only in accordance with COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) retraction guidelines, typically for:

• Confirmed plagiarism, data fabrication, or falsification
• Duplicate publication discovered after the fact
• Undisclosed major conflict of interest that invalidates the findings
• Legal requirements (e.g. defamation, breach of confidentiality)
• Honest error that fundamentally invalidates the conclusions

Retracted chapters remain visible on the platform with a prominent retraction notice and an explanation of the reason for retraction. The DOI continues to resolve to the retraction notice.

🏛️ Editorial Independence

All editorial decisions — including acceptance, rejection, required revisions, and chapter ordering within the book — are made solely on the basis of academic merit, relevance to the book's scope, and quality of scholarship.

Payment of the APC does not influence, guarantee, or imply acceptance of a chapter. The editorial and review process is entirely independent of the financial arrangements. Chapters from APC-waiver contributors receive identical editorial treatment to those who pay the full APC.

The views, findings, and conclusions expressed in individual chapters are those of the contributing authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Contemporary Innovations Journal, its editors, or any sponsoring organisations.

🔬 Data, Ethics & Compliance

12.1 Research Ethics Approval

Research involving human participants, animals, or sensitive personal data must have received appropriate ethics committee approval before the work was conducted. Contributors must state the name of the approving ethics committee and approval reference in the chapter manuscript. CIJ may request copies of ethics approvals at any stage.

12.2 Informed Consent

Research involving identifiable human participants must have obtained written informed consent. Where individuals are identifiable from case studies, photographs, or datasets, consent documentation must be provided to the editorial office on request.

12.3 Data Availability

Contributors are encouraged to make research data underlying their chapter's findings publicly available in an appropriate repository and to include a Data Availability Statement in the manuscript. Where data cannot be made available (e.g. due to confidentiality), a statement explaining this must be included.

12.4 Confidential and Proprietary Information

Contributors must not include information that is subject to confidentiality agreements or that would breach the terms of any grant, employment contract, or non-disclosure agreement without written permission from the relevant authority.

⚖️ Warranties & Limitation of Liability

13.1 Contributor Warranties

By submitting a chapter, the Contributor warrants and represents that:

• The chapter is original and the Contributor has the full right and authority to grant the licences described in these Terms
• The chapter does not infringe any copyright, patent, trademark, trade secret, or other intellectual property right of any third party
• The chapter does not contain any defamatory, libellous, unlawful, harmful, threatening, abusive, harassing, or otherwise objectionable content
• The chapter does not violate any applicable law or regulation, including laws relating to privacy, data protection, and export control
• All factual statements in the chapter are, to the best of the Contributor's knowledge, accurate and properly supported
• All necessary permissions for third-party material have been obtained

13.2 Indemnification

The Contributor agrees to indemnify and hold harmless Contemporary Innovations Journal and its editors, officers, and agents from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, costs, and expenses (including legal fees) arising from any breach of the warranties in Section 13.1 or from any claim by a third party related to the chapter content.

13.3 Limitation of Publisher's Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, CIJ's liability to the Contributor in connection with the publication of the chapter is limited to the amount of the APC paid by the Contributor. CIJ is not liable for any loss of academic reputation, career opportunity, or any indirect or consequential loss arising from editorial decisions, delays in publication, or technical issues affecting platform availability.

🏛️ Governing Law & Dispute Resolution

These Terms and Conditions are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Any dispute arising from or in connection with these Terms, including any question regarding their existence, validity, or termination, shall be resolved through good-faith negotiation between the parties. If negotiation fails, the dispute shall be submitted to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Nigeria.

If any provision of these Terms is found by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid or unenforceable, that provision shall be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it valid and enforceable, and the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.

📬 Contact

For any questions about these Terms, to report concerns about a publication, or for any other editorial matter, please contact:

These Terms were last updated on 18 July 2026 and supersede all previous versions. CIJ reserves the right to update these Terms at any time. Contributors who have already submitted an EOI or manuscript at the time of an update will be notified by email of any material changes.