Information For Authors

Interested in submitting to this journal? We recommend that you review the About the Journal page for the journal's section policies, as well as the Author Guidelines. Authors need to register with the journal prior to submitting or, if already registered, can simply log in and begin the five-step process.

Tips for authors

Writing

  • Make sure that you answer / address a precise, important, and original research question or problem. Persuade the reader that the answer you are offering for the research question or problem matters.
  • Make sure that you offer an actual argument rather than simply providing a lot of information about a topic.
  • Give coherence to the paper: settle on one thesis rather than offering numerous theses (thesis statements). The chosen thesis should drive the argument.
  • It is possible to transform a student paper or a conference paper into an article. This involves important reworking of the text, keeping in mind the new readership. The paper should not be conversational in tone and may need more context or theoretical framework than a presentation.
  • Stick to one voice, especially when multiple authors are involved. Perspective, tone, and style should not shift throughout the paper.

Submission and revision

  • Choose the right journal: did you read our Focus and Scope?
  • Revise & resubmit is NOT a rejection. It means that we are asking for major changes, ones that will be substantial enough that we feel the paper needs to go back out for peer review.
  • With your revision, tell us how you have addressed the reviewers’ comments, which comments you did / didn’t address and if you didn’t, why not. An example of a type of comment that authors often choose not to address is a comment that seems out of scope or as though it is about a completely different paper than the one you intended to write. These can be an indication that your intention and scope weren’t clear. In this case, you don’t need to make the change the reviewer asked for, but do make a change to clarify / reiterate your purpose.
  • If we suggest that you consider being mentored by a member of our editorial board, consider this as an opportunity to interact with an experienced author who can guide you in improving your manuscript.

Recommended Timeline (for articles)

Time needed Action
1 week An editor screens the submission to determine that it is suitable for moving forward with (i.e., adequately clear writing, within our Focus & Scope, etc.). If so, assigns an editor. If not suitable, informs the author.
1 week Editor does first reading; selects and notifies peer reviewers.
4 weeks Peer reviewers do their review.
1 week Editor makes decision and notifies author: Resubmit for Review, Revisions Required, etc.
Varies Author does the necessary revisions.
If the paper needs to be revised and resubmitted, the above timeline for peer review will be repeated as needed to allow for additional reviews. If the paper needs only minor revisions, then the timeline proceeds as below.
1 week Editor makes decision and notifies author. If accepted, sends to Copyediting.
2 to 3 weeks Copyediting, including the necessary back-and-forths with the author.
2 to 3 weeks Layout, send to author for final proofreading.
2 weeks Accessibility tagging and publish.

In general

Do you feel uncertain about anything? Communicate with us! We are happy to answer questions. And we want to know what you are thinking and planning to do. Yes there are some formalities in the submission process, but we want to be encouraging and work with you.