Researchers who intend to submit material for publication by AERA should consult the Standards for Reporting on Empirical Social Science Research in AERA Publications, adopted by the AERA Council in 2006. Submission of a manuscript implies commitment to publish in the journal. Authors submitting to the journal should not simultaneously submit the manuscript to another journal, nor should the manuscript have been published elsewhere in substantially similar form or with substantially similar content. Authors in doubt about what constitutes prior publication should consult the editor. Submit all manuscripts electronically to the editorial team at http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/edr.
For questions or inquiries about new manuscript submissions after June 30, 2009, email the 2010-2012 editor at the following address:
Steven R. Yussen, Editor
EREditor@aera.net
Deborah R. Dillon, Associate Editor
Michael R. Harwell, Associate Editor
James C. Hearn, Associate Editor
For specific questions or inquiries about manuscripts submitted before July 1, 2009, or manuscripts in revision after that date, e-mail the 2007-2009 editors at the following addresses:
Features
Patricia B. Elmore
EREditors@aera.net
Gregory Camilli
EREditors-GC@aera.net
Research Notes and Comment
Anthony J. Onwuegbuzie
ERResearchNews@aera.net
Book Reviews
Marla H. Mallette
EREditors-MM@aera.net
As of July 1, 2009, ER encourages submissions of three types of research articles—feature articles, reviews/essays, and briefs. Technical comments may also be submitted. In addition, ER publishes commentary articles under the demarcations of policy forum, letters, and books et al.
Research Articles
Feature Articles present important new research results of broad significance. Feature articles should include an abstract, an introductory paragraph, up to five figures or tables, and up to 40 references, with text totaling no more than 5,000 words. Significant feature articles may be somewhat longer than 5,000 words at the discretion of the editors. Methods need to be sufficiently presented in research article to warrant results, but information should usually be included in supplementary online material to further support the paper's conclusions. All Feature Articles undergo peer review; they may be solicited or unsolicited.
Reviews/Essays describe new developments of broad significance and highlight unresolved questions and future directions. Reviews/Essays are research-based and aim to convey new developments in the state of the knowledge and its implications, whether theoretical, empirical, or methodological. Reviews/Essays should include an abstract, an introduction that outlines the main point, brief subheadings, and up to 40 references, with text totaling no more than 4,000 words. All Reviews/Essays undergo peer review; they may be solicited or unsolicited.
Briefs are brief analyses focusing on a specific topic or question using new data or existing databases (e.g., available from the National Center for Education Statistics). Briefs should include a brief introduction of the issue or question, a brief discussion of the data, up to two figures or tables, and a maximum six references, with text totaling no more than 1,000 words. Titles should be no more than eight words in length. Authors should also submit an abstract of 100 words or less, which will appear online only. Methods (quantitative and/or qualitative) should be included in supporting online material. Manuscripts are peer-reviewed in the usual manner.
Technical Comments discuss articles published in ER within the previous 6 months. Technical Comments should have no more than two figures or tables; authors should submit a brief abstract of no more than 50 words to accompany their comment, with text totaling no more than 1,000 words. The authors of the original ER article are given an opportunity to reply. Comments and responses are peer reviewed and edited as needed. The full text of comments and responses is published online only; abstracts of the discussions appear in the Letters section of the print journal.
Other Works. Authors are encouraged to contact the editors directly if they wish to prepare an article of a genre or length that does not readily fit within the above submission types.
Commentaries
Policy Forum presents issues related to the intersections between education research and policy. Essays should be 1,000-2,000 words long plus 1-2 figures. Submissions may be solicited or unsolicited.
Letters discuss material published in ER in the last 3 months or issues of general interest. Letters may total up to 300 words. Submissions are unsolicited.
Books et al. presents reviews of current books, multimedia, exhibitions, and films of interest to ER readers. They may total up to 1,000 words. Submissions are solicited.
Special Issues or Sections
On occasion, Educational Researcher can publish special issues or sections on topics that are sufficiently compelling or of broad-based significance for the field or for the advancement of education research that they deserve wide attention and dissemination. Please contact the editors for guidance. Special Issues or Sections also require review and approval of the AERA Publications Committee.
Submission Preparation Checklist
As part of the submission process, authors are required to check off their submission’s compliance with all of the following items, and submissions may be returned to authors who do not adhere to these guidelines.
Style All submissions should follow APA style. The submission file should be in Microsoft Word, RTF, or WordPerfect format. Any supplemental files should be in Microsoft Word, RTF, WordPerfect, or Excel format. Please do not upload PDF files.
Contact information Supply complete contact information for all authors on the title page: Name, affiliation, complete street address, email address, fax, phone numbers (the more, the better). Indicate the corresponding author.
Abstract All manuscripts, except technical comments and commentaries, should include an abstract of 75–120 words. Technical comments should contain an abstract of no more than 50 words, and commentaries need no abstract.
Author identification The complete title of the article and the name(s) of the author(s) should be typed only on the first sheet to ensure anonymity in the review process. Subsequent pages should have no author names but may carry a short title at the top. Information in text or references that would identify the author should be deleted from the manuscript (e.g., text citations of “my previous work,” especially when accompanied by a self-citation; a preponderance of the author’s own work in the reference list). These may be reinserted in the final draft. The first-named author or the coauthor who will be handling the correspondence with the editor, clearing, and working with the AERA office should submit a complete address and telephone numbers; fax numbers and e-mail addresses are also helpful. The author’s name should be removed from the document’s Properties, which in Microsoft Word is found in the File menu.
Typescript Manuscripts should be typed for 8½” × 11” paper, in upper and lower case, double-spaced, with 1½” margins on all sides. They should be in IBM-compatible MS Word, WordPerfect, or RTF format. Subheads should be used at reasonable intervals to break the monotony of text. Words and symbols to be italicized must be clearly indicated, by either italic type or underlining. Abbreviations and acronyms should be spelled out at first mention unless found as entries in their abbreviated form in Merriam-Webster’s Eleventh Collegiate Dictionary (e.g., “IQ” needs no explanation). Pages should be numbered consecutively.
Notes and references Notes are for explanations or amplifications of textual material. They are distracting to readers and expensive to set and should be avoided whenever possible. They should be typed as normal text at the end of the text section of the manuscript rather than as part of the footnote or endnote feature of a computer program and should be numbered consecutively throughout the article. A reference list contains only references that are cited in the text. Its accuracy and completeness are the responsibility of the author(s). Personal communications (letters, memos, telephone conversations) are cited in the text after the name with as exact a date as possible. Examples of references to a book, a chapter in a book, and a journal article follow, formatted in APA style: Bobrow, D. G., & Collins, A. M. (Eds.). (1975). Representation and understanding: Studies in cognitive science. New York: Academic Press. Crothers, E. (1972). Memory structure and the recall of discourse. In R. O. Freedle & J. B. Carroll (Eds.), Language comprehension and the acquisition of knowledge (pp. 201–238). Washington, DC: Winston. Frase, L. T. (1968). Questions as aids to reading: Some research and a theory. American Educational Research Journal, 5, 319–322.
Tables, figures, and illustrations The purpose of tables and figures is to present data to the reader in a clear and unambiguous manner. The author should not describe the data in the text in such detail that illustration or text is redundant. Figures and tables should be keyed to the text. Tables should each start on a new page and be placed at the end of the manuscript (after the references). Tables will be typeset. Figure captions should be typed on a separate page (and should not appear in full on the original figures). One high-quality, camera-ready version or final electronic version of each figure must be submitted with the manuscript that is to be typeset.
How to get help with the quality of English in your submission:Authors who want to refine the use of English in their manuscripts might consider utilizing the services of SPi, a non-affiliated company that offers Professional Editing Services to authors of journal articles in the areas of science, technology, medicine or the social sciences. SPi specializes in editing and correcting English-language manuscripts written by authors with a primary language other than English. Visit http://www.prof-editing.com for more information about SPi's Professional Editing Services, pricing, and turn-around times, or to obtain a free quote or to submit a manuscript for language polishing.
Please be aware that SAGE has no affiliation with SPi and makes no endorsement of the company. Your use of their services in no way guarantees that your submission will ultimately be accepted. Any arrangement you enter into will be exclusively between yourself and SPi, and any costs incurred are the sole responsibility of the author.
