Music Educators Journal (MEJ) encourages music education professionals to submit manuscripts about all phases of music education in schools and communities, practical instructional techniques, teaching philosophy, and current issues in music teaching and learning. The main goal of MEJ, like that of MENC, is to advance music education.
MEJ articles are refereed by practicing professionals who judge manuscripts on their importance, originality, timeliness, scope, accuracy, and style. Articles submitted for publication should be characterized by the following:
Clarity. Articles should be written in a straightforward, conversational style that avoids unnecessary jargon, technical language, and excessive reliance on long quotations from other sources.
Grounding. While MEJ is not a research journal, submissions should be grounded in the professional literature. Articles with no citations or reference to previous work in the area will not be considered for publication.
Brevity. Articles should be between 1,800 to 3,500 words long (maximum 12 double- spaced, numbered pages).
Usefulness. Articles should address the needs of the many music educators who read the journal and should not have been previously published elsewhere. Authors should avoid personal asides that are not relevant to the primary topic, as well as content that promotes a person, performing group, institution, or product.
Manuscript Submissions
Manuscripts should be submitted electronically to http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/mej. Authors will be required to set up an online account on the SAGETRACK system powered by ScholarOne. From their account, a new submission can be initiated.
Authors will be asked to provide the required information (author names and contact information, abstract, keywords, etc.) and to upload the “title page” and “main document” separately to ensure that the manuscript is ready for a blind review. The site contains links to an online user's guide (Get Help Now) for help navigating the site. Submit a manuscript file, plus a separate page with the title, authors’ names and affiliations, keywords, and complete contact information for the corresponding author (mail and e-mail addresses as well as telephone and fax numbers).
Articles should be no more than 3,500 words (maximum 12 double-spaced pages). Especially welcome are topics of value, assistance, or inspiration to practicing music teachers.
Submission of a manuscript implies commitment to publish in the journal. Please state in your cover letter that the material has not been published elsewhere in substantially similar form or with similar content.
Format of Submissions
A cover letter includes the author’s name, address, daytime phone number, e-mail address, mailing address, and title or position.
The article should be double-spaced with pages numbered. The author’s name and current institution should not appear anywhere in the manuscript itself, but it should be included in the accompanying cover letter.
Music examples, figures, photographs, and other illustrations must be checked for accuracy before submission. If any copyrighted materials are used, documentation verifying that the author has permission to use the material must be included. Please complete a Request for Permission to Reprint Material form: http://www.sagepub.com/upm-data/26379_RequestForPermissionForm.pdf. Authors are responsible for obtaining permission to publish any author-submitted photographs or illustrations, and written permission to SAGE of a parent or guardian of any minor pictured is needed before such images are published: http://www.sagepub.com/upm-data/26380_MENC_Audio_visual_likeness_release.pdf.
Tables and figures should be kept to a minimum, be self-explanatory, and supplement (not duplicate) the text. Tables should be placed at the end of the file, following text and references, with callouts for each in the text. Elements in tables should be separated by tabs, not cells or lines. High-resolution figures should be uploaded as separate electronic files, with callouts for each in the text. Acceptable file formats for figures include TIFF, EPS, and JPEG, and PDF Microsoft Application Files are acceptable for vector art (line art). (Please do not send glossies.)
Up to three photographs are a welcome part of accepted articles. Each photograph must be accompanied by a short caption and photo credit information. Please contact Ella Wilcox at ellaw@menc.org if you feel it is necessary to have more than three photographs included with your article. Acceptable file formats for photographs include TIFF, EPS, and JPEG, and PDF Microsoft Application Files are acceptable for vector art (line art).
Editorial Policy. All manuscripts accepted for publication are edited to conform with MEJ style policies, which are based on The Chicago Manual of Style (15th ed.). Manuscripts may also be edited to meet the requests of the Editorial Committee or to fit available space. Edited copy is sent electronically to the author for approval before publication. Final decisions about scheduling of publication, style, title, presentation, grammar, artwork, and deleted passages remain with the editor.
Publication Policy. MEJ is copyrighted as an entity, so authors must transfer copyright to MENC.
Payment is not possible for contributions to the magazine. Each author receives two copies of the issue in which his or her article appears; authors may also order additional copies.
MEJ Departments. Short, practical articles (500–700 words) are always welcome for submission to Idea Bank (contact Ella Wilcox at ellaw@menc.org for details). MENC members are also invited to review books, technology, and videos; see the guidelines for writing reviews at http://www.menc.org/resources/view/menc-journals.
