Author Guidelines
General guidelines:
We expect authors to follow the International Standards for Authors published by COPE - Commitee on Publication Ethics (Wager, E. & Kleinert, S. 2011).
Submissions must be in English. British or American English is acceptable, but usage must be consistent throughout. Please check spelling before making a submission.
There is no article processing charge (APC) or publication fee.
Please make the layout of your submission as simple as possible. A template is provided. Paper size is A4 and margins are 2 cm (0.75”) for top, bottom, left, and right.
Text: For the body of your document, use Arial font, 11-point type size, single-spaced. The whole document should be fully justified (not only left-justified). No headers and footers, no page numbers. The text should be divided under headings. Headings should be 11-point, upper- and lower-case, bold. Subheadings should be 11-point upper- and lower-case, italic.
Tables, Graphs and Figures: Minimum 9-point type size, all captions should be upper- and lower-case, bold, and centred. They must be placed in the correct location within the article. Colour may be used.
Illustrations and Photographs Halftones, minimum of 9-point type size. Captions should be in upper- and lower-case, bold, and centred. Images must be computer-designed and submitted as embedded images in your document.
Notes, if necessary, must appear at the end of the article, before the reference list, as endnotes.
An unnumbered reference list in alphabetical order by author should be provided. Please use the APA style, i.e. within the body of the text the surname and year of the reference (surname, year). Please visit the site: http://lib.westfield.ma.edu/citeapa, for more information. Authors are responsible for the accuracy of all references and to ensure that any references cited in the text also appear in the list of references. Where available, URLs and DOIs for the references should be provided.
Examples:
(Format for Books)
Author, A. A. (Year of publication). Title of work: Capital letter also for subtitle. Place of publication: Publisher.
Note that the title of the book is in lower case letters and italicized. Place of publication and publisher are given.
(Format for Journal Papers, print version)
Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (Year). Title of article. Title of Periodical, Volume number(Issue number), page range.
Note that the journal title is set in italics.
(Format for Journal Papers, online version)
Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (Year). Title of article. Title of Periodical, Volume number(Issue number), page range. http://dx.doi.org/xx.xxxxxxxxxx or Retrieved from http://xxxxxx
Note that the journal title is set in italics.
Guidelines for different sections:
Research articles should be within the 5000 word limit (4000-5500 words), excluding the Reference List.
Download template for research article
To ensure that anonymity is maintained throughout the blind peer review process, it is your responsibility to delete your name and those of co-authors as well as your own article titles from the text, from references and endnotes, and replace with "Author" and year.
Suggested structure:
Abstract
Your abstract should be a maximum of 150 words clearly outlining the contribution of your paper.
Key Words
Maximum of six words.e.g. ICT, evaluation, flexible learning, new media, adults.
Introduction
Clearly explain the nature of the problem, previous work, purpose, and contribution of the paper.
Body of Paper
Clearly explain conceptual and theoretical framework, previous research, research methods, and results of the research.
Use headings and subheadings as needed.
Conclusion
Clearly indicate and discuss advantages, limitations, and possible impact or applications.
Acknowledgements
A brief acknowledgement section may be included between the Conclusion and References (optional). Do not include author biographies.
References
Innovative practice articles should be within the 3000 word limit (2500-3500 words), excluding the Reference List.
Download template for innovative practice article
To ensure that anonymity is maintained throughout the blind peer review process, it is your responsibility to delete your name and those of co-authors as well as your own article titles from the text, from references and endnotes, and replace with "Author" and year.
Suggested structure:
Abstract
Your abstract should be a maximum of 150 words clearly outlining the contribution of your paper.
Key Words
Maximum of six words. e.g. ICT, evaluation, flexible learning, new media, adults.
Introduction
Clearly explain the nature of the problem, previous work, purpose, and contribution of the paper.
Body of Paper
Clearly explain conceptual and theoretical framework, innovation description and results.
Use headings and subheadings as needed.
Conclusion
Clearly indicate and discuss advantages, limitations, and possible impact or applications of the innovative practice.
Acknowledgements
A brief acknowledgement section may be included between the Conclusion and References (optional). Do not include author biographies.
References
Reviews should be within the 1000 word limit (800-1200 words).
Book/ report/ software/ internet resource reviews are accepted.
When quoting from the book, add the page number in parentheses immediately following the quote.
Download template for reviews
Suggested outline for book/ report/ software/ internet resource review:
Heading and signature
Book /report: Title in full, author, place, publisher, date of publication, edition, number of pages, and ISBN. Followed by name of reviewer and institutional affiliation.
Software /internet resource: Name, URL, author, company, date of publication. Followed by name of reviewer and institutional affiliation.
Introduction
Introduction to the topic and overview of the content of the book/ report/ software/ internet resource: background, purpose, audience/users.
Structure and content
Describe and analyse aspects such as organization of the book/ report/ software/ internet resource, relevance, updated content, foundations, coherence, supported results.
Overall impression and relevance to the field of distance education and e-learning
Contributions to the field (theoretical and/or practical), applications, strengths and weaknesses, why or why you would not recommend the book/ report/ software/ internet resource to others.
