Common problems with submitted papers
The following are often obstacles to speedy review, acceptance or final publication. As JCAL is concerned to provide authors with as fast a turnaround as possible, potential authors may find them helpful as a prompt before final submission.
- Is the primary focus of the paper on learning?
- If the emphasis is more on design: is there learning insight arising from implementation report?
- is the generality or reach of findings likely to be limited by distinctive structural features of the local learning context?
- are all the figures and tables necessary?
- do they all have appropriate legends?
- are figures in greyscale (colour printing is possible, but very rare)?
- are figures embedded in text also submitted as separate files in native format?
- is the title useful but also engaging?
- is the English in need of correcting for sense or clarity (recommend a colleague read through)?
- is the bibliography complete?
- is the paper main text formated according to journal requirements described above?
Guidelines for Authors
JCal Welcomes...
- research and development, state-of-the art reviews, theoretical developments, practical experiences.... all of these could form papers for JCAL;
- but also, critiques of papers published and points-of-view are welcome. These Web pages should give a taste of the themes being included and the papers that are about to be published.
- special notes to authors: the following are critical points which submitted papers should address:
- Relevance: Does your paper fit this Journal - which is about Computer Assisted Learning?
- Grounding: Have you examined the full (international) literature on your subject and referred to key publications?
- Originality: Does your paper make a substantially new contribution to the literature, or provide a novel overview?
- Clarity: Have your research methods been clearly explained and, if necessary, justified?
- Authority: Have you substantiated all your claims either by drawing on your own findings or by reference to the work of others?
- Economy: is the paper crisp and direct - organised with suitable headings and without superfluous figures/tables
In general, JCAL publishes papers that report or that invoke empirical research - often drawing on the literature from a range of traditions within social science including Psychology, Sociology and Education
However, design papers which report on innovative technology-based systems are also acceptable provided that the use of the technology is justified on educational grounds. Clear statements for the pedagogical rationale for the systems development must be made at the beginning of the paper. Some exercise of evaluation would normally also be expected.
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General guidelines on paper presentation
The main text should be preceded by a short abstract of 100-200 words and the whole manuscript should normally be between 3000 and 7000 words double spaced in 12-point font.
Figures: Each figure should have a legend containing sufficient information to make the figure intelligible without reference to the text. Figures should be referred to in the text together with an indication of their approximate position All the legends must be typed together, in double spacing, on separate sheet or sheets.
Tables: These should be typed on separate pages Tables should be referred to in the text together with an indication of their approximate position They should be understandable without reference to the text. Each table should have a short descriptive heading.
Abbreviations and terminology: Spelling should conform to that of standard dictionaries (e.g. the Shorter Oxford Dictionary or Webster's New Collegiative Dictionary). Style should conform to that of standard manuals of English usage. Contributors who are not fluent in English should seek skilled advice on the composition of their manuscripts. Scientific measurements should be given in SI units. Abbreviations should be defined when they are first used.
Language: Many submissions are by authors for whom English is not a first language. Unfortunately, the Editor has no resources for helping correct into conventions of clear English. Authors are expected to submit mauscripts that are readily understood by Reviewers and, then, by readers. If you are uncertain about the clarity of your writing, it would be wise to take advice from a colleague speaking English as a first language. Alternatively there are professional agencies who can help. Here are links to a few:
http://www.ipmenu.com/iptranslation.htm
List of translation services for various languages
http://members.ozemail.com.au/~mattgred/resources.html#Translation
a list of translation sites
http://www.writescienceright.com
Professional translation service
http://www.sfep.org.uk/dir2004/dir_index.html#electronic
Publishers list of proof reading editors
www.stallardediting.com
Standard Scientific Editing
www.sciencedocs.com.
Comprehensive support
http://www.enago.com/editing-services.htm
Translation services
Referencing conventions
The reference list should be in alphabetical order and should conform to conventions indicated in the following examples:
Schofield, J.W. (1995) Computers and classroom culture. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Kerawalla, L. & Crook, C.K. (2002) Children's computer use at home and at school: context and continuity. British Educational Research Journal. 28, 751-771.
Harding, R. D. (1979) Towards a new computer language. In Computers in the Life Sciences (ed. R. Lewis), 64-129. Croom Helm, London.
Noble, D. (1998) Digital diploma mills part III. The bloom is off the rose. Retrieved 18/09/2003 from http://www.vpaa.uillinois.edu/reports_retreats/tid/resources/noble.html
Wouters, P. & Gerbec, D. (2003). Interactive Internet? Studying mediated interaction with publicly available search engines. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication [On-line], 8(4). Available: http://www.ascusc.org/jcmc/vol8/issue4/wouters.html
Proofs
Following the refereeing process and any changes that may have been negotiated with the Editor, authors will be sent 'proofs' as email attachments. These may be changed according to queries sent as Annotations/Comments by the Editor.Proofs, which will be in camera-ready form showing final layout, will be sent to the author's email address and should be returned to the Publisherr within three days of receipt.
Offprints
Authors will be provided with electronic PDF offprints of their paper. These will be sent to the corresponding author at the email address on the title page of the paper, unless advised otherwise.
Letters
The purpose of this section is two-fold. Firstly, it allows readers to comment on material published in the journal. In this instance, letters submitted will be reviewed by the Editor for appropriateness and if found acceptable, will be forwarded to the author(s) for comment. Both the letter and the comment of the author(s) will be published in the same issue if possible. Secondly, the 'Letters to the Editor' sections will provide a forum for comments from colleagues throughout the world on general issues affecting the well-being of our discipline.
Copyright
It is the responsibility of authors to ensure that permission is obtained for reproduction of any copyright material and that this permission is acknowledged in their papers. Copies of all letters obtaining permission for the reproduction of copyright material should be sent to the Editor. Papers accepted become the copyright of the journal.
A copyright clearance form must be signed and posted to the Editor as soon as a paper is accepted for publication. No pulbication is possible without this form. The publishers copyright policy is as follows
Copyright and Photocopying © 2004 Blackwell Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior permission in writing from the copyright holder. Authorization to photocopy items for internal and personal use is granted by the copyright holder for libraries and other users registered with their local Reproduction Rights Organisation (RRO), e.g. Copyright Clearance Center (CCC), 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, USA (www.copyright.com), provided the appropriate fee is paid directly to the RRO. This consent does not extend to other kinds of copying such as copying for general distribution, for advertising or promotional purposes, for creating new collective works or for resale. Special requests should be addressed to Blackwell Publishing at: journalsrights@oxon.blackwellpublishing.com.
Checklist for contributors
Please ensure that you have read the following checklist before submitting your manuscript to the Editor.
- Is your manuscript complete?
- Have you checked that all references mentioned in the text are provided in the list at the end of the paper?
- Are the references in the correct style?
- Have you made a note of any changes in your correspondence address if you think you will be moving in the near future?
- Have you obtained permission from any authors/editors/publishers for the reproduction of copyright material? Remember to send a copy of all letters obtaining such permission to the Editor.
- Have you read the email attachment recommendations?
- Have you given your current institutional affiliation and, if different, the institution where the work was undertaken?