Author Guidelines & Submission Criteria
Double-Blind Peer Review & Two-File Submission Policy
To ensure rigorous academic objectivity and unbiased peer review, Journal of Action Research in Education strictly enforces a double-blind peer review system. Authors must upload TWO separate documents upon submission:
- File 1 — Blind Manuscript: Contains Title, Abstract, Keywords, Main Body, Tables, Figures, References, and Mandatory Appendices. Must NOT contain author names, affiliations, emails, or self-identifying acknowledgments.
- File 2 — Author Details & Title Page Form: Contains full author names, institutional affiliations, corresponding author details, ORCIDs, biographical statements, conflict of interest, and funding declarations.
Authors are invited to submit original, unpublished manuscripts formatted strictly in accordance with Journal of Action Research in Education editorial guidelines. All submissions undergo double-anonymous peer review.
| Language | English only (clear, academic language; proofread prior to submission) |
|---|---|
| Word Count | 4,000 – 7,000 words including tables, references, and appendices |
| Manuscript Format | Microsoft Word (.docx) strictly following the official Blind Manuscript template |
| Citation & Reference Style | APA 7th Edition with active DOI links wherever available |
| Review Process | Double-anonymous peer review by at least two independent expert reviewers |
| Article Processing Charge (APC) | Free / No Fees (Diamond Open Access supported by GIA Press) |
1. Expected Scientific Contribution
Manuscripts must address an identifiable research question or gap, supported by transparent methodology and rigorous empirical data.
2. Title, Abstract & Keywords
- Title: Specific, informative, and searchable; accurately reflect the scientific investigation.
- Abstract (150–250 words): Structured or narrative abstract stating background, objective, research design/sample, key findings, and practical implications.
- Keywords: 3 to 5 specific, internationally searchable keywords separated by semicolons.
3. Standard Manuscript Sections
Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusion, Declarations, References, and Appendices.
- Introduction: Contextualize the problem, review contemporary high-impact literature (2020–2026), and formulate research objectives.
- Methods: Setting, participants/sample, instruments, intervention protocols, and statistical or analytical procedures.
- Results: Present empirical findings with high-resolution tables and vector charts; address each research question directly.
- Discussion: Interpret findings in relation to existing literature, acknowledge methodological limitations, and outline actionable recommendations.
- Conclusion: Concise synthesis of core findings and their scientific or educational significance.
- Declarations: Funding details, conflict of interest statements, ethical clearances, and data availability statement.
- References: APA 7th Edition style with persistent DOIs for all cited literature.
4. Mandatory Appendices (Datasets, Analytical Scripts & Empirical Integrity)
To ensure high academic quality and eliminate superficial, fraudulent, or predatory submissions, all manuscripts submitted to Journal of Action Research in Education must incorporate verifiable supplementary evidence in structured Appendices. Submissions lacking substantive empirical verification or required data appendices will be immediately desk-rejected without peer review.
Appendix A: Raw Research Dataset & Open Data Statement
Authors must provide access to primary empirical datasets. This includes tabulated observation matrices, participant response datasets, sensor/spectrometer readings, or an active DOI linking to an open-access repository (e.g., Zenodo, Dryad, OSF, Figshare, Mendeley Data). De-identified data must be furnished to allow editorial replication.
Appendix B: Data Analysis Protocols & Computational Scripts
Include complete analytical syntax, calculation procedures, or software scripts used in data synthesis (e.g., R syntax, Python notebooks, SPSS syntax, Stata logs, Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) fit indices, effect size calculations, or qualitative thematic coding schemes).
Appendix C: Research Instruments & Supplementary Materials
Provide the complete measurement scales, diagnostic test items, interview protocols, questionnaire rubrics, intervention scenarios, laboratory setup diagrams, or institutional ethical approval letters utilized in the investigation.
5. Submission Preparation Checklist
6. Desk-Reject Criteria (Notice to Authors)
Manuscripts lacking verifiable datasets, missing mandatory appendices, failing double-blind anonymization, containing unacknowledged generative AI text, exceeding similarity thresholds (>20%), or outside disciplinary scope will be returned immediately without peer review.