Author Guidelines

1. Scope and Article Types

JERP publishes scholarly research in education and educational studies. Manuscripts should make a clear contribution to educational knowledge, policy, or practice.

JERP considers:

• original empirical research;
• systematic and other rigorous review articles;
• conceptual or theoretical papers; and
• policy, curriculum, or practice analyses supported by systematic inquiry.

Quantitative, qualitative, mixed-methods, and other appropriate research approaches are welcome. Authors should select the category that best represents their manuscript.

2. Originality and Exclusive Submission

Manuscripts submitted to JERP must constitute original scholarly work and must not be simultaneously under consideration by another journal. Authors must acknowledge all sources appropriately and disclose substantially related publications or prior dissemination where relevant.

Submitted manuscripts may be screened using similarity-detection software. JERP does not use a fixed similarity percentage as an automatic criterion for acceptance or rejection. Textual overlap is assessed according to its source, extent, nature, attribution, and context.

Authors should consult JERP's Originality, Plagiarism, and Similarity Policy .

3. Language and Length

Manuscripts must be written in clear academic British English. British spelling and punctuation conventions should be used consistently, except where original titles, quotations, official names, or other source material require a different form.

Research articles should normally contain approximately 5,000–8,000 words, including the abstract, tables, figures, and references. Manuscripts outside this range may be considered where justified by the nature and scope of the study.

4. Manuscript Preparation

Authors should prepare manuscripts using the current JERP Manuscript Template . Manuscripts should be submitted in Microsoft Word format (.doc or .docx).

Title

The title should be concise, informative, and accurately represent the principal focus of the manuscript. Avoid unnecessary abbreviations and claims that extend beyond the study.

Abstract

The abstract should not exceed 250 words and should concisely present:

• the context or importance of the study;
• the research problem or gap;
• the objective or research question;
• the methodology or scholarly approach;
• the principal findings or arguments; and
• the main implication or conclusion.

Keywords

Provide 3–5 keywords that accurately represent the principal concepts, context, or methodological orientation of the manuscript.

Introduction

The Introduction should establish the research context, identify the relevant problem or knowledge gap, engage critically with appropriate literature, and clearly state the purpose, objectives, or research questions.

Methodology

Empirical studies should report the research design, context, participants or data sources, sampling procedures, instruments or procedures, data collection, analysis, relevant indicators of research quality, and ethical considerations.

Review articles should describe their search, selection, appraisal, and synthesis procedures. Conceptual or theoretical papers should explain their conceptual framework and analytical approach.

Results or Findings

Results or findings should be presented clearly and systematically and should correspond to the research questions, objectives, or analytical framework.

Discussion

The Discussion should interpret the findings in relation to relevant scholarship. Claims should remain proportionate to the evidence presented, and important limitations should be acknowledged where appropriate.

Conclusion

The Conclusion should summarise the principal contribution of the study without simply repeating the abstract or discussion. Implications for research, practice, or policy may be included where supported by the findings.

5. Tables and Figures

Tables and figures should follow the general conventions of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 7th edition (APA 7).

• Number tables and figures consecutively.
• Provide clear and informative titles or captions.
• Refer to every table and figure in the main text.
• Place them near their first citation where permitted by the journal template.
• Avoid unnecessary duplication of information already presented in the text.
• Identify reproduced or adapted material and obtain permission where required.

6. Citations and References

All in-text citations and references must follow the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 7th edition (APA 7).

• Every source cited in the text must appear in the reference list.
• Every reference-list entry must be cited in the manuscript.
• Bibliographic information must be accurate and complete.
• DOIs should be presented as active URLs where available.
• References should be arranged alphabetically by the surname of the first author.
• APA 7 conventions must be applied consistently throughout the manuscript.

Examples of In-Text Citations

• Narrative citation: Smith (2024)
• Parenthetical citation: (Smith, 2024)
• Two authors: Smith and Jones (2024) or (Smith & Jones, 2024)
• Three or more authors: Smith et al. (2024) or (Smith et al., 2024)
• Direct quotation: (Smith, 2024, p. 27)

Reference Examples

Authors may use Zotero, Mendeley, EndNote, or other recognised reference-management software. Authors remain responsible for verifying the accuracy and APA 7 formatting of all references.

7. Research Ethics

Authors are responsible for ensuring that their research complies with applicable institutional and professional ethical standards.

Research involving human participants should report, where relevant:

• ethical approval and the approving institution;
• informed consent or other appropriate consent procedures;
• measures to protect privacy and confidentiality; and
• appropriate safeguards for vulnerable participants.

Where formal ethical approval was not required, this should be explained where relevant. JERP may request supporting documentation where necessary.

8. Authorship and Contributions

Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made substantial intellectual contributions to the work and who accept responsibility for the published article. All listed authors must approve the submitted and final versions of the manuscript.

9. Funding and Competing Interests

Authors must disclose all relevant sources of financial or institutional support and any financial, professional, institutional, personal, or other competing interests that could reasonably be perceived as influencing the research or its interpretation.

Where no competing interest exists, authors may state:

Declaration of Competing Interests: The author(s) declare no competing interests.

10. Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies

AI systems cannot be listed as authors or co-authors. Human authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, integrity, attribution, ethical compliance, and final content of all submitted material.

Basic assistance with spelling, grammar, formatting, or minor language improvement that does not generate substantive scholarly content does not require disclosure.

Substantive use of generative AI or AI-assisted technologies—including manuscript drafting or substantial rewriting, literature synthesis, research design, coding, data analysis, interpretation, translation, or generation or substantial modification of visual materials—must be transparently disclosed.

AI must not be used to fabricate or falsify data, evidence, quotations, citations, references, participant responses, or research findings.

Authors must comply with JERP's Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies Policy .

11. Double-Anonymous Manuscript Preparation

JERP uses a double-anonymous peer-review process. The manuscript submitted for review must not contain information that directly identifies the authors.

Authors should remove:

• author names;
• institutional affiliations;
• email addresses;
• ORCID iDs;
• identifying acknowledgements; and
• other unnecessary information that may reveal authorship.

Author names, affiliations, ORCID iDs, and correspondence details should be entered separately in the OJS submission metadata and, where requested, provided in a separate title-page file.

12. Submission

Manuscripts must be submitted electronically through the JERP online submission system.

Authors should provide:

1. an anonymised manuscript prepared according to the current JERP template;
2. complete author and affiliation information in the submission system;
3. a cover letter;
4. supplementary files where applicable; and
5. any declarations or documents required by the journal.

The cover letter should briefly state:

• the purpose of the manuscript;
• its relevance to the aims and scope of JERP;
• its principal contribution; and
• confirmation that the manuscript is original and is not under consideration elsewhere.

13. Editorial Screening and Peer Review

All submissions undergo an initial editorial assessment before external peer review. Manuscripts that do not meet the journal's scope, scholarly, ethical, or submission requirements may be declined without external peer review.

Manuscripts that proceed to external review are normally evaluated by at least two independent reviewers using a double-anonymous peer-review process.

Possible editorial decisions are:

• Accept;
• Minor Revision;
• Major Revision; or
• Reject.

External peer review is normally completed within approximately 4–12 weeks, although actual processing times may vary.

Further information is available in the Peer Review Process and Editorial and Peer Review Policy.

14. Revision

Where revision is invited, authors should submit:

• a revised manuscript; and
• a clear point-by-point response explaining how each editorial and reviewer comment has been addressed.

Where a recommendation is not adopted, authors should provide an appropriate scholarly justification. Revised manuscripts may be assessed by the handling editor, returned to the original reviewers, or sent for additional review. A request for revision does not constitute acceptance.

15. Data and Research Transparency

Authors should provide sufficient information to support the transparency and credibility of their research. Where appropriate and ethically permissible, supporting data, instruments, protocols, analytic materials, or other relevant research materials may be deposited in recognised repositories or provided as supplementary materials. Restrictions on data availability should be explained where relevant.

16. Copyright and Open Access

Authors retain copyright in their published work. Articles published in JERP are distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) Licence.

This licence permits sharing and adaptation provided that appropriate attribution is given. Authors are responsible for obtaining permission for any third-party copyrighted material included in their manuscripts.

See JERP's Open Access Policy .

17. Publication Fees

Information concerning submission fees, Article Processing Charges (APCs), and applicable waivers is provided on JERP's Publication Fees page.

Payment, non-payment, or eligibility for a waiver does not influence editorial assessment, reviewer selection, peer review, or publication decisions.

18. Before Submission

Before submitting, authors should confirm that:

• the manuscript falls within JERP's aims and scope;
• the work is original and is not under consideration elsewhere;
• the current JERP template has been used;
• British English is used consistently;
• the review manuscript has been anonymised;
• the abstract does not exceed 250 words;
• 3–5 keywords are provided;
• citations and references follow APA 7th edition;
• all references and DOI information have been verified;
• relevant ethical approval or consent information is provided;
• funding and competing interests are disclosed;
• substantive generative AI use is disclosed where applicable; and
• all authors have approved the submission.

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