Guidelines for submitting an article to Learn Journal
- Word limit 3,000-5,000excluding references
- Short (300-500 word) author(s) biography
- Please note that Tables and Figures are printed in black and white (at present)
- Two anonymised versions of each article (these will go to external reviewers)
- One copy with author(s) full contact details including email address and mobile phone number (contact details below)
- Use Harvard referencing style, see latest edition of Cite it Right
- Be sparing in the use of bullet points
- Proof read for spelling, punctuation and grammatical errors
- Check that the final proof read version is submitted
- An article can only be published in one journal
- All articles should add to existing knowledge on a subject or indicate a different perspective on a topic
- Self-reference to avoid self-plagiarism
- Articles can include topics such as general education, leadership etc but have a special education focus
- When using acronyms use full title in the first instance with acronym in brackets acronym can be used thereafter, For example, special educational needs (SEN)
- Final version of article (as a word document) should be emailed to ilsanationalcommittee@gmail.com with Learn Editorial Board in the subject line.
Suggested guidelines for writing a journal article
- Know your audience for example, primary, post primary teachers, student teachers, researchers etc.
- Think about how the article will add to existing body of knowledge within research and practice
- What are you writing about?
- Summary of research/dissertation
- Writing to accompany a conference presentation
- Reflection on own practice
- Report on action research
- Review of literature
- Read previous articles written in the journal
- Avoid cutting and pasting, especially from the internet, and always acknowledge authors that have influenced your thought when writing your article
- Minimise the risk of plagiarism by keeping track of where your quotes come from, reference as you go
- Proof read for spelling, grammatical, punctuation and typographical errors
- It is a good idea to have a ‘critical friend’ to read and check for spelling/typos/ grammatical errors
- Check the recommended referencing conventions stipulated by the relevant journal
- Present a balanced argument and avoid bias
- Ensure writing is clear and academic in style
- Think about how the article will benefit practising teachers, researchers etc?
- Think about how the article will add to the existing body of knowledge within academia, research and practice
- How does it add to existing academic knowledge?
