Submissions
Submission guidelines
Starting in 2021, all manuscripts submitted should be prepared according to the 7th edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (i.e., the APA 7 style). More details regarding formatting and grammar are available on the APA Style website and Purdue Online Writing Lab. To assist in manuscript preparation, a formatting template is provided.
Before submitting an article, authors are required to read the general terms and conditions.
CERJ Volume 13 Call for Submission
The Cambridge Education Research e-Journal (CERJ) is pleased to announce the call for submissions for Volume 13: Education in Changing Times. CERJ publishes rigorous educational research and welcomes submissions from all regions of the world. Authors do not need to be affiliated with the University of Cambridge to submit. Submissions should be made here on or before 22 May 2026.
Theme: Education in Changing Times
Education is not stable, and it never has been. It shifts with technologies, politics, crises, and the stories we tell about knowledge, value, and voice.
This theme invites you to sit with that instability.
- What does it mean to teach, learn, and research in uncertain, accelerated, or contested times?
- What is being transformed—and what quietly stays the same?
- Who benefits, and who is left out?
Changing times are also sites of possibility. We are interested in how education can foster well-being, resilience, and meaning-making while remaining attentive to inequality and constraint. We welcome contributions that question, disrupt, and reimagine education across contexts.
Sub-themes
We welcome submissions covering a range of sub-themes, including, but not limited to:
- STEAM Education (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics Education)
- Pedagogy and Teaching Approaches
- Language, Literacy, and Identity
- Policy and Reform
- Early Childhood, Secondary, and Higher Education
- Assessment & Evaluation
- Teacher Professional Development
Please note that the above sub-themes are not exhaustive. Authors are strongly encouraged to submit papers related to education. We welcome submissions that extend beyond or challenge these framings.
Submissions can take the form of original research papers, research notes, critical reviews, and other formats. All submissions undergo double-blind peer review. More details on word length, style guide, and submission guidelines can be found at the bottom of this page.
CERJ actively encourages submissions from first-time authors and early-career researchers. Our editorial board provides support, including an information session on the publication process and assistance in developing full submissions. We aim to represent a variety of voices and welcome submissions from graduate or doctoral students, postdoctoral researchers, and educational practitioners, both within the University of Cambridge and beyond.
Note to the author:
- All abstracts should be no longer than 300 words, with no more than five keywords.
- Please ensure the manuscript is prepared using a normal, plain font (e.g., 12-point Times Roman).
- Single line spacing should be used. Please do not insert blank lines before or after headings to avoid difficulties during the final editing stage.
- Tables and Figures should be placed WITHIN the manuscript rather than at the end of the document.
- Please include the word count of your paper. Refer to the section “Types of Papers Accepted” for word limits.
- Both US and UK spelling are acceptable as long as it is consistent throughout the manuscript.
- All submissions should comply with APA 7 guidelines. For further guidance please visit the APA website https://apastyle.apa.org/.
- All submissions should be made in .docx or .doc format.
- Include a competing interest statement and, where applicable, statements on funding, ethical approval, informed consent, and data availability.
CERJ does not charge for submission and publication. You’ll receive a decision as to whether your manuscript will proceed through our double-blind review process within approximately 30 days of submission. The volume is scheduled for publication in November 2026.
Please do not hesitate to contact cerj@educ.cam.ac.uk for any questions related to submissions and our journal. We look forward to receiving your submission.
CERJ Editorial Board
Volume 13
Types of papers accepted
Authors should note that the following word counts include tables and figures, but exclude the abstract, references, and appendices.
Original research papers (6,000 – 8,000 words)
This article allows students the opportunity to present their research findings. Submissions should contextualise the research question(s) in a sufficient review of the literature, outline the theoretical perspective, methodological design, and data collection and analysis techniques. The study’s strengths and limitations, ethical considerations, and implications should also be addressed.
Critical reviews or research syntheses (6,000 – 8,000 words)
This type of article can be either a critique of the literature or specific methodological approaches. It could be part of an ongoing work (part of a doctoral thesis) or a standalone piece (MPhil/master essays for example). This type of article should clearly state the purpose or intention of the review (e.g., in a statement, or the form of a hypothesis or research question), provide sufficient background information of the focus area, and define any technical terms that that would be unfamiliar to non-specialist readers. The article should also indicate how it will go about addressing the topic under discussion.
Research notes or commentary pieces (4,000 – 6000 words)
These are short summaries of research in progress. These articles may be helpful for those who are beginning their work and would like feedback on a particular research question(s) or more for information on a particular topic. For longer research notes, general contextual information about one’s study (e.g., the research questions, theoretical perspectives, and methodological design) should be included. Where applicable, further elaboration of the study’s details can be given (e.g., ongoing data analysis, preliminary findings).
Book reviews (2,000 – 4,000 words)
This submission type provides a critical evaluation of a specific book from a reputable publisher, published within the last three years, that is relevant to education and educational research. Rather than a chapter-by-chapter summary, reviews should contextualise the chosen work within wider scholarly debates, discussing its unique contributions, theoretical rigour, and implications for the field. All submissions must include full bibliographic details (including ISBN and publisher). We encourage a balanced, respectful, and scholarly tone, using accessible language for an interdisciplinary audience while providing an overall assessment based on a critical examination of the book's content.
Further Inquiry
If you have questions about submission, or are having trouble submitting your research in its current form using the submission form, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the CERJ team at cerj@educ.cam.ac.uk. We are committed to accepting a wide range of submissions and are happy to work with you to get your work published in CERJ.
Registered Reports via PCI RR
Starting from October 2021, CERJ is pleased to be a member of the Peer Community in Registered Reports (PCI RR), which performs Stage 1 and Stage 2 review of RR preprints.
As a “PCI RR-friendly” journal, CERJ will automatically offer Stage 1 in-principle acceptance (IPA) to any quantitative Stage 1 RR within the journal’s disciplinary scope that receives IPA at PCI RR, and will accept without further peer review any Stage 2 RR that has been recommended by PCI RR, subject to the manuscript meeting applicable journal requirements which can be found here.
Authors intending to publish in this journal via PCI RR should submit their manuscript to the journal only after a final positive Stage 2 recommendation from PCI RR.
On submission, the manuscript will be checked by the editor to confirm that the submission is identical to the Stage 2 manuscript that is approved by PCI RR. Acceptance will be subject to the editor’s satisfaction that the manuscript is the same as the preprint approved by PCI RR.
Authors taking advantage of the PCI RR track should submit their Stage 2 Registered Report directly to our editorial office (cerj@educ.ac.uk). The manuscript must include the URL to the reviews and recommendation at PCI RR. The submission must also be accompanied by a cover letter stating that the authors are submitting via the PCI RR track, including a URL to the recommended preprint, and confirming that the manuscript is identical to the recommended preprint.
Accepted RR will be published online first and will be included in the upcoming Volume, together with the regular submissions to that Volume.
Please find additional details regarding PCI RR.
Upcoming Submission Workshop for Potential Authors
CERJ encourages submissions from first-time authors and early-career researchers. A submission workshop will be held in April to facilitate the publication process. The CERJ Volume 13 Editorial Board will address frequently asked questions from authors.