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). Authors are required to write their paper using the CERJ manuscript template. This template provides CERJ specific instructions about article formatting. More details regarding formatting and grammar are available on the APA Style website and Purdue Online Writing Lab.
Before submitting an article, authors are required to read the general terms and conditions.
CERJ Vol 12 Call for Submission
The Cambridge Education Research e-Journal (CERJ) is excited to announce the call for submissions for Volume 12! CERJ publishes rigorous education research and welcomes submissions from all regions of the world. Authors do not need to be affiliated with Cambridge to submit to CERJ. We encourage submissions from educators in K-12 schools and professionals from educational departments. The deadline for submissions is May 12, 2025.
We welcome submissions covering a range of themes, including, but not limited to:
- Equality and Access in Education
- STEAM Education
- Pedagogy and Teaching Approaches
- Language and Education
- Early Childhood, Secondary, and Higher Education
- Assessment and Evaluation
- Teacher Professional Development
- New Directions in Education Research
Please note that the above list of themes is not exhaustive. Authors are strongly encouraged to submit research on topics related to education, even if not explicitly covered by the themes provided.
Submissions can take the form of research notes, literature reviews, research papers 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 formatted correctly using Times New Roman and font size 12.
- Single line spacing should be used, please do not interest lines before or after headings to avoid editing difficulty in the final stage.
- Tables and Figures should be placed WITHIN the manuscript rather than at the end of the document.
- Both US and UK spelling are acceptable as long as it is consistent throughout the manuscript.
- Unless otherwise stipulated, all submissions should comply with APA 7 guidelines. For further guidance please visit the APA website https://apastyle.apa.org/.
Please submit your manuscript by May 12, 2025 through our submission form.
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. We aim to make a decision regarding the acceptance of your manuscript for publication before August 8, 2025.
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 12
Types of papers accepted
Research notes, reflexive pieces, commentary, and pilot studies (2,500 – 3,000 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., descriptions of a pilot study, updates on data collection, on-going data analysis, and preliminary findings).
Critical reviews and literature reviews (2,500 – 6,000 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 and include a 300 word abstract.
Research papers (2,500 – 6,000 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. Research papers will need to be accompanied by a 300 word abstract.
Conference proceedings (2,500 – 6,000 words)
This article is an expanded version of the presented conference paper. Specifically, more details about the background, description, and additional results of the research should be provided. Prospective authors can refer to the "Research paper" guidelines above to guide the composition of their paper. Abstracts submitted to the Kaleidoscope Conference or other graduate conferences can be used for this paper, unless the research has undergone significant changes, in which case, a revised abstract is required.
Note - The specified are word limits excluding abstract, references and appendices.
Other Submissions
CERJ is open to submissions in a variety of formats, and is not limited to the formats listed here. 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.
Watch a recording of our virtual info sessions on submitting to CERJ
CERJ encourages submissions from first-time authors and early-career researchers. To find out more about the publication process, watch CERJ's Submission Workshop, where CERJ Volume 12 Editorial Board has addressed frequently asked questions from authors.