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.
Volume 10 is open for submissions
The Cambridge Education Research e-Journal (CERJ) is welcoming submissions for Volume 10! CERJ publishes rigorous education research and welcomes submissions from all regions of the world. Authors do not need to be affiliated with Cambridge or any academic institution to submit to CERJ.
We welcome submissions covering a range of themes, including but not limited to:
- Reimagining education: How can education systems be designed to be more equitable and inclusive? How can we be more innovative in education methodologies, research, and practice? How can we decolonise education research and practice to reimagine the way we think about education? Critically, CERJ welcomes submissions that question the role of education within society, and what this might mean for the ways in which education is conceptualised and structured.
- Research approaches and methodologies: We welcome articles that interrogate how education research is conducted, the philosophical foundations underpinning education enquiry, and the implications of this for theory and praxis.
Submissions can take the form of research notes, literature reviews, or research papers. For more information, please consult the submission guidelines. All submissions are double-blind peer-reviewed.
CERJ encourages submissions from first-time authors and early career researchers. The CERJ editorial board provides support to first-time authors, including an information session on the publication process, and support in developing their full submissions.
The deadline for submissions is 26th April 2023, and manuscripts can be submitted through our submission form.
Types of papers accepted
Research notes, reflexive pieces, 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.
Kaleidoscope and other conference papers (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.
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.
Additional details regarding PCI RR may be found here.
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 virtual information sessions.