SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Prospective authors are invited to submit manuscripts for possible publication in JIR. JIR publishes original material highlighting faculty research relevant to best practices in post-secondary teaching, learning and assessment. As is the nature of refereed journals, acceptance and publication of original manuscripts is a competitive process.

Types of Submissions

• Theoretical
• Empirical research
• Case Study
• Innovative methodologies and applications

Manuscript Preparation

JIR hosts a range of research strategies; most common formats include theoretical, empirical, critical reflection, case study, and classroom innovation. Submissions should clearly highlight the significance and implications of the investigation to post-secondary teaching and learning; all manuscripts should be formatted according to APA Style. The American Psychological Association (2001) provides the following general guidelines for communicating your scholarly work:

• Present the problem, question or issue early in the manuscript.
• Show how the issue is grounded, shaped, and directed by theory.
• Connect the issue to previous work in a literature review that is pertinent and informative but not exhaustive.
• State explicitly the hypotheses under investigation or the target of the theoretical review.
• Keep the conclusions within the boundaries of the findings and/or scope of the theory.
• Demonstrate how the study or scholarly approach has helped to address the original issue.
• Identify and discuss what theoretical or practical implications can be drawn from this work.
• Manuscripts should include data or evidence to support recommendations

Suggestions for effective manuscript submissions:

• Title - Titles should not exceed 15 words and should provide a clear introduction to the point of your manuscript.
• Abstract - The abstract provides a short summary (150-250 words) of your work that provides the key information for readers to determine their interest in reading the complete article. The abstract should be "accurate, self-contained, nonevaluative, coherent, and readable" (Calfee & Valencia, 2001).
• Body - Information should be organized and sub-titled to facilitate flow and understanding of key issues. Authors should use APA Style guidelines to organize and present information in a manner that is easily communicated to readers. JIR has no length requirements for manuscripts; authors are encouraged to be direct and concise to maintain a focus on key issues.
• References - Carefully select references to ensure that citations are current and relevant; prioritize credible, published sources that have proven pertinent and valuable to the relevant investigations.  
• Tables, Figures, Appendices & Graphics - When necessary, include supporting documents to illustrate the findings, relevance or utilization of materials. Prioritize supplements that promote easy, efficient integration of suggestions, findings or techniques into classroom (such as rubrics, assignments, etc.) applications.

To facilitate the masked portion of the manuscript review process, author's name and other identifying information should only appear on the title page; the remainder of the manuscript should be written in a more generalized fashion that does not directly divulge authorship or institutional affiliation.

Manuscript (including citations and references) must strictly follow APA style as dictated by the most current edition of the American Psychological Association Publication Manual (http://www.apastyle.org/).

Copyright

JIR publishes only original manuscripts (i.e., manuscripts under review with another publication, previously published, or revised versions of previously published manuscript are not acceptable). In addition, copyright policies are as follows:

• Authors hold sole copyright for papers posted on the JIR website during public review (See Review Guidelines for information on the public review process).
• Authors and JIR will hold joint copyright for manuscripts accepted for publication.
• Authors are required to acquire necessary permissions for copyrighted images; it is the author's responsibility to determine whether or not permissions are needed for images. In addition, authors are responsible for all permission fees associated with copyrighted materials.
• Trademark use must be credited to owner or permissions must be obtained for use.
• Authors must obtain all appropriate institutional and IRB approvals prior to submission. 
• Authors are responsible for the accuracy of references within the manuscript.

Correspondence

All correspondence concerning manuscripts should be directed to the Editor of JIR. The Editor will direct all correspondence to the lead author via the journal management system; the lead author is responsible for sharing communications with other authors. Beyond communication concerning the review, manuscripts accepted for publication will require additional correspondence to complete copyediting and typesetting.

References

American Psychological Association. (2010). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.

Calfee, R. & Valencia, R. (2001). APA Guide to preparing manuscripts for journal publication. Washington, DC: APA.