Author Guidelines

Journal Information
Online Submission System
Authorship
Publication Fees
Prepare Your Manuscript
Ethical Issues
Plagiarism and Data Fabrication
Peer Review Process
Open Access and Copyright
Data Availability
Article Retraction
Appeals and Complaints
Contact us

JOURNAL INFORMATION
The Journal of Curriculum Studies Research (JCSR) is a peer-reviewed academic journal that publishes only original scholarly works written in English. JCSR welcomes research papers, theoretical works, literature reviews, research reports, and book reviews on all aspects of curriculum studies.

All manuscripts submitted to JCSR are rigorously evaluated via a double-blind peer review process. The manuscripts should be original, unpublished, and not in consideration for publication elsewhere at the time of submission.

The subject matter of all manuscripts must be within the scope of the journal. Manuscripts that are not suitable for the journal will be rejected even if they are of high scientific quality. For detailed information on the aims and scope of JCSR, please refer to Aims & Scope.

JCSR is published by OpenED Network. E-ISSN: 2690-2788.

Publication Frequency
JCSR publishes two regular issues per year. Special issues may be additionally published. JSCR publishes articles "in progress". This means that once an article has passed peer-review and other editorial processes and is ready for publication, it will be added to the current issue. Thus, unnecessary delays in publication of accepted articles will be avoided.

ONLINE SUBMISSION SYSTEM
Authors are requested to submit their manuscripts using the journal’s online submission system. Authors must register with the journal prior to submission. The online submission system will guide authors through the submission process. Submission by email is not accepted.

AUTHORSHIP
Authorship should be limited to those who have made a significant contribution to the article. All those who have made significant contributions should be listed as co-authors. Significant contributions include:
- significant contributions to the conception, design, execution, data acquisition, or interpretation of the study;
- drafting the manuscript or revising it critically for important intellectual content

The corresponding author should verify that all co-authors have approved the final version of the manuscript and agreed to its submission for publication. Those who contributed to the work but do not meet the criteria for authorship should be listed in the Acknowledgements.

The definitive list of all authors must be provided when submitting the manuscript. Please ensure that the authorship information on the manuscript (the title page) matches the information you entered in the journal's submission system. Please note that if there is any inconsistency (for example, in the order of the co-authors), the information on the title page will be taken into account.

Changes in Authorship
Adding and/or removing authors, and/or changes in corresponding author, and/or changes in the order of co-authors are generally not permitted, but in some cases, and with a valid reason, it may be allowed. Please note that changes in authorship are only permissible during the review process. No changes are allowed after the manuscript has been accepted.
You will need to get approval for any changes by contacting the journal's Editor-in-Chief with your change request and a clear and valid reason for the change. This request must come from all the authors, including the person you are adding or removing. Please use the Authorship Change Form for any change request.

PUBLICATION FEES
To cover the cost of providing a high-quality publishing service and free access to readers, authors of manuscripts accepted to JCSR shall pay a one-time Article Processing Charge (APC).  As of January 1, 2024, ACP will be 950 USD (For articles submitted before that date, APC will be applied as 400 USD).  There is no charge for rejected articles, and no surcharge based on the length of the article, figures, or supplementary data. Editorial items (Editorials, Corrections, Additions, Retractions, Letters, Comments, etc.) are published free of charge.

For more information about APC, please see Article Processing Charge Policy

PREPARING YOUR MANUSCRIPT  

Title Page

The title page should be a Microsoft Word document separate from the main manuscript. The Title Page Template specifies what should be included on the title page. (You can download the template file here.) Please provide all of the required information on the title page. Submissions containing incomplete information will be returned without peer review.

Manuscript Format and Style

All manuscripts should be prepared in accordance with the form and style outlined in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA, 7th edition). For an open-access guide to APA 7th edition citation rules, see https://columbiacollege-ca.libguides.com/apa.

Since JCSR applies a double-blind peer review process, the manuscript file must not contain any information that reveals the identities of the authors or their institutions. 

Length of Manuscript

Recommended manuscript length is 2500 to 8000 words, including references.

Abstract

Include an abstract of 250 words or less.

Keywords

Include 4 to 6 keywords that can be used for indexing purposes.

Text Formatting

Manuscripts must be submitted as Microsoft Word (.doc), OpenOffice, or Rich Text Format (.rtf) and must be single-spaced using 12-point font in Times New Roman. Employ italics rather than underlining (except with URL addresses). All illustrations, figures, and tables should be placed within the text at the appropriate points rather than at the end of the paper.

Citation

The manuscript should be an original work. Authors must appropriately cite the sources of other works, words, ideas, or figures used in the manuscript. Text copied from another source must be appropriately quoted and cited according to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th edition). 

Reference List

The list of references should be prepared according to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th edition). Each reference cited in the text must appear in the reference list, and each entry in the reference list must be cited in the text.

Reference Examples
Please pay attention to punctuation (comma, dot, etc.), italics and spaces.

Books:
Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication). Title of book in italic (edition if given and is not first edition). Publisher Name.
Watson, J. (2012). Human caring science: A theory of nursing (2nd ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Book chapters:
Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication). Title of chapter. In Editor's First Initial. Second Initial if Given. Editor's Last Name (Ed. or Eds.), Title of book in italic (edition if given and is not first edition, pp. first page number-last page number). Publisher Name
Rattan, A. (2019). How lay theories (or mindsets) shape the confrontation of prejudice. In R. K. Mallett & M. J. Monteith (Eds.), Confronting prejudice and discrimination: The science of changing minds and behaviors (pp. 121-140). Academic Press.

Journal Articles:
Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication). Title of article. Name of Journal in italic, Volume Number in italic(Issue Number), first page number-last page number. https://doi number
Bailey, N. W. (2012). Evolutionary models of extended phenotypes. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 27(3), 561-569. https://doi.org/10.1037/rev0000126

Blog posts:
Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year, Month Day). Title of post. Website name in italic. URL.
Scoville, H. (2019, July 14). What Is Evolution? A Brief Overview of the History and Concepts of Evolution. ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-evolution-1224603

Online documents (reports, etc.):
Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year). Title of document in italic. Organization if given. URL.
Murray, G. (2005). A duty of care to children and young people in Western Australia: Report on the quality assurance and review of unsubstantiated allegations of abuse in care. Western Australia Department of Child Protection. http://www.community.wa.gov.au/NR/rdonlyres/851183A4-.pdf

Thesis/Dissertation:
Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year). Title of thesis – italicised [Doctoral dissertation or Master's thesis, Institution]. URL (if any)
Axford, J. C. (2007). What constitutes success in Pacific Island community conserved areas? [Doctoral dissertation, University of Queensland]. http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:158747 

Footnotes

Footnotes should be used sparingly to provide additional information. Do not use them for citation purposes.

Tables and Figures

All tables and figures must be numbered using Arabic numerals and include a caption (title) explaining their contents. They must be placed within the text at the appropriate points. Supply any tables in an editable format (such as Microsoft Word), and not as images.

Disclosure and conflicts of interest

When submitting their manuscript to JCSR, authors must provide a declaration that discloses any financial or other substantive conflicting or competing interests that could potentially impact the findings or interpretation of the manuscript. Additionally, all sources of financial support should be disclosed. This should be stated in the "title-page", which must be uploaded on the Journal’s online system during the first submission. Even if there is no conflict of interest to be disclosed, you must specify it. You will find guidance on this subject in the title-page template.

Permissions

It is the responsibility of the author to obtain written permission for a figure, illustration, table, or text passage that has been published elsewhere.

Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments (of people, grants, funding, etc.) should be placed in a separate section before the reference list. Authors must obtain permission to include the names of all individuals included in the Acknowledgements section.

ETHICAL ISSUES
In the educational sciences, as well as in other fields such as medicine, researchers must comply with ethical rules while using human subjects, working with vulnerable populations, or handling confidential data.  The ethical principles and standards that will guide the authors submitting their manuscript to JCSR are detailed in Research and Publication Ethics Policy. Please carefully read  and strictly comply with these principles and standards, in addition to the explanations below. 

Informed Consent of Participants
Informed consent refers to the ethical principle that the participation should be voluntarily, with a clear understanding of the study's purpose and procedures. Researchers should provide participants with clear, understandable and sufficiently comprehensive information about the purpose and scope of the research, how the data will be used, the dissemination of results, and the potential risks and benefits. Participants have the right to withdraw at any stage of the research. Participants should be clearly informed about this. In studies involving children, the informed consent should be obtained from a parent or a legally authorized guardian. 

Informed consent can be obtained in written or oral form. However, if the study involves personally identifiable information such photographs or names, written consent is mandatory. In necessary cases, informed consent forms obtained from the participants may be requested by the JCSR editors. 

In the manuscript submitted to the JCSR, the authors should provide clear information on how the informed consent of participants was obtained. For detailed information about informed consent, please refer to the Publication Ethics Policy.

Confidentiality and Anonymity of Participants 
Maintaining the anonymity of research participants during the dissemination of findings must be the standard practice. Researchers should not reveal any confidential and personally identifiable information about participants in the manuscripts submitted to JCRS unless necessary. In the case of using photographs, names or other identifiable information is necessary in the manuscript, researchers must have clearly informed the participants about this, and obtained written consent.

Any personally identifiable information about child participants (individuals under the age of 18) should not be revealed in any way. If child participant photos are used in manuscripts submitted to JCSR, their faces must be properly blurred to ensure anonymity. For detailed information about confidentiality and anonymity of participants, please refer to the Publication Ethics Policy.

PLAGIARISM AND DATA FABRICATION
The manuscript should be an original work. Authors must appropriately cite the sources of other works, words, ideas, or figures used in the manuscript. Text copied from another source must be appropriately quoted and cited.

Plagiarism, one of the biggest threats to scholarly publication quality and academic integrity, is forbidden in JCSR. Plagiarism may take different forms, such as showing someone else’s work as one’s own, copying or paraphrasing parts of other studies without proper attribution, or using research data collected or produced by others without permission and proper attribution.

All manuscripts submitted to JCSR are routinely screened for plagiarism. JCSR’s editors use Turnitin to check each manuscript for plagiarism and text duplication. If editors suspect plagiarism during the peer review process, they shall follow the guidelines set by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). If plagiarism is confirmed, the manuscript will be rejected.

Practices such as fabricating or manipulating data, manipulating images and other visual objects, and deliberately selecting analysis tools or methods to support a particular conclusion constitute unethical behavior and are strictly forbidden in JCSR. Authors must present an accurate account of the work performed, especially regarding data collection, analysis, and interpretation. Underlying data must be represented accurately in the manuscript. The study should contain sufficient detail and references to permit others to replicate the work. Fraudulent or knowingly inaccurate statements constitute unethical behavior and are unacceptable.

For detailed information about plagiarism and other research misconducts, please refer to the Publication Ethics Policy.

PEER REVIEW PROCESS
The papers published by JCSR are selected via a rigorous and double-blind peer review process. Submitted manuscripts are first reviewed by the editorial staff, who may decide to reject them or send them to two external peer reviewers. The process is double-blind. Based on the reviewers’ decisions and remarks, the Editor-in-Chief make the final decision. In special issues, the Guest Editor who is in charge of the review processes make recommendations to the Editor-in-Chief on final decision. The Guest Editor's recommendation should be based on the reviewer’s comments and his/her own evaluation.  The Editor-in-Chief make final decision on whether to publish a certain special issue article or not, and his/her decision may differ from the guest editor's recommendation.

If revisions are required, authors will be asked to resubmit the revised manuscript within a certain period of time. In the case of major revisions, the revised version of the manuscript will be returned to the reviewers and re-evaluated.

After acceptance for publication, proofs of the paper will be prepared and sent to the corresponding author via the journal’s online system. The corresponding author must revise the proofs and return the corrected proofs to the Editor within one week.

For more information on the review process, please refer to our Peer Review Policy.

OPEN ACCESS AND COPYRIGHT
JCSR is an open journal and provides immediate open access to all its published content. The content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license (CC BY 4.0). Users are allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, reuse, or link to full-text articles without asking prior permission from the publisher or the author.

Authors are allowed to self-archive their articles on institutional or other specialized repositories, their personal websites, and social networking sites such as ResearchGate and Academia.edu.

For detailed information, please refer to our Open Access and Copyright Policy.  

DATA AVAILABILITY
We encourage authors to make the research data on which their paper is based available either by depositing the data into a public repository or uploading the data and files as supplementary materials with the submission. The Registry of Research Data Repositories is available at www.re3data.org. Authors who have deposited their datasets into a public repository should state this in their Cover Letter. As a data availability statement could reveal the identity of the author(s), we recommend that this information be removed from the anonymized version of the manuscript.

ARTICLE RETRACTION
Published articles in JCSR should remain extant and intact. However, under exceptional circumstances involving plagiarism, data fabrication, and redundant publication or involuntary data errors, articles may need to be retracted, removed, or replaced in order to protect the integrity of the literature. The need for a retraction will be determined by the Editor-in-Chief but may be initiated, in cases of flawed data or conclusions, at the request of the author(s).

To retract an article, a notice of retraction will be published. This notice of retraction will:
- include the title and author(s) of the article, the reason for the retraction, and who is retracting the article;
- be published online and be linked to the online version of the article.

APPEALS AND COMPLAINTS

Appeals
Authors have the right to appeal a decision regarding their submission to JCSR if they believe the decision was unfair. To appeal a decision, submit a letter detailing the nature of the appeal and indicating why the decision is viewed as unfair.

The Editor-in-Chief will review all relevant documentation relating to the submission, may consult the relevant Associate Editor or reviewers, and may appoint a new reviewer to evaluate the submission before making a decision. The decision of the Editor-in-Chief is final.

Complaints
For complaints relating to the policies and procedures of JCSR or the conduct of editorial staff, please email the details of the complaint to the Editor-in-Chief or to the publisher, OpenED Network. All complaints directed through the correct channels will be acknowledged and the resolution will be conveyed to the complainant. Complaints will be resolved as quickly as possible.

CONTACT US
Please feel free to contact us for further information.