Author Guidelines

Sections

  1. Submission and Peer Review Process
  2. Article Types
  3. After Acceptance

1. Submission and Peer Review Process

Once the submission materials have been prepared in accordance with the Author Guidelines, manuscripts should be submitted online at https://submission.wiley.com/journal/jaal.

For help with submissions, please contact: [email protected].

This journal does not charge submission fees.

 

Article Preparation Support

Wiley Editing Services offers expert help with English Language Editing, as well as translation, manuscript formatting, figure illustration, figure formatting, and graphical abstract design – so you can submit your manuscript with confidence.

Also, check out our resources for Preparing Your Article for general guidance about writing and preparing your manuscript.

 

New submissions should be made via the Research Exchange submission portal. For technical help with the submission system, please review our FAQs or contact [email protected].

 

Free Format Submission

Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy now offers Free Format submission for a simplified and streamlined submission process.

Before you submit, you will need:

  • Your manuscript: this should be an editable file including text, figures, and tables, or separate files—whichever you prefer. All required sections should be contained in your manuscript, including abstract, introduction, methods, results, and conclusions as appropriate for the manuscript type. Figures and tables should have labels. Figures should be uploaded in the highest resolution possible.
  • References may be submitted in any style or format, as long as it is consistent throughout the manuscript. Production will make all changes to APA 7th edition from a different style if an article is accepted. Supporting information should be submitted in separate files. A manuscript may be sent back to you if it has not been carefully proofread.
  • An ORCID ID, freely available at https://orcid.org. This journal encourages ORCID. Please refer to Wiley’s resources on ORCID. (Why is this important? Your article, if accepted and published, will be attached to your ORCID profile. Institutions and funders are increasingly requiring authors to have ORCID IDs.)
  • The title page of the manuscript, including:
    • Your co-author details, including affiliation and email address. (Why is this important? We need to keep all co-authors informed of the outcome of the peer review process.)
    • Statements relating to our ethics and integrity policies, which may include any of the following (Why are these important? We need to uphold rigorous ethical standards for the research we consider for publication):
      • funding statement
      • conflict of interest disclosure
      • ethics approval statement
      • permission to reproduce material from other sources. If you need more information, please consider reading the ILA guidelines here.
      • please see the Publishing Ethics Guidelines here.
    • Full details on requirements can be found in the 'Title Page' section below.

 

Important: the journal operates a double-anonymized peer review policy. Please anonymize your manuscript and supply a separate title page file.

Members of the Editorial Board who submit manuscripts to the journal are anonymized to the peer review process and excluded from editorial decision-making on their own work to minimize bias.

To submit, login at https://submission.wiley.com/journal/jaal and create a new submission. Follow the submission steps as required and submit the manuscript.

 

Artificial Intelligence Generated Content

Artificial Intelligence Generated Content (AIGC) tools—such as ChatGPT and others based on large language models (LLMs)—cannot be considered capable of initiating an original piece of research without direction by human authors. They also cannot be accountable for a published work or for research design, which is a generally held requirement of authorship (as discussed in the previous section), nor do they have legal standing or the ability to hold or assign copyright. Therefore—in accordance with COPE’s position statement on AI tools—these tools cannot fulfill the role of, nor be listed as, an author of an article. If an author has used this kind of tool to develop any portion of a manuscript, its use must be described, transparently and in detail, in the Methods or Acknowledgements section. The author is fully responsible for the accuracy of any information provided by the tool and for correctly referencing any supporting work on which that information depends. Tools that are used to improve spelling, grammar, and general editing are not included in the scope of these guidelines. The final decision about whether use of an AIGC tool is appropriate or permissible in the circumstances of a submitted manuscript or a published article lies with the journal’s editor or other party responsible for the publication’s editorial policy.

 

Open Access

This journal is a subscription journal that offers an open access option. You'll have the option to choose to make your article open access after acceptance, which will be subject to an APC, unless a waiver applies. For more information on this journal’s APCs, please see the Open Access page.

 

Data Citation

Please review Wiley’s Data Citation policy.

 

Data Protection

By submitting a manuscript to or reviewing for this publication, your name, email address, and affiliation, and other contact details the publication might require, will be used for the regular operations of the publication. Please review Wiley’s Data Protection Policy to learn more.

 

Funding

You should list all funding sources in the Acknowledgments section. You are responsible for the accuracy of their funder designation. If in doubt, please check the Open Funder Registry for the correct nomenclature.

 

Authorship

All listed authors should have contributed to the manuscript substantially and have agreed to the final submitted version. Review editorial standards and scroll down for a description of authorship criteria.

Acknowledgements may be used to denote contributions to the work that do not meet the criteria of Authorship.

Acknowledgments

Contributions from anyone who does not meet the criteria for authorship should be listed, with permission from the contributor, in an Acknowledgments section. Financial and material support should also be mentioned. Thanks to anonymous reviewers are not appropriate.

Reproduction of Copyright Material

If excerpts from copyrighted works owned by third parties are included, credit must be shown in the contribution. It is your responsibility to also obtain written permission for reproduction from the copyright owners. For more information visit Wiley’s Copyright Terms & Conditions FAQ.

The corresponding author is responsible for obtaining written permission to reproduce the material "in print and other media" from the publisher of the original source, and for supplying Wiley with that permission upon submission.

 

For more information please see the below resources:


2. Article Types

Article Type

 

Description

Recommended Word Limit 

Abstract / Structure

Other Requirements

 

 

 

 

 

 

Article

 

reports original research, with methods, findings, and conclusions. Most articles are between 6000-6500 words.

7,000 recommended word limit

Yes

You may be asked to provide an IRB Statement

Review

 

literature review or conceptual review that provides an overview of current lines of thought or issues in the field; synthesizes multiple sources of information.

7,000 recommended word limit

Yes

 

Commentaries

 

expert opinion that contextualizes one or more articles previously published in JAAL, commenting on where the field stands now in relation to the topic.

4,000 recommended word limit

Yes

 

Media Review

 

review of print and digital texts (including videos and websites) that inform literacy teaching and related educational practices.

1,500 recommended word limit

Yes

 

Discussion

 

Articles that discuss applied practice or current issues in the field. The article can be practical or conceptual.  These are shorter pieces that not full research studies. However, if any data (including descriptions of actual teachers or learners) is used, you may be asked to provide IRB/ethical clearance.

4,000 recommended word limit

Yes

You may be asked to provide an IRB Statement

Letter to the Editor

 

A letter, or response to a letter, sent to the journal to raise a point of interest, discuss a difference of opinion, or encourage participation

1,500 recommended word limit

Yes

 

 

Embedded Rich Media

This journal has the option for authors to embed rich media (i.e. video and audio) within their final article. These files should be submitted with the manuscript files online, using either the “Embedded Video” or “Embedded Audio” file designation. If the video/audio includes dialogue, a transcript should be included as a separate file. The combined manuscript files, including video, audio, tables, figures, and text must not exceed 350 MB. For full guidance on accepted file types and resolution please see here.

Ensure each file is numbered (e.g. Video 1, Video 2, etc.) Legends for the rich media files should be placed at the end of the article.

The content of the video should not display overt product advertising. Educational presentations are encouraged.

Any narration should be in English, if possible. A typed transcript of any speech within the video/audio should be provided. An English translation of any non-English speech should be provided in the transcript.

All embedded rich media will be subject to peer review. Editors reserve the right to request edits to rich media files as a condition of acceptance. Contributors are asked to be succinct, and the Editors reserve the right to require shorter video/audio duration. The video/audio should be high quality (both in content and visibility/audibility). The video/audio should make a specific point; particularly, it should demonstrate the features described in the text of the manuscript.


At Revision:
The following is required at the Revision Stage. It is not required at initial submission.

Title Page 

The title page should contain: 

    1. A brief informative title containing the major key words. The title should not contain abbreviations (see Wiley's best practice SEO tips);
    2. A short running title of less than 40 characters;
    3. The full names of the authors;
    4. The author's institutional affiliations where the work was conducted, with a footnote for the author’s present address if different from where the work was conducted;
    5. Acknowledgments.

Manuscripts can be uploaded either as a single document (containing the main text, tables and figures), or with figures and tables provided as separate files. Should your manuscript reach revision stage, figures and tables must be provided as separate files. The main manuscript file can be submitted in Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) format.

 

Main Text File

The main text file should be in an editable format.

Your main document file should include:

    • A short informative title containing the major key words. The title should not contain abbreviations
    • Acknowledgments;
    • Abstract (100-150 words)
    • Up to seven keywords;
    • Main body: formatted as introduction, background and relevant literature, research methods, discussion, conclusion. Make every effort to include subheadings (up to 3 levels of subheads can be accommodated in JAAL);
    • References;
    • Tables (each table complete with title and footnotes);
    • Figures: Legends should be supplied as a complete list in the text. Figures should be uploaded as separate files (see below).


Reference Style

This journal uses APA 7th reference style; as the journal offers Free Format submission; however, this is for information only.  References may be formatted in any standard style and need to be consistent throughout the manuscript. The typesetter will format references in APA 7th reference style prior to publication.

 

Figures and Supporting Information

Figures, supporting information, and appendices should be supplied as separate files. You should review the basic figure requirements for manuscripts for peer review, as well as the more detailed post-acceptance figure requirements. View Wiley’s FAQs on supporting information.

 

Peer Review

This journal operates under a double-anonymized peer review model. All manuscripts are peer reviewed by anonymous reviewers. Papers will only be sent to review if the Editor-in-Chief determines that the paper meets the appropriate quality and relevance requirements.

In-house submissions, i.e. papers authored by Editors or Editorial Board members of the title, will be sent to Editors unaffiliated with the author or institution and monitored carefully to ensure there is no peer review bias.

Wiley's policy on the confidentiality of the review process is available here.


Appeals and Complaints

Authors may appeal an editorial decision if they feel that the decision to reject was based on either a significant misunderstanding of a core aspect of the manuscript, a failure to understand how the manuscript advances the literature or concerns regarding the manuscript-handling process. Differences in opinion regarding the novelty or significance of the reported findings are not considered as grounds for appeal. To raise an appeal, please contact the journal by email, quoting your manuscript ID number and explaining your rationale for the appeal. The editor’s decision following an appeal consideration is final.

To raise a complaint regarding editorial staff, policy or process please contact the journal in the first instance. If you believe further support outside the journal’s management is necessary, please refer to Wiley’s Best Practice Guidelines on Research Integrity and Publishing Ethics.


Refer and Transfer Program

Wiley believes that no valuable research should go unshared. This journal participates in Wiley’s Refer & Transfer program. If your manuscript is not accepted, you may receive a recommendation to transfer your manuscript to another suitable Wiley journal, either through a referral from the journal’s editor or through our Transfer Desk Assistant.

 

Guidelines on Publishing and Research Ethics in Journal Articles

Authors are expected to keep IRB letters, consent forms, or other related paperwork on file, and they may be asked to provide them at any given point. 

Please be aware that it is the author’s responsibility to provide us with confirmation that the study has been approved by relevant bodies (e.g. institutional review boards, research ethics committees, national authorities), that appropriate consent has been obtained for studies involving human participants, and that all ethical standards around their work are upheld. In signing the author license to publish, authors are required to confirm that consent has been obtained. A statement describing explicitly the ethical background to your study and any institutional or national ethical committee approval must be included in your manuscript

Participant anonymity should be preserved. Photographs need to be cropped sufficiently to prevent human subjects being recognized. Please review Wiley’s policies surrounding human studies, animal studies, clinical trial registration, biosecurity, and research reporting guidelines.

 

Frequently Asked Questions about Research Ethics

Q: Can I use observations of students, student work, or other pictures of students in my manuscript?

A: JAAL articles often include data from or about individuals. These may be students in the author’s class or members of the public who participated in a research project. Sometimes this data is easily recognizable as research data, as in the case of survey responses. Other examples are not so obvious as research data, such as an example of a student project an author is using to illustrate a pedagogical approach. Anytime an author includes information about specific individuals, they must be able to provide evidence of informed consent.

This means that an author may be asked to provide a copy of a research approval letter (also known as IRB or ethical clearance) from their institution. Authors may also be asked to provide a sample of the consent form for individuals over the age of 18. For individuals under the age of 18, authors may be asked to provide a sample of the assent form (for the minor) and the consent form (the minor’s parent or guardian)

Q: What if my institution does not require full committee review for educational research?

A: JAAL requires authors to obtain informed consent (and assent for minors) for all individuals whose work, identity, image, or description appear in article. Authors may be asked to provide evidence that their institution has reviewed and approved of the consent and assent forms

Q: Will reviewers and editors be able to see who participated in the study if I provide the consent forms?

A: No. Authors must acknowledge that they are required to keep copies of signed participant consent forms and may be asked to provide them should a question arise.

 

This journal follows the core practices of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and handles cases of research and publication misconduct accordingly (https://publicationethics.org/core-practices).

This journal uses iThenticate’s CrossCheck software to detect instances of overlapping and similar text in submitted manuscripts. Read Wiley’s Top 10 Publishing Ethics Tips for Authors and Wiley’s Publication Ethics Guidelines.

3. After Acceptance

Proofs

Authors will receive an e-mail notification with a link and instructions for accessing HTML page proofs online/with their proofs included as a pdf. Authors should also make sure that any renumbered tables, figures, or references match text citations and that figure legends correspond with text citations and actual figures. Proofs must be returned within 48 hours of receipt of the email.

 

Video Abstracts

To disseminate your work, authors are invited to record a 2-3 minute video abstract to introduce yourself to the JAAL readership and preview key issues and takeaways from your paper.  Video abstracts are a collegial approach to attract potential readers and engage them early with your paper. Since the videos will appear in search engine results and via social media outlets, they have potential to reach a large audience and increase the dissemination of your research and JAAL. More information about the increased visibility that can result from video abstracts can be found on Wiley Author Services.

 

Article Promotion Support

Wiley Editing Services offers professional video, design, and writing services to create shareable video abstracts, infographics, conference posters, lay summaries, and research news stories for your research – so you can help your research get the attention it deserves.

 

Wiley Author Services

When an accepted article is received by Wiley’s production team, the corresponding author will receive an email asking them to login or register with Wiley Author Services. You will be asked to sign a publication license at this point as well as pay for any applicable APCs.

 

Copyright & Licensing

You may choose to publish under the terms of the journal’s standard copyright agreement, or Open Access under the terms of a Creative Commons License.

Standard re-use and licensing rights vary by journal. Note that certain funders mandate a particular type of CC license be used. This journal uses the CC-BY/CC-BY-NC/CC-BY-NC-ND Creative Commons License.

 

Self-Archiving Definitions and Policies: Note that the journal’s standard copyright agreement allows for self-archiving of different versions of the article under specific conditions.

 

Author Name Change Policy

In cases where authors wish to change their name following publication, Wiley will update and republish the paper and redeliver the updated metadata to indexing services. Our editorial and production teams will use discretion in recognizing that name changes may be of a sensitive and private nature for various reasons including (but not limited to) alignment with gender identity, or as a result of marriage, divorce, or religious conversion. Accordingly, to protect the author’s privacy, we will not publish a correction notice to the paper, and we will not notify co-authors of the change. Authors should contact the journal’s Editorial Office with their name change request.

 

Correction to authorship

In accordance with Wiley’s Best Practice Guidelines on Research Integrity and Publishing Ethics and the Committee on Publication Ethics’ guidance,  Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy will allow authors to correct authorship on a submitted, accepted, or published article if a valid reason exists to do so. All authors – including those to be added or removed – must agree to any proposed change. To request a change to the author list, please complete the Request for Changes to a Journal Article Author List Form and contact either the journal’s editorial or production office, depending on the status of the article. Authorship changes will not be considered without a fully completed Author Change form. [Correcting the authorship is different from changing an author’s name; the relevant policy for that can be found in Wiley’s Best Practice Guidelines under “Author name changes after publication.”]

 

 

 

Questions? Contact us: [email protected]