Advice to Educational Technology Authors

In preparing an article for Educational Technology Magazine the primary fact to keep in mind is that this magazine is not a research journal. It is, as the name implies, a magazine. The editors are looking generally for articles which interpret research and/or practical applications of scientific knowledge in education and training environments.

Thus, your article should not be cast in the form of a traditional research report; for example, with headings for "related literature," "hypothesis," "methodology," "findings," etc. The facts of your research, and the research of others, should be stated succinctly. Then you should go on to explain the implications of this research, how it can be applied in actual practice, what suggestions can be made to school administrators, trainers, designers, and others based on the research.

The style of writing should be on the informal side--an essay since once again this is a magazine and not a formal academic journal. Authors are free to state their opinions, as long as the opinions are clearly identified as such. The use of specialized jargon should be kept to the barest minimum, since this magazine has a very wide interdisciplinary audience--and what may be an "in" word, in one sub-field of educational technology will be considered unintelligible to all others.

There are no minimum and maximum length restrictions. Make your article as short as possible to do the job you intend. As a general rule, most articles are under 3,000 words, and one would require more words only in unusual circumstances. Include charts and photographs if you wish.

In regard to bibliographical style, use whatever format is most comfortable. Our editors will re-work your bibliography, if any, into the style of the magazine. The concern of the editors is that you concentrate on getting your ideas across to the reader--and let us worry about style consistency.

Finally, submit two copies of the manuscript, with a stamped, self-addressed envelope if you wish a rejected article to be returned to you. All papers should be typed double-spaced on standard 81/2 x 11-inch sheets of paper. Authors may submit manuscripts electronically, if they wish, as e-mail attachments. In this case, it is not necessary to submit any hardcopies. The author should be identified on the manuscript by his or her current job title (for example, Professor of Education at U.S.A. University).

You will be notified of acceptance or rejection within two weeks of our receipt of your manuscript. Publication will follow, as a rule, within six months; however, in some circumstances it will take a full year, depending upon our backlog of articles Upon acceptance you will be asked to sign a form granting copyright to the magazine, and pledging that the article is your original work, containing absolutely nothing plagiarized from the work of another author.

Note too that this magazine is read in more than 110 countries, by persons holding prominent and influential positions. They expect a very high level of discourse and it is our goal to provide articles of excellence.

Lawrence Lipsitz

Editor


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