Instructions to Authors

Contents

• About the Journal
• Editorial Policies
• Submission
• Manuscript Preparation: Format, Structure, and Style
• Production

About the Journal

The Journal of Philosophy of Education (JOPE) is a peer-reviewed journal that publishes six issues per year in print and in online formats.

Please read these instructions carefully and follow them closely. The Editors may return manuscripts that do not follow these instructions.

Scope of the Journal

JOPE publishes articles representing a wide variety of philosophical traditions. They vary from examination of fundamental philosophical issues in their connection with education, to detailed critical engagement with current educational practice or policy from a philosophical point of view.

The journal aims to promote rigorous thinking on educational matters and to identify and criticise the ideological forces shaping education. Ethical, political, aesthetic and epistemological dimensions of educational theory are amongst those covered.

Special Issues and Suites

Of the six issues in any year, three are usually Special Issues devoted to particular topics.  One Special Issue a year typically has a policy focus.   The journal also includes in its regular issues Suites of papers organised around a theme.  Special Issues and Suites are often guest edited. 

Proposing a Special Issue or Suite

The journal therefore welcomes proposals for Special Issues and Suites.  Those wishing to propose a Special Issue or Suite should begin by sending a one-page proposal to the Executive Editor ([email protected]).  This document should outline the theme, the editorial arrangements, the likely participants and the probable subjects of their contributions.  The Executive Editor and Co-Editors will review the proposal and respond to the applicant, usually within four to six weeks.  If the project seems promising, the proposer(s) may be asked to submit a more detailed and developed proposal.  Proposals for Special Issues will usually be circulated to the Editorial Board for comments and suggestions.

The criteria for the evaluation of proposals include the interest of the theme and its philosophical and educational significance; the aptness and coherence of the proposed contributions; and the appropriateness of the subject-matter for the journal.

The journal is committed to ideals of equity, diversity and inclusion and those proposing Special Issues should specify and explain their approach to recruiting contributors.  They may wish to issue an open call for papers, and we welcome this, though this is not a requirement.  An open call should not be made without first consulting with the Executive Editor and Co-Editors.

Once a proposal is approved, the Executive Editor and Co-Editors will provide further advice as the project develops.  Guest editors are expected to oversee the project and provide significant input and support to the contributors prior to the papers being formally submitted.  Once submitted, all papers are subject to the journal’s review process.  As a result, the approval of a Special Issue or Suite is not a guarantee of publication.

The timeline for publication of a Special Issue depends on the availability of space in the production schedule and is normally around three years from the submission of the initial proposal.  There is usually more flexibility in the timeline for the publication of Suites in regular issues.

Please do not hesitate to contact the senior editorial team for further information: David Bakhurst (Executive Editor, [email protected]; Paul Standish (Co-editor, Special Issues, [email protected]); Emma Williams (Co-editor, Regular Issues,  [email protected]).

Recent Special Issues include:

Decolonizing the Curriculum: Philosophical Perspectives
Edited by: Andrea R. English and Ruth Heilbronn

Epistemic Injustice: Complicity and Promise in Education
Edited by: A. C. Nikolaidis and Winston C. Thompson

A Celebration of the Writing and Professional Work of Paul H. Hirst
Edited by: Patricia White and David Bridges

Previous Special Issues include:

Climate Crisis: Education, Environment, Sustainability
Edited by: Jeff Stickney and Adrian Skilbeck

Teaching and Learning: Epistemic, Metaphysical and Ethical Dimensions
Edited by David Bakhurst

Love and Desire in Education
Edited by David Aldridge and David Lewin

Editorial Policies

Details of Oxford University Press’s editorial policies are available.

Peer Review

This journal uses double anonymised peer review. Full details about the peer review process are available.

Preprint Policy

Authors retain the right to make an Author’s Original Version (preprint) available through various channels, and this does not prevent submission to the journal. For further information see our Online Licensing, Copyright and Permissions policies. If accepted, the authors are required to update the status of any preprint, including your published paper’s DOI, as described on our Author Self-Archiving policy page.

Self-Archiving Policy

You may self-archive versions of your work on your own webpages, on institutional webpages, and in other repositories. If you want more information about the reuse rights you retain if you publish with us, please visit our Author Self Archiving Policy page.

Conflict of Interest

When submitting a paper, you and your co-authors must declare any potential conflicts of interest. You must do this by providing the relevant details on our online submission site and by including a Conflict of Interest statement in your submitted manuscript.

A detailed definition of conflicts of interest is available.

Submission

We will consider your manuscript as long as

• it is your own original work and does not duplicate any previously published work, including your own;
• it is not under consideration, in peer review, or accepted for publication in any journal other than JOPE;
• it has not been published in any other journal; and
• it contains nothing abusive, defamatory, libelous, obscene, fraudulent, or illegal.

Authors should observe high ethical standards and obey publication best practices. The following are all unacceptable:

• data falsification or fabrication
• plagiarism, including duplicate publication of your own work without proper citation
• misappropriation of work

We treat any case of ethical or publication malpractice very seriously. We will address them in accordance with the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines. Further information about OUP’s ethical policies is available.

How to Submit

You must submit your paper via our web-based submission system ScholarOne, which may be found at https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/jope . If you have not published with JOPE before, you will need to create an account. More information is available on the ScholarOne Manuscripts FAQ and help page. Questions about submitting can be sent to the editorial office at [email protected].

Article Types

This journal publishes several different article types. 

Original Articles

Research papers that make a significant contribution to the philosophical understanding of educational issues; usually around 8000 words in length, though longer and shorter articles may be considered.

Review Articles

By invitation.  Extended critical reviews of new contributions to the literature. Please contact the Book Review Editor, Alexis Gibbs ([email protected]), if you wish to propose a review article.

Interviews

By invitation. Structured discussion with an expert on a specific topic.  Please contact the Co-Editor responsible for Regular Issues, Emma Williams ([email protected]), if you wish to submit an interview.

Book reviews

By invitation. Please contact the Book Review Editor, Alexis Gibbs ([email protected]), if you wish to review a book for JOPE.

IMPACT Pamphlets

By invitation.  Addressed to policy makers, practitioners and policy makers, IMPACT Pamphlets bring philosophical perspectives to bear on current educational policy. Please contact the IMPACT Editor, Andrea English ([email protected]), if you wish to propose an IMPACT Pamphlet.

Third-Party Permissions

If you wish to reproduce any material for which you do not own the copyright—including quotations, tables, or images—you must obtain permission from the copyright holder. The permissions agreement must include the following documents:

• nonexclusive rights to reproduce the material in your article in JOPE
• both print and electronic rights, preferably for use in any form or medium
• lifetime rights to use the material
• worldwide English-language rights

Further information on obtaining permissions is available.

Manuscript Preparation: Format, Structure, and Style

Submissions in any style are welcome

We will review submitted work regardless of the style, format, or structure used. If your work is accepted, we will request that you revise it into the JOPE style prior to final acceptance.

Presubmission Language Editing

If you are not confident in the quality of your English, you may wish to use a language-editing service to ensure that editors and reviewers understand your paper. Language editing is optional and does not guarantee that your manuscript will be accepted. Edited manuscripts will still undergo peer review by the journal.

Title Page

Please include the following:

• The title of your paper
• All author names and affiliations
• Mailing address and email address of one corresponding author
• Acknowledgements, if any
• Funding information if any
• Conflict of interest statement—mandatory only if the author(s) wish to declare a conflict.

Abstract and Keywords

Abstracts have a maximum length of 250 words and must not contain reference citations or abbreviations.  Please supply a list of six keywords.

References

You may format references in any readable style at submission. You are responsible for the accuracy of reference information. We will expect references to follow the JOPE style prior to final acceptance.

Acknowledgments and Funding

Acknowledgments and funding information should be included at the end of your manuscript. Please fully cite any relevant funding information, including specific grant numbers.

 

Style

Upon acceptance, the journal follows Oxford HUMSOC style. Please refer to these requirements when preparing your manuscript for final acceptance. More information on the style guide is available. UK spelling should be used throughout, except in quotations and in references.

Abbreviations

Please define nonstandard abbreviations at the first occurrence.

Tables

Tables should be numbered and referenced in the text at the appropriate point (e.g. insert table 1 here).  Please upload tables as separate files using the "Table" file type when submitting. Tables should be in an editable format, and not embedded as an image file.

Figures

You must include figure titles and legends within the manuscript file—they should not be included in the image file

You must submit each figure as an individual image file. Submit all panels of a multipanel figure on a single page as one file. For example, if the figure has 3 panels, the figure should be submitted as one file. Each panel should be labeled as a letter (A, B, C, D, etc.) in the upper-left corner of each panel.

Images of photographs or paintings can be provided as raster images. Common examples of raster images are .tif/.tiff, .raw, .gif, and .bmp file types. The resolution of raster files is measured by the number of dots or pixels in a given area, referred to as “dpi” or “ppi.”

• minimum resolution required for printed images or pictures: 350dpi
• minimum resolution for printed line art: 600dpi (complex or finely drawn line art should be 1200dpi)
• minimum resolution for electronic images (i.e., for on-screen viewing): 72dpi

Images of maps, charts, graphs, and diagrams are best rendered digitally as geometric forms called vector graphics. Common file types are .eps, .ai, and .pdf. Vector images use mathematical relationships between points and the lines connecting them to describe an image. These file types do not use pixels; therefore resolution does not apply to vector images.

Figures prepared as .doc/.docx or .jpeg/.jpg files will not be accepted.

Figure accessibility and alt text

Incorporating alt text (alternative text) when submitting your paper helps to foster inclusivity and accessibility. Good alt text ensures that individuals with visual impairments or those using screen readers can comprehend the content and context of your figures. The aim of alt text is to provide concise and informative descriptions of your figure so that all readers have access to the same level of information and understanding, and that all can engage with and benefit from the visual elements integral to scholarly content. Including alt text demonstrates a commitment to accessibility and enhances the overall impact and reach of your work.  

Alt text is applicable to all images, figures, illustrations, and photographs. 

Alt text is only accessible via e-reader and so it won’t appear as part of the typeset article. 

Detailed guidance on how to draft and submit alt text. 

Supplementary Material

You must submit supplementary data or supplementary material at the same time as the main manuscript.

• Supplementary material must be cited in the text of the main manuscript.
• Supplementary material will be available online only and will not be copyedited or typeset.
• Style and formatting of supplementary material should be consistent with that of the manuscript.
• Supplementary material should be formatted to function on any internet browser.
  • Documentation and online appendices should be submitted in PDF file format.
  • Data files should be submitted in a .zip file format

Production

Licence to Publish and Open Access Options

You will have the option to pay an open access fee so that your JOPE paper will be made freely available online immediately upon publication.

After your manuscript is accepted, you must sign a licence to publish agreement on our Author Services website. You may choose between the open access options, which carry a charge and allow your paper to be freely accessibly to all users; or a standard licence, which does not carry a charge and makes your paper available to journal subscribers.

JOPE articles can be published under the following types of licences:

• Standard licence to publish (Oxford University Press (OUP) Journals, Standard Publication Model)
• Creative Commons Attribution licence (CC BY)
• Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial licence (CC BY-NC)
• Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives licence (CC BY-NC-ND)

Your funding agencies may have specific requirements for what type of open access licence to use. Please see Creative Commons licences for more information, and please see the Licences, copyright and re-use rights page for more information about our standard licence to publish. Please check with your funding body if you are unsure of any licence requirements.

Manuscript Charges

Author Services

You can pay open access and colour charges on the same Author Services site you used to sign your licence to publish. You can pay immediately online or request an invoice by email or post. You may also refer the charges to an institutional prepayment account. Any applicable discounts can also be applied prior to payment.

You can pay your open access charges immediately after you sign your licence. You cannot pay colour charges until production of your manuscript is complete.

OA Licence Charges

The charge for the open access licence for JOPE in 2023 is £2500.

There are reduced rates and / or full waivers available for authors in developing countries who wish to publish open access. Visit our Developing Countries page for more information and a list of qualifying countries. The standard licence to publish does not carry a charge.