Submissions

Papers

Papers will be articles between 3,500 and 5,000 words (excluding references) that report recent high-quality research, theoretical advances, and innovative applied work in Learning Development. These are likely to include one or more of the following:

• Methods and results of an original research work;
• Findings of current or recent empirical studies;
• Proposed new initiatives or in-depth studies to support Learning Development;
• Research studies with potential implications in an international context;
• High-quality research to inform current practices in higher education beyond the context of the original research;
• Theoretical analyses of issues pertinent to Learning Development.

Papers will typically include the following components:

• Title (a clear and succinct statement that adequately represents the paper);
• Abstract (a summary of the paper’s perspective, purpose and key findings, up to 250 words);
• Keywords (prioritise specific rather than general keywords, for effective indexing);
• Introduction (a concise description of the research problem and how it fits within current literature; statement of purpose and contribution; background information); may be followed by a literature review;
• Methods (a detailed explanation of your procedures);
• Results (logical presentation of your original research results that are essential for Discussion; supplementary materials can be included in Appendices; this section should not have any references);
• Discussion (explanation of what the results mean, how they compare to other research, and how they respond to the gaps in literature; discussion of any weaknesses and potential alternative interpretations);
• Conclusions (explanation of how this research advances knowledge in learning development and where it can be taken next; clarification of the article’s key message and its contribution to the field);
• References (include only works cited in the article; follow the JLDHE style guide).

Case Studies

Case studies will be short scholarly articles between 2,000-3000 words in length (excluding references). They should be reports about work undertaken on a local, national or international basis. They are likely to include the following:

• Studies that focus on a new approach or setting of a known research problem and provide new perspectives on it;
• Explorations that shed light on a previously un(der)explored problem or challenge longstanding assumptions or practices by applying innovative frameworks;
• Arguments that present the particular case study as a potential solution to a problem or a new direction for research in Learning Development;
• Research and evaluation of a development work that is at an early stage (the article is signalling that the work is in progress).

Case studies should offer an in-depth and well-contextualised analysis of the chosen problem and include the following components:

• Title (a clear and succinct statement that reflects the scope of the study);
• Abstract (a summary of the paper’s perspective, purpose and key findings, up to 250 words);
• Keywords (prioritise specific rather than general keywords, for effective indexing);
• Introduction / Context (a concise presentation of the research problem and its significance, as well as an explanation of how the study will expand our knowledge and understanding of the problem) may be followed by a brief literature review;
• Appropriate sections (depending on the chosen approach, these may include a Methods section explaining research strategy and a Discussion that interprets key findings);
• Conclusion / Recommendations (explanation of how these findings differ from previous research and how they address the research problem; reflection on how this new evidence applies to practice);
• References (include only works cited in the article; follow the JLDHE style guide).

Make a new submission to the Case Studies section.

Opinion Pieces

Opinion pieces will be short scholarly articles of up to 2,000 words in length that express an opinion on issues related to the current practices in higher education. These are written with the LD audience in mind and are likely to include one or more of the following:

• Articles of a speculative nature (nonetheless written in a scholarly way);
• Proposed new methods of working or new frameworks for thinking;
• Critical commentaries on some aspects of Learning Development in higher education;
• Original perspectives on research and theory relevant to LD community;
• Discussions covering controversial topics or unusual interpretations.

Opinion pieces should convey the author’s position on a selected topic through a clear, evidence-based argument, with appropriate references to relevant literature. The aim is to inspire debate, encourage new interpretations, and stimulate new research. Opinion pieces should include the following components:

• Title (a clear and succinct statement that adequately represents the opinion piece);
• Abstract (conveys a focused and clearly defined point of the piece, up to 250 words);
• Keywords (prioritise specific rather than general keywords, for effective indexing);
• Introduction / Context (a concise presentation of the issue the author offers an opinion on and the proposed argument; an ‘opening hook’ is recommended to capture readers’ interest);
• Appropriate sections (subtopics and themes with different levels of meaning; must be grounded in relevant literature and research and include references);
• As this is not a presentation of original research, we wouldn’t anticipate a methodology section.
• Conclusion (a response to the introduced problem and potentially a call to action);
• References (include only works cited in the article; follow the JLDHE style guide).

Make a new submission to the Opinion Pieces section.

Brief Communications

Brief communications are articles of 500-1,000 words in length that offer a brief, theoretically informed argument on current debates in Learning Development. They are clear in their focus but less formal in nature, and their intention might be to inspire interest, stimulate debate, propose new ideas or even entertain. Brief communications have a distinctive voice and include, but are not limited to, the following forms:

• Correspondence (letters on a current topic of interest to the LD community)
• Commentary (a response to a recently published article in JLDHE; must only relate to the most recent Issue)
• Research preview (presentation of the author’s ongoing study or project; e.g., work in progress that has already shown interesting preliminary findings)
• Reflection (discussion of the implications of previously conducted studies or unpublished articles)
• Humanistic essay (innovative academic writing; emancipatory criticism; critical re-readings of texts, theories, and practices; epistemological reflections on ideas drawn from past traditions and the arts)
• Creative speculation (what-if scenarios with prompts for dialogue)
• Invention of new words or terms (disruption of existing terminology and ways of thinking)
• Essay-as-search (for meaning, for dialogue; writing as a process that shapes thinking about LD)

A note on writing brief communications:

While brief communications will still include a title, an abstract, and references, their structure is liberated from the constraints of a usual research article and authors are encouraged to be adventurous with titles, forgo headings, and use a conversational writing style. 

Reviews

Book reviews will be approximately 1,000 words in length (excluding references). They will likely include:

• A short summary of the book’s purpose and its main argument or ideas;
• Evaluation of the main argument or ideas;
• Evaluation of the evidence used;
• Discussion of the book’s relationship to the wider scholarship of its subject area (where it agrees or disagrees with other works, for example);
• An exploration of how the book relates to the practice or theory of Learning Development.

It will likely not include:

• Excessive quotations from the book itself;
• A critique based on how the reviewer would have written the book;
• A full description of the book’s ideas (more focus on evaluation, rather than description).

A review of an edited book will likely include:

• An overview of the book, its purpose and the connecting themes;
• An evaluation of how successfully the edited book works as a connected whole (for example, is it too broad or too narrow? Are there any glaring gaps?);
• An evaluation of some of the outstanding or particularly important chapters (with an explanation of why these were chosen).

A book review should have a title that captures the essence of the reviewer's assessment, followed by a full citation for the reviewed book.

Special Issue: Third Space

Please clarify submission type (research paper, case study, opinion piece, brief communication, book review)

Special Issue: Liberating Learning

Please clarify submission type (research paper, case study, opinion piece, brief communication, book review)