Submissions

Author Guidelines

Types of Submissions & Guidelines

General Guidelines for all submissions (please see below for guidelines specific to submission type):

1. Authors must be registered with the journal to gain access and make a submission.  If you have not already registered for an account, please complete this REGISTRATION FORM and an account will be created for you. Please be sure to add all authors to the submission.
2. Submissions must be prepared in accordance with the most current American Psychological Association (APA) guidelines, including 12-point, Times New Roman font, double-spacing, and 1-inch margins.
3. Manuscript titles can be a maximum of 12-words in length.
4. A brief abstract stating the principal points should be included with the submission. The abstract should be no longer than 150 words.
5. Figures and tables must be properly referenced in the text of the article, and numbered chronologically. Please submit them as separate, individual files. No more than FIVE total figures and tables per article. 
6. Footnotes should be AVOIDED.
7. Submissions must be accompanied by a separate "title page" and "main document"  to ensure that the manuscript is ready for a double blind review. The title page should include the authors’ full names, credentials, affiliations (if any), and e-mail addresses. The main document should be blinded for masked review by removing all identifying information of the authors.
8. Authors are also required to submit a cover letter with both initial submissions and revisions that provides a brief overview of the submission and the contact information for the corresponding author. 
9. If invited to revise and resubmit a manuscript, a revision table is requested to be submitted along with the revised manuscript.  Please de-identify both files by removing all author names and professional affiliations.
10. Articles should be no more than 25 pages including tables, figures, and references. Authors are encouraged to discuss options regarding manuscripts of longer length with the editor.  (e.g., robust qualitative research).
11. Journal submissions for review and publication should be submitted online. Submission of a manuscript is a representation that the paper has not been previously submitted in any publication elsewhere or published in any open literature. It also represents that the author/s have not assigned or transferred copyright for the material.

Dialogs from the Field: Program or Practice Description:

• Describe evidence-based and/or research-supported practices or programs, or approaches to preservice preparation and/or ongoing professional development.
• Report the lived experience of early childhood professionals, faculty and professional development providers, and/or children and families.
• Provide practical strategies for implementation in early childhood contexts.
• Connect content to research and/or theory and provides critical review of the topics they address.

Research Articles:

• Report original research investigating issues of importance to early childhood,
• Reflect high quality adherence to current methodological guidance and best practice. All methodological approaches are welcome (e.g., experimental, descriptive, qualitative, quantitative, mixed-methods).
• Discuss salient implications for research, practice, policy, and/or preparation.
• Proceed according to a standard formula (introduction, methods, results/findings, and discussion/conclusions).
  • NOTE: Authors of accepted research articles will also be asked to submit a supplemental Research-to-Practice (RTP) product as part of final review processes. These are NOT initial submissions and will not undergo peer-review, but will be submitted as separate submissions. Common formats for RTPs include evidence-based practice briefs, infographics, rapid reviews, and multimedia formats. 
  • Research-to-Practice (RTP) Products:
    
    • Translate the associated research article into actionable knowledge and practical strategies for early childhood practitioners, faculty, policy makers, and/or caregivers.

Conceptual Articles:

• Are non-empirical, scholarly articles that advance new perspectives, theories, frameworks, or models. They aim to refine, challenge, or extend educational frameworks and understandings. Key types include Theory Synthesis/Integration, Theory Adaptation/Extension, Typologies or Taxonomies, Conceptual Models or Frameworks, Conceptual Entity/Advocacy Papers, and Reflective/Theoretical Analyses.

Reviews of the Literature:

• Present results of rigorous and comprehensive research methodology used to identify, evaluate, and synthesize relevant literature addressing a specific research question,
• Synthesize existing research to map, critique, or build theories,
• Map out pedagogy, evaluate policy, and/or identify gaps in the literature,
• Employ organizational structures such as  thematic, chronological, or methodological,
• Examples include systematic review, scoping review, integrative review, theoretical/conceptual review, meta-analyses, and qualitative evidence synthesis.