Journal Articles

Journal articles introduce scholarly ideas and research. Articles present the authors’ original research as reports of empirical studies, literature reviews, case studies, or theoretical or methodological statements. Beginning as unpublished manuscripts of research not previously published, these articles typically undergo a peer-review process by one or more academic referees before being accepted or rejected for publication within a journal. The primary goal of a published journal article in an educational research journal is for the author(s) to communicate ideas, concepts, and research findings to the educational community.

[Page 913]There are many different types of journal articles. Empirical studies represent original research and consist of specific sections that reflect the research process. Literature reviews embody critical evaluations of previously published material through a research synthesis or meta-analysis. Case studies report materials obtained while working with an individual or groups of individuals within a community or an organization. Theoretical articles use existing research literature to advance theory, refine theoretical constructs, present new theory, or challenge existing theory. Methodological articles focus on methodological approaches, allowing the reader to access and compare proposed methods with current use and application.

Journal articles begin with an abstract summarizing the contents of the article. Although the elements of a manuscript may be determined by the type of journal article being written, standard reporting sections include (1) introduction, to identify the problem being addressed and purpose of the study; (2) method, describing the procedures used to conduct the study as well as participant characteristics and demographics; (3) results, reporting findings and analysis of data; and (4) discussion, summarizing the study findings and discussing implications for future research. References are included at the end of the article and provide documentation about the literature identified in the article. Appendixes and supplemental materials may also be included at the end of the article. As a general rule, educational research publications in the behavioral and social sciences utilize American Psychological Association formatting guidelines and publishing standards.

There are varied requirements for submitting articles to journals. It is advised to carefully review the requirements of the targeted journal. Once the journal editor receives the manuscript, the blind peer-review process begins. Experts in the field constitute the review board. The review board is charged with evaluating each manuscript to determine its publication potential. Reviewers may identify strengths and criticisms of the article as part of their critique. A general framework and rubric guide their review.

The journal editor presents the final recommendation regarding the article, typically choosing from one of four options: reject, revise and resubmit, accept with major revisions, and accept with minor revisions. If a journal article is rejected, the author may choose to resubmit it for consideration in a different journal. It is important to remember, however, that a manuscript can only be submitted for article consideration in one journal at a time.

See also Abstracts; APA Format; Authorship; Demographics; Literature Review; Methods Section; Results Section