WOU staff are encouraged to publish their research articles in recognised and indexed world class journals as follows:
1) The Internet and Higher Education
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/the-internet-and-higher-education
Aims & Scope
The Internet and Higher Education is a quarterly journal devoted to addressing contemporary issues and future developments related to Internet-enabled learning and teaching in higher education settings. It is a peer-reviewed journal intended to be a vehicle for scholarly presentation and dissemination of contributions significantly addressing innovative uses of Internet technology in learning and teaching, and reporting on research to demonstrate the effects of the Internet on the quality and/or the equity of learning and teaching in higher education contexts. The key findings must inform practices and/or policies, and contribute to the scholarship of Internet-enabled higher education learning and teaching. For example, research on topics such as MOOCs and professional development must have clear implications for individuals who teach and learn in higher education institutions.
The journal is international and interdisciplinary, inviting contributions from across the globe and from various academic disciplines. Special issues are often devoted to specific emerging areas of study with guest editors assisting in the editorial process.
The scope of the journal is broad in terms of the range of Internet-related issues and trends to be addressed in the higher education teaching and learning context. We welcome manuscripts on topics including but not limited to pedagogical and technological innovations in online and blended learning; online learning interactions and collaborations; online learning communities; institutional policies and strategies to drive and support online learning and teaching; internationalization and cultural aspects of online classrooms; online assessment and feedback; faculty professional development for online learning; and approaches to online course development. Across all topics, we seek to publish high-quality empirical manuscripts with strong conceptual frameworks and rigorous methods.
2) Journal of Computer Assisted Learning
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/page/journal/13652729/homepage/productinformation.html
Aims & Scope
The Journal of Computer Assisted Learning (JCAL) is a high-quality international peer-reviewed journal which covers the whole range of uses of information and communication technologies to support learning, teaching, instructional design & development, and knowledge dissemination & exchange. The journal aims to provide a medium for communication among researchers as well as a channel linking researchers, practitioners, and policy makers.
JCAL is a rich source of material for educational psychology, the learning sciences, instructional technology, instructional design, collaborative learning, intelligent learning systems, learning analytics, open, distance and networked learning, and educational evaluation and assessment. The journal publishes studies on all types of learning: formal (pre-school, primary, secondary, and tertiary education), non-formal in the workplace or non-credit environments (e.g., MOOCs), and informal (e.g., museums, libraries, clubs).
JCAL also publishes Special Issues which provide readers with a broad and in-depth perspective on a specific topic as well as Review articles and meta-studies that encapsulate the state-of the art on specific topics.
Noteworthy is that the journal also encourages high-quality submissions that might not have led to statistically significant results (a statistically non-significant result can be a very significant and important result) as well as replication studies. Furthermore, the journal supports open science practices. We therefore welcome authors submit registered reports and articles with open research intentions.
First published in 1985, JCAL continues to have the aim of making the outcomes of contemporary research and experience accessible to its readers. During this period there have been major technological advances offering new opportunities and approaches in the use of a wide range of technologies to support learning and knowledge transfer more generally. There is currently much emphasis on the use of network functionality and the challenges its appropriate uses pose to teachers/tutors working with students locally and at a distance.
JCAL welcomes:
- Empirical reports, single studies or programmatic series of studies on the use of computers and information technologies in learning and assessment
- Critical and original Reviews or meta-analyses of literature on the use of computers for learning, teaching, and education in general
- Empirical studies on the design, development, implementation, and usability of innovative technology-based systems for learning, study, and teaching
- Empirical or conceptual studies on educational policy and improvement through the use of information and communication technologies
- Replication studies or registered reports
- High-quality studies that might not have statistically significant results
- Conceptual articles on issues relating to the Aims and Scope
Although JCAL publishes papers that relate to grounded empirical research, papers which report on innovative technology-based systems are also acceptable provided that the use of the technology is justified on educational grounds and is more than a mere design. Clear statements for the educational rationale for the systems development must be made at the beginning of the paper and proof of actual learning is required.
3) British Journal of Educational Technology (BJET)
https://bera-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/hub/journal/14678535/productinformation.html
Aims & Scope
BJET is a primary source for academics and professionals in the fields of digital educational and training technology throughout the world. The Journal is published by Wiley on behalf of The British Educational Research Association (BERA). It publishes theoretical perspectives, methodological developments and high quality empirical research that demonstrate whether and how applications of instructional/educational technology systems, networks, tools and resources lead to improvements in formal and non-formal education at all levels, from early years through to higher, technical and vocational education, professional development and corporate training.
Empirical papers are expected to report on significant research studies. These may report qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods studies and need to be of a high scholarly quality. Empirical papers need to include: a clear methodology (including information on sampling and analytical process); substantive evidence of research outputs, outcomes and impacts (e.g. of the interventions trialled, applied, or adopted). Theoretical, methodological and review articles should be critical, present a novel perspective and make an original contribution.
BJET does not publish purely descriptive papers or those that simply present learners’, teachers’ and other users’ opinions on methods, materials or technologies. Papers are selected for publication based on the rigour of the research and its potential to make a substantive and original contribution to the field, with explicit reference to international significance.
4) Open Learning: The Journal of Open, Distance and e-Learning
https://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?show=aimsScope&journalCode=copl20
Aims & Scope
Open Learning a leading international journal in the field of open, flexible and distance learning. The Journal is widely subscribed to and read throughout the world by those in specialist distance education institutions, and also by those using distance, flexible and technology based forms of learning in conventional education and training contexts.
Open Learning publishes three kinds of article:
- theoretical and evidence-based scholarly articles reflecting developments in open, distance and e-learning
- shorter practical articles describing the implementation of forms of open, flexible and distance learning likely to interest our international readership
- book reviews
Articles are peer reviewed by an international panel of experts in the field, are accepted from contributors world-wide and reflect developments in the field globally.
In 2019, the time taken between initial submission and first peer review decision was on average 8-9 weeks.
5) American Journal of Distance Education
https://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?show=aimsScope&journalCode=hajd20
Aims & Scope
The American Journal of Distance Education (AJDE) is internationally recognized as the journal of record of research and scholarship in the field of American distance education. Established in 1987 with the mission of promoting research and disseminating information about distance education in the Americas, AJDE explores topics about all teaching-learning relationships where the actors are geographically separated, and communication takes place through technologies. Past volumes (available online) report on education through radio and television, teleconferences and recordings, printed study guides, and multimedia systems. The principal technology of contemporary distance education is the Internet, and thus most articles now report on online learning.
With distance education having moved from the margins to the mainstream at all levels of education and training, and increasing numbers of individuals and institutions becoming involved, The American Journal of Distance Education provides a unique depository of previous research as well as the most recent research-based knowledge about all aspects of the pedagogy of the field. Peer reviewed articles provide reports on the latest findings in such areas as:
- building and sustaining effective delivery systems;
- course design and application of instructional design theories;
- facilitating interaction between students and with instructors;
- factors influencing student achievement and satisfaction;
- the changing roles of faculty and changes in institutional culture; and
- administrative and policy issues including cost-effectiveness and copyright.
Peer Review Policy: All research articles in this journal have undergone rigorous review, based on initial editor screening and refereeing by two anonymous referees.
Consistent with its traditional mission of building the field of scholarship, AJDE specifically invites submissions from previously unpublished authors, such as recently graduated doctoral students, as well as from established researchers.
6) Distance Education
https://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?show=aimsScope&journalCode=cdie20
Aims & Scope
Distance Education is a peer-reviewed journal of the Open and Distance Learning Association of Australia, Inc. The journal publishes research and scholarly material in the fields of open, distance and flexible education where learners are free from the constraints of the time, pace and place of study. Distance Education was one of the first journals published to focus exclusively on these areas of educational practice and it remains a primary source of original and scholarly work in these fields.
All papers undergo double-blind peer review, and are reviewed by members of the Editorial Board with expertise in the areas(s) represented by a paper, and/or invited reviewers with special competence in the area(s) covered. The Editors reserve the right to make minor alterations to all papers that are accepted for publication.
7) Journal of Educators Online
Aims & Scope
The Journal of Educators Online (JEO) is a peer-reviewed publication highlighting research in the broad area of Computer Mediated Learning (CML) which includes distance, online, electronic, virtual, distributed, blended and mobile learning. Computer-mediated learning occurs when an individual interactively learns (formally or informally, synchronously or asynchronously) about material via computer means where the learning materials and pedagogy are developed to take advantage of the available technologies.
The goals of JEO are to:
- Promote a scholarly approach to the practice and profession of teaching in computer-mediated environments.
- Foster dialogue concerning innovative computer-mediated teaching, learning and assessment strategies.
- Enhance understanding and application of best practices in online teaching and learning.
JEO is published in January, May, and September of each year. Submissions are accepted on a rolling basis.
8) International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning.
Aims & Scope
The International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning is a refereed global monthly publication focused on technology assisted teaching and learning at all levels of education and training in traditional, distance and open learning.
Specific topics include: research, innovation, theory and practice, curriculum, instructional design, technology, interactive technologies, synchronous and asynchronous learning, learning from television, online learning, peer learning, learning styles, learning objects, learning management systems, administration and evaluation of distance education and training programs, policy frameworks, institutional change, adaptation to different cultures, education-industry partnerships, legislation, and related topics.
The journal was established to facilitate collaboration and communication among researchers, innovators, practitioners, and administrators of education and training programs involving technology and / or distance learning in academia, business, industry, government, military, health care, and foundations. The journal is committed to publish significant writings of high academic stature.
9) International Journal of Distance Education Technologies
Aims & Scope
The International Journal of Distance Education Technologies (IJDET) is a primary forum for researchers and practitioners to disseminate practical solutions that support learners, teachers, and administrators in open and distance learning environments. Publishing original research articles on a quarterly basis, IDJET is targeted to academic researchers and engineers who work with distance learning programs and software systems, as well as general participants of open and distance education.
10) International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning (IRRODL)
https://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/about
Aims & Scope
The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning (IRRODL) is a refereed, open access e-journal that disseminates original research, theory, and best practice in open and distributed learning worldwide. IRRODL is available free-of-charge to anyone with access to the Internet, and there are no article submission or access charges for publication in this open journal.
The Journal targets both researchers and practitioners of open and distance education systems. It aims to improve the quality of basic and applied research while also addressing the need for the translation of this knowledge into policies and activities that improve educational opportunity for students and teachers.
As of 2020, IRRODL no longer accepts submissions describing teaching interventions or surveys on pedagogical approaches that make no reference to student achievement, performance, or retention.
11) Asian Association of Open Universities Journal
Aims & Scope
Asian Association of Open Universities Journal aims to provide a forum for academics and scholars to share their research and expertise in the field of ODE and to build a vibrant research community of educational leaders from related domains. Papers submitted to the journal may be empirical studies, case studies or critical literature reviews.
The journal welcomes submissions related to:
Academic analytics
Flexible learning
Innovative teaching
Massive open online courses (MOOCs)
Mobile learning
Online learning
Open and distance education (ODE)
Open educational resources (OER)
Quality assurance in ODE
Technology-mediated teaching
Ubiquitous learning
AAOUJ is published by Emerald Publishing on behalf of Asian Association of Open Universities. AAOUJ is owned by Asian Association of Open Universities. AAOUJ is published under a platinum OA arrangement, in that all charges for publishing an OA article in AAOUJ are funded by Asian Association of Open Universities. There is no charge to the author.
12) Asian Journal of Distance Education
https://www.asianjde.com/ojs/index.php/AsianJDE/about
Aims & Scope
The main aim of the Asian Journal of Distance Education (AsianJDE) is to disseminate scholarly works and information useful to researchers and practitioners in the growing field of distance education in Asia. The Journal also aims to provide a forum for discussions within and directly relating to distance education, and so elicits theoretical and practical solutions to address issues concerning distance education. The AsianJDE has a specific focus on the Asian context as well as the global context. Author Guidelines for contributions are given on the site pages.
The scope of AjDE is manuscripts on distance education, open and distance learning, educational technology, and online learning. AjDE considers manuscripts that present qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods studies, critical reviews or analyses, and theoretical positions.
13) ASEAN Journal of Open and Distance Learning (AJODL)
Aims & Scope
AJODL publishes research findings related to the field of Open and Distance Learning inside and outside ASEAN promoting exchange and dissemination of scholarly work.
AJODL publishes online research articles that are related to the field of Open and Distance Learning ranging from the field of education, developmental and educational psychology, management of technology and innovation in education, computer science applications particularly in open education, and education philosophies. The journal also publishes scholarly works that have special interest in issues related to the ASEAN region and the global world.
14) International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education
https://educationaltechnologyjournal.springeropen.com/about
Aims & Scope
This journal aims to: facilitate the dissemination of critical scholarly works and exchange of information from a variety of cultural perspectives for researchers, professionals and practitioners in the technology enhanced and digital learning fields in higher education; contribute to the advancement of scientific knowledge regarding the human and personal approach to the use of technology in higher education; and inform readers about the latest developments in the application of digital technologies in higher education learning, training, research and management.
The journal welcomes research on innovative approaches in applying technology to enhance learning, design and educational outcomes, including quantitative, qualitative and hybrid approaches. Articles on applied theory in educational practice are also welcomed, as well as articles on the practical applications of research, on current policy initiatives and evaluations of research, theoretical, pedagogical and methodological issues related to educational technology. In addition, the journal accepts critical reviews on theoretical or pedagogical perspectives, new technologies and the use of IT in higher education.
Authors are encouraged to submit papers related, but not limited, to the following topics of interest:
- Innovations and best practices in online learning, training, research and management
- Educational technology, models and trends in higher education
- Computer-supported collaborative learning, training and research
- Intelligent tutoring and mentoring systems
- Learning analytics and educational data mining
- Open access systems for learning and training
- Organisational and administrative perspectives of IT use in higher education
- University governance and leadership in the knowledge society
- Institutional policies, standards and assessment methods
- Models of higher education presence and service using the Internet
- Internationalization and cultural aspects of online learning, training and research
15) Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy
https://www.idunn.no/page/njdl/about
Aims & Scope
Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy is aimed at researchers, school authorities, school leaders in primary and secondary schools, teachers in primary and secondary education, at colleges and universities, and others concerned with education and ICT.
The journal contains peer reviewed articles and book reviews. Through dissemination of national and international research, the journal contributes to the debate on education policy. The journal aims at creating a platform for the critical analysis of digital literacy and competence, and the use of ICT in educational context. Moreover, the aim is to stimulate dialogue between different participants in the field. Upon reception, the editor evaluates all submissions. After editor screening, approved contributions are sent to at least two anonymous international reviewers.
Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy has a focus on articles that deal thematically with digital literacy and the use of ICT in educational settings. Papers can among others be targeted on the following themes:
- ICT use and innovation in education
- Theoretical, methodological and practical challenges around the use of ICT in education
- ICT in subjects (didactic context)
- Evaluation and development
- Learners’ work and learners’ ICT skills
- Teachers, teacher education and classroom management
- Lifelong learning
The publication is published quarterly by Universitetsforlaget (The Scandinavian University Press) in collaboration with University of Bergen. The journal is published in English, Danish, Norwegian and Swedish.
As author, you retain copyright and publishing rights to your article without restrictions, whilst at the same time making the full text of your article freely available for others to read, download, copy, print, search in or link to. Publishing in this journal does not require payment of a processing or publishing charge.
16) Journal of Interactive Online Learning
https://www.ncolr.org/about-jiol/jiol-info/about-jiol.html
Aims & Scope
The Journal of Interactive Online Learning focuses on providing a venue for manuscripts, critical essays, and reviews that encompass disciplinary and interdisciplinary perspectives in regards to issues related to higher-level learning outcomes.
The Journal of Interactive Online Learning is published by a joint effort of The University of Alabama, the University of Texas at Tyler, and Miami University, as well as faculty from other institutions.
The Journal of Interactive Online Learning is a scholarly, peer-reviewed online journal which offers free access to its readers. Copyright is maintained by JIOL.
The Journal of Interactive Online Learning is an open access journal which means that all content is freely available without charge to the user or his/her institution. Users are allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles in this journal without asking prior permission from the publisher or the author. JIOL does not allow commercial reuse of its content. This is in accordance with the BOAI definition of open access.
This journal of theory, research, and practice in interactive online learning serving all disciplines aims to:
- Provide a forum for the dissemination of research on interactive online education
- Disseminate ideas that enhance the practical aspects of interactive online education
- Further knowledge and understanding of emerging innovations in online education
- Foster debate about the use and application of online education
17) International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning
https://online-journals.org/index.php/i-jet
Aims & Scope
This interdisciplinary journal aims to focus on the exchange of relevant trends and research results as well as the presentation of practical experiences gained while developing and testing elements of technology enhanced learning. So it aims to bridge the gap between pure academic research journals and more practical publications. So it covers the full range from research, application development to experience reports and product descriptions.
iJET is an Open Access Journal. Online readers don’t have to pay any fee.
18) International Journal of Lifelong Education
https://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?show=aimsScope&journalCode=tled20
Aims & Scope
The International Journal of Lifelong Education provides a forum for debate on the principles and practice of lifelong, adult, continuing, recurrent and initial education and learning, whether in formal, institutional or informal settings. Common themes include social purpose in lifelong education, and sociological, policy and political studies of lifelong education.
The journal recognises that research into lifelong learning needs to focus on the relationships between schooling, later learning, active citizenship and personal fulfilment, as well as the relationship between schooling, employability and economic development. With this in mind, International Journal of Lifelong Education provides the context for an informed debate on the theory and practice of lifelong education in a variety of countries and settings.
19) Education and Information Technologies
https://www.springer.com/journal/10639/aims-and-scope
Aims & Scope
The Journal of Education and Information Technologies (EAIT) is a platform for the range of debates and issues in the intersection of Information Technology and Education fields. It probes the use of computing to improve education and learning in a variety of settings, platforms and environments.
The journal aims to provide perspectives at all levels, from the micro level of specific pedagogical approaches of Information Technology in Education to macro concerns of national policies and major projects; from pre-school classes to adults in tertiary institutions; from teachers and administrators to researchers and practitioners; from current to future issues and trends in teaching, learning and educational management. The journal is embedded in the research and practice of professionals within the contemporary global context and its breadth and scope encourage debate on fundamental issues at all levels and from different research paradigms and learning theories.
The journal aims to maintain and expand its international standing by careful selection on merit of the papers submitted, thus providing a credible ongoing forum for debate and scholarly discourse. Special Issues are occasionally published to cover particular issues in depth. EAIT invites readers to submit quality papers with strong conceptual frameworks and rigorous methods that draw inferences, probe theory and create new knowledge that informs practice, policy and scholarship.
20) Journal of Computers in Education
https://www.springer.com/journal/40692/aims-and-scope
Aims & Scope
JCE is an interdisciplinary forum for communication of perspectives among researchers, practitioner, and policy makers on theories and practices in technology enhanced learning. The journal aims at making an impact on educational practices and thus to transform learning. The journal publishes up-to-date research and experiences in information communication technologies (ICT) in learning and education. Authors are encouraged to submit papers related, but not limited, to the following topics of interest:
- Hotspots and Frontiers – reporting on current research and policy initiatives as well as national or international key research projects in the field ICT in education.
- Instruction and Design – theoretical and methodological issues related to instructional design, curriculum development, and the role of technology in instructional transformation, particularly issues from social, cultural, psychological, cognitive, and pedagogical perspectives.
- Learning and Technology – issues of learning technologies from theoretical and pedagogical perspectives. Specifically, it covers ubiquitous learning, human intelligence as well as other emerging technologies in education.
- Media and Tools – patterns of educational communications and state-of-the-art educational media as well as instructional tools, which encompass learning management systems, interactive learning systems, knowledge visual tools, thinking training tools, as well as educational virtual reality systems and educational games.
- Academic Reviews – reviews on important works and publications in the field of ICT in education.
21) Computers & Education
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/computers-and-education
Aims & Scope
Computers & Education aims to increase knowledge and understanding of ways in which digital technology can enhance education, through the publication of high-quality research, which extends theory and practice. The Editors welcome research papers on the pedagogical uses of digital technology, where the focus is broad enough to be of interest to a wider education community.
We do not publish small-scale evaluations of specific software/systems in specialist domains or particular courses in individual institutions (unless the findings have broader relevance that is explicitly drawn out in the paper). Papers that include discussions of the implementation of software and/or hardware should focus on the context of use, the user/system interface, usability issues and evaluations of the user experience and impacts on and particularly on the implications for learning and teaching. Computers as a delivery platform only is insufficient. Detailed information on implementation architecture should NOT be included in the paper, but may be provided via URLs.
We welcome systematic review papers and meta-analyses that include clear research questions, a framework of analysis, and conclusions that reflect the aims of the paper. See PRISMA guidelines for further advice.
Authors should take care to refer to and abide by the author guidelines. Papers that do not address the criteria outlined in the author guidelines will be returned without review.
22) Journal of Open, Flexible and Distance Education
https://www.jofdl.nz/index.php/JOFDL/about
Aims & Scope
The Journal of Open, Flexible and Distance Learning is the flagship refereed scholarly journal of the Flexible Learning Association of New Zealand (FLANZ).
The Journal of Open, Flexible and Distance Learning (previously The Journal of Distance Learning) invites scholarly submissions related to open, flexible and distance learning, broadly defined. Original contributions related to distance education that relate to the four streams of scholarship proposed by Boyer (1990) are all welcome:
- Discovery – investigative research, with supporting evidence for new ideas. What is to be found? Discovery research is typically study-based, grounded in the existing literature, and with sound methodology.
- Integration – the bringing together of existing ideas in a summarised form, with key themes identified. What does what is found actually mean? Integration involves working with existing ideas, based on extensive literature review across disciplines.
- Application – accounts of how distance education theory has been implemented in operational contexts. How can what is found be used? Application firmly rests on literature, providing an account of how theory has been applied and providing transferable lessons and opportunities for further research based on the experience.
- Teaching – accounts of innovative practice, preferably informed by student evaluation. How can what is found be understood by others? Teaching research is more than a ‘look at what we did’; it is informed, reflective, and ultimately useful in other settings.
Note that not all streams will be equally represented across each issue. All articles received must be well contextualised, highlight transferable knowledge, have a strong conceptual base, and be well-grounded in distance education literature. Contributors in the Pacific Rim are particularly invited to submit manuscripts for consideration. All submissions are peer-reviewed. The language of publication is English (please note that a high level of English is expected). Articles in Te Reo will also be accepted accompanied by an English translation.
Manuscript style. Three distinct types of manuscripts are invited.
- Original research. Submissions of between 4000 and 6000 words, addressing one or more of Boyer’s (1990) forms of scholarship above. A 250-word abstract must be included.
- Research notes or reports. Submissions of up to 4000 words about current research in the area of distance education.
- Book reviews. Submissions of up to 1000 words reviewing a book related to distance education theory and practice.