Author Guidelines
Spring 2023
The International Journal for Research in Learning Disabilities invites submission of scholarly manuscripts for consideration for publication. The IJRLD is an international resource for scholars and practitioners on the topic of learning disabilities. The IJRLD is distributed to individuals and institutions in over 25 nations.
From the Mission Statement
The International Journal for Research in Learning Disabilities (formerly Thalamus) is the membership journal of the International Academy for Research in Learning Disabilities. It serves as a timely forum for communication of multiple perspectives, via research and scholarship, to individuals and institutions around the world with an interest in the topic of learning disabilities. Consistent with the IARLD itself, the International Journal for Research in Learning Disabilities exists to promote international and interdisciplinary exchange of information.
Features
All issues and all features of the journal will be published in English. Manuscripts of interest to an international readership are encouraged; however, addressing the common topic of learning disabilities is sufficiently appropriate for submission. Manuscripts also will be considered appropriate when they address “atRrisk” populations or those with concomitant conditions, as well as manuscripts that clearly are intended to inform learning disabilities specifically. Submissions may concern biology, neurology, psychology, sociology,
education and learning, or policy or social services. Multidisciplinary perspectives and a
diversity of scientific and theoretical orientations will be welcomed.
Original Theoretical and Research Manuscripts
The primary form of article to be published in the journal will be original theoretical and research or analysis manuscripts. Both basic and applied research as well as theoretical treatises will be considered.
Literature Reviews
Integrative, critical, and systematic reviews of the literature will be considered. Historical surveys will be considered if they present a novel or original approach to a specific topic or area. Literature reviews should be incisive and critical from the standpoint of basic assumptions, methodology, and technique. Annotated bibliographies will not be considered.
Reproductions of Publications from Other Sources
Authors of manuscripts that reflect the format and features described in this Call but that have been previously published in other sources may be reprinted in the journal when all of the following conditions are satisfied: (a) the original author(s) agrees to the reproduction, (b) all copyright holders consent to the reproduction at no expense to the IARLD, and (c) either the original source of publication is not and will not soon become available for wide distribution, or the original publication is to be a primary focus of other articles in the issue (e.g., response papers, commentaries, public forums).
Response Papers
The journal will welcome individual or series of manuscripts that respond to each other or to a common manuscript to be featured in the same issue. Manuscripts that respond to documents or other media that would be readily accessible (e.g., government policy, World Wide Web resources, books, peer reviewed journals) also are welcome. Distinct from a theme issue, response papers will directly address one another or a central manuscript, whereas theme issue manuscripts will address a common topic.
Commentaries and Public Forums
Individuals are invited to submit brief scholarly commentaries for publication. Commentaries should be a maximum of four doubleRspaced manuscript pages. They may provide comment on topics of interest to the IJRLD readership, including previous publications in the journal. Accepted commentaries must be judged by the editor and reviewing editorial review board members as scholarly. Theories and evidence should be fully explained and proper source citations must be included. Submissions may be rejected by the editor for reason of timeliness.
Scholarly Book and Media Reviews
The journal occasionally will publish scholarly reviews of books or other media relevant to the mission of the journal. Favor will be given to integrative reviews of multiple materials. Reviews of intervention materials with the purpose of advising practitioners on their adoption will not be accepted. Authors or developers of materials are prohibited from submitting reviews of those materials.
Theme Issues
IARLD members are invited to propose themes to the editor. Further, members are welcome to nominate themselves as a theme issue editor and either identify participant authors when proposing the issue or consult with the journal editor to place an open call for submissions. Calls for theme submissions will be posted on the IARLD website and in the journal when appropriate.
A theme issue should contain a minimum of three topic-related manuscripts and may include introductory and/or concluding commentaries by the theme editor. All submissions to the journal, including solicited manuscripts for theme issues, must be subject to editor and peer review. The journal editor will consult with the theme editor on this process.
Nominations for themes and issue editors will be considered by the journal editor and will involve consultation with Editorial Board members when appropriate. Nominations will be evaluated based on timeliness and interest to the membership, consistency with the mission of the journal, quality of the conceptualization of the proposed theme or issue, and the qualifications of all nominated participants to contribute a high quality issue within the proposed timeline. Theme editors must document a body of scholarship, including refereed publications, in the topic of the proposed theme. Decisions of the journal editor will be final.
Publication
The International Journal for Research in Learning Disabilities will be published annually.
Distribution
Each member of the IARLD receives a subscription to the journal as a benefit of membership. Subscriptions also are sold to nonmember individuals and institutions. Nonmembers and institutions receive their issues at the same time as do members.
Manuscript Submission Guidelines
Submissions to the journal must be provided in English. All reviews and correspondence with the editor will be conducted in English. All issues of the journal are published in English.
All submissions must be formatted consistent with the 7th Edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA).
Manuscripts must include a 100R150Rword abstract summarizing the contents.
A critical concern in the learning disabilities field is the definition of the population. Therefore, authors are expected to operationally define the study participants in accordance with professional standards (see CLD Research Committee: Rosenberg et al. [1992]. Minimum standards for the description of participants in learning disabilities research. Learning Disability Quarterly, 15, 114R121. Also available, reprinted: Remedial and Special Education [1994], 15, 56R59). In addition, parameters of the settings in which the research took place are to be clearly delineated. Such descriptions facilitate replication and application of results. Manuscripts that fail to specify participant and setting variables will be rejected or returned to the author for clarification before further editorial review.
Authors of research manuscripts are encouraged to include brief (e.g., one to two sentence) explanations of why specific procedures and analysis methods were employed. Peer reviewers will evaluate the appropriateness of this and all aspects of the reported study.
Manuscripts must be prepared in accordance with the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 7th ed. (The American Psychological Association, 2020).
Manuscripts are not to exceed 35 double-spaced pages consistently employing a 12Rpoint font (including references, tables, figures, and appendices).
Certain writing style practices will enhance the readability of manuscripts:
- Compose an original abstract. Do not merely repeat sentences taken from the body of the text.
- Avoid anthropomorphizing documents, data, and findings.
- Use personRfirst and respectful language when making reference to persons with disabilities and other identity groups.
Limit incorporation of tables and figures to those essential to conveyance of your content.
Submission Procedures
The manuscript submission and review process will be conducted electronically. Acknowledgement of receipt of manuscripts, reviews, and disposition letters will be transmitted to submitting authors via e-mail.
To submit your manuscript digitally, you must use one of the following formats: Microsoft Wordâ (.doc or .docx), .RTF, or .PDF. Manuscripts must be saved as “letter” (“U.S. letter”) page length or paper size. Submissions in Wordâ or RTF format will be converted into a PDF before being sent for blind peer review. If you submit a PDF file, it is your responsibility to ensure it can be read and printed by others. To avoid delays, please embed all fonts and use Adobeâ PDF Distillerâ instead of PDF Writer to ensure that others can view the article exactly as intended. No e-mail attachment should exceed 15MB.
Each manuscript must be accompanied by a cover letter that communicates (a) that the manuscript is an original work, (b) that the manuscript is not under consideration by any other journal, and (c) any other disclosures as required by the APA (e.g., ethical treatment of participants, financial relationship disclosures).
A cover page that provides the name, affiliation, mailing address, phone number, fax, and email address of each author must also accompany each manuscript. All communications will be with the lead author. (No author identifying information should be included directly in manuscripts submitted for review [e.g., explicit reference to previous publications, acknowledgements, author biographies]).
Please do not send tables, figures, appendices, or other supporting materials in separate files.
Manuscripts may not be submitted by fax or in paper form.
Manuscript Review
Upon receipt, the editor performs a screening review of each manuscript and decides whether or not to accept it for peer review. Some of the reasons why a manuscript may not be accepted for peer review include (a) the topic is outside the focus of the journal or (b) the manuscript does not follow the guidelines for content, length, format, or style.
While being considered for publication in the journal, manuscripts may not be submitted for publication elsewhere.
Each manuscript accepted for peer review is assigned an identification number that is used for tracking purposes through the review and publication process. Receipt of each manuscript accepted for peer review is acknowledged in an eRmail letter to the lead author (usually within two weeks of receipt), which includes the manuscript ID number.
Manuscripts are typically sent to three Editorial Review Board members using a blind review process. Reviewers with expertise in the areas addressed by the particular manuscript will evaluate the manuscript on the basis of (a) importance of the topic, (b) contribution to the literature, (c) quality of the research or other procedures, (d) quality of the writing, and (e) fit with the mission of the journal. In addition to providing specific written feedback to the authors, the reviewers will provide an advisory recommendation to the editor about the potential publication value of the manuscript. Occasionally, the editor may invite a review from professionals other than members of the Editorial Review Board when deemed necessary for appropriate review of the manuscript.
The recommendations of each reviewer are forwarded to the editor. After reviewing the manuscript and the reviewers’ recommendations, the editor makes a decision concerning the manuscript as follows:
(a) decline to publish, (b) request revisions with a stipulation for further peer review, (c) request revisions subject to editor review only, or (d) accept as is. Authors should expect that almost all manuscripts accepted for the journal would involve some level of additional revision (b or c) prior to publication.
Typically, the editor completes the review and editorial decision-making process within 14 weeks following receipt of the manuscript. The editorial decision and rationale will be communicated in a letter to the first author, including copies of the peer reviews.
