Submissions

Author Guidelines

It is understood that articles submitted to TESOL in Context have not been previously published and are not under consideration for publication elsewhere.

Please also note that our journal uses iThenticate to screen all manuscript submissions; and by submitting via our OJS platform, authors acknowledge and agree that their manuscripts will undergo plagiarism detection as part of our mandatory editorial processes.

• Articles around 6,000 words are preferred (including references and appendices), and an abstract of up to 200 words should be included with each article submitted.
• Electronic submission of files is required (Microsoft Word format, such as doc. or docx.).
• The first file should be the cover page. This file should contain a separate cover page with the article’s title, the names of the author/s, their preferred titles, and the contact details for the author to whom correspondence should be sent (address, telephone numbers, and email address). About 70 words of biographical data should also be included. 
  
• The second file should be the anonymised article. This file should contain the title followed by the abstract, the body of the paper and the list of references. Number the pages but do not use identifying headers or footers. All information in relation to author(s) should be de-identified, including any previous publication that is cited as a reference in the manuscript.
• Headings and sub-headings should be left aligned, with the first letter capitalised.
• Indicate new paragraphs by using one extra line space.
• Text should be Times New Roman, 12 point, with 1.15 spacing.
• 1.15 spacing for all references in the reference list, using a hanging indent of 0.5 inches (1.27 cm).
• Short quotations should be incorporated into the text and enclosed with double quotation marks.
• Quotations of more than about 40 words should be set off as block quotations from the main text by indentation, without any quotation marks.
• Referencing including in-text citations and the reference list should follow the APA 7th edition referencing style; for examples, see a recent issue of the journal at 2024 Vol. 33 No. 1.
• All references should be cited correctly in the text, and all in-text citations should be included in the reference list. DOIs or URLs need to be given if applicable.
• References in the text should be ordered alphabetically and contain the name of the author and the year of publication, e.g. (Adams, 2017; Wang, 2009). For direct quotations include the relevant page number(s), e.g. (Jones, 2006, p. 34).
• Tables, figures or diagrams should be numbered consecutively (e.g., Table 1, Table 2... Figure 1, Figure 2...) and included in the relevant part of the text. Each should have an explanatory title. A title should be provided above each table or below each figure.
• Figures should be high quality and high-resolution images (at least 300 dpi) and in an appropriate format (e.g., JPEG, PNG). Use colour judiciously. Ensure figures are readable in both colour and grayscale.
• Numbers up to and including ten should be spelt out (e.g., one, two, three...) and numbers over ten should be expressed as figures (e.g., 24, 25, 26...).
• The spellings used should be those given in The Macquarie Dictionary.
• All articles submitted are subject to blind, impartial refereeing; referees are asked to report against the following criteria:
  • The topic of the article is of relevance to readers of the journal (see ACTA Statement at Publications - For Writers).
  • The article is grounded appropriately in relevant published literature.
  • The article’s claims/conclusions are based on rigorous analysis of primary data and/or well-supported argument and/or analysis of teaching practice.
  • The article is well structured and clearly linked.
  • Language use and style are appropriate to the audience and purpose.
  • Notes for contributors have been followed in all respects, including consistent use of the APA 7th edition style.
  • The article has potential to make a worthwhile contribution to the TESOL and/or EAL/D fields.
• A suggested article template can be found here.
• A full guide to manuscript preparation can be found here (Please follow the instructions to prepare your manuscript prior to submission).

Authors need to register with the journal prior to submitting (requests for registration should be directed to the Managing Editor Dr Fiona Tang at tic@tesol.org.au) or, if already registered, can simply log in and begin the submission process.

Contact for any issues with submissions: 

Managing Editor Dr Fiona Tang: Email at tic@tesol.org.au

Materials for review (books, websites etc.) should also be sent to the abovementioned email address.

Peer-review process:

Reviewers also need to follow the registration process above to view and upload articles for review. Reviewers can access instructions for uploading manuscripts here.

Once authors have received reviewers' comments, they need to respond to these comments in two ways:

1) Log in and submit a revised manuscript to the same article submission, with the file name and date reflecting the revised submission.

2) Submit a table noting the changes addressing the reviewers' comments. A suggested template is available here.

AI and Generative AI policy:

1) Authorship:

AI or Generative AI (GenAI) technologies are not permitted to be part of the authorship of any submission. All scholarly work submitted to TESOL in Context must be the original creation of human authors.

2) Usage of AI or GenAI in research and writing:

• Authors are allowed to use AI or GenAI tools to assist in their research and writing processes. However, such usage must be conducted appropriately and is subject to review by the editorial team on a case-by-case basis. The review decision shall be left to the editorial team's discretion.
• Full disclosure of AI or GenAI usage is mandatory. Authors must provide a statement in their manuscripts detailing the extent and nature of AI tool usage.

3) Ethical considerations:

• AI or GenAI tools must be used in a manner that respects privacy, confidentiality, and intellectual property rights.
• The use of AI or GenAI tools must align with ethical standards and best practices as outlined by the Journal's code of conduct and relevant institutional guidelines.