Submissions

We invite prospective authors to submit content fitting with JoNL’s scope and mission. Each submission must adhere to the guidelines listed here. Submissions that don’t adhere to the guidelines may be returned to authors. Note, authors should not submit work that has been previously published or work that is currently undergoing consideration by another journal.

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Materials Accepted

JoNL accepts the following types of submissions of a rolling basis:

Other submission types are also welcome. Please contact JoNL should your submission not fit into one of the aforementioned categories.

(Note: JoNL editors retain the right to alter submission type upon review, but will communicate this to authors.)

Manuscript Formatting

Manuscript Length: Manuscript length excludes components outside of the main body text such as abstract, tables/figures, reference list, etc.

Manuscript Components: Submissions should include the following components:

Citation Style: APA 7.

Manuscript Template: Submissions must be submitted using the preformatted JoNL Manuscript Template. To maintain the template’s accessible formatting, it’s recommended that you either 1) type directly into the document, or 2) copy and paste your text into the template, being sure to strip the copied text of its formatting prior to pasting it into the template.

Document File Format: Acceptable text file formats include .docx, .odt, or .rtf.

Multimedia Content

The author is responsible for securing any rights required for the republication of any included media and for providing appropriate citations and/or rights statements. All media in which someone other than the author is audible or visible must be submitted with appropriate release forms or other documented evidence of the participants’ willingness to be involved.

Note: If you’d like to submit content created entirely in a medium other than text (e.g., video), please first contact the journal.

Data Files: If you’d like to submit data files with your manuscript, please link to your own data repository.

Image Files: Accompanying images should be submitted as separate files (including images of figures and/or tables). To ensure accessibility, each image must also include a short phrase or sentence of alternate text, or complex alt text if using a complex image.

Complex images are images that convey more information than can be summarized in a short alt text, so a two-part alt text is needed:

  1. A longer description of the image located elsewhere. E.g., within the manuscript text, a figure note, an appendix, etc. In cases where the image is a graphic made up of text and viewing the entire content of the graphic is crucial to understanding the content of the manuscript, include an appendix with the text version of the image.
  2. Brief alt text attached to the image itself to tell the reader what the image is and, if applicable, where the long description of it can be found.

For more help with alt text or complex images, visit WebAIM’s Alternative Text or W3C’s Complex Images.

Audio Clips: If you’d like to submit audio clips with your manuscript, host the files on a reputable platform that is equipped with a media player to play the audio, and ensure that it can be openly accessed via link. Link to the audio clip within your manuscript. All audio clips must include an accurate and properly formatted transcript.

Video Clips: If you’d like to submit video clips with your manuscript, host the files on a reputable platform that is equipped with a media player to play the video, and ensure that it can be openly accessed via link (e.g., YouTube). Link to the video clip within your manuscript. All video clips must include accurate and properly timed closed captions. For increased accessibility, we encourage you to also include a transcript of the video, although that is not required.

Generative AI Content

Any generative AI tools or content used within the process of research and/or writing a manuscript must be disclosed and formatted according to JoNL's AI Policy Author Guidelines.

Editorial Process

All content published in the JoNL is reviewed and edited by the editorial board to ensure quality and scholarly rigor. The editorial processes for these materials are outlined below.

1. Submission

Authors should first ensure that all content adheres to the Author Guidelines. For purposes of double-blind peer review, authors are responsible for removing identifying information or data from the body of their work, which will be reinserted after the review process.

Each scholarly article published in JoNL undergoes external double-blind peer review and is formatted by the journal's editorial team. This process requires a significant commitment of time and energy, both from external reviewers and the journals’ editorial staff, to every scholarly article submitted to the journal. For this reason, JoNL can only review one scholarly research article per author at any given time.

Using the preformatted JoNL Manuscript Template, prospective authors submit their content through the journal’s content management system (register for an account or login to OJS). Images should be submitted as separate files (see Multimedia Content for more information). When submitting in OJS, authors will specify the type of manuscript being submitted.

If there are any time-related issues that should be considered, or if there are any potential conflicts of interest (such as with potential peer reviewers), authors should include a cover letter to inform the editorial board.

Once submitted, the content is previewed by the editorial board to ensure it meets basic criteria for consideration and is within the scope and mission of the journal. If accepted for consideration, the submission will move into review.

2. Review

The review process for both scholarly article submissions and editorial-reviewed content (book reviews, columns, opinion, etc.) is outlined below.

Scholarly Articles

Academic research articles undergo external, double-blind peer review. The article is assigned to two external reviewers, selected based on relevant expertise, to assess and critique the article. All identifying information will be removed to ensure double-blind review. If the reviewers return conflicting recommendations, a 3rd reviewer may be asked to review the work.

When external review is complete, the author is given the reviewers’ feedback. The editorial council will also inform the author of the final decision (accept, accept with revision, revise and submit, decline).

Editorial-Reviewed Content

At least two members of the editorial board will review the content to ensure it is within the scope and mission of the journal. If accepted, editors will provide feedback and inform the author of the final decision (accept, accept with revision, revise and submit, decline).

3. Production

Content accepted for publication will undergo final copyediting. Authors are provided a pre-print copy of their article for final approval before typesetting and final publication. Authors will have five business days to submit any requests for corrections. Note, manuscript content cannot be edited during final review.

The article is assigned a DOI, pagination, and volume/issue numbers. Content is published on a rolling schedule, with one volume per calendar year featuring two regular issues.

Attribution, Plagiarism, and Research Integrity

Authors should submit original works that are a product of their own research and writing. Works that insufficiently cite or identify sources cannot be accepted for publication and will be returned to the author. Co-authors and other individuals who provided significant contributions to the work should also be appropriately recognized. When building upon secondary literature and previous studies, submissions must include appropriate and accurate citations that identify the original sources of ideas and utilized data. This includes the attribution of data, quotations (both direct and paraphrased), and important conceptual influences such as theories, frameworks, or arguments. Seminal works providing important conceptual influences for the piece should also be identified and cited where appropriate. If an author quotes or builds upon their own previous publications, the original source should also be cited. Plagiarism, or presenting the work of others as one's own, is prohibited by the journal, as is the unattributed use (intentional or accidental) of other authors' scholarly, creative, or intellectual work. It is ultimately the responsibility of the author to ensure the accuracy of citations and attributions. Resubmissions will be considered at the discretion of the journal. If plagiarism is detected after publication, we may issue a correction or retract the paper, as appropriate.

Privacy Statement

The names and email addresses entered in this journal site will be used exclusively for the stated purposes of this journal and will not be made available for any other purpose or to any other party.