This document contains information about the kinds of material TESOL Quarterly publishes and how to submit a manuscript.

About TESOL Quarterly
General Submission Guidelines
Submission Categories
Special Topic Issues
Informed Consent Guidelines
Research Guidelines

TESOL Quarterly (TQ), a professional, refereed journal, encourages submission of previously unpublished articles on topics of significance to individuals concerned with English language teaching and learning and standard English as a second dialect.

As a publication that represents a variety of cross-disciplinary interests, both theoretical and practical, the Quarterly invites manuscripts on a wide range of topics, especially in the following areas:

• psychology and sociology of language learning and teaching
• issues in research and research methodology
• testing and evaluation
• professional preparation
• curriculum design and development
• instructional methods, materials, and techniques
• language planning professional standards
  

Because TQ is committed to publishing manuscripts that contribute to bridging theory and practice in our profession, it particularly welcomes submissions that address the implications and applications of research in, for example,

• anthropology
• applied and theoretical linguistics
• communication
• education
• English education, including reading and writing theory
• psycholinguistics
• psychology
• first and second language acquisition
• sociolinguistics
• sociology
  

TQ is an international journal. It welcomes submissions from English language contexts around the world. To contact the TQ editorial staff, click here.

GENERAL SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

All manuscripts submitted to TQ should conform to the following guidelines:

• All mansucripts should conform to the requirements of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.), which can be obtained from the American Psychological Association.
• TQ prefers that all submissions be written in a style that is accessible to a broad readership, including those individuals who may not be familiar with the subject matter.
• TQ solicits manuscripts in seven categories: Full-Length Articles, Forum, Brief Reports and Summaries, Teaching Issues, Research Issues, Research Digest, and Book Reviews. For the necessary submission items and other requirements, please see the category below for the article you intend to submit. Prospective authors are encouraged to read articles from the section to which they intend to submit to get an idea of the style and level of research required for publication.
• TQ does not accept paper submissions. To submit a manuscript, please go the TQ Editorial Manager. First-time users will be asked to register. If a paper has more than one author, the person submitting the manuscript will have to identify the corresponding author and add the other authors using the “Add Author” function. If you have questions about the submission process, please contact Craig Triplett, TQ assistant editor.
• TQ does not accept multiple simultaneous submissions from the same author because this practice monopolizes reviewers' time. Multiple simultaneous submissions will be returned without review.
• To facilitate the double-blind review process, please remove the author’s name from the main text, the in-text citations, the reference list, and any running heads. Please replace the author’s name with Author. If there are multiple authors, please use Author1, Author2, etc. Manuscripts submitted without author’s name(s) removed will be returned without review for alteration and resubmission.
• It is understood that manuscripts submitted to TQ have not been previously published and are not under consideration for publication elsewhere.
• It is the author’s responsibility to indicate to the editor the existence of any work already published (or under consideration for publication elsewhere) by the author(s) that is similar in content to the submitted manuscript.
• It is also the author’s responsibility to secure permission to reprint tables or figures that are used or adapted in the manuscript from another source. Written permission from the copyright holder is required before TESOL can publish the material. For more information on copyright permissions, please contact Craig Triplett, TQ assistant editor.
• The TQ editor reserves the right to make editorial changes in any manuscript accepted for publication to enhance clarity, concision, or style. The author will be consulted only if the editing has been substantial.
• The editor’s decisions are final.
• The views expressed by contributors to TESOL Quarterly do not necessarily reflect those of the TQ editors, the Editorial Advisory Board, or Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, Inc. (TESOL). Material published in TQ should not be construed as having the endorsement of TESOL.
• All TQ authors receive a contributors’ copy of the issue in which their work appears. In addition, TQ provides authors of full-length articles a PDF copy of their article for their personal use.

When evaluating a manuscript for publication in TQ, reviewers consider the following factors:

• The manuscript appeals to the general interests of TQ’s readership.
• The manuscript elucidates the relationship between theory and practice: Practical articles must be anchored in theory, and theoretical articles and reports of research must contain a discussion of implications or applications for practice.
• The content of the manuscript is accessible not only to specialists in the area addressed but also to TQ’s broad readership.
• The manuscript offers a new, original insight or interpretation and not just a restatement of others’ ideas and views.
• The manuscript makes a significant (practical, useful, plausible) contribution to the field.
• The manuscript is likely to arouse readers’ interest.
• The manuscript reflects sound scholarship and research design with appropriate, correctly interpreted references to other authors and works.
• The manuscript is well written and organized and conforms to the specifications of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.).

 To submit a manuscript for a full-length article, please go to TQ Editorial Manager. To facilitate the submission process, please have the following items at hand before you begin:

names and contact info for all authors

• cover letter
• abstract (200 words)
• manuscript (8,500 words)
• tables
• figures
• acknowledgments (if any)

If you have questions about the submission process, please contact Craig Triplett, TQ assistant editor. The TQ general editors are Diane Belcher and Alan Hirvela.

Forum

TQ publishes four types of articles in the Forum:

• Commentaries from readers regarding current trends and practices in the TESOL profession
• Responses to articles and reviews published in TQ
• Brief discussion of qualitative and quantitative research issues
• Brief discussions of teaching issues

 Commentaries submitted to the Forum should generally be no longer than 3,400 words. Please indicate the number of words at the end of the manuscript.

Responses to articles should be no more than 1,500 words. Please indicate the number of words at the end of the manuscript. The article will be given to the author of the original article or review before publication for a reply that will be published with the response article. Unfortunately, TQ is unable to publish reponses to previous exchanges.

To submit a manuscript to the Forum section, please go to TQ Editorial Manager. To facilitate the submission process, please have the following items at hand before you begin:

• names and contact info for all authors
• cover letter
• manuscript (3,400 words for commentary; 1,500 words for a response)
• author bio(s)
• acknowledgments (if any)

 If you have questions about the submission process, please contact Craig Triplett, TQ assistant editor. The Forum editors are Diane Belcher and Alan Hirvela.

Brief Reports and Summaries

TQ also invites short reports on any aspect of TESOL theory and practice. The editors encourage manuscripts that either present preliminary findings or focus on some aspect of a larger study. In all cases, the discussion of issues should be supported by empirical evidence, collected through qualitative or quantitative investigations. Reports or summaries should present key concepts and results in a manner accessible to our diverse readership.Submissions to this section should be no more than 3,400 words (including references, notes, and tables). Please indicate the number of words at the end of the report. Longer articles do not appear in this section and should be submitted to the full-length articles section.

To submit a manuscript to the Brief Reports and Summaries section, please go to TQ Editorial Manager. To facilitate the submission process, please have the following items at hand before you begin:

• names and contact info for all authors
• cover letter
• manuscript (3,400 words)
• tables
• figures
• author bio(s)
• acknowledgments (if any)

If you have questions about the submission process, please contact Craig Triplett, TQ assistant editor. The editor for the Brief Reports and Summaries section is Ali Shahadeh.

Research and Teaching Issues

Contributions to Research Issues and Teaching Issues are typically solicited. The editors pose a question concerning a salient issue in research or teaching and invite someone in the field to write an answer. Readers may send topic suggestions or make known their availability as contributors by writing directly to the incoming section editors: Teaching Issues, Dana Ferris; Research Issues, Constant Leung.

Contributions to Research or Teaching Issues should be no more than 3,400 words, including tables, figures, and notes, and references. Please indicate the number of words at the end of the manuscript.

If you have been invited to submit a manuscript, please go to TQ Editorial Manager. To facilitate the submission process, please have the following items at hand before you begin:

• names and contact info for all authors
• cover letter
• manuscript (3,400 words)
• tables
• figures
• author bio(s)
• acknowledgments (if any)

If you have questions about the submission process, please contact Craig Triplett, TQ assistant editor.

Book Reviews and Review Articles

TQ invites succinct, evaluative reviews of professional books. Reviews should provide a descriptive and evaluative summary and a brief discussion of the significance of the work in the context of current theory and practice. Submissions should comprise no more than 1,000 words. Before writing the review, reviewers are encouraged to query the Reviews editor, Paul Kei Matsuda.

TQ also welcomes occasional review articles, that is, comparative discussions of several publications that fall into a topical category (e.g., pronunciation, literacy training, teaching methodology). Review articles should provide a description and evaluative comparison of the materials and discuss the relative significance of the works in the context of current theory and practice. Submissions should comprise no more than 2,500 words. Before writing the review article, reviewers are encouraged to query the Reviews editor, Paul Kei Matsuda.

To submit a book review or review article manuscript, please go to TQ Editorial Manager. To facilitate the submission process, please have the following items at hand before you begin:

• reviewer name and contact info
• cover letter
• manuscript (1,000 words for book review; 2,500 words for review article)

If you have questions about the submission process, please contact Craig Triplett, TQ assistant editor.

Typically, the September issue in each volume will be devoted to a special topic. Topics are approved by TQ’s Editorial Advisory Board. Those wishing to suggest topics or serve as guest editors should contact the TQ editors, Diane Belcher or Alan Hirvela. Issues will generally contain both invited articles designed to survey and illuminate central themes as well as articles solicited through a call for papers.

TESOL expects authors of books or articles in our serial publications or contributors submitting chapters or units to any collective TESOL publication to adhere to ethical and legal standards for work with human subjects. Although TESOL is aware that such standards vary among institutions and countries, TESOL requires authors and contributors to meet, as a minimum, the conditions detailed below before submitting a manuscript for review. TESOL recognizes that some institutions may require research proposals to satisfy additional requirements. If you wish to discuss whether or how your study meets these guidelines, you may contact the TQ co-editors Diane Belcher and Alan Hirvela.

Before TESOL will publish their work, authors and contributors who have used human participants in their study must certify that they have met the following requirements:

Participation in Research

• You have informed participants in your study, sample, class, group, or program that you will be conducting research in which they will be the participants or that you would like to write about them for publication.
• You have given each participant a clear statement of the purpose of your research or the basic outline of what you would like to explore in writing, making it clear that research and writing are dynamic activities that may shift in focus as they occur.
• You have explained the procedure you will follow in the research project or the types of information you will be collecting for your writing.
• You have explained that participation is voluntary, that there is no penalty for refusing to participate, and that the participants may withdraw at any time without penalty.
• You have explained to participants if and how their confidentiality will be protected.
• You have given participants sufficient contact information that they can reach you for answers to questions regarding the research.
• You have explained to participants any foreseeable risks and discomforts involved in agreeing to cooperate (e.g., seeing work with errors in print).
• You have explained to participants any possible direct benefits of participating (e.g., receiving a copy of the article or chapter).
• You have obtained from each participant (or from an underage participant's parent or guardian) a signed consent form that sets out the terms of your agreement with the participants and have kept these forms on file (TESOL will not ask to see them).

Consent to Publish Student Work

• If you will be collecting samples of student work with the intention of publishing them, either anonymously or with attribution, you have made that clear to participants in writing.
• If the sample of student work (e.g., a signed drawing or signed piece of writing) will be published with the student's real name visible, you have obtained a signed consent form (for a release form for minors or adults, contact the TESOL Office) and will include that form when you submit your manuscript for review and editing.
• If your research or writing involves minors (persons under age 18), you have supplied and obtained signed separate informed consent forms from the parent or guardian and from the minor, if he or she is old enough to read, understand, and sign the form.
• If you are working with participants who do not speak English well or are intellectually disabled, you have written the consent forms in a language that the participant or participant's guardian can understand.

RESEARCH GUIDELINES

Because TQ reports substantive findings and models research in the field, articles submitted for publication must meet high research standards. To support this goal, TESOL Quarterly, vol. 7, no. 1, contains guidelines (pp. 157–178) for reporting quantitative research, and three types of qualitative research: case studies, conversation analysis, and (critical) ethnography. Each set of guidelines explains the expectations for research articles within a particular tradition and provides references for additional guidance. The guidelines are also published on TESOL’s Web site.

Researchers may also wish to review the TESOL Research Agenda. By examining subfields and foregrounding areas that require additional research, the Research Committee hopes to assist the fields collective research efforts, efforts that extend beyond sponsoring research symposiums and other presentations at TESOL conferences.