About

The McGill Journal of Education (MJE) is a peer-reviewed, interdisciplinary, open access, bilingual scholarly journal published three times a year. Embracing a broad conception of education, the MJE is dedicated to connecting educational research, theory, policy and practice by inviting thoughtful and critical submissions from scholars and practitioners working in diverse areas of education and learning in Quebec, Canada and internationally. These include formal, non-formal, informal, or incidental forms of teaching and learning; from preschool to adult education; in a range of social settings within and outside of school, and community/popular education contexts. The journal welcomes critical discussion and debate on issues in education through its regular and guest themed issues. Recent themes have included such topics as: Canadian education, Quebec education, Indigenous education, evolution education, mentoring, learning in social action, schools and the courts, student engagement, young people and media, and narrative. A primary goal of the MJE is to open spaces for the exchange of ideas across disciplinary boundaries and among diverse audiences (academic, practitioner, broader public). For this purpose, the journal features avenues for peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed (editorial) publications and discussion forums; the journal also publishes book reviews. Another of its major goals is to provide a window on developments in education and learning in the Quebec context as well as throughout Francophonie by encouraging English- and French-language submissions. MJE is also committed to supporting the work of emerging scholars.

The views expressed by contributors to the MJE do not necessarily reflect those of the Editor, the Editorial and Review Boards, or McGill University. Authors are responsible for following normal standards of scholarship and for ensuring that whenever the research involves human subjects, the appropriate consents are obtained from such subjects and all approvals are obtained from the appropriate ethics review board.

Permanent archiving of the MJE is provided by Portico.

Editorial policy and ethics

PEER REVIEW PROCESS

The MJE engages in a (double blind) peer review process.

Two blind peer reviews are sought for each submission the editorial team deems suitable to the MJE.

Reviewers are asked to provide assessments that: (a) stimulate the process of revision, thereby facilitating better articles and an earlier publication date, (b) provides the editor, faced with conflicting recommendations, with a basis for making an informed decision, and (c) provides feedback to authors which can contribute to their professional development.

They are encouraged to attend to the submission as follows:

1. Content – Does the manuscript make a significant contribution to education? Does the manuscript clearly describe the purpose, problem statement and/or research question/s? Is the manuscript contextually situated in relevant research? Does the cited literature provide a compelling rationale for this work? Are the references cited appropriate and up to date?
2. Argument / Methodology – Is the methodology/argument well developed and clearly explained? Does it appropriately address the problem/research questions? If it is an empirical study, are the research setting, participants, and data collection tools adequately explained? Are the data analyses techniques appropriate? Are the findings clearly articulated and relevant to the research questions/problem? Are the claims logically constructed and well supported by the data/literature?
3. Writing – Is the manuscript clearly organized, concise, and accessible to the broader education community? Has it been thoroughly edited for grammar, spelling, and punctuation? Do the references follow the APA 7 citation style?
4. Overall evaluation of the manuscript - Identify any errors of fact, faulty logic, and/or ways in which the organization might be improved.

TYPES OF ARTICLES ACCEPTED

Peer-reviewed Submissions

Conventional journal articles (up to 8000 words)

These are understood as original contributions to theory, practice and research likely to be of interest both to practitioners and researchers, and are expected to be of a high intellectual standard and well-written.

Review essays (4000-6000 words)

These are overviews of particular literatures, particular theoretical traditions and so on, and are intended as expert introductions to their subject for the benefit of researchers and practitioners who are not yet familiar with the area.

Editorially-reviewed Submissions

This is material which, by its nature, it is not appropriate to put through the full peer review process. It thus involves a direct communication between the author and the editor, in the course of which the editor will often request rewrites to make the material suitable for the journal and useful to its intended readership. New sections are currently in preperation, please check back regularly. Initially, book reviews are included within this category with future sections in preperation, please check back:

Notes from the Field

The MJE welcomes “Notes from the Field,” notes, shorter papers, or multimedia/photo essays concerning particular issues, themes, and challenges that may be of broad interest. These Notes should be between 1000 and 3000 words. The purpose of the Notes is to provide timely information of interest to a wide range of MJE readers. “Field” here can refer to any area of educational practice, including teaching and learning in formal, non-formal, and informal contexts, as well as work that researchers and practitioners do “in the field.” Papers/essays that present perspectives on practice-related issues and that connect theory with practice are especially welcome. Although success stories and good practices are welcome, discussion of difficult lessons learned is also strongly encouraged (e.g., to help inform educational efforts and spread the word, or to spark dialogue about strategies, initiatives, and programs).

Submissions will be judged on clarity of objectives, applicability and utility to educators, and creativity. In collaboration with the author(s), submissions will be edited for length and clarity.

Submissions to the “Notes from the Field” will undergo editorial review. If you are uncertain about whether your paper is suitable for this section, please contact the MJE (mje.education@mcgill.ca).

The MJE Forum

The MJE offers a forum to educational practitioners, researchers, and/or those involved in community/ies (e.g., activists, organizers, etc) interested in initiating conversations, dialogues, and debates around contemporary issues in education. The MJE Forum submission may take the form of a response or a moderated discussion / interview and incorporate multimedia (e.g., be a video or podcast):

1. Response: Responses to articles and materials published in MJE, whether solicited as part of a debate around a particular paper or submitted as a response to a previously-published paper. In the latter case, the author of the original paper will be given the opportunity to respond.
2. Moderated discussions / interviews: The discussions / interviews may focus on classroom practice, the intersection between social media and learning, informal community contexts, or any other topic of interest to MJE readers. They may be presented online in digital formats (e.g., blog, video, podcast). For example, a facilitated discussion or interview might focus on environmental education in Canada, with invited participation from activists, educational leaders, policy-makers, researchers, and/or teachers.

We welcome other Forum formats and contributions proposed by our readers. The MJE or MJE readers may initiate these discussions/interviews. Submissions to “The Forum” section will undergo editorial review. If you are interested in initiating or participating in a Forum, contact the MJE (mje.education@mcgill.ca).

Book Reviews

We invite individuals to write and submit book reviews for publication in the MJE. Reviews should be no longer than 1000 words in length. A good book review does more than summarize, it places the book in a larger context of scholarship. Ideally it describes the value and usefulness that the book might have for scholars, and practitioners. Your review should provide readers with an overview of the book, including basic content and structural organization, the recommended audience and scholarly aim(s) of the book, and how the author situates this work within the larger context of the area or field. The review should provide a critical commentary of the book, assessing its contribution to the field. When reviewing edited volumes, authors should provide a sense of the range of contributions in the collection. The review should be written in a language and style that is accessible to readers across various disciplines. Please cite book details at the start of your review, including: author(s)/editor(s), title, city of publication, publisher, year of publication, number of pages, price, ISBN number, For example:

Wayne Martino, Michael Kehler, & Marcus B. Weaver-Hightower (Eds.). The Problem with Boys’ Education: Beyond the Backlash. New York, NY: Routledge. (2009). 290 pp. $43.95 (paperback). (ISBN 978-1-56023-683-2).

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

Those wishing to reproduce all or part of any material published on this website are asked to email mje.education@mcgill.ca for permission and to acknowledge the McGill Journal of Education as the original source.

Authors must transfer copyright of their article to MJE. Authors may use all or parts of their work in any future publication with the article's origin in MJE acknowledged in the customary manner.

A copy of our standard form may be requested from mje.education@mcgill.ca.

PUBLICATION ETHICS POLICY

The MJE is guided by the highest standards in publication ethics as outlined by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) in their Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing.1

Authorship

The MJE requires that all contributions to the production of a manuscript are credited at the appropriate levels, whether in the form of authorship or acknowledgement. Authorship is defined by a significant level of contribution to the research (ie. involving one or more of the following: conceptualisation and design, data collection and analysis, interpretation of results, drafting and revisions).2 All declared co-authors are required to sign the MJE Copyright Transfer Agreement. Recognition of persons who have contributed to the research in less substantial ways can be done in the form of an acknowledgement. 

Conflicts of Interest

Authors are equally required to fully disclose any potential conflicts of interest, in which he/she may be benefitting financially or in kind for the publication of the submitted manuscript and which may be seen as potentially compromising the objectivity and integrity of the research (ie. personal relationships, employment, sponsorship, etc.). 

Editors (this includes guest editors) at the journal are also required to disclose potential conflicts of interest (ie. personal relationship with the author, direct financial gain from the research) so that the manuscript may be duly assigned to another editor within the editorial team. 

As the MJE practices a double-blind peer review process, it is imperative that reviewers disclose potential conflict of interest in cases where they are certain of the author’s identity. A new reviewer will be assigned by the editor managing the review process for the manuscript. Editors may also submit manuscripts to the journal, in which case the entire review process (to which the editor will not be privy), will be undertaken by another editor.

Any form of misconduct will be investigated according to the complaints and grievances procedure.

Research Ethics

The MJE expects the research upon which manuscript submissions are based to exhibit data integrity and to have obtained the appropriate ethical clearances (participant consent and institutional ethical approvals, ie. REBs, school boards, etc.). Any form of research misconduct, whether, for instance, data fabrication/falsification or inappropriate/unethical practices regarding research participants, will be investigated according to our complaints and grievances procedure.

Plagiarism and Originality of the Work

The MJE requires that all works external to the current manuscript be appropriately cited and that the manuscript does not contain any form of plagiarism (including self-plagiarism). The MJE adheres to the APA 6 definition of plagiarism and self-plagiarism: “Whereas plagiarism refers to the practice of claiming credit for the words, ideas, and concepts of others, self-plagiarism refers to the practice of presenting one's own previously published work as though it were new.”3 

Manuscripts under review or already published that contain instances of plagiarism (minor or major) will be reviewed by members of the editorial team and actions taken as follows. If a manuscript under review is found to contain minor instances (15% or less) of plagiarism, these instances will be flagged to authors. Failure to immediately correct these instances (via rewriting or with proper citation) will lead to automatic rejection. Manuscripts under review containing major instances (more than 15%) of plagiarized text will be automatically rejected. Published manuscripts that are found to contain instances of minor plagiarism will be flagged to authors, the concerned journal and/or publication, and associated affiliations (institutions, funding bodies, etc.) and failure to immediately correct these instances (via rewriting or with proper citation) will lead to automatic removal from the journal. Published manuscripts containing instances of major plagiarism will lead to removal from the publication. Authors associated with plagiarized manuscripts will not be allowed to submit new manuscripts to the journal.

The MJE does not accept simultaneous submissions. Manuscripts found to be simultaneously submitted to other journals will be immediately removed from consideration for publication.

Post-Publication Modifications

The MJE is able to issue a correction in the period following publication, as long as a new issue has not yet been published. Following this period, a post-publication erratum can be issued. In case of a very serious error, a retraction may be advised following a review by the Editorial Team in line with the complaints and grievances procedure.

Complaints and Grievances Procedure

Complaints and grievances concerning suspected misconduct regarding any of the above should be addressed by email to mje.education@mcgill.ca, whereupon the Editorial Team, or a subcommittee struck therefrom by the Editor-in-Chief, shall undertake a thorough review of the allegations brought forward and if deemed legitimate, authors will be contacted and asked to respond to the allegations. Depending on the gravity of the situation, an erratum may be issued or a retraction may be required.

1. Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). (n.d).Principles of transparency and best practice in scholarly publishing. Retrieved from https://publicationethics.org/resources/guidelines-new/principles-transparency-and-best-practice-scholarly-publishing
2. Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). (2019). FACTSHEET: Authorship.Retrieved from https://www.elsevier.com/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/653884/Competing-Interests-factsheet-March-2019.pdf
3. American Psychological Association. (2010). Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. (p. 172)

Editorial board

EDITORIAL TEAM

Editor-in-Chief

• Teresa Strong-Wilson, McGill University, Canada

Associate Editors

• Anila Asghar, McGill University, Canada
• Mindy Carter, McGill University, Canada
• Jérôme St-Amand, Université du Québec en Outaouais, Canada
• Paul Zanazanian, McGill University, Canada
• Émilie Wragg-Tremblay, Université du Québec à Montréal, Canada
• Alexandre Lanoix, Université de Montréal, Canada

Managing Editors

• Philippe Paquin Goulet, McGill University, Canada
• Marianne Filion, McGill University, Canada

INTERNATIONAL EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD

• David Austin, The Alfie Roberts Institute / John Abbott College, Canada
• Anne Beamish, English Montreal School Board, Canada
• Dave Bleakney, Canadian Union of Postal Workers, Canada
• Saouma BouJaoude, American University of Beirut, Lebanon
• Katie L Bryant, University of Botswana / McGill University, Canada
• Patrick Charland, Université de Québec à Montreal, Canada
• Stéphane Cyr, Université de Québec à Montréal, Canada
• Budd Hall, University of Victoria, Canada
• Ingrid Johnston, University of Alberta, Canada
• Dip Kapoor, University of Alberta, Canada
• Colin Lankshear, James Cook University, Australia & McGill University, Canada
• Claudia Mitchell, McGill University, Faculty of Education, Canada
• Rebecca Staples New, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States
• Cynthia Nicol, University of British Columbia, Canada
• Bonny Norton, University of British Columbia, Canada
• Anthony Paré, University of British Colombia, Canada
• Manuela Pasinato, MELS, New Frontiers School Board, Canada
• Wally Penetito, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand
• Kathleen Pithouse-Morgan, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
• Sherene Razack, OISE/ University of Toronto, Canada
• Verna St Denis, University of Saskatchewan, Canada
• Lynn Thomas, Université de Sherbrooke, Canada
• Geeta K Verma, University of Colorado, Denver, United States
• John Willinsky, Stanford University, United States
• Angelina Weenie, First Nations University of Canada, Canada