Educational Technology Research and Development (ETR&D) invites proposals for Special Issues that address timely, significant, and innovative topics in the field of educational technology research and development. We welcome ongoing submissions of Special Issue proposals from scholars who are prepared to serve as Guest Editors and who can bring together diverse, high-quality contributions aligned with ETR&D’s mission.
Scope and Expectations
Special Issues should:
- Focus on emerging, high-impact topics relevant to educational technology research, practice, or theory development.
- Include contributions that demonstrate methodological rigor, theoretical advancement, or practical significance.
- Be aligned with the standards of excellence and the scope of ETR&D.
- Be composed of at least 8-10 high-quality papers.
Guest Editors are responsible for managing the peer-review process under the supervision of ETR&D's Editors-in-Chief and must uphold the journal’s editorial integrity and ethical policies.
Guest Editor Qualifications
- Proposed Guest Editors should demonstrate recognized expertise in the Special Issue’s topic area. We encourage proposals from individuals with a strong record of scholarly publications, editorial experience, and professional leadership in educational technology and related disciplines.
- We further encourage the formation of Guest Editor boards that are geographically and institutionally diverse, to encourage global participation and perspectives.
Proposal Requirements
Proposals must be submitted via the official Form and include the following elements in one unified document (docx or PDF):
- Title of the proposed Special Issue.
- Corresponding Guest Editor Information: Full name, Professional affiliation, Professional Email, ORCID, and Google Scholar of Scopus Profile, Short bio
- Other Guest Editors: Full name, Professional affiliation, Professional Email, ORCID, and Google Scholar of Scopus Profile, Short bio
- ETR&D Publications: Any previous ETR&G publications of the editorial team
- Description of the Special Issue Theme/Problem/Innovation Studied: Summarize the key problem or innovation addressed in the Special Issue. Emphasize its novelty, under-researched dimensions, or unique contribution. Describe its significance at the intersection of technology and instructional design, including its learning impact. (~100 words)
- Importance for Educational Technologies: Explain why this work matters to the field of educational technology and/or instructional/learning design. Identify any research or practice gap it addresses, connect it to current trends, and describe how it advances the field. (~100 words)
- Expected Key Contibutions & Implications: Provide a concise summary of the 1) expected main contibutions of the Special Issue to scholarship or practice in educational technologies or learning design, and 2) practical or theoretical implications relevant to policy, instructional design, learning technologies, or future research. (~100 words)
- Draft of the Call for Papers (CFP) text.
- List of potential contributors or known interested authors. (Required): Kindly note our expectation that at least 8-10 high-quality papers will be accepted in the special issue.
- Proposed timeline for the Special Issue process (with dates). General timeline:
- Abstracts & outlines* : ~40 days
- Full paper submission: ~60 days
- Peer Review Period: ~6–9 months
- Full Special Issue Publication: ~12–18 months after acceptance
- Conflict of Interest Disclosures.
*Authors submit abstracts & outlines first. This includes a 1-page abstract and a 2-3 page outline showing the logical flow of the paper. Selected abstracts are invited to submit full manuscripts.
Proposal Review and Decision Process
The ETR&D Special Issue Committee reviews submitted proposals every two months, with final decisions made by the Editors-in-Chief (EICs). The estimated decision timeframe is approximately 2.5 to 3 months.
Possible decisions
- Recommended for acceptance
- Invited for revision and resubmission (proposal re-enters the evaluation cycle)
- Rejected