Below is a refined Author Guidelines draft written in international English and aligned with Scopus Q1 publishing standards, but still tailored to the identity, focus, and scope of the Journal of Childhood Education (JOCE) — which publishes research on early childhood education, child development, pedagogy, and learning practices for young learners.

You can directly adapt this as an official policy page or replace the existing guideline on the journal website.

AUTHOR GUIDELINES

Journal of Childhood Education (JOCE)

1. Aims and Scope

The Journal of Childhood Education (JOCE) publishes original research articles and review papers focusing on early childhood education, child development, pedagogy, curriculum design, assessment, learning innovation, and educational practices for young learners. Manuscripts must demonstrate strong theoretical grounding, rigorous methodology, and meaningful implications for educators, researchers, and policymakers.

JOCE welcomes interdisciplinary contributions including education, psychology, linguistics, educational technology, curriculum studies, and child-centered learning innovation.

2. Types of Manuscripts Accepted

JOCE accepts the following categories:

Original Research Articles
Systematic Literature Reviews or Meta-Analyses
Theoretical or Conceptual Papers
Innovative Practice Reports with strong research evidence

Manuscripts must be original, unpublished, and not under consideration elsewhere.

3. Manuscript Language and Style

All submissions must be written in clear, professional academic English.

Authors are expected to:

Use concise scholarly language.
Avoid grammatical errors and informal expressions.
Ensure logical flow and academic coherence.
Use inclusive and ethical language related to children and education contexts.

Professional language editing is strongly recommended before submission.

4. Manuscript Structure

To meet international journal standards, manuscripts should follow the structure below:

Title Page

Concise and informative title (maximum 15 words recommended)
Full author names and affiliations
Corresponding author email
ORCID ID (recommended)

Abstract (200–250 words)

The abstract must be structured:

Background
Purpose/Aims
Methods
Results
Conclusion

Provide 3–5 keywords arranged alphabetically.

Main Manuscript

Introduction
- Background and research gap
- Literature synthesis
- Research objectives or hypotheses
Method
- Research design
- Participants or data sources
- Instruments
- Procedures
- Data analysis
Results
- Clear presentation of findings
- Tables or figures where appropriate
Discussion
- Interpretation of results
- Comparison with prior studies
- Theoretical and practical implications
Conclusion
- Key contributions
- Educational implications
- Future research directions

Optional sections:

Implications
Limitations
Acknowledgment
Author Contributions Statement

5. Formatting Requirements

Manuscript length: 6,000–8,000 words (recommended for research articles)
Font: Times New Roman, 12 pt
Line spacing: 1.5
Margins: 2.5 cm on all sides
Page numbers included
Use headings and subheadings consistently.

Tables and figures must:

Be numbered consecutively
Include descriptive captions
Be cited in the text
Avoid excessive decorative formatting

6. References and Citation Style

JOCE follows APA Style (7th Edition).

Requirements:

Minimum 20 references
At least 80% from peer-reviewed international journals
Preferably published within the last 10 years
Include DOI whenever available

Avoid excessive self-citation.

7. Ethical Standards and Publication Integrity

JOCE adheres to international publication ethics aligned with COPE principles.

Authors must ensure:

Originality of work
Proper citation of all sources
No plagiarism, fabrication, or duplicate submission
Ethical approval where research involves children or human participants
Written informed consent where applicable

8. Artificial Intelligence and Research Transparency

If AI-assisted tools are used (language editing, visualization, data processing), authors must:

Clearly disclose the tools used
Confirm that intellectual responsibility remains with the authors
Ensure data accuracy and ethical compliance

AI cannot be listed as an author.

9. Peer Review Process

All manuscripts undergo a double-blind peer review process.

Evaluation criteria include:

Novelty and originality
Theoretical contribution
Methodological rigor
Educational significance
Clarity of academic writing

Editors may desk-reject manuscripts that do not meet scope or quality standards.

10. Plagiarism Screening

All submissions will be screened using similarity detection software before peer review.

Recommended thresholds:

Overall similarity below 15%
No single source exceeding 3%

Manuscripts exceeding acceptable similarity levels may be rejected or returned for revision.

11. Submission Procedure

Authors must submit manuscripts through the JOCE online submission system.

The submission must include:

Manuscript file (without author identity for blind review)
Title page file
Declaration of originality
Ethical statement (if applicable)

12. Open Access Policy

JOCE publishes articles under an open access model to ensure global dissemination of research in early childhood education.

13. Author Responsibilities

Authors are responsible for:

Accuracy of data and analysis
Compliance with ethical guidelines
Responding to reviewer comments professionally
Revising manuscripts within the editorial timeline

14. Revision and Acceptance Policy

Accepted manuscripts may require minor or major revisions.

Final acceptance depends on:

Scientific rigor
Editorial standards
Language quality
Ethical compliance

15. Contact Information

For submission inquiries, authors should contact the editorial office through the journal website.