Submit Manuscripts to OJELA

• Submission Portal

• Submission Types

• Formatting Guidelines

Submission Portal

Please submit manuscripts using this link:

 Submission Form

Please have the following information and files ready:

• Author names, institutions, and emails

• Professional role

• Author Biography/ies: 2 sentences maximum

• Submission Title

• Abstract: 75-100 words

• Manuscript PDF (should be edited so author identities are hidden)

You will also be asked to verify:

• That this work has not been previously published elsewhere

• That this work is not under review for publication elsewhere

• That all authors consent to this publication submission

• That written permission to publish any work not belonging to you has been acquired

• That you understand the published version of this work (should it be selected for publication) may be reprinted or quoted in other NCTE publications as part of the NCTE Information Exchange. 

Submission Types 

OJELA features original publications written by teachers, teacher educators, and students at all stages of their education journey. Each edition of OJELA centers a specific theme. The journal theme will be closely connected to the OCTELA Annual Conference theme. Although we encourage authors to submit work connected to the themed call for submissions, we will also consider any work that address topics, issues, and questions pertinent to any aspect of English Language education (pre-kindergarten through college) for publication in the open-themed section of each journal edition. Please see the Current Call for OJELA Submissions for details of the current theme.

This journal houses a wealth of research and pedagogical articles, but we also encourage prospective authors to submit creative works. Creative works might include (but are not limited to) poetry, personal narrative, photography, and art. Interview pieces and education book reviews are also welcome. Please see the Submit Manuscripts to OJELA page for further details regarding submitting your work for consideration of publication in OJELA. 

• RESEARCH ARTICLES: 4000 word limit (excluding references). These articles disseminate original research findings relevant to English education. We recommend that research articles include the following: research questions, a brief theoretical framework, a brief literature review, methods (including data collection and analysis), findings, and implications for the English Language Arts community.  If you wish to publish student work as part of this article, please ensure you have student and parent (if student is younger than 18 years old) written permission to do so. 

• PEDAGOGICAL ARTICLES: 4000 word limit (excluding references). These articles share practical teaching, lesson, and/or curriculum ideas. This article type offers opportunities to share teaching ideas and strategies that have worked for students in their PK-college classrooms. These articles may focus on implementing or adapting strategies learned through attendance at conferences such as OCTELA or NCTE. Be sure to cite the origins of ideas if you are adapting or building on someone else’s work. If you wish to publish student work as part of this article, please ensure you have student and parent (if student is younger than 18 years old) written permission to do so.

• BOOK REVIEWS: 2000 word limit. Review essays can focus on one or more texts. Reviews can evaluate pedagogical books, research studies, YA fiction, children’s literature, poetry, or any other work relevant to the field of English Language Arts education. 

• INTERVIEWS: 2000 word limit. Interviews could feature the voices and thoughts of people who offer important perspectives on ELA education. Those interviewed could be anyone invested in ELA education. These articles could be presented in Question and Answer format. If this kind of article interests you, but you would like support in identifying and contacting a particular person, please contact the editor (ojela@gmail.com).   

• CREATIVE WORKS: The OJELA editorial team also invites you to share your perspectives on English Language Arts education by submitting original prose, poetry, art, and photography. Your writing could be personal narrative, opinion, or fiction. Your artwork and photography may also be selected to be featured on the cover of the journal edition. If this kind of submission interests you, but you would like support in developing your ideas, please contact the editor (ojela@gmail.com) for additional support.   

Formatting Guidelines

When preparing your manuscript for submission, please:

• Ensure that the manuscript is anonymous. Replace any author names (you could use Author1, Author2 etc.) and remove any identifiable information. 

• Use an easily readable, size 12 font (e.g. Times New Roman, Arial, Calibri, Georgia)

• Keep paragraphs fairly short to help readers easily navigate your writing

• Double-space your manuscript

• Include images, figures, and tables in manuscript with captions. 

• Format any in-text citations and references according to APA guidelines

• Save submission as a PDF for submission

Reach out to the OJELA editor with questions at any time! (ojela@gmail.com).