The editors welcome manuscripts about educational development practices and theories focused on the experiences, practices, and outcomes of historically minoritized students, staff, administrators, faculty, and other stakeholders in higher education. 

• BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) individuals; 
• LGBTQIA+ individuals; 
• Individuals with disabilities; 
• Individuals working at institutions traditionally underrepresented in educational development scholarship such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Native American Tribal Colleges, Hispanic-Serving Institutions or Hispanic Area Colleges and Institutions, Minority-Serving Institutions, degree programs for incarcerated individuals, and community colleges. 

The editors also welcome manuscripts about communities not described above that focus on social justice and/or DEIB in educational development.

Manuscript Types Accepted

The editors of JDEED recognize that educational development scholarship does not often fit neatly into the categories of ‘practice’ and ‘research,’ and that an emphasis on empirical research as a dominant form of evidence gives primacy to a small selection of voices, experiences, and ways of knowing. We also aim to provide multiple pathways for publication—from the shorter commentaries to more-involved empirical studies. Therefore we welcome a variety of article types, described below.

Regardless of their format, all manuscripts must:

• Engage substantively with concerns of DEIB in educational development;
• Be geared toward a primary audience of educational developers;
• Integrate the types of evidence suitable for each format in order to substantiate your claims;
• Explore higher education; and
• Focus on a North American context.

On rare occasions we will accept manuscripts about educational development in contexts outside of higher education (e.g., P-12 schools, education-based non-profits, etc.) and/or outside of North America. These manuscripts should have compelling resonances or explicit connections to and implications for North American higher education settings.

Specifically, we welcome the following types of manuscripts:

• Commentaries: Brief op-ed pieces in which scholars and practitioners share timely insights, critiques, and reflections to foster ongoing dialogue and critical discussion within the community. Commentaries engage current events in the field of educational development. (750 words, editorial review)
• Reflections on Practice: Writers reflect on their use of a novel or established practice in the field, discussing pedagogical, affective, or other impacts of the practice on their constituents and/or on themselves, and offering broader social, cultural, or other meanings from their experience. May include auto-ethnography. (1,500 words, double-anonymized peer review)
• Conversations: Two to three educational developers who have differing or complementary perspectives on a clearly defined issue have a conversation about the topic—orally or in writing. The discussants record the conversation (if verbal) and edit it for clarity. The final, written manuscript includes the text of the discussion as well as an introduction that provides necessary framing, context, and literature for readers to situate the conversation. Possible topics may include, but are not limited to: discussions on a practice by educational developers at different institution types or at different stages of their careers; discussions about books recently read or conversations with recently published authors; theoretical conversations about the historical development of a theory, framework, or practice. (up to 3,000 words, double-anonymized peer review)
• Research Articles: JDEED accepts original empirical studies that present new research findings. Submissions should include a clear research question, literature review, methodology, results, and discussion. Articles should emphasize the significance of the research and its contribution to the field. We accept research that uses quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods. We also invite articles that leverage empirical evidence in order to provide thoughtful responses to previously published manuscripts in JDEED. (up to 6,000 words, double-anonymized peer review)
• From Draft to Final: For authors whose manuscripts are accepted to the journal, we will invite you to submit an optional, brief "From Manuscript to Final” essay that will be published alongside your accepted manuscript.* (500 words, editorial review)

In "From Draft to Final" pieces you join us in demystifying academic writing and publishing: Manuscripts may take months, sometimes years to write, and they change greatly from their original iteration to the final, published piece. However, in academic publishing, we usually only see the final, polished draft, and not structures and collaboration it took to write the published piece nor the (many) corrections and comments the writer received. In addition, many of us understand the importance of publishing but not necessarily how—how to get a piece written and/or published: how to develop ideas in this genre, identify methodology in the field of educational development, evaluate feedback, etc.

Possible directions for a "From Draft to Final" essay include, but are not limited to: discussing how you determined and/or learned more about your chosen methodology; describing your established writing practice; sharing how you found or worked with collaborators; highlighting a key piece of feedback you received—from a reviewer, editor, colleague, or other reader—and whether or how you incorporated it into your revision process. 

*Note: Writing a "From Draft to Final" piece is completely optional and will only be requested once your article has been accepted for publication. Your decision on whether to write a “From Manuscript to Final” piece will not impact the publication status of your original article.

If you are interested in submitting an article type not listed above, please contact us to submit a query and discuss whether your proposed manuscript aligns with the journal’s aims and scope.