Authors are invited to submit their articles for review.

You must ensure that you have read the About the Journal page for the journal's policies, as well as the Author Guidelines, and this page for formatting advice.

Authors MUST also ensure that you have completed ALL steps in the submission checklist at the point of submission. Failure to do so risks your submission not being processed.

Authors must register with the journal and complete their full profile before submitting.

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Writing guidelines

Writing and formatting

1. Title

• Your title should be concise. Abbreviations should be avoided within the title.
• Consider if a title meant to be thought-provoking might be misinterpreted as offensive. The Editors may require a change of the title.
• The main body of the title before a colon (subheading) needs to be instructive.

2. Abstract

• Your abstract should succinctly and clearly convey the significance of the work to a broad readership.
• The abstract should be structured. Good practice suggests your abstract should be read as a stand-alone piece of text.
• Regardless of the type of submission, the abstract must state the context in which the work was undertaken.

 

• 1. Conciseness and Brevity:

  • Word Count: JOFDL expects abstracts to be between 200-250 words. Every word must count.

  • No Unnecessary Detail: Avoid jargon where simpler terms suffice, unnecessary background information, or overly specific methodological details that can be found in the main paper.

  2. Standalone Quality:

  • Self-Contained: The abstract should be fully understandable without requiring the reader to consult the main paper.

  • No Citations: Generally, references are not included in an abstract unless absolutely crucial for understanding (and even then, it's rare).

  3. Clear Structure (IMRAD Elements):

  • Introduction/Background (1-2 sentences):

    • Problem/Gap: Briefly state the broad research problem or the existing gap in knowledge that your study addresses. Why is this research important?

    • Context: Provide just enough context to set the stage for your study.

  • Purpose/Objective (1 sentence):

    • Clearly state the specific aim, objective, or research question(s) of your study. What did you set out to do?

  • Methods (2-3 sentences):

    • Design: Briefly describe the research design (e.g., quantitative, qualitative, mixed-methods, experimental, survey).

    • Participants/Sample: Mention the key characteristics of your participants (e.g., number, demographics, population).

    • Data Collection: Briefly state the main data collection instruments or procedures.

    • Data Analysis: Briefly mention the primary analytical approach.

    • Avoid excessive detail here. Focus on what's essential to understand how the study was done.

  • Results/Findings (3-5 sentences - often the longest section):

    • Key Findings: Present the most important and significant results clearly and concisely.

    • Quantify (if applicable): Use numbers, percentages, or statistical significance (e.g., p-values) for quantitative results where space permits, but avoid raw data.

    • Do not discuss or interpret the results here; present them.

  • Conclusion/Implications (1-2 sentences):

    • Answer to Question: Briefly state the main conclusion(s) drawn directly from your results. Did you answer your research question?

    • Significance/Implications: Explain the broader implications of your findings. Why do these results matter? What is their contribution to the field, practice, or policy?

    • Future Research (Optional): Sometimes, a very brief mention of future research directions is included if it flows naturally from the implications.

  4. Language and Style:

  • Active Voice: Use active voice where possible to make sentences more direct and concise (e.g., "We investigated..." instead of "It was investigated...").

  • Past Tense: Generally, use the past tense to describe what was done and found in your study.

  • Keywords: Include relevant keywords (often listed separately after the abstract) that will help others find your article through search engines.

  • Clarity and Precision: Use precise, unambiguous language. Avoid vague statements.

  • No Jargon: Minimise highly specialised jargon or acronyms unless they are universally understood within your specific sub-discipline, or if the abstract defines them implicitly through context.

  • Professional Tone: Maintain a formal, academic tone.

3. Manuscript length

• From July 2025, there is a strict word limit for submissions
  • Scholarship of Discovery, Application, and Teaching and Learning: The limit is 7000 words, including all references.
  • Scholarship of Integration (including literature reviews), the limit is 8000 words, including all references.
  • Book Reviews should be between 1500-2500 words.
• The manuscript length includes everything.
  • so it makes sense to think carefully about how many references you chose.
• Please indicate the number of words and the number of figures and tables included in your submission on the first page.

4. Sections

• Your submission should be organised by headings and subheadings.
• The headings should be those appropriate for your field and the research itself.

5. Language editing

• Submissions are expected to meet British English language standards to be considered for publication.
• JOFDL will provide limited copyediting services to ensure a minimum level of quality; however, it is the author's responsibility to ensure that a native English speaker has proofread their submission.

6. Language style

• The default language style is British English.
• For any style questions, we recommend that authors consult the APA Manual of Style.

7. Inclusive language guidelines

• When preparing your manuscript for submission, take a mindful approach towards personal biases and a concerted effort to limit their influence.
• Authors should remove any language that expresses bias towards any individual based on age, gender, race, ethnicity, culture, sexual orientation, disability, religion, or socio-economic class.
• Authors should use inclusive language practices and awareness of diversity, equity, and inclusion in their submissions.
• External guidance that may be useful is available at C4DISC’s Guidelines on Inclusive Language and Images in Scholarly Communication.

8. Guidelines for artificial intelligence and related technologies

• Given the fact that most desktop authorising tools now provide varying degrees of generative AI capabilities, it is unrealistic to ban its use. However, the following guidelines outline the acceptable uses of generative AI technologies for text and text-to-image generators in the writing and editing of submissions to JOFDL.
• Authors should not list a generative AI technology as an author of any submitted manuscript. (Generative AI technologies cannot be held accountable for all aspects of a manuscript and therefore do not meet the criteria required for authorship)
• Authors are responsible for checking the factual accuracy of any content created by the generative AI technology. This includes, but is not limited to, any quotes, citations or references.
• Figures produced by or edited using a generative AI technology must be checked to ensure they accurately reflect the data presented in the manuscript. Authors must also check that any written or visual content produced by or edited using a generative AI technology is free from plagiarism.
• Suppose the author of a submitted manuscript has used written or visual content produced by or edited using a generative AI technology. In that case, such use must be acknowledged in the acknowledgements section of the manuscript and the methods section if applicable. This explanation must list the name, version, model, and source of the generative AI technology.
• To ensure maximum transparency, we encourage authors to upload all input prompts provided to a generative AI technology and the outputs received from that technology in the supplementary files for the manuscript.

9. Abbreviations and nomenclature

• The use of abbreviations should be kept to a minimum. Non-standard abbreviations should be avoided unless they appear at least four times and must be defined upon first use in the main text. Consider also giving a list of non-standard abbreviations at the end, immediately before the acknowledgements.

10. Enhancing search engine optimisation (SEO)

• There are a few simple ways to maximise your article's discoverability and search results.
• Include a few of your article's keywords in the title of the article
• Do not use long article titles
• Pick 5-8 keywords using a mix of generic and more specific terms on the article subject(s)
• Use the maximum number of keywords in the first two sentences of the abstract
• Use some of the keywords in level 1 headings

11. Alternative text (alt text)

• We are dedicated to accessibility. One way you can make your manuscript more accessible is by including alternative text (alt text) with all figures or images.
• Please include alt text within your submission. Otherwise, the Copyeditor will create them.

12. References

• Always use APA 7 for all citations and references. JOFDL does not use other referencing protocols.
• Submissions to JOFDL must be grounded in relevant and up-to-date peer-reviewed academic research, and this should be reflected in the accompanying reference lists.
• Remember to only cite what you reference and vice versa.
• The citation of non-academic and non-peer-reviewed sources (e.g. blog posts, website content), as well as anonymous sources or commercial websites, should be avoided or kept to a minimum
• Authors should avoid citing content that is not directly relevant to the scope of the article and the journal
• Reference lists should reflect the current status of knowledge in the field, avoid bias, and not include a high proportion of citations to the same authors or sources, school of thought, etc.
• The length of the reference list should be appropriate, depending on the article type, covering the relevant literature through sufficient referencing. Unless your submission is essentially a literature review, 30 to 60 references are usually enough. Journals are punished for allowing excessive referencing.
• Authors should ensure that references are accurate, that all links are accessible, and that the citations/references adhere to the reference styles outlined below.
• Please always include a DOI wherever available.
• Citation of retracted articles: Authors are responsible for ensuring the integrity of the references they cite, including verifying whether any article they intend to cite has been retracted. Citing retracted articles can undermine the credibility of your manuscript and should only occur where it is essential for the context of your discussion.

13. Acknowledgements

• This brief text serves to acknowledge the contributions of specific colleagues, institutions, or agencies that supported the authors' efforts.
• If the content of the manuscript has previously appeared online, such as in a thesis or preprint, this should be mentioned here, in addition to listing the source within the reference list.
• Acknowledgements are designed to recognise individuals directly involved in the research. We request that authors avoid personal expressions of gratitude toward figures or entities unrelated or indirectly related to the production of the manuscript. While such acknowledgements are understood to be significant to the authors, they are considered indirectly involved in the research unless they pertain to specific research activities. It remains the authors' responsibility to ensure that these guidelines are adhered to in the final publication.
• Note that the acknowledgements section must also declare your use of generative AI (see above)

14. Templates

• If working with Word, please use our Word template.
• During the peer-review process, authors are encouraged to upload versions using track changes.
• Always ensure drafts have been fully anonymised.

Preparing figures, tables, and images

15. Figures, tables, and images: rights and permissions

• All figures, tables, and images will be published under a Creative Commons CC-BY license, and permission must be obtained for use of copyrighted material from other sources (including re-published/adapted/modified/partial figures and images from the internet). It is the responsibility of the authors to acquire the licenses, follow any citation instructions requested by third-party rights holders, and cover any supplementary charges.
• For additional information, please see the 'Image manipulation' section of our policies and publication ethics.

16. Figures and images: style guidelines

• We require figures to be embedded in the submission where they are intended to appear.
• Ensure that each figure is mentioned in the text and in numerical order.
• If you have difficulty balancing size and clarity for your image, email jofdl-editor@flanz.org.nz and attach the image(s) in question.
• Please note that figures not following these guidelines will cause substantial delay during the production process.
• Captions should be preceded by the appropriate label, for example, 'Figure 1.' Figure captions should be placed at the end of the manuscript. Follow APA7 guidelines.

17. Image size and resolution requirements

• Figures should be prepared with the PDF layout in mind. Individual figures should not exceed one A4 page.
• All images must have a resolution of 300 dpi at final size. Check the resolution of your figure by enlarging it to 150%. If the image appears blurry, jagged, or has a stair-stepped effect, the resolution is too low.
• The text should be legible and of high quality. The smallest visible text should be no less than eight points in height when viewed at actual size.
• Solid lines should not be broken up. Any lines in the graphic should be at least two points wide.
• Please note that saving a figure directly as an image file (e.g., JPEG, TIFF) can significantly impact the resolution of your image. To avoid this, one option is to export the file as a PDF, then convert it into TIFF or PNG using a graphics software.
• No individual graphic should exceed 1MB in size if these guidelines are followed.

18. Table requirements and style guidelines

• Tables should be inserted within the manuscript in an editable format. Build your table in Word; do not insert an image of a table.
• Table captions must be placed immediately below the table. The appropriate label should precede captions, for example, 'Table 1.' Please use only a single paragraph for the caption.
• Ensure that each table is mentioned in the text and in numerical order.
• Large tables spanning multiple pages cannot be included in the final PDF due to formatting reasons. These tables will be published as supplementary material.
• Tables that do not follow the above guidelines will cause substantial delays during the production process.

19. Accessibility

• We encourage authors to make the figures and visual elements of their articles accessible for the visually impaired. Effective use of colour can help people with low visual acuity or colour blindness understand all the content of an article.
• These guidelines are easy to implement and are in accordance with the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1), the standard for web accessibility best practices.
• Ensure sufficient contrast between the text and its background
• People with low visual acuity or colour blindness may find it difficult to read text on a low-contrast background colour. Try using colours that provide maximum contrast.
• You can verify the contrast ratio of your palette with these online ratio checkers: WebAIM , Color Safe
• Avoid using red or green indicators. More than 99% of people with colour blindness have a red-green colour vision deficiency.
• Avoid using only colour to communicate information
• Elements with complex information, such as charts and graphs, can be challenging to read when only colour is used to distinguish the data. Try to use other visual aspects to communicate information, such as shape, labels, and size.

Supplementary material

20. Selecting supplementary material

• Data that are not of primary importance to the text, or which cannot be included in the article because they are too large or the current format does not permit it (such as videos, raw data traces, and PowerPoint presentations), can be uploaded as supplementary material during the submission procedure and will be displayed along with the published article.
• Supplementary material is not typeset, so please ensure that all information is clearly presented without tracked changes/highlighted text/line numbers, and the appropriate caption is included in the file. To avoid discrepancies between the published article and the supplementary material, please do not add the title, author list, affiliations or correspondence in the supplementary files.

21. Appendices

• Appendices are optional and can be used to present further details on information included in the main body of the article.
• Appendices should be no more than one page long and count towards the overall manuscript length and word count.
• Appendix content longer than one page should be included in the supplementary material section instead.

22. File type requirements

• The supplementary material can be uploaded as:
  • data sheet (Word, Excel, CSV, CDX, FASTA, PDF or Zip files)
  • presentation (PowerPoint, PDF or Zip files)
  • image (EPS, JPEG, PDF, PNG or TIF/TIFF),
  • table (Word, Excel, CSV or PDF)
  • audio (MP3, WAV or WMA)
  • video (AVI, DIVX, FLV, MOV, MP4, MPEG, MPG or WMV).
• Technical requirements for supplementary images:
  • 300 DPIs
  • RGB colour mode.

24. Open access and copyright

• All JOFDL articles from July 2025 onwards are published with open access under the Creative Commons CC-BY license (the current version is CC-BY, version 4.0). This is the Diamond Open Access protocol. This is a change from earlier issues where a CC-BY-NC-ND license applies.
• CC-BY means that the author(s) retain copyright, but the content is free to download, distribute, and adapt for commercial or non-commercial purposes, given appropriate attribution to the original article.
• Upon submission, the author(s) grants JOFDL a license to publish, including to display, store, copy, and reuse the content. The CC-BY Creative Commons attribution license enables anyone to use the publication freely, given appropriate attribution to the author(s) and citing JOFDL as the original publisher.
• The CC-BY Creative Commons attribution license does not apply to third-party materials that display a copyright notice to prohibit copying. Unless the third-party content is also subject to a CC-BY Creative Commons attribution license or an equally permissive license, the author(s) must comply with any third-party copyright notices.

25. Registration with JOFDL

• Corresponding and all submitting authors must register with JOFDL before submitting an article. You must be logged in to your personal JOFDL account to submit an article.
• For any co-author who would like their name on the article abstract page and PDF to appear, please register before the final publication of the paper.

26. Article type

• We require authors to select the appropriate category of scholarship for their manuscript.
• Editors reserve the right to reallocate any submission to an alternative category based on the initial internal review. Authors will be informed before submissions are sent out for peer-review.
• Please pay close attention to the word count limits.

27. Keywords

• All article types require a minimum of five and a maximum of eight keywords

28. DOI, Crossref and CrossMark policy

• JOFDL registers individual articles with a unique DOI through Crossref.
• CrossMark is a multi-publisher initiative to provide a standard way for readers to locate the current version of a piece of content. By applying the CrossMark logo, JOFDL commits to maintaining the content it publishes and to alerting readers to changes if and when they occur.
• Clicking on the CrossMark logo will tell you the current status of a document and may also give you additional publication record information about the document.
• For correction notices, general commentaries, and editorials, contact jofdl-editor@flanz.org.nz.

29. Authors and affiliations

• All names are listed together and separated by commas. Provide exact and correct author names as these will be indexed in official archives. Titles are not required.
• Affiliations should be in the form of Name, Department, Organization, and Country
  • Example: James Brown, Centre for Learning Development, University of London, New Zealand.

30. Correspondence

• The corresponding author(s) will appear first in the author list.
• Provide the exact contact email address of the corresponding author(s) on submission.

31. Scope statement (Initial abstract)

• When you submit your manuscript, you will be required to provide an abstract of around 250 words.
• This is essential for the review process. Consider carefully your manuscript's scope and its relevance to the category of scholarship under which you are submitting it.
• This abstract is subject to review and copyediting.

3 July 2025