Journal of Literacy Research
JLR publishes research and scholarly papers, including original empirical research and critical essays in its Insights column. Articles represent diverse research paradigms and theoretical orientations to consider literacy across various populations and global locations. Articles employ a variety of methodologies and modes of inquiry, such as mixed methods, ethnography, narrative and experimental.
Because JLR serves as an open forum, readers should not construe the contents as implying advocacy or endorsement by the Literacy Research Association, its officers, or its members. This journal is a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
JLR’s current acceptance rate is approximately 8%. Abstracts in languages other than English are regularly made available (i.e., Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, & Spanish).
Submit your manuscript today at https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/jlr.
The Journal of Literacy Research (JLR) is a peer-reviewed journal contributes to the advancement research related to literacy and literacy education. Current focuses include, but are not limited to:
- Literacies from preschool to adulthood
- Evolving and expanding definitions of ‘literacy’
- Innovative applications of theory, pedagogy and instruction
- Methodological developments in literacy and language research
| Christina L. Dobbs | Boston University, USA |
| Bong Gee Jang | Syracuse University, USA |
| Seth A. Parsons | George Mason University, USA |
| Allison Skerrett | The University of Texas at Austin, USA |
| Earl Aguilera | California State University, East Bay, USA |
| Bessie P. Dernikos | Florida Atlantic University, USA |
| Yan Yan | Boston University, USA |
| Cassandra Kobelski | Boston University, USA |
| Abby Lane Dennison | George Mason University, USA |
| Jazly Pizzuti | Florida Atlantic University, USA |
| Amanda L. Smith | The University of Texas at Austin, USA |
| Evan Starling Davis | Syracuse University, USA |
| Fenice Boyd, Vice President | University of South Carolina, USA |
| Cassie Brownell, Parliamentarian | University of Toronto, Canada |
| Sam DeJulio, Historian | University of Texas at San Antonio, USA |
| Marla Mallette, Treasurer | Binghamton University, USA |
| Rachel Salas, Secretary | University of Nevada, Reno, USA |
| Alfred W. Tatum | Metropolitan State University of Denver, USA |
| Doris Walker-Dalhouse | Marquette University, USA |
| David Yaden, Past President | University of Arizona, USA |
| Marcus Croom, Policy & Legislative Chair | University of Rhode Island, USA |
| Tiffany Flowers, Ethnicity, Race & Multilingualism Chair | Georgia State University, USA |
| Kate Kedley, Gender & Sexualities Chair | Rowan University, USA |
| Alice Lee | University of California, Riverside, USA |
| Emily Machado, Ethics Chair | University Wisconsin, USA |
| Ebony Elizabeth Thomas | University of Pennsylvania, USA |
| Chad Waldron, Diversity, Equity and Justice Chair | Central Michigan University, USA |
| Lindsay Woodard, Technology & Digital Communications Chair | George Mason University, USA |
| Melody Zoch, Publications Chair | University of North Carolina, USA |
| Ana Christina da Silva Iddings | Peabody College, USA |
| Zhihui Fang | University of Florida, USA |
| Maria Paula Ghiso | Columbia University, USA |
| Virginia Goatley | University at Albany, SUNY, USA |
| Mary McVee | University at Buffalo, USA |
| Raúl Alberto Mora | Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, Norway |
| Patriann Smith | University of South Florida, USA |
| Bogum Yoon | Binghamton University, USA |
| Rahat Zaidi | University of Calgary, Canada |
| Patricia A. Alexander | University of Maryland, USA |
| Steven J. Amendum | University of Delaware, USA |
| Blythe Anderson | University of Buffalo, USA |
| Jim Anderson | University of British Columbia, Canada |
| Maren Aukerman | Stanford University, USA |
| Celeste C. Bates | Clemson University , USA |
| Alain Bengochea | University of Nevada Las Vegas, USA |
| Mollie V. Blackburn | The Ohio State University, USA |
| David Bloome | The Ohio State University, USA |
| Stergios Botzakis | University of Tennessee, Knoxville, USA |
| Maneka Brooks | Portland State University, USA |
| Wanda Brooks | Temple University, USA |
| Cathy Burnett | Sheffield Hallam University, UK |
| Catherine Burwell | University of Calgary, Canada |
| Gina N. Cervetti | University of Michigan, USA |
| Kelly Chandler-Olcott | Syracuse University, USA |
| Chris Chang-Bacon | University of Virginia, USA |
| Mikel W. Cole | University of Houston, USA |
| Josh Coleman | University of Iowa, USA |
| Ross Collin | Virginia Commonwealth University, USA |
| Jamie Colwell | Old Dominion University, USA |
| Kristin Conradi Smith | William & Mary, USA |
| Alex Corbitt | The State University of New York at Cortland, USA |
| Thomas Crisp | Georgia State University, USA |
| Marcus Croom | University of Indiana, USA |
| Lucia Curiel | Michigan State University, USA |
| Jennifer Scott Curwood | University of Sydney, Australia |
| Jerry D'Agostino | The Ohio State University, USA |
| Bridget Dalton | University of Colorado Boulder, USA |
| Dennis Davis | North Carolina State University, USA |
| Danielle Dennis | University of Rhode Island, USA |
| Matthew Deroo | University of Miami, USA |
| Dacian Dolean | Babes-Bolyai University, Romania |
| Lisa Domke | Georgia State University, USA |
| Curt Dudley-Marling | Boston College, USA |
| Elizabeth Dutro | University of Colorado, USA |
| Julie Dwyer | Boston University, USA |
| Jonathan Eakle | The George Washington University, USA |
| Patricia Edwards | Michigan State University, USA |
| Tisha Lewis Ellison | University of Georgia, USA |
| Patricia Enciso | The Ohio State University, USA |
| Kathy Escamilla | University of Colorado Boulder, USA |
| Zhihui Fang | University of Florida, USA |
| Daniel Ferguson | George Mason University, USA |
| Katherine K. Frankel | Boston University, USA |
| Rachel Gabriel | University of Connecticut, USA |
| Janet S. Gaffney | University of Auckland, New Zealand |
| Antero Garcia | Stanford University, USA |
| Maria Paula Ghiso | Columbia University, USA |
| Keonghee Tao Han | University of Wyoming, USA |
| Lara Handsfield | Illinois State University, USA |
| Courtney Hattan | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA |
| Michiko Hikida | Ohio State University, USA |
| Kathleen A. Hinchman | Syracuse University, USA |
| Susan Hopewell | University of Colorado, Boulder, USA |
| George G. Hruby | University of Kentucky, USA |
| Amy Hutchison | University of Alabama, USA |
| Gay Ivey | University of North Carolina-Greensboro, USA |
| Laura Jimenez | Boston University, USA |
| Coiro Julie | University of Rhode Island, USA |
| Ted Kesler | Queens College, City University of New York, USA |
| James Kim | Harvard University, USA |
| James R. King | University of South Florida, USA |
| Michele J. Knobel | Montclair State University, USA |
| Julie Learned | SUNY Albany, USA |
| Alice Lee | University of California, Riverside, USA |
| Kimberly Lenters | University of Calgary, Canada |
| Julia Lopez-Robertson | University of South Carolina, USA |
| Sarah Lupo | James Madison University, USA |
| Emily Machado | University Wisconsin, USA |
| Patrick Manyak | University of Wyoming, USA |
| Cherise McBride | Stanford University, USA |
| Mary McVee | University at Buffalo, USA |
| SJ Miller | University of Wisconsin, USA |
| Kathy A. Mills | Australian Catholic University, Australia |
| Raúl Mora | Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, Colombia |
| Gholdy Muhammed | University of Illinois at Chicago, USA |
| Sabrina Neugebauer | Temple University, USA |
| George Newell | The Ohio State University, USA |
| Alyssa Niccolini | Goethe University Frankfurt, Germany |
| Bianca Nightengale-Lee | Western Michigan University, USA |
| David O'Brien | University of Minnesota, USA |
| Kate Pahl | Manchester Metropolitan University, UK |
| Nathan Phillips | University of Illinois, Chicago, USA |
| Emily Phillips Galloway | Vanderbilt University, USA |
| Iliana Reyes | University of Arizona, USA |
| Dana Robertson | Virginia Tech, USA |
| Rebecca L. Rogers | University of Missouri, St. Louis, USA |
| Cori Salmeron | Georgia State University, USA |
| Lenny Sánchez | University of South Carolina, USA |
| Rachelle Savitz | East Carolina University, USA |
| Jen Scott-Curwood | University of Sydney, Australia |
| Allison Skerrett | The University of Texas at Austin, USA |
| Anna Smith | Illinois State University, USA |
| Patriann Smith, Parliamentarian | University of South Florida, USA |
| Lucinda Soltero-Gonzalez | University of Colorado, Boulder, USA |
| Karen Spector | University of Alabama, USA |
| Hiller Spires | North Carolina State University, USA |
| John Strong | University of Buffalo, USA |
| Alfred W. Tatum | Metropolitan State University of Denver, USA |
| Ebony Elizabeth Thomas | University of Pennsylvania, USA |
| Laura Tortorelli | Michigan State University, USA |
| Shannon Tovey | Kennesaw State University, USA |
| Dianna R. Townsend | University of Nevada-Reno, USA |
| Zoi Traga Philippakos | University of Tennessee, USA |
| Jennifer Turner | University of Maryland, USA |
| Kristin Hawley Turner | Drew University, USA |
| Margaret Vaughn | Washington State University, USA |
| Chad Waldron | Central Michigan University, USA |
| Doris Walker-Dalhouse | Marquette University, USA |
| Yang Wang | University of South Carolina, USA |
| Melissa Wetzel | University of Texas at Austin, USA |
| Amy Alexandra Wilson | Utah State University, USA |
| Karen E. Wohlwend | Indiana University - Bloomington, USA |
| Jo Worthy | The University of Texas at Austin, USA |
| Katherine L. Wright | University of Oregon, USA |
| Tanya Wright | Michigan State University, USA |
| Bogum Yoon | Binghamton University, USA |
| Haeny Yoon | Teachers College, Columbia University, USA |
| Rahat Zaidi | University of Calgary, Canada |
| Angie Zapata | University of Missouri, USA |
| Worldwide Languages | San Antonio, TX, USA |
Submit your manuscript to The Journal of Literacy Research (JLR) here: http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/jlr
The Journal of Literacy Research (JLR) is an interdisciplinary peer-reviewed journal that publishes research related to literacy, language, and literacy and language education from preschool through adulthood. JLR publishes research and scholarly papers, including essays through its Insights column. JLR serves as a forum for sharing innovative areas of research and encourages papers that disrupt traditional notions of literacy and literacy instruction.
The editorial team invites the submission of manuscripts that represent diverse research paradigms and theoretical orientations, and that employ a variety of methodologies and modes of inquiry as a way of re-humanizing the children, youth, teachers, and communities with whom we work. In order to expedite the review process, the team is committed to a timely review of manuscripts. For questions about the goals of the JLR, please contact the editor (jlr@utsa.edu).
Because JLR serves as an open forum, readers should not construe the contents as implying advocacy or endorsement by the Literacy Research Association, its officers, or its members.
In a new JLR feature section, the Insights essays will address critical policy issues important to literacy educators. The column will include a range of topics and formats, such as policy critiques, perspectives on policy and practice, responses to published research articles, and commentaries on research findings. Intended to be a consideration of long-term issues within current literacy frameworks, the column will discuss policies associated with larger educational constructs (e.g., teacher education and assessment). Each issue will have an Insights feature of 3000 words or less (inclusive of references), drawing on both invited and submitted manuscripts. For further information about Insights, contact Virginia Goatley (vgoatley@albany.edu).
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the JLR, each issue in volume 50 will include a retrospective article that offers multiple perspectives and shares accomplishments, challenges, and contributions of JLR to literacy research. We encourage authors to identify the ways that literacy research of the past has influenced the present, to explicate how current literacy research impacts our work, and to envisage the role of literacy research in the future. For further information, contact Arlette Willis (aiwillis@illinois.edu).
Editorial Policy on Manuscript Review
Submitted manuscripts are first reviewed by the editors for research integrity, topic suitability, and reporting format and may be returned without further review if judged not appropriate for publication in JLR. Manuscripts meeting initial screening criteria are sent to members of the editorial board or other qualified literacy researchers for blind, peer-review. The principal criteria used in judging manuscripts are the: (a) significance of their contribution to the field of literacy, (b) soundness of the methods employed in the research, (c) rigor of the scholarly argument(s), and (d) clarity of the writing. The editors strongly encourage potential authors to consult the following two documents as applicable in the shaping of their intellectual arguments: “Standards for Reporting Empirical Social Science Research” (AERA, 2006) and “Standards for Reporting Humanities Oriented Research” (AERA, 2009) which can be found at www.aera.net. Potential contributors who have specific questions about editorial policy, manuscript preparation, or the review process are encouraged to contact Misty Sailors, Editor, Journal of Literacy Research, College of Education and Human Development, The University of Texas at San Antonio, One UTSA Circle, San Antonio, TX 78249. Email: misty.sailors@utsa.edu.
Manuscript Preparation
Potential authors are encouraged to align their work with the goals of the journal and are encouraged to examine previous issues of JLR for style presentation. We encourage authors to capitalize on the research presented in previous issues of JLR by checking that submitted papers are making sufficient reference to the JLR.
We encourage authors to avoid dehumanizing language such as “struggling reader,” “failing schools,” “dyslexics,” “special education students,” and “high poverty schools.” We also encourage authors to avoid bias in their language related to gender and the representation of gender in their work.
All manuscripts submitted to the JLR must be original works of the author(s), which have not been published previously in any form or submitted simultaneously to other journals.
Manuscript Submission
Manuscripts must be blinded and double-spaced with a maximum length of 10,500 words (inclusive of references) for traditional submissions with the exception of Insights essays. For traditional submissions, the manuscript should be reduced by 450 words for every table/figure (with a limit of no more than 3 tables or figures per manuscript). Tables and figures much be directly germane to the main argument of the paper. The editors encourage authors to use the repository; supplementary materials such as appendices, tables, or figures should be submitted as supplemental materials. Upon acceptance and publication, these supplemental materials may be retrieved by interested readers from an online archive supported by SAGE with the URL link printed in the final article. These supplementary materials must conform to APA guidelines for such graphical elements.
Additionally, please adhere to the following guidelines:
• submission of 8 ½” x 11” manuscript with 1” margins in Microsoft Word format;
• 12pt Times New Roman font and double-spaced;
• running header (the title of the manuscript in all capital letters) flush left and page numbers flush right;
• first line of all paragraphs indented;
• block quotations (40 words or more) should be indented 1/2 inch;
• headings and reference list in APA format and fact-checked; and
• references to the author(s) must be deleted and replaced with “Author(s)” and author(s) own citations in the reference list should be alphabetically ordered as “Author. (Year).” for blinding purposes.
All submissions must conform to the guidelines of American Psychological Association’s Manual of Style (6th ed).
Manuscripts that do not adhere to these guidelines may be returned to the author without further explanation.
Submissions to JLR are managed through SAGE Track, JLR’s online manuscript tracking system: http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/jlr. First-time users will need to create an account by selecting a username and password. Be sure to enter your email address and select areas of expertise. After creating an account, log in to the Author Center to submit your manuscript.
Editors do not review manuscripts outside of the desk review process.
Submission should include:
a) blinded manuscript following the guidelines above;
b) separate title page including name, affiliation, address, phone number, email address of the author and all coauthors;
c) one-paragraph abstract limited to 150 words should accompany all submissions. The abstract should be written without citations;
d) up to 5 keywords (the terms that researchers will use to find your article in indexes and databases) at the bottom of the abstract (limited to five key words and/or 85 characters with spaces); and
e) titles will be limited to 66 characters (with spaces).
Tables and Figures. Placement and titles for tables and figures in the text should follow APA formatting. Tables and figures should be uploaded as a separate document.
Illustrations. Figures and photos accompanying an initial submission must be provided as production-ready. Digital files are recommended for highest quality reproduction and should follow these guidelines: 300 dpi or higher; sized to fit on journal page; EPS, TIFF, JPEG, and PDF files are preferred; Microsoft Office files are also acceptable as long as they meet the other guidelines listed here. Please submit illustrations as separate documents, not embedded in text files, and submit in grayscale, not color.
Permissions. Authors are responsible for all statements made in their work and for obtaining permission from copyright owners to use a lengthy quotation (exceeding the limits of fair use) or to reprint or adapt a table or figure published elsewhere. Authors should write to the original author(s) and publisher of such material to request nonexclusive world rights in all languages for use in print and non-print versions of the present article and in all future editions. Provide copies of all permissions and credit lines obtained.
SAGE Choice and Open Access
For more information on open access options and compliance at SAGE, including self-author archiving deposits (green open access) visit SAGE Publishing Policies on our Journal Author Gateway.
For more information, please refer to the SAGE Manuscript Submission Guidelines.