Guidelines for Authors
Version 1st May 2018
General Information
Tuning Journal for Higher Education, TJHE, is a joint academic publication of the University of Deusto (Spain) and the University of Groningen (Netherlands). It is published by the University of Deusto on behalf of the two institutions. It appears twice a year, in May and November, in both digital and print formats. Its first Issue was published in November 2013.
It is an international peer-reviewed journal publishing in English original research studies and reviews in all aspects of competence-based, student-centred, and outcome-oriented education reforms at university level across the globe. The Journal publishes both thematic and unsolicited contributions on pressing educational needs of contemporary societies. At any time of the year, the Journal welcomes submissions related to its scope and focus. The submitted manuscript should not have been previously copyrighted or published in any form, including electronic media and databases, and must not be currently under consideration for publication elsewhere. Manuscripts under consideration for publication in Tuning Journal cannot be submitted elsewhere without formal withdrawal approved by the Editor.
These Guidelines should be used with reference to the TJHE Ethical Guidelines for Publication, Peer Review instructions, and Copyright Notice; all of which are available at the web page of the Journal (http://www.tuningjournal.org/).
Manuscript Preparation
To expedite the review process, please format your manuscript as follows:
1. Prepare your manuscript as a single editable Microsoft Word or Open Office document with line numbering, using the template downloadable from the web page of the Journal (http://www.tuningjournal.org/about/submissions#authorGuidelines). The file should include the complete text, references, tables and figures. All revised manuscripts should again be sent as a single editable document.
2. Manuscripts must be written in either UK English or U.S. English consistently and include a 100-300 word abstract. The title page should include authors’ affiliations plus the email address of a single corresponding author. The Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS), 16th edition, should be used as a reference for manuscript preparation (www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/home.html).
3. Format of references, notes, and bibliography list.
a) Authors are required to format their citations and references using the ‘Notes and Bibliography’ system of the CMOS, 16th edition (http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html) and not its ‘Author-date’ system.
b) Note references must be numbered in superscript format in the text and arranged numerically (in the order they appear in the text) at the bottom of each page, in line with the CMOS ‘Footnotes’ system.
c) ‘Notes’ include complete bibliographic information when cited for the first time. For subsequent citations of the same source, shortened versions are preferred.
d) The ‘Bibliography’ list includes all and only sources cited in the ‘Notes’ and provides complete reference information.
e) ‘Bibliography’ entries are to be arranged alphabetically by (first) author’s last name following the CMOS guidelines.
f) Microsoft Word (2010 and later) can be used with such software as “EndNote”, “RefWorks”, “Reference Manager”, RefME, and “Zotero”, to simplify the task of managing citations and references according to the recommended CMOS.
4. Authors are asked to provide between 5 and 10 keywords immediately following the Abstract.
5. Authors are reminded that it is their sole responsibility to ensure that the use of English in their manuscripts is consistently either UK English or US English, but not both, and that they can resort to professional language editing services, preferably prior to first submission.
6. Please ensure that all the characters and special characters in the text, tables, figure legends, footnotes and references are in a single typeface and point size – such as 12 pt Times New Roman. Once a manuscript is accepted, a copy editor will decide the typeface and size of the different elements of the article.
7. Please submit all figures or photographs as separate jpg or tif files with distinct characters and symbols at 500 dpi (dots per inch). Tables and equations should be in an editable rather than an image version. Tables must be edited either with Microsoft Word or Open Office. Equations must be edited with the appropriate Equation Editor. Tables, table captions, figures and figure captions should be appended after the ‘Bibliography’ section, as indicated on the standard template for manuscript preparation (http://www.tuningjournal.org/about/submissions#authorGuidelines).
8. Type your manuscript single-spaced. This will conserve paper and makes it easier for reviewers to handle.
9. Manuscripts should normally be between 5,000 and 12,000 words including notes, references, captions, and diagrams. Diagrams should be reckoned at the equivalent of 500 words if they occupy a full page and proportionately less if smaller. Longer articles require editorial approval.
10. Authors of manuscripts should each submit a biographical note of 150-200 words. The note must contain the following information:
• Full Name
• E-mail address
• Affiliation
• Current post
• Relevant experience
• Principle fields of research
• Highest academic qualification
Online Submission
Manuscripts should be submitted online via the Tuning Journal for Higher Education online manuscript submission and review system at <http://www.tuningjournal.org/>.
Manuscripts will be processed using the Open Journal Systems software which allows authors to track the progress of their manuscript.
In OJS, editorial correspondence related to a manuscript is reserved for the person who actually submits the manuscript in question. In cases of various authors, the submitting author is the sole co-author with access to the manuscript and related files and correspondence. It is therefore important that the corresponding author, referred to as “Principal contact for editorial correspondence” in OJS terminology, be the actual submitter of that manuscript.
A copyright transfer agreement must be signed after acceptance but before publication. To that effect, they receive in due course a standard copyright assignment form from the Managing Editor of the Journal.
Review Process
The Editor, with the assistance of the Managing Editor and or any other member of the editorial team, makes a first check of conformity of submitted manuscripts with the Journal editorial and publication policies and submission guidelines.
Currently, Tuning Journal for Higher Education uses a double-blind peer review system: mandatory anonymity for both the reviewer and reviewed author throughout the review process. In line with the TJHE Ethical Guidelines for Publication, the editorial staff uses the TURNITIN software to verify the originality of manuscripts submitted to the Journal.
Manuscripts not conforming to journal guidelines will be returned to authors without evaluation.
The Editor hands each manuscript accepted for review to a member of the Panel of Advisory Editors, who will control the review and revision process of that manuscript.
The Editor will prepare a decision letter based on the comments of the reviewers and the recommendation of the Advisory Editor, which will be sent to the corresponding author by email.
It is our intention that all non-reviewed manuscripts will be sent back within days of submission acknowledgement and that a first decision letters for manuscripts will be sent within 8 weeks of receipt.
In cases of required revision work, a second editorial decision letter will be sent after assessment of the revised version within 11 weeks (in case of “Revisions Required”) or 12 weeks (in case of “Resubmit for Review”) of initial receipt.
Publication Cost
Currently, no charges for submission and publication are applicable.
More information and correspondence
Detailed and updated information is available at <http://www.tuningjournal.org/>. Editorial correspondence should be sent to the Editor (Luigi F. Donà dalle Rose, <dona@pd.infn.it>), Assistant Editor (Anna Serbati, <anna.serbati@gmail.com>), and or Managing Editor (Ladislas Bizimana, <ladislas.bizimana@deusto.es>, <tuningjournal@deusto.es>).
The mailing address is the following:
Ladislas Bizimana
Managing Editor, Tuning Journal
Publications Service
DEIKER-OTRI & Publications
University of Deusto
Avenida de las Universidades, 24
48007 Bilbao, Spain
Tel: (+34) 944 139 003 (ext. 3048)
Email: ladislas.bizimana@deusto.es
tuningjournal@deusto.es