About the Journal

Main focus and scope

The Journal ELLA – Education, Literature, Language – Utdanning, litteratur, språk is a scientific journal, which brings together both discipline-oriented and didactic research within the language subjects.  This journal is targeted to researchers with different backgrounds and professional directions within the subject areas of linguistics, literary studies and cultural studies related to the language subjects (Norwegian/Nordic languages, English, French, Spanish, German and other languages). As a result, we welcome contributions that unite these two approaches as well as contributions that present comparative aspects (between languages).

Articles in ELLA are published continuously. The journal publishes articles in both the Scandinavian languages and English.  The professional quality of the contributions is ensured through systematic peer review.  ELLA does not charge author/publication fees.

The Journal’s History

ELLA was established in 2021 as part of the strategic research program at Østfold University College of the same name.  The research program amasses researchers from various backgrounds and academic arenas: linguists and literary scholars who work with Norwegian/Nordic languages, English, French, Spanish, German and other languages, didactics, educators, special educators and small children specialists. The initiative supports not only the development of a broad scope of research activities that focus on the relevant target languages (as mentioned above) but also the creation of comparative research projects.

Special editions/Theme Issues

ELLA publishes special editions (theme issues) on current topics within the journal’s areas of interest.  All theme issue suggestions are submitted as a brief proposal.  The proposal should contain a justification for why the topic is relevant, a more detailed description about the proposed theme/topic and how it pertains to the research area in a maximum of 500 words.  In addition, the proposal should include a description of the relevance to the journal’s profile, proposed schedule and guest editor(s). Proposals for the theme issues are sent to the editor-in-chief(s) and is evaluated by the editorial staff. 

Summaries/articles based on master’s theses

ELLA publishes summaries of master’s theses or articles based on master’s thesis projects.

Book Reviews

ELLA accepts reviews of teaching-relevant books and learning resources. 

Opinion Pieces

ELLA welcomes also articles of current professional or trade union policy issues.

Peer Review

Submitted manuscripts first undergo an editorial review. If the editors find that the manuscript is relevant and suitable for the journal, it is forwarded to two peers for evaluation.  The peer review process is so called, «double blind», such that the peers and authors are kept anonymous from each other.  The peers who assess the manuscript, write an evaluation that answers these questions:

  • How relevant and current is the article? Does the article agree with the field’s central challenges? Does it have a clear research question?
  • How original is the article? Does the article provide new knowledge to the field?
  • Are the results credible? Does the contribution refer to relevant literature, or is the use of theory and methods suitable to the purpose? 
  • Is the article clear and well-structured?
  • Is the quality of language adequate?
  • Are the accompanying tables and figures clear and understandable, and does the associated text(s) provide sufficient enough information? 
  • Are the references in accordance with the APA-requirements?
  • Should the article be accepted, revised or denied?

After the peer review, the editors will decide whether the article shall:

- be published as is

- be published after minor changes (the revised version is considered editorial)

- be submitted to a new peer review after extensive revisions (the revised version is reviewed by both peers and editors)

- be denied  

Publication rate

The articles in the journal are published continously.

Articles that are included in special editions (theme issues) are published together on a specified date.  

 

Open Access-guidelines

ELLA provides immediate and free access (Open Access) to the journal’s contents, based on principle that research should be freely available to the public, so that an increased global exchange of knowledge is achieved.  As a result, there is no author fee in ELLA.  See also the copyright statement.

Co-Authorship

When a manuscript has several authors, all the authors must have participated in the work to such an extent that any individual co-author can take public responsibility for the entire content. One of more of the authors must therefore take responsibility for the work, from planning to publishing.  Only those individuals, who fulfill all the three criteria below, can be considered a co-author of an article:

  • The co-author has contributed significantly to the ideas and design, data collection or analysis and interpretation of data. 
  • The co-author has contributed to the preparation of the manuscript itself or to the critical revisions of the article’s intellectual content.
  • The co-author has approved the article version that shall be published.

The criteria is based on the recommendations from the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors. First authors are responsible for ensuring that all co-authors fulfill the criteria for co-authorship.  First authors shall be the corresponding author.

The Editorial Board

In support of the editorial staff’s work, a broad comprehensive editorial board has been established.  The purpose of the editorial board is to contribute to developing the journal’s reputation as a publishing channel for research in the field.  The board shall advise the editorial staff and monitor that the editorial staff’s work remains reliable and credible:

  • The members of the editorial board shall be available as peers (professional consultants) for the editorial staff, and moreover find and suggest professional consultants outside the board.
  • Members of the editorial board shall be available as discussion partners/advisors for area editors in their fields.
  • The editorial board shall disseminate information about the journal in their networks and contribute to developing the journal’s reputation as a publication channel.
  • The board can, in consultation with the journal, initiate or support professional events and measures.
  • All substantial guidelines and other documents that are central to the journal’s operation must be sent for consultation among the editorial board’s members.

Publication ethics and malpractice policy

ELLA’s publication ethics and malpractice policy is based upon the COPE’s international standards for authors (Wager & Kleinert, 2011) and editors (Kleinert & Wager, 2011). Authors who want to publish in the journal must adhere to the COPE’s standards for authors. The main components of these standards are highlighted in the following:

  • The research being reported should have been conducted in an ethical and responsible manner and should comply with all relevant legislation.
  • Researchers should present their results clearly, honestly, and without fabrication, falsification or inappropriate data manipulation.
  • Researchers should strive to describe their methods clearly and unambiguously so that their findings can be confirmed by others.
  • Researchers should adhere to publication requirements that submitted work is original, is not plagiarised, and has not been published elsewhere.
  • Authors should take collective responsibility for submitted and published work.
  • The authorship of research publications should accurately reflect individuals’ contributions to the work and its reporting.
  • Funding sources and relevant conflicts of interest should be disclosed.

Authors have a responsibility to ensure that their publications are honest, clear, accurate, complete and balanced. However, journal editors have responsibilities as well for ensuring the integrity of the research literature and therefore are accountable for what they publish. ELLA editors must work within the COPE’s international standards for editors (Kleinert & Wager, 2011). As a result of these standards, the editors must make fair and unbiased decisions independent from commercial consideration, they must ensure a fair and appropriate peer review process, and they must take prompt action as soon as any suspected or alleged research and publication misconduct comes to their attention. Should any author deviate from the COPE’s international standards and this deviation becomes known by the editors, it will be dealt with accordingly (as depicted in the COPE’s flowcharts, which can be found here).

References
Wager E & Kleinert S (2011). Responsible research publication: international standards for authors. A position statement developed at the 2nd World Conference on Research Integrity, Singapore, July 22-24, 2010. Chapter 50 in: Mayer T & Steneck N (eds) Promoting Research Integrity in a Global Environment. Imperial College Press / World Scientific Publishing, Singapore (pp 309-16). (ISBN 978-981-4340-97-7).

Kleinert S & Wager E (2011). Responsible research publication: international standards for editors. A position statement developed at the 2nd World Conference on Research Integrity, Singapore, July 22-24, 2010. Chapter 51 in: Mayer T & Steneck N (eds) Promoting Research Integrity in a Global Environment. Imperial College Press / World Scientific Publishing, Singapore (pp 317-28). (ISBN 978-981-4340-97-7).