Scope

The Academic Literacy Journal (ALJ) is a newly established, peer-reviewed journal that focuses on all issues pertaining to the learning, teaching, and research of academic literacy related matters in higher education. We welcome research-based, reflective, and theoretical papers with a strong emphasis on practical implication for classroom, curriculum, and academic and institutional development. Articles that make a significant contribution to the existing AL literature in higher education with novel findings will be considered. Papers should have a strong theoretical foundation and clear implications for practice and policy. ALJ encourages submissions from all prospective authors, especially disciplinary specialists, writing centre practitioners, and academic literacy practitioners in higher education.

Given the changing educational and diverse higher education context, traditional notions of AL are no longer relevant.  Hence, ALJ does not encourage articles that adopt a skills-based approach to literacy and those written from a deficit perspective (autonomous model of literacy). We welcome articles that are framed from an ideological model of literacy and that considers the emerging new literacies.  ALJ is interested in providing authors a forum for challenging orthodox theories and to provide new insight and to foster critical debate about the role that AL plays in higher education.

This might include learning and teaching for social justice, student well-being and belonging, online learning, innovative classroom, assessment, and feedback practices, multimodality, academic development, emergent literacies (such as AI literacy) and inter-, trans-, and multi-disciplinary research.

 

Aim

The aim of the journal is to provide a dedicated space where AL practitioners, writing centre practitioners, and disciplinary specialist can share their practice, experiences, and knowledge with one another. As the journal grows, ALJ anticipates assuming a vital role in shaping the discourse around AL in higher education.

Please note that the Journal only publishes articles in English.

Manuscripts that will not be considered for publication include those not of international interest, programme/institutional evaluations and reports, book reviews, commentaries about higher education, those that do not engage deeply with the literature, and those that do not have a strong theoretical framework.

 

Peer Review Policy

All manuscripts submitted to the Academic Literacy Journal will undergo a rigorous double-blind peer review process. The process will begin with the initial screening by the Editor to ensure that the submission aligns with the focus and scope of the journal, adheres to the formatting guidelines of the journal, and is methodologically sound.  Thereafter the article undergoes evaluation by two experienced independent reviewers after which a decision will be communicated to the author(s) with the feedback provided by the reviewers.

The decision to accept or reject the article is made by the Editor-in-Chief in consultation with relevant members of the editorial board. These decisions are based on the recommendations and comments from the external reviewers.