Virtually the Periodical

Focus and Scope

The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning (IRRODL) is a refereed, open up admission e-periodical that disseminates original inquiry, theory, and all-time exercise in open and distributed learning worldwide. IRRODL is available free-of-charge to anyone with access to the Internet, and at that place are no article submission or access charges for publication in this open journal.

The Journal targets both researchers and practitioners of open and distance education systems. It aims to ameliorate the quality of basic and applied research while also addressing the need for the translation of this knowledge into policies and activities that improve educational opportunity for students and teachers.

As of 2020, IRRODL no longer accepts submissions describing teaching interventions or surveys on pedagogical approaches that make no reference to student achievement, performance, or retention. See our policy on evidence of achievement for details.

Peer Review Process

All submissions made to the Research Articles section undergo a double-blind peer review by a minimum of two subject matter experts. A double-blind review process ensures that neither the authors nor the reviewers are aware of each other's identities. The Journal Editors screen submitted articles for relevance, quality, and meaningful contributions to the field of open up and distributed learning before sending them out for review.  Submissions are then distributed to a minimum of two qualified reviewers. The Journal Editors determine what will be included in the Journal by consulting the reviewers' assessment and comments. Mostly, articles with qualitative and/or quantitative data are preferred, though we occasionally publish high-quality theoretical manufactures.

Please consult the Submissions folio for detailed submission guidelines.

Typically, authors receive the reviewer feedback and the Journal Editor'southward decision on their submission inside three months, pending the availability of qualified peer reviewers. If accustomed, submissions are ordinarily published in the next available issue. In IRRODL'due south regularized publication wheel, problems will commonly be published in Feb, May, August, and November.

Peer reviewers are asked to evaluate and judge submissions using the following criteria:

  1. complete, coherent, and well-organized presentation;
  2. sufficient explanation of the significance of the problem;
  3. clear demonstration of the relevance to the field (beyond the case presented);
  4. original contribution to open up and distributed learning;
  5. compelling presentation of the problem inside a theoretical framework (where appropriate);
  6. establishment of a relationship between the problem and ODL and other relevant literature;
  7. appropriate research pattern and method;
  8. accurate and useful interpretation;
  9. sound argument and analysis; and
  10. effective conclusion nigh the implications for distance education theory, research, and/or practice.

Peer reviewers are asked to indicate their assessment of each criterion higher up as excellent, satisfactory, unsatisfactory, or not applicable, and also to offer comments. Reviewers' comments are extremely important to help the authors revise and improve their papers.

Publication Frequency

IRRODL follows a regularized publication bicycle, commonly publishing bug in Feb, May, August, and November of each yr. The Journal volition only publish 40 Inquiry Manufactures per year, averaging x articles per issue. Notes and other sections will be published over-and-above the 40 Research Articles.

Open Access Policy

The copyright of any IRRODL article rests with the author(due south). As a condition of publication, the authors AGREE to release their copyright under a shared licence, specifically the Artistic Commons - Attribution International four.0 (CC-By) License. Encounter: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

This licence allows anyone to reproduce IRRODL articles at no cost and without further permission as long as they attribute the author and the periodical. This permission includes printing, sharing, and other forms of distribution.

An example of attribution language is as follows:

This commodity past {insert writer(s) name(south)} has been reproduced from IRRODL nether Creative Commons Attribution License  four.0 CC-BY. It is bachelor hither{insert link}

We would like to know when IRRODL articles are reproduced.  If you lot are reproducing ane of our articles, please allow us know by contacting usa at irrodlmanager@athabascau.ca

Archiving

CLOCKSS system has permission to ingest, preserve, and serve this Archival Unit.

Citation Indices

IRRODL is indexed past all the major citation indexing systems (see the indexing list below).

  • In 2019, 75% of IRRODL articles are cited by authors in other Scopus indexed journals. (2019 CiteScore: 4.2; SJR: i.118; SNIP: ane.638; Source Normalized Affect per Newspaper.)
  • IRRODL is in the meridian ten% of about cited Educational journals (percentile: 93%; 86th of 1254 journals)
  • IRRODL is the highest ranked Canadian education periodical and 8th-highest open access educational activity journal in SJR (Scientific Periodical Rankings – Scimago).
  • IRRODL has a JCR bear on factor of 2.297.
  • The Scimago (Scopus) H index is 61. The ResearchGate Impact cistron is 1.35.
  • According to Google Scholar in 2020, IRRODL has a ranking of fifth amid Educational Technology Journals and a rank of 7th of all Education Journals (h5 index = 51; h5-median = 83).
  • It is the only fully open up access periodical in the superlative 20.

Rank

Periodical Championship

Open up Access

Distributed Learning

i

Computers & Education

2

British Journal of Educational Engineering

3

Internet and Higher Education

Y

4

Educational Engineering science and Social club

partial

5

International Review of Open and Distributed Learning

Y

Y

6

Education and Data Technologies

7

Educational Technology Research and Development

8

International Conference on Learning Analytics and Knowledge

nine

Interactive Learning Environments

x

Tech Trends

Q & A

A Q & A on Responsible Scholarly Publishing

Inspired by a paper by Lily (2016) to respond to the concerns that he raises virtually scholarly journal publishers and Editors, the post-obit Q & A has been created.

Lily, A. (2016). Academic journals through the lens of socialism: A narrative from the disciplines of education and technology. Publishing Enquiry Quarterly, 32(ii), 113-124. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12109-016-9451-10

Questions and Answers

How are IRRODL Editors selected?

IRRODL is published by AU Press and owned past Athabasca Academy (AU). Athabasca University is legally liable for the journal. For this reason, the Editor-in-Principal is appointed by AU. At present there is one Editor-in-Chief and two Associate Editors. These are volunteer positions without pay. In addition, there is an IRRODL Managing Editor who is a paid employee of AU.

How is the IRRODL Advisory Board selected?

The Board is selected by the Editors, based on the prestige and credibility of the members, and includes both Canadian and International members. As conforming an international periodical, the Lath is comprised of citizens of 12 countries, iii of which are in the global s. The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) requires several Canadian researchers on the Board equally a condition of its grant to IRRODL. UNESCO also provides funding to IRRODL, and requires that the Lath include UNESCO Chairs in Open up Educational Resources.

What is the policy of the journal regarding open up access and transparency?

IRRODL was the first open access periodical to exist established in Canada. As such, all articles are licensed under a Creative Commons – Attribution International four.0 licence. This license allows anyone to copy an article every bit long equally they properly aspect the article to the author and to IRRODL, its outset place of publication.  Copyright for all articles is vested in the authors. IRRODL is committed to transparency in its work, while abiding by privacy regulations and upholding the conditions of double-blind review.

What is the role of the Editor?

The Editor is responsible for the overall operation and reputation of the journal, including screening submissions, and accepting and declining articles based on double-blind peer review.

What is the role of the Managing Editor?

The Managing Editor is responsible for administering and co-ordinating the editorial processes from the betoken of article submission to publication. This includes the assignment of manufactures for peer review to the Editors, primary contact for Editors and authors, pre-screening submissions for suitability, managing timelines, copyediting, managing contracts ,managing the website and data, publishing, proofreading, noun editing, formatting, conversions, and addressing technical issues.

Does IRRODL keep a blacklist?

Yes. If authors are caught plagiarising or accept submitted an article to 2 journals at the aforementioned time; we maintain a tape and will no longer accept submissions from them.

Is information technology the Editor'southward responsibility and duty to respond to authors and to accost their complaints?

The Editors try to respond in a timely way to all queries. While we receive and mind to complaints, we do non always concur with the complainant.

What software platform does IRRODL use?

IRRODL uses the Open Periodical Systems (OJS). OJS is a journal management and publishing organisation that has been adult past the Public Knowledge Project (PKP). See https://pkp.sfu.ca/ojs/. While OJS is largely automated, there is a fair corporeality of transmission input required for each submission, which is both time-consuming and tin can upshot in error.

The Review Process

What are the steps in the review process?

Papers that are submitted online to IRRODL are received and processed by the Managing Editor. This process can accept several days due to the volume of submissions we receive. In the next stage, the submission is evaluated for suitability and readability. If the initial review of the submission indicates that the article has surpassed the word count limit or that it is non formatted according to APA manner OR if in that location is a question regarding its suitability or readability, it is returned to the authors with instructions to revise.  If it meets submission standards in full, the paper is then submitted to TurnItIn to bank check for possible plagiarism. If no plagiarism is detected, it is then sent to i of the Editors for review.  The Editor reads over the newspaper and should it exist accounted suitable, selects an appropriate reviewer to conduct the double-blind peer review. The Editor assigns the submission to approximately four reviewers, giving them one month to conduct the review.  When the reviews have been completed, manuscripts are considered collectively on a quarterly basis for inclusion into an upcoming issue. Author(south) are notified by the Editor of their decision. When a paper is declined, it cannot be re-submitted to IRRODL.

What is the boilerplate time from submission to copy editing to publication?

The average time to copy editing is viii weeks; and to publications, +180 days.

How many reviews are needed to brand a decision?

At least two substantive reviews are needed. If two substantive reviews are not forthcoming, and so more reviewers are called on.

What happens when TurnItIn reports instances of copying?

When TurnItIn finds significant copying of previously published fabric (+30%), the author is notified and an caption is requested. Using content from an author'south thesis or unpublished school paper is acceptable. Using ane's previously published piece of work is not acceptable. Plagiarism is not permitted nether whatever circumstance and authors defenseless plagiarising volition be blacklisted.

Who are the reviewers?

Reviewers are IRRODL authors or experts in the field. The full list of those who completed at least one review in 2019 is bachelor here.

How are reviewers selected?

Reviewers are self-selected. IRRODL depends on peer review; any writer who is published in IRRODL, as a peer, is asked to bring together the reviewers' database. Known experts in open and distributed learning are also invited to join from time to time. Sometimes, a reviewer recommends a colleague who is encouraged to join the database. Some reviewers, however, do not have the expertise to properly evaluate a paper and their responses can exist either limited and unsophisticated or otherwise unsuitable. The Editors accept these situational factors into business relationship when evaluating submissions. Editors exercise not alter reviews in whatsoever way but send them to authors as they have been received by the reviewers.

Are reviewers charged with evaluating or editing the format of papers?

No, just most of our reviewers are teachers and they cannot assistance themselves. These technical edits are by and large well-received past authors.

How are reviewers evaluated?

Editors evaluate reviewers on a number system:
5: A good review, thorough, and academically sound.
iv: An adequate but non dandy review.
3. A review with boxes checked but with few or no comments.
ii. A reviewer commits to doing a review and does not do so.
1. No response from the reviewer to our request to review.
Our reviewers can be peripatetic; many modify jobs and email addresses, and so a "1" usually signifies that they are no longer bachelor. Reviewers with a combination of 1s, 2s, or 3s are removed from the database. Note that we practise not overburden our skillful reviewers. We limit requests to 2 a twelvemonth and rarely issue three requests.

What if a reviewer is insensitive to authors in his/her evaluation?

This is problematic for Editors considering nosotros do not want to be accused of altering any reviews, and so we exit all comments as they are written. Our authors, reviewers, and readers are multi-cultural, so nosotros request that our reviewers be sensitive to this and asking that authors not be overly sensitive to potential offences. Of class, whatsoever consistently offensive reviewer would exist removed from our database; however, since the founding of IRRODL in 1999, we have not had to do this.

How practice Editors choose reviewers for a specific article?

IRRODL maintains a database of reviewers and their research interests. Editors conduct a search of the database for reviewers who have expressed an interest in the field of study area of the particular article. Editors so check the database to find reviewers who have not completed a review in the last 6 months. We endeavor to limit requests to review to ii per year, with a maximum of three reviews per year in special cases. Sometimes it is difficult to find appropriate reviewers for specific papers.

Why is the review process taking so much time?

Editors are at the mercy of the reviewers. Editors always choose at least 4 reviewers, with the expectation of receiving a minimum of two useable reviews. On average, we go i or ii positive responses within the monthly time limit just will ofttimes receive no reply to our request at all (meet above on evaluating reviewers).  Nearly reviewers who do reply positively, consummate the review within the one-month borderline; withal, many practice not complete a review on time and need to be reminded.  The Editors regularly add new reviewers to the database. Contacting six reviewers to get two practiced reviews is not unusual.  We have sometimes contacted upwards to 16 reviewers before getting two reviews. This all takes time but is necessary for a fair review.

Can the Editor edit the reviews?

No, Editors cannot change a review.

Does IRRODL give preferential treatment to the manufactures submitted past known experts in the field of open and distributed learning?

No. Nosotros give preference to newer authors and those from developing countries. Likewise, nosotros give them every opportunity to excel as reviewers and learn more about scholarly publishing by actively participating.

How are manufactures accepted for publication?

Start in 2020, an average of 10 (x) enquiry articles will be published per outcome, with only iv (4) problems published per year. Editors volition evaluate each issue for both quality and residue. Only papers that fit will be accustomed for publication.

Why doesn't IRRODL take declined articles if they accept been revised according to reviewers' comments?

Once an article is declined, nosotros practice not take it for re-evaluation. This is out of respect for the reviewers and to salve time. Authors of declined papers can address the criticisms (or non) and submit their paper elsewhere.

Why are some papers rejected by the Editors without sending for review?

The Managing Editor rejects papers that are poorly written, do not arrange to the required APA style and/or the IRRODL guidelines, or for exceeding the word count limit. Authors tin can address the problem(s) identified by the Managing Editor and resubmit to them but in one case. It is extremely important that authors read the submission guidelines and adhere to the requirements in total.  Templates and examples are available for authors in the submission guidelines section. Following this phase, the Editors review for relevance.

Why are some papers declined by the Editors without sending for review?

The most mutual reason that the Editors will turn down a paper is that information technology is deemed not appropriate for this journal. IRRODL focuses on open and distributed learning, which means that more general pedagogy research, or even educational engineering research, is not appropriate for our readership unless the enquiry pertains to IRRODL'southward focus area. Other reasons for the Editors to decline a submission may include an assessment of the quality, originality, or other shortcoming of the newspaper. Some papers may be declined because of the balance decided on for a detail result. The Editors will provide authors with a reason for declining the article by electronic mail.

What is double-blind review? Can a reviewer's or writer's name be revealed during review?

Double-blind review means that the author does non know the identity of the reviewer and the reviewer does non know the identity of the author. This information is kept private; withal, sometimes a reviewer can estimate who the author is. When this happens, the reviewer must contact the states and we will reassign the review. Sometimes, the writer can guess who the reviewer is. If the author is concerned nigh the fairness of the process as a outcome of the reviewer'due south presumed identity, we will consider sending the submission to an additional reviewer. This is ane of the few cases where we might consider a re-review.

Why practice you insist on specific APA formatting for submissions before they are accepted?

In our experience, manufactures that are not correctly formatted before submission leave reviewers with a negative impression of the submission and tin can touch their assessment. IRRODL reviewers judge not only quality, methodology, and assay, but also writing mode. Moreover, wrong formatting and not conforming to APA way tin get a major problem for the copy editor after acceptance, frequently requiring back-and-forth communication with the authors.  Authors tin can and should use the APA7 manual for their article and can use Reference Management Software for their references. The APA7 manual can be plant here: https://apastyle.apa.org/way-grammar-guidelines/ and list of Reference Management Software tin can exist retrieved here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_reference_management_software

Authors tin can besides brand use of the IRRODL submission guideline template available here.

Why do y'all insist on a 7000 word maximum limit for article submissions?

Unlike a paper journal, IRRODL does not have to accommodate printing limits. As an online journal, IRRODL's word limit is set up for another rationale, specifically practicality. Nosotros believe that this is a reasonable maximum give-and-take limit for our reviewers, editors, and readers to manage. It is also worth noting that, in nigh cases, conciseness of thought results in a better commodity overall. Articles that exceed the discussion limit are returned for resubmission past the Managing Editor.

How do I know when IRRODL releases a new issue?

The Managing Editor places new publications on the website homepage. Additionally, an announcement is mailed out to members of the journal in one case the publication is complete through the OJS system. OJS automatically adds members to the postal service out list once a fellow member signs up for whatsoever role (e.chiliad., reader, reviewer, author).  If you would like to exist removed from this list, you tin do so by adjusting your contour settings under notifications.  If you are having trouble with this, you can besides email irrodlmanager@athabascau.ca for assistance.

Sponsors

  • Athabasca University

Sources of Support

The International Review of Research in Open up and Distributed Learning receives support from Athabasca University, the Aide to Scholarly Journals Programme of the Social Sciences and Humanities Enquiry Quango of Canada, and UNESCO.

UNESCO logo

SSHRC logo