About the Journal

About Research in Learning Technology

Research in Learning Technology (RLT) is a peer reviewed, open access journal published by the Association for Learning Technology. RLT aims to raise the profile of research in learning technology, encouraging research that informs good practice and contributes to the development of policy. RLT publishes articles in the following broad areas: technology enhanced learning, online learning, distance learning, mobile learning, flexible learning, wearable technologies, simulation, learning environments, learning spaces, digital pedagogy, open educational practice and social media. 

In 2023, we are especially interested in research on the themes of:      

  • the ethical usage of learning technology; 
  • professional development and recognition for learning technology professionals; 
  • upscaling the use of learning technology for learning, teaching and assessment; 
  • learning technologists working in partnership with students.      

Research in Learning Technology continues to publish original, scholarly writing on learning technology across the full range of the practice and we will continue to welcome submissions on other topics, in addition to those falling into the broad areas above. 

SCOPE

The focus of the journal is on publishing high quality evidence-based manuscripts from researchers, practitioners and policy makers which serve the needs of the diverse and international readership. Manuscripts can be purely research-based or draw critically on practice-based approaches in the area of technology enhanced learning. Articles can be focused on any level of education, from formal primary, secondary, further and tertiary (higher) education to professional learning (e.g. CPD) and informal learning.

Research in Learning Technology publishes articles in the following broad areas: technology enhanced learning, online learning, distance learning, mobile learning, flexible learning, wearable technologies, simulation, learning environments, learning spaces, pedagogy, open educational practice and social media.

AIMS

The aims of Research in Learning Technology are:

  1. Excellence in research- to encourage the submission and publication of leading research that is both scholarly and practice-based.
  2. Enhancing the standing of the journal- to work with authors, the publisher and the wider community to increase the readership and enhance the reputation of the journal in the UK and internationally.
  3. Innovation- to explore innovative publishing formats and to aim to use technology to model best practice in publishing Learning Technology research.
  4. Open Access- to continue to publish the journal under an Open Access model and openly to contribute to the body of knowledge in Learning Technology globally.
  5. Member support- to continue to publish as a member-funded journal and to ensure it serves the interests and changing needs of our community, by, for example, themed collections.
  6. Collaboration- to develop stronger links between the journal and ALT’s other activities as well as the wider community and partners in the UK and internationally

TYPES OF PAPERS

Papers should be original, scholarly and make clear how they make a contribution to knowledge and/or practice in the field. We are open to a range of submission types, including:

  • evaluative studies of technology use in learning and teaching
  • large scale or longitudinal studies of the impact of technologies on the efficiency and effectiveness of provision
  • case studies of innovations in the area of learning technology, and their dissemination and uptake
  • critical assessment of the theory and practice of technology-enhanced learning across cultures and nationalities
  • analysis of the staff and learner competencies, roles and skills necessary for effective learning
  • theoretical debate on and analysis of the relationships between learning, teaching and technology
  • analyses of policy and strategy at institutional, regional, sectoral, national and international levels

 

Review Policy

Papers submitted to Research in Learning Technology are subject to peer review to maintain the standards of the journal, promote rigorous research within the field of learning technology, and to offer authors constructive feedback on their submissions.

Manuscripts are sent out for review electronically, and all correspondence takes place via e-mail. Although the peer review process is accelerated by the use of electronic communication, traditional, high-quality peer-review standards are applied to all manuscripts submitted to the journal.

Research in Learning Technology has a 'double blind' review process: Authors are not told who reviewed their paper, and referees do not know the name of the authors whose papers they review. The peer referees’ identity remains unknown to the authors.

Peer reviewers are asked to give their opinion on a number of issues pertinent to the quality and suitability of a paper, and to judge papers on grounds of originality and importance. We pride ourselves on providing constructive and formative feedback to authors.

Reviewer Guidelines Reviewers of Research in Learning Technology are asked to consider the following points during their evaluation:

  • Does the paper have clear aims and objectives / research questions that can be achieved within the scope of a Research in Learning Technology journal paper?
  • Does the paper make a contribution to knowledge?
  • Is the work suitably grounded in the literature to justify its contribution and frame the analysis/evaluation?
  • Is the research/evaluation methodology justified, clear and appropriate? (including ethical considerations / approval where appropriate)
  • Does the analysis/ evaluation have a clear flow and logical argument?
  • Does the analysis/evaluation link to an appropriate discussion and conclusions?
  • Is it presented in a way which is suitable for Research in Learning Technology’s international audience?

Peer reviewers will have five possible options, for any paper:

1. Accept manuscript (i.e. no need for any revision)
2. Accept after revision (i.e. accepted if the author makes the requested revisions)
3. Revise and resubmit (i.e. accepted or rejected after revisions have been made - paper will be sent out for another peer review round)
4. Reject manuscript (i.e. if the manuscript is not sufficiently developed for publication)
5. See comments (i.e. if the reviewer cannot choose from any of the above)

In addition, papers may be returned to authors by the Editors prior to review, if judged to be out of scope, out of the limits of the word length guidance or not sufficiently prepared for publication.

To facilitate rapid publication, authors are given a maximum of 6 weeks for revision. After 6 weeks, revised manuscripts will normally be considered new submissions.

 

Peer reviewers are asked to give their opinion on a number of issues pertinent to the quality and suitability of a paper, and to judge papers on grounds of originality and importance. We pride ourselves on providing constructive and formative feedback to authors.

 

Peer reviewers will have five possible options, for any paper:

Publication Schedule

All articles to Research in Learning Technology are posted online immediately as they are ready for publication. All articles will be assigned a DOI number (Digital Object Identifier) whereby they become searchable and citeable without delay.

 

Open Access Policy

Research in Learning Technology is an Open Access Journal published by the Association for Learning Technology. Author(s), their employer(s), or their funder(s) retain copyright, but license ALT to publish their work under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC-BY 4.0) License. Articles will be published online immediately after the final corrections of the master proof have been made. Articles are assigned a DOI number (Digital Object Identifier) for citation and other purposes.

Research in Learning Technology has been awarded the DOAJ Seal. The DOAJ Seal is a mark of certification for open access journals, awarded by DOAJ to journals that achieve a high level of openness and adhere to Best Practice and high publishing standards. 

 

Author Self-Archiving

Authors are permitted and encouraged to post any version of their manuscript to personal or institutional websites, in repositories and similar, prior to and after publication (while providing the bibliographic details of that publication).

PREPRINT POLICY

The journal allows authors to upload previous drafts of articles, provided the author accepts the following:

  • The author retains copyright to the preprint and developed works from it, and is permitted to submit to the journal. 
  • The author declares that a preprint is available within the cover letter presented during submission. This must include a link to the location of the preprint. 
  • The author acknowledges that having a preprint publicly available means that the journal cannot guarantee the anonymity of the author during the review process, even if they anonymize the submitted files.
  • Should the submission be published, the authors are expected to update the information associated with the preprint version to show that a final version has been published in the journal, including the DOI linking directly to the publication. 

 

Publication Fees

Publishing in Research in Learning Technology is free of charge.

Colour illustrations are also free of charge, as are supplemental audio-visual or interactive materials.