Author Guidelines

The Journal of the American Academy of Special Education Professionals (JAASEP) is a peer-reviewed, open-access journal that publishes original scholarship addressing research, policy, and practice across the full range of special education contexts and professional roles. 

Types of Manuscripts Accepted

JAASEP welcomes a variety of manuscript types, including:

• Empirical Research Studies: Quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-methods inquiry that contributes new knowledge to the field of special education.
• Conceptual and Theoretical Papers: Scholarship that introduces or advances critical frameworks, models, or understanding of key issues in special education.
• Policy Analyses: Evaluations of federal, state, or local policies and their implications for special education systems, professionals, and learners.
• Innovative Practices: Descriptions and evaluations of promising practices, instructional strategies, interventions, or service models.
• Literature Reviews: Systematic, scoping, or other rigorous reviews that synthesize and critically examine existing research.

Submission Requirements

• Manuscript Length: Most manuscripts range from 4,000 to 7,000 words (generally 16-28 double-spaced pages), including references, tables, and figures. Longer or shorter submissions will be considered with justification.
• Formatting: All submissions must follow APA 7th Edition style guidelines, including for references, headings, in-text citations, tables, and figures.
• Original Work: Manuscripts must represent novel scholarship that has not been published previously and is not under review elsewhere.
• Blind Review: Manuscripts must not include identifying information to facilitate double-blind peer review. A separate title page with author names, affiliations, and contact information should be submitted.
• Abstract and Keywords: Submissions must include a structured abstract of up to 250 words summarizing the purpose, methods, results, and implications of the study, as well as 4–6 keywords that reflect the manuscript’s primary focus.

Ethical Considerations

Authors are responsible for ensuring that all research involving human participants complies with ethical standards, including approval from an Institutional Review Board (IRB) or equivalent body where applicable. Manuscripts should include a statement confirming ethical approval and informed consent procedures.

Proper citation and acknowledgment of others’ work is required to avoid plagiarism. Authors should disclose any potential conflicts of interest and ensure that data are reported accurately and transparently. 

Review and Submission Process

JAASEP employs a double-blind peer review process to ensure a fair and unbiased evaluation of submitted manuscripts. Submissions are first screened by the editorial team for fit with the journal’s scope and basic quality standards. Manuscripts that meet initial criteria are then sent out for peer review by at least two reviewers. The journal’s editorial team aims to include reviewers who have expertise in the subject matter of the manuscript.

Authors will typically receive an initial editorial decision (i.e., accept, revise and resubmit, or reject) within 8–12 weeks of submission. Authors invited to revise their manuscripts will receive detailed reviewer feedback and are expected to submit revisions within the timeframe specified in the decision letter, which includes a separate response document that addresses reviewers comments.

All manuscripts must be submitted electronically through the JAASEP submission portal at https://form.typeform.com/to/KKMfxPxr 

Reviewer Expectations

JAASEP depends on the expertise and professionalism of peer reviewers to ensure the quality and relevance of published work. Reviewers are expected to provide constructive, timely, and respectful feedback that supports authors in improving their manuscripts.

Reviewers are asked to:

• Evaluate the manuscript’s contribution to the field of special education, including its relevance, originality, and methodological rigor.
• Assess clarity, organization, and writing quality.
• Provide specific, actionable suggestions for improvement.
• Suggest whether the manuscript should be accepted, revised and resubmitted, or rejected.
• Submit reviews within the requested timeframe.

JAASEP values equity, inclusion, and diverse perspectives in both the review process and published content. Reviewers are encouraged to support these values in their feedback. To support this process, all JAASEP reviewers use a 4-point likert scale rubric to address the following about each manuscript: relevance to the journal, originality and innovation, contribution to the field, literature review, clarity of research purpose, methodology/design, analysis and results, discussion and implications, organization and clarity, and APA formatting and style. 

Questions?

For questions about manuscript preparation or the submission process, please contact the editorial office at editor@aasep.org.