JALT Submission Guidelines
Objective
The ALTA Journal is a scholarly review journal focused on bridging the gap from research to practice, and providing current relevant information about dyslexia, its identification, and its remediation to our membership.
Types of Articles
Clinical Focus
A clinical focus article presents information of clinical or practical interest for the readership. These papers do not follow a traditional research format, such as case studies, descriptions of clinical programs, field reports, and innovative clinical services and activities.
Position Papers
A position paper includes scholarly-based opinion(s) on an issue of clinical relevance in the field of reading and/or learning disabilities. The contributors may share their perspectives on various themes related to dyslexia, and/or instructional strategies based on their experience and research on the topic. These manuscripts will serve to update readership on current thinking in an area, discuss a controversial or neglected topic, or be related to future legislation.
Research Reports
Research articles are data-based manuscripts reporting original research that includes students with or at risk for learning disabilities. Authors are encouraged to clarify if a study is part of a larger study or is a replication. It is particularly important to clearly describe participants with or at risk for learning disabilities and to include implications and directions for future research for this diverse population.
Review Articles
Review articles of various forms will be considered for the ALTA journal. This includes systematic reviews (with or without meta-analyses), historical reviews of a program or vein of research, Extensive literature reviews, theoretical papers, or nonempirical position or policy papers are selected based on the content’s importance to the field of learning disabilities.
Manuscript Specifications
Scientific Manuscripts should be organized as follows:
- Title Page
- Abstract (maximum 300 words)
- Introduction
- Method
- Results
- Discussion
- Acknowledgments
- References
- Tables and Figures
- Appendices (Optional)
- Supplemental Materials (Optional)
Non-Scientific Manuscript Types (Clinical Focus, Position Papers) should be written using clear, professional language, and should demonstrate a clear rationale or purpose for the article. Although there is no prescribed structure for these articles, information should be presented in an organized and cohesive manner. References, acknowledgments, and attributions should be included as appropriate.
General Formatting Guidelines
- Documents must be provided in a standard, editable document format (e.g., .doc, .docx).
- Documents should be double-spaced, 1-inch margins, 12-point font.
- Page Limits: A recommended maximum of 30 pages is suggested for most manuscript types. Longer papers will be considered but should be submitted with a cover letter providing a rationale for the extended length. The suggested 30-page limit is to include all required elements of the manuscript, including references, tables, and figures. Appendices and Supplementary Materials are not included in the page count.
- Format: APA 7th edition, page numbering, continuous line numbering.
- Cover Letter: A cover letter must accompany each submission to the Journal. The cover letter is to include information for the editorial committee, including prior dissemination of the findings at conferences or on social media.
Research and Publication Ethics
Ethical Responsibilities
APA Research Code of Conduct Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) (apa.org)
Copyright and Permissions
Submissions to the ALTA Journal must be original works not in consideration for publication in another venue. Authors will be required to affirm that the manuscript is free of any copyrighted material OR that copyrighted information is included in the manuscript, is clearly marked as such, and that the author has obtained the necessary permissions from the copyright holder. The author is responsible for obtaining written permission for any material taken from another source, including the payment of any fees to the holder of the copyright.
Copyright
During the manuscript acceptance process, authors will sign a copyright transfer that will give ALTA copyright of the final, published work. The ALTA Journal needs publishing rights in order to publish and disseminate articles. However, authors retain rights for noncommercial use of the material (e.g., teaching and other academic settings, personal or professional websites, or sharing a PDF of the final, published article for dissemination to professional colleagues).
Editorial Procedure & Publication
The JALT will utilize a double-blind review process to protect anonymity and reduce potential bias during the review process. Author and Reviewer identities will not be disclosed at any point during the review.
Once accepted for publication, the manuscript will be copyedited, typeset, and proofread by member(s) of the Scholarly Publications Committee and/or a delegated associate.
Revision Submission Instructions
You will need to submit a new full version of your manuscript with any changes incorporated into the main text (i.e., do not submit revised sections in a separate document). Please revise your copy of the manuscript using a word-processing program. Please also highlight the changes to your manuscript within the document by using the track changes mode in MS Word or by using bold or colored text.
Responding to Reviewer Comments
The reviewers have provided general and specific feedback on the paper. To expedite the processing of the revised manuscript, be as specific as possible in your response to the comments. We will review your final submission to determine whether the major concerns have been addressed. Do NOT include names or any other identifying data, as this information will be available to reviewers.
Revision Submissions
Please send your updated manuscript via email attachment to scholarlyeditor@altaread.org and include “Manuscript Revision” in the subject line.