Critical Studies in Education

Critical Studies in Education

Authors should also consult our Instructions to Authors and comply with its instructions before submitting their manuscript.

Aims and Scope

Critical Studies in Education is a leading international journal devoted to publishing critical theoretical, methodological and empirical contributions to education research. The journal is anchored in the critical sociology of education, yet we welcome contributions from other disciplines that seek to critically examine the social relations of education (e.g., history, philosophy, critical geography, politics and public policy studies).

Critical Studies in Education is a key global forum for advancing original research that addresses the implications of intensifying social, political and economic challenges and how these shape education. It has a central concern with examining and disrupting unequal power relations, including but not limited to class, gender, race, sexuality, disability and coloniality. The journal adopts a broad definition of education, meaning submissions may focus on diverse education systems, policies, practices, knowledge and evidence. These may be related to a variety of settings, from schools, vocational and higher education to more informal forms of education, including the educational dynamics of popular and digital culture.

Through publishing diverse forms of critical research in education, the journal does not assume that ‘critical research’ has a fixed meaning. It aims instead to generate conversations and debates about what it means to be critical in shifting theoretical, empirical and methodological contexts of education. What is constant is our commitment to a critical ontology and epistemology. The journal therefore rejects positivist approaches that presume reality is ‘out there’ to be objectively documented or ‘revealed’ by researchers. As such, it does not publish articles that refer to ‘findings’ or data ‘collection’, as if data and their interpretation exist independently of the research and researcher. Details concerning methods and design should be sufficient to assure research rigour and high ethical standards, and are expected to be underpinned by strong theoretical foundations.

Submission Requirements and Review Process

Submissions to Critical Studies in Education undergo rigorous, double-anonymous peer review, based on initial editor screening. Reviewers make recommendations to the journal’s Editors, who make recommendations to the Editors-in-Chief. The Editors-in-Chief make the final decision about publication. Editors may ‘desk reject’ manuscripts outright (without sending them to review) when they are demonstrably not of an appropriate standard and/or when they do not align with the journal’s aims, scope and submission requirements.

Please ensure that your submission:

• Has a title that provides sufficient description of the article’s content and/or argument (generic quotations from interview transcripts and literary expressions can prevent the article from being found and cited).

• Avoids generic sub-headings such as “findings”, “discussion”, “literature review”, “the study” etc., but rather has sub-headings that reflect the article’s unfolding arguments and the content of each section.

• Avoids separation of data and analysis or a generic structure

• Properly contextualises the research for an international audience.

• Has relevant and searchable keywords, repeated where possible in the title and abstract.

• Includes a descriptive abstract that adequately summarises the issue, approach, argument, contribution and significance of the article.

• Offers a robust analysis, including treatment of research data where relevant

• Clearly articulates how it is contributing new knowledge to critical educational research (which may, if relevant, include reference to existing articles published in the journal on similar topics).

• Is within the word limits (9,000 words inclusive of abstract, references, tables, diagrams, figures etc).

Special Issues

If you are interested in proposing a special issue for the journal, please see our guidelines here.

Disclaimer:

Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the “Content”) contained in its publications. However, Taylor & Francis and its agents and licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness or suitability for any purpose of the Content and disclaim all such representations and warranties whether express or implied to the maximum extent permitted by law. Any views expressed in this publication are the views of the authors and are not the views of Taylor & Francis.

Authors can choose to publish gold open access in this journal.

Read the Instructions for Authors for information on how to submit your article.