Leadership and Policy in Schools

We invite manuscripts of sufficient quality that meet the aims and scope of Leadership and Policy in Schools for review.

Submitted papers should align with the following journal scope as presented:

Leadership and Policy in Schools

aims to provide a high-quality forum for educational researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to publish analyses and research about how school leaders and educational policies utilize fiscal, material, and human resources to bring about change in education and effectiveness in schools in different global contexts. The scope of the journal will encompass studies about leadership, po

The editors also welcome manuscripts from diverse disciplinary perspectives, including economic, political, historical, demographic, and financial analyses. In addition to original research papers, we will accept other features such as meta-analysis. Research scoping, innovative and provocative commentaries, thinking pieces, or conceptual papers stimulating timely debate around leadership and policy or ecological forces impacting K-12 education are particularly encouraged.

Peer Review Policy: All research articles in this journal have undergone rigorous, double anonymized peer review based on an initial editor screening followed by anonymous refereeing by three anonymous referees. As part of the submission process author/s will be required to warrant that you are submitting your original work, that you have the rights in the work, that you are submitting the work for first publication in the Journal, that it is not being considered for publication elsewhere and has not already been published elsewhere, and that you have obtained and can supply all necessary permissions for the reproduction of any copyright works not owned by you. The main text should be approximately 8,000-10,000 words (max 12,000), but online supplemental material has no word limit.

Desk rejects

While we receive numerous manuscripts that captivate our interest and exhibit promise, a significant portion undergoes desk rejection as they are not yet prepared for external review. Common reasons for desk rejections include papers failing to meet the journal’s scope (e.g., leadership and policy in a higher education setting), insufficient discussion of the study's rationale, an unclear conceptual or theoretical framework guiding the work, or inadequacies in the study's methodology. Concerns regarding data trustworthiness and transparency of empirical data collection can result in desk rejection. Furthermore, manuscripts failing to meet rigorous standards for data collection, analysis, or argumentation often face desk rejection. It is essential for results not only to be summarized but also interpreted in a discussion section. This section elucidates what readers can glean from the study, particularly in light of prior empirical and conceptual work on the topic. Some articles face rejection for being "out of scope," meaning they do not directly concern primary and secondary educational sites or have a narrow or peripheral focus deemed inappropriate for Leadership and Policy in Schools readership. The manuscript is more likely to be accepted if it:

• aligns with the journal's scope

• adheres to maximum text length limits

• contributes to advancing or enriching an active field, making a compelling case for the research's relevance and importance

• appropriately cites prior work on the topic

• clearly articulates the study's purpose and research questions

• thoroughly describes the methods employed

• moves beyond mere summarization to engage in discussion and interpretation of the results

• is meticulously prepared and adheres to the journal's submission guidelines

• employs clear and concise language

• upholds ethical standards

Peer Review Policy: All research articles in this journal have undergone rigorous, double anonymized peer review, based on an initial editor screening followed by anonymous refereeing by three anonymous referees.

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

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