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Author Guidelines

To ensure clarity and ease of compliance, these Author Guidelines outline the essential requirements for contributors. The document is organized into the following sections:

Contents

By following these detailed instructions, contributors support JEAL’s dedication to maintaining best practices in scholarly publishing.

Who Can Submit?

Anyone may submit an original article to be considered for publication in JEAL, provided they own the copyright to the work being submitted or are authorized by the copyright owner(s) to submit the article.

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Initial Submission Rules and Procedures

Submitted articles must be original and not previously published, nor forthcoming in an archival journal or book (print or electronic). However, publication in a working paper series does not constitute prior publication under JEAL’s policies. By submitting material to JEAL, authors stipulate that the manuscript is not currently under review at another journal (electronic or print) and that they will not submit the material elsewhere until the editorial decision process at JEAL is complete. If you have concerns about JEAL’s submission terms, please contact the editors.

Procedures and Requirements

  1. Before submitting your paper, read JEAL's aims and scope, the acceptance criteria, and ethics policies. Compliance with these guidelines helps avoid desk rejection.
  2. Ensure that the following declarations are included in your initial submission at the end of the article, following the Appendix section:
    • Declaration of Conflict of Interest
    • Originality and Similarity Statement (Turnitin similarity index must not exceed 10%)
    • Declaration of AI Use (specify the AI tools used and how they were applied in the research process)
  3. Sign up to create an Animo Repository account. All accounts, including those used for journal submission, are managed via Elsevier’s Digital Commons platform.
  4. The email address used for account creation will also be used by the JEAL editorial team for correspondence. Please ensure it is active and regularly checked.
  5. Submit your manuscript through the Submit Article button on the right-hand navigation bar. Make sure you are registered and logged in to Animo Repository.
  6. Ensure your article is anonymized by removing all identifiers (e.g., names, affiliations, email addresses) from the title page, body text, headers, footers, and file properties.
  7. Check your article for accuracy and similarity before submission. JEAL uses Turnitin to measure similarity against internet sources. The similarity index must not exceed 10%. If you checked your paper using Turnitin or other plagiarism checkers prior to submission, ensure that your article was not indexed or saved in their database. You may append the similarity report to your submission.
  8. If your paper is part of a larger study, indicate in the cover letter whether any portion has already been published. Clearly describe which parts remain unpublished or are not under consideration elsewhere. The cover letter must be uploaded separately from the manuscript through the submission system.
  9. Submitted articles are reviewed first by the Editor-in-Chief or Associate Editors before being sent out for double-blind peer review. The review process typically takes 4–6 months. Once the Editor-in-Chief reaches a decision, it is final and not subject to appeal.
  10. JEAL maintains a record of authors who violate established research and publishing ethics. Plagiarized works, duplicate texts, fabricated research, and similar violations will result in rejection and blacklisting.
  11. Check the type of article you are submitting. Ensure that you follow the expectations for non-empirical scholarly articles. See below for guidelines on the different types of non-empirical papers.

Guidelines for Non-Empirical Scholarly Articles

Below are the distinctions and expectations for each type of non-empirical scholarly article accepted in JEAL.

Reflective Article

A reflective piece focuses on analyzing oneself critically, where the writer looks into their work, research, or teaching experiences. It uses personal or professional events and connects them to related theories and studies. Written in a scholarly way, often using "I," it offers insights, discusses practical implications, and links personal experiences to wider academic discussions.

Conceptual Article

A conceptual piece aims to clarify, expand, or develop theories or models. It relies on combining existing literature and personal thinking instead of new data. The style is argumentative and analytical, deeply rooted in theory. Its contribution is in expanding current models or introducing new ideas, frameworks, or theoretical approaches.

Perspectives Article

A perspectives piece shares the author's view on a conceptual, theoretical, or policy issue, often trying to change dominant narratives. It is based on literature review, personal insights, and sometimes data-supported reasoning. The style is persuasive and argumentative, usually written in the third person. Its contribution is to offer new directions, challenge current views, and introduce fresh inquiries.

Scoping Literature Review Article

A scoping literature review maps the range and scope of existing studies on a topic. It uses a broad and systematic search to find gaps, themes, and future research directions. The style is integrative and descriptive, and its contribution is to summarize what is known while pointing out areas needing more exploration.

Editorials

An editorial shapes the mood of a journal, introduces important topics, and engages with ongoing discussions and issues. It relies on the editor's or writer's personal views instead of research data. The style is opinion-driven, convincing, and story-like. Its role is to lead thoughts, emphasize urgent matters, and set the stage for discussions in the journal.

Systematic Literature Reviews

A systematic literature review offers a thorough and organized summary of all relevant studies on a particular research question. It follows a strict, clear, and repeatable search method, with defined criteria for what studies to include or exclude, and evaluates the chosen studies critically. The style is organized and detailed, often adhering to recognized reporting standards like PRISMA. Its purpose is to provide a clear summary of existing research, point out agreements and disagreements, guide practice and policy, and suggest areas for future research.

Overview of Non-Empirical Papers

Paper Type Purpose Basis Tone and Style Target Contribution
Perspectives Author’s viewpoint, reshaping narratives Conceptual insights, literature synthesis Argumentative, persuasive Challenges narratives, proposes new directions
Scoping Literature Review Mapping breadth of literature Broad literature synthesis, thematic analysis Structured, descriptive Identifies gaps, clarifies boundaries, future directions
Systematic Literature Review Comprehensive synthesis of research Rigorous search inclusion/exclusion criteria, critical appraisal Structured, detailed, literature-based Definitive overview, informs practice/policy, future research
Editorial Framing issues, introducing topics Editor's/author's insights, no empirical data Narrative, persuasive Sets tone, highlights debates, provides thought leadership

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Formatting Requirements

The Journal of English and Applied Linguistics has no general formatting rules for initial manuscript submissions. There are, however, rules governing the typesetting and layout requirements during the copyediting stage leading to the final submission. You may check them in the next section on Final Manuscript Preparation.

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Final Manuscript Preparation

Copyediting Checklist

  1. Ensure that the following information is included in your copyedited manuscript in the sequence listed below:
    • Title
    • Author/s's information (name, affiliation, address of the institution, email address)
    • Abstract
    • Keywords
    • Main body text
    • References
    • Appendices
    • Author bionotes
    • Acknowledgements
    • Declaration of Conflict of Interest
    • Data Availability Statement
    • Declaration of Authors' Contributions
    • Ethics Statement
    • Originality and Similarity Statement
    • Declaration of AI Use
    • Publication History (e.g., Received, Revised, Accepted, Published)
  2. Please ensure that the final revised article is no more than 3,500 words for short articles and no more than 8,000 words for long articles. These limits include the title, author information, abstract, keywords, notes, and main body text, but exclude appendices and references.
  3. Remove all change-tracking markups and comments from the copyediting stage. In Microsoft Word, open the Review tab in the top ribbon and select:
    • Accept All Changes in the Tracking section
    • Delete All Comments in Document in the Comments section
  4. Ensure that in-text citations correspond accurately with your reference entries. We encourage the use of Reciteworks.com for in-text and reference checks. Authors must also manually verify all references to ensure accuracy and confirm that none are products of AI hallucinations.
  5. Submit your final copyedited manuscript, including tables, figures, and appendices, as a single Word file saved in single-column format.

Typesetting and Layout Requirements

Page Layout

  • Page size must be Letter-sized or 8.5 x 11 inches (21.59 cm x 27.94 cm).
  • All margins (left, right, top and bottom) must be 1.5 inches (3.81 cm). Pages with tables and figures are not exempted.
  • All pages must be in single column layout.
  • Do not include page numbers, headers, or footers. These will be added by the editors.
  • When possible, there must be no pages where more than a quarter of it is empty space.

Font

  • Body text — 12 pts. Times New Roman or the closest comparable font available
  • Headings and subheadings — 12 pts. Times New Roman or the closest comparable font available, regardless of hierarchy
  • Footnotes — 10 pts. Times New Roman or the closest comparable font available
  • If there is a need to reduce the font size due to layout issues involving tables and figures, avoid using fonts smaller than 6 pts.
  • If a second font is desired, for instance for headings, use a sans serif font (e.g., Arial or Computer Modern Sans Serif).
  • If there are special symbols, especially IPA annotations, Times New Roman is advised to avoid rendering issues.
  • If possible, all text fonts are in black and have no text highlights.
  • Titles of works (e.g., books, movies, music) must be set in italics.
  • Use italics when emphasizing. The use of color and or bold to emphasize text is discouraged.
  • Symbols, notations, and mathematical expressions in unusual fonts should be avoided. This will not only enhance the clarity of the manuscript, but it will also help ensure that it displays correctly. When proofing your document under PDF pay particular attention to the rendering of elements other than standard fonts.

Indentation, Spacing, and Alignment

  • All first paragraphs right below section (sub)headings must not be indented. Only succeeding paragraphs must be indented. An indent must be at least 2 em-spaces.
  • Body text (e.g., paragraphs) must be single-spaced.
  • There must be space above and below headings and subheadings.
  • Do not insert an extra space between paragraphs with the exception of long quotations, theorems, propositions, special remarks, etc. These must be set off from the surrounding text by additional space above and below.
  • Do not "widow" or "orphan" text (i.e., ending a page with the first line of a paragraph or beginning a page with the last line of a paragraph).
  • All text in the body and headings, including those in tables and figures must be justify-aligned.

Language and Grammar

  • All submissions must be in English. Except for common foreign words and phrases, the use of foreign words and phrases must be avoided.
  • Authors should use proper, standard English grammar. The Elements of Style (4th edition) by William Strunk, Jr. and E. B. White (1999) is the "standard" guide, but other excellent guides (e.g., The Chicago Manual of Style, University of Chicago Press) exist as well.
  • When involving foreign terms, transcriptions or transliterations in the Latin script should be set in italics and enclosed in "double quotation marks.". Do not italicize the original/indigenous form if the source language is traditionally written in a non-Latin script. See the example below:

    • In Korean, 중국 (Jungguk, lit. "middle country" 中國) means "China," while 미국 (Miguk, lit. "beautiful country" 美國 [South], "rice country" 米國 [North]) refers to "United States."

Footnotes

  • Footnotes must only appear on the page which they are mentioned in-text, not at the end of the paper.
  • Must be in 10 pts. Times News Roman or closest comparable font available, single-spaced, and below a footnote separator rule (line)
  • In-text reference numbers, letters, or symbols must be superscripted (e.g., 1 a * †).
  • Must be justify-aligned, unless this creates awkward spacing which may warrant left justification
  • Must always come after the punctuation (e.g., appearing at the end of a sentence)
  • Excessively long footnotes are advised to be moved to an appendix instead.

Tables and Figures

  • If figures are included, use high-resolution figures, preferably encoded as EPS. Image format such as JPG and PNG are also accepted.
  • To the extent possible, tables and figures (e.g., graphs, charts, diagrams) should appear in the body text near where they are mentioned in-text.
  • Large tables or figures must occupy their own page.
  • Text must be in 12 pts. Times New Roman or the closest comparable font available.
  • In no case should tables or figures be in a separate document or file. All tables and figures must fit within 1.5" margins on all sides (top, bottom, left and right) in both portrait and landscape view.
  • Since JEAL is fully online, take advantage of the ability to use color in the production of figures (e.g., graphs, charts, diagrams); however, you are strongly advised to observe utmost prudence in using color combinations and contrasts if considering the possibility that a reader prints the published paper.

    • Mathematics and Statistics

    • Latin and Greek letters used in mathematical expressions as variables should be italicized (e.g., a, χ, f, σ). Letters used as part of multi-letter function names should not be italicized.
    • Subscripts and superscripts must be a smaller font size than the body text.
    • Short mathematical expressions should be typed inline. Longer expressions and those using many different levels (e.g., fractions) must appear as display math. Important definitions or concepts can also be set off as display math.
    • Equations should be numbered sequentially. Whether equation numbers are on the right or left is the choice of the author(s) but must be consistent throughout the paper.

      • References

    • It is the author's obligation to provide complete references with the necessary information. Only works cited in-text are to be included in the end-text citations in a dedicated References section.
    • The References section should appear immediately after the end of the body text and, if applicable, before the appendices. It must be separated with a line break—not a page break—and thus is a continuation of the previous section (e.g., Conclusion) .
    • End-text citations must be justify-aligned. One or more citations may be left-aligned if spacing looks awkward.
    • All cited works in the manuscript and the list of references should follow the most current iteration of APA Style (7th edition).

    For examples, please check the APA Style website (https://apastyle.apa.org/) or our latest issue in its electronic version.

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    Withdrawal Policy

    Please note that the publication cost of your article is fully covered by De La Salle University as part of its commitment to serving the academic community. However, if authors choose to withdraw their article after the copyediting stage has begun, they will be required to reimburse the copyediting fee of USD 75–100, which is paid to JEAL’s outsourced copyeditor. This fee must be remitted to De La Salle University, Inc.

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    Rights for Authors

    1. Authors maintain copyright ownership of their work.
    2. Every article is released under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) License, allowing unrestricted use, sharing, and reproduction in any format, as long as proper credit is provided.
    3. Authors can freely distribute, archive, and reuse their published work, including in institutional repositories, personal websites, and educational materials.
    4. Authors are permitted to modify or expand upon their work for future publications, as long as JEAL is acknowledged as the original source.
    5. Authors are allowed to use their published work for both commercial and non-commercial purposes, in accordance with CC BY 4.0 terms

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    Responsibilities of Authors

    1. Authors must ensure that all submitted content is original, accurately cited, and free from plagiarism or fabricated references, including AI-generated inaccuracies.
    2. All authors conducting research involving human participants must obtain ethics clearance from an accredited ethics review board prior to commencing the study; where full ethics board approval was not secured, authors must still demonstrate that informed consent was obtained, that all necessary permissions were made, and that the study adhered to internationally recognized ethical standards.
    3. Authors are responsible for obtaining necessary permissions for any third-party material included in their manuscript.
    4. Authors must transparently disclose funding sources, conflicts of interest, ethical approvals, and contributions in the Declarations section.
    5. By submitting to JEAL, authors agree that their work will be published, distributed, and archived under the CC BY 4.0 license.

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    Copyright and CreativeCommons License

    For publications until Volume 4, No. 1: Authors assigned to De La Salle University Publishing House all copyright in the article, subject to the expansive personal-use exceptions described in the Copyright Agreement. Starting Volume 4, No. 2 onwards: Authors remain the perpetual owners of the copyrights to their works.

    CreativeCommons License

    CC BY 4.0

    All papers published by JEAL are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) License. This license allows use, sharing, adaptation, distribution, and reproduction in any medium or format, provided that appropriate credit is given to the original author(s) and to JEAL as the source.

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