British Journal of Special Education

Author Guidelines

The Journal and submission of articles for publication:
The British Journal of Special Education (BJSE) is the quarterly journal of nasen. nasen draws its membership from the entire range of professionals who are responsible for educating and supporting children and adults with special educational needs. BJSE's Editor therefore welcomes contributions focusing on any aspect of policy, provision or practice that relates to the pre-school, school or post-school experiences of those with special educational needs, whatever the degree of learning difficulty or disability. BJSE also welcomes articles relating to inclusion, inclusive education and international practice in relation to inclusive education and / or the experiences of individuals with Special Educational Needs.

An article can only be considered for publication in BJSE on the understanding that it has not yet been published and that it is not being considered for publication elsewhere. Authors are expected to confirm the originality of their work when submitting articles for consideration and to ensure that all necessary permissions to publish have been obtained. Successful authors will be expected to sign a copyright assignment agreement and to provide brief biographical notes. All articles considered for publication in BJSE are subjected to peer review.

Articles based upon empirical research should contain a clear indication of the rationale for the research; the methods used; the findings; and the implications of the findings for future practice. Authors must ensure that their work has been carried out within an ethical framework such as that provided by the British Educational Research Association.

Presentation
Manuscripts should be submitted following the guidelines on ScholarOne Manuscripts.

All articles should be between 4000 and 6000 words including references. BJSE does not use footnotes or appendices. Materials such as tables, graphs, diagrams, flow charts and examples of pro formas, schedules or recording formats can be included in articles as Figures or Tables. Illustrative materials should be selected carefully to support points made in the text of an article. Articles should be lively and engaging, clearly argued and concisely written in plain English in order to be accessible to a diverse readership. When technical terms prove essential, the writer should provide brief explanations supported by contextual descriptions or examples. Prospective authors should avoid language that can be seen as discriminating against people on account of disability, race or gender.    

References
References should be selective and easily accessible. Sources should be indicated in the manuscript by giving the author's surname with the year of publication in brackets; BJSE does not use footnotes. Page numbers should be given for direct quotations. Full details for all references should be listed in alphabetical order of authors' names in a section at the end of the article. The following examples cover the kinds of references most frequently used in BJSE and can be used as a style guide: 

DfES (Department for Education and Skills) (2001) Special Educational Needs Code of Practice. London: DfES. 

Dyson, A (2001) 'Special needs in the twenty-first century: where we've been and where we're going', British Journal of Special Education, 28 (1), 24-29.

Goldbart, J. & Rigby, J. (1989) 'Establishing relationships with people with PMLDs.' Paper presented to the University of Manchester Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Regional Study Day, 10 April 1989.

Lewis, A. & Norwich, B. (2001) 'A critical review of systematic evidence concerning distinctive pedagogies for pupils with difficulties in learning', Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs, 1 (1) [online at http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/].

Mittler, P. (2001) 'Preparing for self-advocacy', in B. Carpenter, R. Ashdown & K. Bovair (eds) Enabling Access - effective teaching and learning for pupils with learning difficulties (second addition). London: David Fulton Publishers.

Tilstone, C., Florian, L. & Rose, R. (eds) (1998) Promoting Inclusive Practice. London: Routledge

Guidelines for Submission to the British Journal of Special Education
BJSE has adopted ScholarOne Manuscripts, for online manuscript submission and peer review. The new system brings with it a whole host of benefits including:

• Quick and easy submission
• Administration centralised and reduced

• Significant decrease in peer review times

From now on all submissions to the journal must be submitted online at http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/bjse. Full instructions and support are available on the site and a user ID and password can be obtained on the first visit. If you require assistance then click the Get Help Now link which appears at the top right of every ScholarOne Manuscripts page. If you cannot submit online, please contact Graham Hallett in the Editorial Office (Graham.Hallett2@cumbria.ac.uk).

Making Contact
Further guidance for authors can be provided on request. It is often an advantage for prospective contributors to discuss the length, content and emphasis of a proposed article with the Editor prior to submission. Queries should be addressed to:

Graham Hallett
Editor                   
Email: Graham.Hallett2@cumbria.ac.uk                                    

Fiona Hallett
Editor                   
Email: Hallettf@edgehill.ac.uk

Exclusive Licence Form
Authors will be required to sign an Exclusive Licence Form (ELF) for all papers accepted for publication. Signature of the ELF is a condition of publication and papers will not be passed to the publisher for production unless a signed form has been received. Please note that signature of the Exclusive Licence Form does not affect ownership of copyright in the material. (Government employees need to complete the Author Warranty sections, although copyright  in such cases does not need to  be assigned). After submission authors will retain the right to publish their paper in various medium/circumstances (please see the form for further details). To assist authors an appropriate form will be supplied by the editorial office. Alternatively, authors may like to download a copy of the standard form here.

OnlineOpen
OnlineOpen is available to authors of primary research articles who wish to make their article available to non-subscribers on publication, or whose funding agency requires grantees to archive the final version of their article. With OnlineOpen, the author, the author's funding agency, or the author's institution pays a fee to ensure that the article is made available to non-subscribers upon publication via Wiley Online Library, as well as deposited in the funding agency's preferred archive. For the full list of terms and conditions, see http://wileyonlinelibrary.com/onlineopen#OnlineOpen_Terms.

Any authors wishing to send their paper OnlineOpen will be required to complete the payment form available from our website at: https://authorservices.wiley.com/bauthor/onlineopen_order.asp. Prior to acceptance there is no requirement to inform an Editorial Office that you intend to publish your paper OnlineOpen if you do not wish to. All OnlineOpen articles are treated in the same way as any other article. They go through the journal's standard peer-review process and will be accepted or rejected based on their own merit.

Author Services
Author Services enables authors to track their article – once it has been accepted – through the production process to publication online and in print. Authors can check the status of their articles online and choose to receive automated e-mails at key stages of production. The author will receive an e-mail with a unique link that enables them to register and have their article automatically added to the system. Please ensure that a complete e-mail address is provided when submitting the manuscript. Visit http://authorservices.wiley.com for more details on online production tracking and for a wealth of resources including FAQs and tips on article preparation, submission and more.