Innovative Educational Research (INNER) is an international, peer-reviewed, open-access journal dedicated to publishing high-quality research that contributes to the advancement of innovative knowledge in education. The journal upholds rigorous ethical and scientific standards in accordance with the requirements of major indexing databases, ensuring both global visibility and academic credibility. By adhering to the following guidelines, authors support the journal's mission to advance educational scholarship worldwide.  

Types of Manuscripts Accepted by INNER

INNER accepts the following types of manuscripts:

Research Article: Comprehensive studies that present novel research findings.

Review Article: Critical evaluations of existing literature that provide a synthesis of current knowledge and identify gaps for future research.

Conceptual Paper: Articles that offer theoretical insights or propose innovative frameworks, contributing to the advancement of knowledge in the field.

Letter to the Editor: A concise form of scholarly communication in which readers can express well-reasoned scientific opinions on a recently published article. This is considered a form of post-publication peer review.

Research Note: Shorter and more focused submissions that introduce novel perspectives on existing research and foster scholarly debate (maximum length: 4,000 words). Research Notes typically do not require a comprehensive literature review and include a concise introduction, argument, analysis, and conclusion.

Book Review: Critical assessments of recently published books that inform scholars about their quality, purpose, and argument, as well as their relevance to the existing body of literature.   

Note: The total number of conceptual and review articles should not exceed 20% of the total published articles in any given volume.

Manuscript Review Process at INNER

The review process for manuscripts submitted to INNER follows these steps:

1. Initial Screening: The Editor reviews the manuscript to assess its alignment with INNER’s aims, subject matter, content, and writing style (maximum of 10 days). If the manuscript meets the journal's requirements, the Editor approves it and forwards it to the Field Editor. If it does not meet the criteria, it is returned to the authors for revision and resubmission.
2. Field Editor Review: The Field Editor evaluates the manuscript and decides either to send it for peer review or return it to the authors for revisions (maximum of 10 days).
3. Reviewer Selection: Reviewers are selected based on their expertise and experience in the relevant field. Each reviewer is given 20 days to complete the manuscript review.
4. Extension Requests and Reviewer Availability: If a reviewer is unable to complete the review within the allotted time, they may request an extension or notify the Editor of their inability to conduct the review due to reasons such as time constraints. This allows the Editor to reassign the manuscript to another reviewer without significant delays.
5. Reminder and Reviewer Reassignment: If a reviewer does not submit their review within the initial deadline, a reminder email is sent, granting an additional 10 days for completion. If the reviewer fails to submit the review within this extended period, the manuscript is withdrawn from them and reassigned to a new reviewer.
6. Conflicting Reviewer Decisions: If the two reviewers provide conflicting recommendations—one accepting the manuscript and the other rejecting it—the Field Editor examines the review reports, compares the reviewers’ critiques and perspectives, and assesses their justifications before deciding.
7. Third Reviewer Assignment: If the Field Editor is unable to reach a decision based on the existing review reports, the manuscript is assigned to a third reviewer for further evaluation.
8. Final Decision and Publication: A final decision on the manuscript is expected within 70 to 90 days. The authors are then informed of the outcome. Accepted papers are scheduled for publication in the next issue of INNER.  

General Submission Requirements

All manuscripts must be submitted through the journal's electronic submission system. There is no word or page limitation for the manuscripts. Authors must ensure the manuscript adheres to the following guidelines for successful processing.

Manuscript Preparation

Format

• Manuscripts must be written in clear, concise American English. Authors are responsible for the English proofreading of the papers.
• Submit files in Microsoft Word format (doc or .docx), single-spaced with 1-inch margins.
• Use a standard font (e.g., Georgia, size 11.
• The citations, references and presentation of the manuscript should be compatible with APA 7 guidelines.
• Authors are required to provide references and citations in plain text format rather than relying on automated software-generated formats to ensure consistency and accuracy in the final publication.

Structure

• Cover Page (separate file):
  • Title of the manuscript (concise and informative).
  • Author details (full names, affiliations, e-mail addresses, and ORCID iDs).
  • Corresponding author's address information.
  • List of declarations stated below.
• Abstract:
  • A summary of 150- 250 words, covering objectives, methodology, findings, and conclusions.
• Keywords:
  • Include 3–5 keywords relevant to the study.
• Main Text:
  • Organized into sections such as Literature Review (if applicable), Method, Findings, Result and Discussion, Conclusion, and Implications.
• Tables and Figures:
  • Submit high-resolution tables and figures, embedded in the text.
  • Provide descriptive titles and legends.
• References:
  • Use the APA 7th edition format.

Ethical Considerations

Originality and Plagiarism

• Submissions must be original works not under consideration elsewhere.
• All manuscripts are screened using plagiarism detection software (e.g., Turnitin). Any evidence of plagiarism will result in rejection.

Ethical Compliance

• Studies involving human or animal subjects must have appropriate ethical approvals.
• Include an ethics statement and institutional approval details.

AI Usage Disclosure

• Authors must disclose any use of AI tools (e.g., for data analysis, writing assistance, or figure generation) in a section titled "AI Usage and Assistance."
• The role of AI must not compromise authorship, integrity or intellectual contributions.

Peer Review Process

INNER employs a double-blind peer review process:

• Manuscripts are anonymized to ensure impartiality.
• Reviewers evaluate based on originality, methodological rigor, clarity, and relevance.
• Authors should anonymize their manuscripts by removing any identifying information.

Post-Acceptance

Proof

Authors will receive proof of review before publication. Only minor corrections are permitted at this stage.

Open Access

Accepted manuscripts are published under an open-access license, ensuring global accessibility.

Copyright

Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.

All articles published by Innovative Educational Research are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

Declarations

Conflict of Interest

Authors must disclose all potential conflicts of interest.

Funding

Include details of all funding sources, grant numbers, and sponsors.

Authorship and Contributions

All authors must meet the authorship criteria. Significant contributions (e.g., conceptual design, data collection, analysis) should be clearly acknowledged.

Ethics and Consent

• Confirm ethical approval for studies involving human or animal participants.
• Confirm informed consent for participation and publication.

Data Availability

Authors are encouraged to provide access to the data underlying their findings. Include a Data Availability Statement that:

• Indicates whether the data is publicly available or restricted.
• Provides repository links or DOIs where applicable.

Author Responsibilities for Manuscript Preparation

Innovative Educational Research (INNER) operates as an open-access, no-fee journal, ensuring no charges for article submission, review, printing, or access to published articles. As the journal has no external source of income, certain financial responsibilities related to manuscript preparation fall to the authors. Below are the guidelines regarding these obligations:

• Innovative Educational Research is indexed in reputable international databases, requiring manuscripts to meet high standards of English proficiency.
• The journal does not provide translation or language editing services. However, authors are encouraged to seek assistance from accredited language editing companies recommended by the journal to ensure their manuscripts meet the necessary language quality. To facilitate the process, the journal provides a list of accredited companies for translation, language editing, and formatting services. Authors are encouraged to utilize these services to ensure their manuscripts meet the standards required for publication.
• While the journal does not charge submission fees or article processing charges (APCs), authors are responsible for covering specific costs associated with preparing their manuscripts before submitting their manuscripts. These include:
  • Plagiarism Detection: Ensuring originality and ethical compliance.
  • Copyediting and Proofreading: Enhancing clarity, grammar, and style.
  • Layout and Galley Preparation: Formatting the manuscript to meet journal standards.
  • Reference and Attribution Checks: Verifying accuracy and adherence to citation guidelines.

The total cost may vary depending on factors such as manuscript length and the quality of the initial submission.

By adhering to these guidelines, authors contribute to the maintenance of the journal's high-quality standards and its commitment to providing free and open access to scholarly research. For further information or assistance, authors may contact the editorial office at editor (at) innovativedu.org .

Creative Commons License

A Creative Commons (CC) license allows copyrighted material to be freely accessed and used by others. If an author wishes to share their work with others—permitting modifications or amendments to its content—they may apply for a CC license.

All articles published by INNER are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND) license. This license permits the use of scientific work for non-commercial purposes, provided that proper attribution is given.

Open access facilitates interdisciplinary communication and promotes collaboration across various academic fields. Accordingly, INNER enhances access to its articles and ensures a more transparent peer-review process, thereby contributing to the fields of education and teacher training.

INNER's publication processes adhere to the guidelines established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the National Information Standards Organization (NISO), the Council of Science Editors (CSE), and the European Association of Science Editors (EASE).