JOTS v32n2 - Guidelines for the Journal of Technology Studies

GUIDELINES FOR AUTHORS

The Journal of Technology Studies (JOTS) is the flagship, peer-reviewed journal of Epsilon Pi Tau, an international honor society for technology professions. Two print issues per year are mailed to all members of the society as well as to academic and general libraries around the globe. These printed issues, plus additional issues available only in electronic format as well as past issues, are available free on-line at scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/jots .

Subject Focus

The JOTS welcomes original manuscripts from scholars worldwide focused on the depth and breadth of technology as practiced and understood past, present, and future. Epsilon Pi Tau, as perhaps the most comprehensive honor society among technology professions, seeks to provide up-to-date and insightful information to its increasingly diverse membership as well as the broader public. Authors need not be members of the society in order to submit manuscripts for consideration. Contributions from both academics and practitioners are equally welcome.

A general guide to the breadth of topics of potential interest to our readers can be gained by consideration of the 17 subclasses within "Technology" of the classification scheme of the Library of Congress, USA < lcweb.loc.gov.catdir/cpso/lcco/lcco_t.pdf >. This includes engineering and allied disciplines, informatics in its many manifestations, industrial technology, and education in and about technology. Authors are strongly urged to peruse this list as they consider developing articles for journal consideration. In addition, JOTS is interested in manuscripts that provide:

• brief biographical portraits of leaders in technology that highlight the difference these individuals made in distinct fields of technology or its wider appreciation within society,
• thoughtful reflections about technology practice,
• insights about personal transitions in technology from formal education to the work environment or vice versa,
• history, philosophy, sociology, economics, and anthropology of technology,
• technology within society and its relationship to other disciplines,
• technology policy at local, national, and international levels,
• comparative studies of technology development, implementation, and/or education,
• industrial research and development,
• new and emerging technologies and technology's role in shaping the future.

Within this immense diversity of technology, its applications and import, authors must communicate clearly, concisely, informatively, and only semi-technically to readers from a diverse set of backgrounds. Authors may assume some technical background on the part of the reader but not in-depth knowledge of the particular technology that is the focus of the article. Highly technical articles on any field of technology are not within the purview of the journal. Articles whose subject focus has been extensively explored in prior issues of the journal are only of potential interest if they: 1) open up entirely new vistas on the topic, 2) provide significant new information or data that overturns or modifies prior conceptions, or 3) engage substantially one or more previously published articles in a debate that is likely to interest and inform readers. Syntheses of developments within a given field of technology are welcome as are meta-analyses of research regarding a particular technology, its applications, or the process of technical education and /or skill acquisition. Research studies should employ methodological procedures appropriate to the problem being addressed and must evince suitable design, execution, analysis, and conclusions. Surveys, for example, that exhibit any or all of the following characteristics are of no interest to the journal: 1) insufficient awareness of prior research on this topic, 2) insufficient sample size, 3) improper survey design, 4) inappropriate survey administration, 5) high mortality, 6) inadequate statistical analysis, and/or 7) conclusions not supported by either the data or the research design employed. The journal is neutral in regards to qualitative, quantitative, or mixed method approaches to research but insists on research quality.

Guidelines for Submission

Articles must conform to the most current edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association . All articles must be original, represent work of the named authors, not be under consideration elsewhere, and not be published elsewhere in English or any other language. Electronic submissions in either rich-text format or Microsoft Word formats are encouraged, although submission of three printed copies and a diskette containing the article are also permissible. E-mail submissions should be sent to the editor, Dr. Dennis Cheek, at jots@bgnet.bgsu.edu . Paper submissions should be mailed to:

Editor, Journal of Technology Studies

Epsilon Pi Tau, Technology Building

Bowling Green State University

Bowling Green, Ohio 43403-0305

Manuscripts should be no more that 25 pages, double spaced, including references. Typescript should be Times New Roman or a close approximation of font and 12 point. Only manuscripts in the English language will be accepted and they should conform to American usage. Figures, tables, photographs, and artwork must be of good quality and conform to APA form and style.

Review Process

Articles deemed worthy by the editor for consideration by authors who submit an article that does not merit review by the editorial board are informed within approximately two weeks of receipt of the article so that they may explore other publishing venues. A rejection may be based solely on the content focus of the article and not its intrinsic merit, particularly where the topic has been extensively explored in prior JOTS articles. Articles that exhibit extensive problems in expression, grammar, and spelling are summarily rejected. Authors of articles that have been peer-reviewed are informed within about three months from the date of submission of the article. Anonymous comments of reviewers are provided to authors that are invited to submit a revised article for either publication or a second round of review. The editor does not automatically provide reviewer comments to authors whose articles have been rejected via the peer review process but makes a judgment based on whether the feedback might prove beneficial to the authors as they pursue other publishing opportunities.

Publication

Authors whose articles have been accepted, will have their final products published in the online version of the journal. Selected articles from the on-line edition of the journal may also appear in two print issues that are issued per calendar year. All authors will receive a pdf version of their published article and co-retain rights to that article along with Epsilon Pi Tau. The editor will supply when requested information about an accepted article that has not yet appeared in print for faculty undergoing tenure review.