GUIDELINES FOR
The Journal of Technology Studies

A refereed publication of

the international honor society for professions in technology

The Journal of Technology Studies (JOTS) is the flagship, peer-reviewed journal of Epsilon Pi Tau, an international honor society for technology professions. One printed volume per year is mailed to all active members of the society as well as to subscribing academic and general libraries around the globe. All issues (begining wih 1995 to the current year), both print and those published in electronic format, are available online at scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JOTS/index.html.

The journal is indexed in Current Index to Journals of Education, the International Bibliography of the Social Sciences, and by VOCED, the UNESCO/NCVER research database for technical and vocational education and training maintained by NCVER in Adelaide, Australia ( www.voced.edu.au ).

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 academe, government and the private sector are equally welcome.

An overview of the breadth of topics of potential interest to our readers can be gained from the 17 subclasses within the “Technology” category in the Library of Congress classification scheme (<lcweb.loc.gov.catdir/cpso/lcco/lcco_t. pdf>). 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 individuals’ contributions made in dis tinct 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, • anthropology, economics, history, philosophy, and sociology 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,or
• new and emerging technologies and technology’s role in shaping the future.

The immense diversity of technology, along with its applications and import, requires that authors communicate clearly, concisely, 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 focus has been extensively explored in prior issues of the Journal are of potential interest only if they (a) open up entirely new vistas on the topic, (b) provide significant new information or data that overturn or modify prior conceptions; or (c) 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 metanalyses 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: (a) insufficient awareness of prior research on this topic, (b) insufficient sample size, (c) improper survey design, (d) inappropriate survey administration, (e) high mortality, (f) inadequate statistical analysis, and/or (g) conclusions not supported by either the data or the research design employed. The JOTS is neutral in regards to qualitative, quantitative, or mixed method approaches to research but insists on research of high quality.

GUIDELINES FOR SUBMISSION

Articles must conform to the 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 required. E-mail submissions should be sent to the editor at jots@bgsu.edu .

Manuscripts should be no more that 25 double-spaced and unjustified pages, including references. Abstracts are required and should be no longer than 250 words. Also required is a list of keywords from your paper in your abstract. To do this, indent as you would if you were starting a new paragraph, type keywords: (italicized), and then list your keywords. Listing keywords will help researchers find your work in databases.

Typescript should be 12 point Times New Roman or a close approximation. Only manuscripts in English that conform to American usage will be accepted. Figures, tables, photographs, and artwork must be of good quality and conform to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, specifically complying with the rules of Style® for form, citation style, and copyright. The Journal of Technology Studies seeks to maintain the highest standards of academic integrity and asks all contributors to apply proper due diligence in manuscript preparation.

REVIEW PROCESS

Articles deemed worthy for consideration by the editor undergo anonymous peer review by members of the JOTS editorial board. Authors who submit an article that does not merit review by the editorial board are informed within approximately three weeks of receipt of the article so 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, spelling, and/ or APA format are summarily rejected. Authors of articles that have been peer-reviewed are informed within about two to three months from the date of submission. Anonymous comments of reviewers are provided to authors who 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. However, such feedback may be provided if the editor determines that the feedback might prove helpful to authors as they pursue other publishing opportunities.

PUBLICATION

Accepted articles are published in the on-line version of the journal ( http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JOTS/ ) as the manuscript exits the layout and proofing process. Currently, JOTS articles also appear in a print issue at the end of the calendar year. Authors co-retain rights to the published article along with Epsilon Pi Tau. When requested, the editor will supply information about an accepted article that has not yet appeared on-line or in print for faculty undergoing tenure review.