Adult Education Quarterly
Adult Education | Continuing Education | Equality & Diversity in the Lifelong Learning Sector
The Adult Education Quarterly (AEQ) is an international, scholarly, refereed journal committed to advancing the understanding and practice of adult and continuing education. The journal strives to be inclusive in scope, addressing topics and issues of significance to scholars and practitioners concerned with diverse aspects of adult and continuing education across the globe. AEQ publishes research employing a variety of methods and approaches, including (but not limited to) survey research, experimental designs, case studies, ethnographic observations and interviews, grounded theory, phenomenology, historical investigations, and narrative inquiry as well as articles that address theoretical and philosophical issues pertinent to adult and continuing education. Innovative and provocative scholarship informed by diverse orientations is encouraged, including (but not limited to) positivism, post-positivism, constructivism, critical theory, feminism, race-based/Africentric, gay/lesbian, and poststructural/postmodern theories. AEQ aims to stimulate a problem-oriented, critical approach to research and practice, with an increasing emphasis on inter-disciplinary and international perspectives. The audience includes researchers, students, and adult and continuing education practitioners of many orientations including teachers, trainers, facilitators, resource persons, organizational developers, community organizers, and policy designers.
Features
In addressing a broad array of issues and practices in adult and continuing education, AEQ features the following orientations and types of articles:
- Inquiry orientations including (but not limited to): positivism, post-positivism, constructivism, critical theory, feminism, race-based/Africentric, gay/lesbian, and poststructural/postmodern theories
- Research reports including (but not limited to): survey research, experimental designs, case studies, ethnographic observations and interviews, grounded theory, phenomenology, historical investigations, and narrative inquiry
- Theoretical and philosophical analyses
- Critical integrative reviews of adult and continuing education literature
- Forum essays (position statements or reasoned critiques of articles previously published in AEQ)
- Essay reviews (commissioned by the editors)
- Book reviews (contact the book review editor)
- "To the Editor" comments and contributions
- Editorials
Audience
The audience includes researchers, students, and adult and continuing education practitioners of many orientations including teachers, trainers, facilitators, resource persons, organizational developers, community organizers, and policy designers.
The Adult Education Quarterly (AEQ) is an international, scholarly, refereed journal committed to advancing the understanding and practice of adult and continuing education. The journal strives to be inclusive in scope, addressing topics and issues of significance to scholars and practitioners concerned with diverse aspects of adult and continuing education across the globe. AEQ publishes research employing a variety of methods and approaches, including (but not limited to) survey research, experimental designs, case studies, ethnographic observations and interviews, grounded theory, phenomenology, historical investigations, and narrative inquiry as well as articles that address theoretical and philosophical issues pertinent to adult and continuing education. Innovative and provocative scholarship informed by diverse orientations is encouraged, including (but not limited to) positivism, post-positivism, constructivism, critical theory, feminism, race-based/Africentric, gay/lesbian, and poststructural/postmodern theories. AEQ aims to stimulate a problem-oriented, critical approach to research and practice, with an increasing emphasis on inter-disciplinary and international perspectives. The audience includes researchers, students, and adult and continuing education practitioners of many orientations including teachers, trainers, facilitators, resource persons, organizational developers, community organizers, and policy designers.
| Lisa R. Merriweather | University of North Carolina at Charlotte, USA |
| Edith Gnanadass | The University of Memphis, USA |
| Dianne Ramdeholl | SUNY Empire State College, USA |
| Ralf St. Clair | University of Victoria, Canada |
| Jacob Frankovich | University of North Carolina at Charlotte, USA |
| Dianne Ramdeholl | SUNY Empire State College, USA |
| Mary V. Alfred | Texas A&M University, USA |
| Geleana Drew Alston | North Carolina A&T State University, USA |
| Per Andersson | Linkoping University, Sweden |
| Lisa M. Baumgartner | Texas State University – San Marcos, USA |
| Hal Beder | Rutgers University, USA |
| Alisa A. Belzer | Rutgers University, USA |
| Jim Berger | Western Kentucky University, USA |
| Stephen Billett | Griffith University, Australia |
| Marcie Boucouvalas | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, USA |
| Ann Brooks | Texas State University-San Marcos, USA |
| Heather Brown | University of North Carolina-Charlotte, USA |
| Bo Chang | Ball State University, USA |
| Darlene Clover | University of Victoria, Canada |
| Maureen Coady | St. Francis Xavier University, Canada |
| Simone C. O. Conceição | University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, USA |
| Joellen E. Coryell | Texas State University - San Marcos, USA |
| Andrea D. Ellinger | University of Texas-Tyler |
| Andreas Fejes | Linkoping University, Sweden |
| Fergal Finnegan | National University of Ireland, Maynooth |
| António Fragoso | Universidade do Algarve, Portugal |
| Julie Gedro | Empire State College, USA |
| Elisabeth Gee | Arizona State University, USA |
| Tara Gibb | University College- Fraiser College, Canada |
| Michelle Glowacki-Dudka | Ball State University, USA |
| Patricia Gouthro | Mount Saint Vincent University, Canada |
| André P. Grace | University of Alberta, Canada |
| Wendy Green | Cleveland State University, Cleveland, Ohio |
| Daphne Greenberg | Georgia State University, USA |
| Anke Grotluschen | University of Hamburg, Germany |
| Lucy Madsen Guglielmino | Florida Atlantic University, USA |
| Ulrike Hanemann | Independent international literacy and education specialist, Germany |
| Lilian H. Hill | University of Southern Mississippi, USA |
| Chad Hoggan | North Carolina State University, USA |
| John D. Holst | The Pennsylvania State University, USA |
| Tatiana Iñiguez Berrozpe | University of Zaragoza, Spain |
| E. Paulette Isaac-Savage | University of Missouri-St. Louis, USA |
| Carrie Johnson | National-Louis University, USA |
| Kaela Jubas | University of Calgary, Canada |
| Bernd Kaepplinger | Institute for Education Science, Germany |
| Haijun Kang | Kansas State University, USA |
| Elizabeth Kasl | Independent Scholar, USA |
| Carol E. Kasworm | North Carolina State University, USA |
| Junghwan Kim | Texas A&M University, USA |
| Suehye Kim | UNESCO, Korea |
| Clarena Larrotta | Texas State University-San Marcos, USA |
| Ming-yeh Lee | San Francisco State University, USA |
| Rebecca N. Lekoko | University of Botswana, Botswana |
| Xi Lin | East Carolina University, USA |
| Larry G. Martin | University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, USA |
| Marilyn McKinley Parrish | Millersville University, USA |
| Olutoyin Mejiuni | Obafemi Awolowo University |
| Sharan B. Merriam | University of Georgia, USA |
| Lisa R. Merriweather | University of North Carolina at Charlotte, USA |
| Jonathan Messemer | Cleveland State University, USA |
| Elana Michelson | Empire State College (SUNY), USA |
| Aliki Nicolaides | University of Georgia, USA |
| Daphne W. Ntiri | Wayne State University, USA |
| Margaret Patterson | Research Allies, Austria |
| Esther S. Prins | Penn State University, USA |
| John R. Rachal | University of Southern Mississippi, USA |
| Robin Redmon Wright | Penn State Harrisburg, USA |
| Tonette S. Rocco | Florida International University, USA |
| Elice C. Rogers | Cleveland State University, USA |
| Amy D. Rose | Northern Illinois University, USA |
| Jovita M Ross-Gordon | Texas State University - San Marcos, USA |
| Jennifer A. Sandlin | Arizona State University, USA |
| Steven Schmidt | East Carolina University, USA |
| Vanessa Sheared | Dean, College of Education, Sacramento State University, USA |
| M. Cecil Smith | West Virginia University, USA |
| Ralf St. Clair | University of Victoria, Canada |
| Ann L. Swartz | Penn State Harrisburg, USA |
| Edward W. Taylor | Penn State Harrisburg, USA |
| Kathleen Taylor | St. Mary's College of California |
| Mark Tennant | University of Technology, Sydney, Australia |
| Lyn Tett | University of Huddersfield, UK |
| Patricia M. Thompson | Penn State Harrisburg, USA |
| Elizabeth Tighe | Georgia State University, USA |
| Elizabeth J. Tisdell | Penn State Harrisburg, USA |
| Maria Alicia Vetter | Northern Illinois University, USA |
| Jude Walker | University of British Columbia, Canada |
| Pierre Walter | University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada |
| Shirley Walters | University of Western Cape, South Africa |
| Michael Wilkerson | University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, USA |
| Gongli Xu | Social Development, Canada |
| Baiyin Yang | Tsinghua University, China |
| Susan M. Yelich Biniecki | Kansas State University, USA |
| Jill Zarestky | Colorado State University, USA |
EDITORIAL POLICY
AEQ Mission Statement
The Adult Education Quarterly (AEQ) is a scholarly, refereed journal committed to advancing the understanding and practice of adult and continuing education. The journal strives to be inclusive in scope, addressing topics and issues of significance to scholars and practitioners concerned with diverse aspects of adult and continuing education. AEQ publishes research employing a variety of methods and approaches, including (but not limited to) survey research, experimental designs, case studies, ethnographic observations and interviews, grounded theory, phenomenology, historical investigations, and narrative inquiry as well as articles that address theoretical and philosophical issues pertinent to adult and continuing education. Innovative and provocative scholarship informed by diverse orientations is encouraged, including (but not limited to) positivism, post-positivism, constructivism, critical theory, feminism, race-based/Africentric, gay/lesbian, and poststructural/postmodern theories. AEQ aims to stimulate a problem-oriented, critical approach to research and practice, with an increasing emphasis on inter-disciplinary and international perspectives. The audience includes researchers, students, and adult and continuing education practitioners of many orientations including teachers, trainers, facilitators, resource persons, organizational developers, community organizers, and policy designers.
General Information
Email: aeqjournal@uncc.edu
Organizational Sponsorship:
American Association for Adult and Continuing Education (AAACE) Commission of Professors of Adult Education (CPAE) 1011 Martin Luther King Jr. Highway, Suite 200C Bowie, MD 20720 USA Phone: +1 301.459.6261 Fax: +1 301.459.6641
Scope:
AEQ is a anonymize-review scholarly journal committed to the dissemination of research and theory that advances the understanding and practice of adult and continuing education.
Types of Articles Published:
- Research approaches including (but not limited to): survey research, experimental designs, case studies, ethnographic observations and interviews, grounded theory, phenomenology, historical investigations, and narrative inquiry.
- Inquiry orientations including (but not limited to): positivism, postpositivism, constructivism, critical theory, feminism, race-based/Africentric, gay/lesbian, and poststructural/postmodern theories
- Theory building and philosophical analysis
- Critical integrative reviews of adult and continuing education literature
- Forum includes shorter position papers related to the field or reasoned critiques of articles previously printed in AEQ
- Essay reviews commissioned by the editors
- Book reviews (contact the book review editor; see the book review section)
- "To the Editor" comments and contributions
Editorial Style:
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (seventh edition).
Publisher:
SAGE Publishing https://journals.sagepub.com/home/aeq
General Guidelines for Contributors
The Adult Education Quarterly is committed to the dissemination of knowledge produced by disciplined inquiry in the field of adult and continuing education. Three criteria are used in the review and selection process. First, articles must significantly advance knowledge and practice. Second, all material must be accurate and technically correct. Finally, articles must be well crafted and well written. To facilitate the preparation and submission of manuscripts, we offer the following information, guidelines, and procedures.
Preparation for Submission
Prospective authors might consider the following strategies in preparing manuscripts for AEQ:
- Study this page and its sections on guidelines to ensure that your manuscript falls within the scope of the journal and meets the stylistic requirements.
- Consider the “Review Criteria” section in developing and crafting your manuscript.
- Study back issues of AEQ focusing especially on articles of purpose and form similar to your manuscript.
- Ask at least two colleagues who are insightful and constructive in their appraisals to critically review the manuscript before submitting it to AEQ.
- For additional editing, translation, or formatting help, please visit: http://languageservices.sagepub.com/en/
Technical and Stylistic Requirements
For the editorial process to begin, all submissions must meet the following requirements:
Typed copy:
Submit typed, double-spaced copy with numbered pages, using one inch margins on all sides. Please submit all typed manuscript documents in Microsoft Word format (.doc or .docx).
Article Length:
Articles generally should not exceed 7500 words, including charts, tables, references, and endnotes.
Title Page:
On the title page, indicate the following: title of paper; full name(s) of author(s), author titles and institutional affiliations, postal addresses, phone numbers, fax numbers, and email addresses; brief acknowledgement of the contribution of colleagues or students, if warranted; statement of place and date of previous oral presentation, if any; and date of submission. Please indicate the corresponding author.
Abstract:
In 150 words or less, summarize the purpose, approach, and conclusions of the paper in an abstract immediately following the title page. Include only the title of the paper on this and subsequent pages.
Text:
Repeat a shortened version of the title of the manuscript (a running head) on the top of each page of the text. The name of the author(s) must not appear on any page, other than through standard reference usage.
Stylistic Requirements:
Manuscripts submitted to AEQ must be grammatically correct and stylistically consistent. AEQ uses the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, sixth edition. Consult this publication for rules governing references and citations as well as other elements of grammar and style.
Authors may only submit manuscripts that are original work and have not been accepted for publication by another periodical. Articles (including tables, figures, photographs, and other illustrative material) may not infringe on the copyright or statutory rights of others or contain libelous statements. Please note, editorial board members, staff, and officers of AAACE are indemnified against costs, expenses, and damages arising from any breach of the foregoing in regard to the manuscript.
Manuscripts submitted to AEQ should not be under consideration for publication by any other journals, nor should they have been published previously in any form. A paper may, however, have been presented at a meeting or conference. In such cases, the author should state where and when such a paper was presented. After acceptance, a paper may not be published elsewhere without written permission from AAACE.
Letter of Transmittal:
Attach a letter addressed to the editors indicating the title of the manuscript, date of submission, and all authors with their institutional affiliations.
Self-citation
Double-anonymize peer review is important to Adult Education Quarterly. We take great measure in ensuring a fair review process.
If possible, remove any reference to works by the authors of the manuscript. Otherwise, refer to your own work by removing your name(s) and replace with the appropriate formula below, where AUTHOR 2 is the second author of the manuscript and [date] is the publication date of the reference.
For a single authored source:
AUTHOR 1. ([date]) (publication details withheld for anonymity)
AUTHOR 2. ([date]) (publication details withheld for anonymity)
For a source with two authors:
AUTHOR 3 & ANOTHER. ([date]) (publication details withheld for anonymity)
For a source with three or more authors:
AUTHOR 1 & OTHERS. ([date]) (publication details withheld for anonymity)
These references should be listed alphabetically in the reference list under “AUTHOR”—not where authors' own name(s) would fall.
In-text citations should correspond to the reference list.
Submission Process
When a manuscript is ready for submission, upload one copy to SAGETrack at the website http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/aeq
Editorial Procedure
AEQ editorial staff initially reviews all manuscript submissions for compliance with AEQ editorial policy. If the manuscript fails to fall within the scope and stylistic guidelines of the journal, it is returned to the authors. If a manuscript is in accord with the scope of the journal and meets submission guidelines, all references to the author name and institution are removed from the manuscript, and it is submitted for anonymize reviews to three AEQ consulting editors. Each consulting editor is a professional scholar judged competent to appraise such manuscripts. In compliance with advice of consulting editors, the editors make one of four decisions: accept; conditional accept, contingent upon major revisions; revise and resubmit; or reject. In the case of conditional acceptance, the editors will specify necessary revisions in writing to the author. When revisions are completed and the editors accept a manuscript, the editors will then notify and inform the author(s) about the next steps in the publication process.
Review Criteria
In seeking to advance the understanding and practice of adult and continuing education, the journal strives to be inclusive in scope and aims to stimulate a problem-oriented, critical approach to research and practice, with an increasing emphasis on inter-disciplinary and international perspectives. The following are used to review scholarly papers submitted to AEQ:
Importance of the Problem:
A problem or subject addressed by a manuscript should contribute to knowledge or theory pertinent to adult and continuing education. Importance is enhanced when a paper promotes understanding or improvement of practice.
Background:
Through the abstract and a brief introduction, readers should be provided with sufficient background information/literature to understand the problem being addressed.
Problem/Purpose:
The purpose of the paper should be clearly and unambiguously stated. This typically requires a clearly described research problem.
Literature Review:
Research and scholarship should be linked to relevant empirical and theoretical literature. The applicability of the research and the quality of the discussion are more important than the length of the literature review.
Methodology:
The approach and procedures must be appropriate for addressing the stated research problem(s) and purpose(s).
Findings:
Findings must be presented and documented to show clear relationships to the purpose(s) and research question(s). Evidence needed to support conclusions must be clearly identified and amply arrayed, including (but not limited to) the presentation of statistics, charts, and graphs; use of quotations; observational data; references; and citations.
Conclusions:
Conclusions and logical inferences should be pertinent, clearly drawn, and convincingly supported by evidence.
Readability:
All manuscripts must be well-organized, well-written, and readable.
Book Reviews
The book review editor(s) solicit, edit, and manage the book review process. Suggestions for books to be reviewed or nominations to review books should be submitted to:
Dianne Ramdeholl
School for Graduate Studies
SUNY Empire State College
177 Livingston Street - 6th floor
Brooklyn, NY 11201
Read the AEQ Book Review Policy here.
SAGE Choice and Open Access
If you or your funder wish your article to be freely available online to nonsubscribers immediately upon publication (gold open access), you can opt for it to be included in SAGE Choice, subject to payment of a publication fee. The manuscript submission and peer review procedure is unchanged. On acceptance of your article, you will be asked to let SAGE know directly if you are choosing SAGE Choice. To check journal eligibility and the publication fee, please visit SAGE Choice. For more information on open access options and compliance at SAGE, including self author archiving deposits (green open access) visit SAGE Publishing Policies on our Journal Author Gateway.
For more information, please refer to the SAGE Manuscript Submission Guidelines.