Sustainable and Pedagogical Technologies

Author Guidelines

The Sustainable and Pedagogical Technologies (SPT) journal is an international, peer-reviewed, open-access publication dedicated to advancing research on sustainable teaching practices, pedagogical innovation, and technology-enhanced learning. The following guide outlines the requirements for manuscript preparation, ethical compliance, and the submission process.

1. Types of Manuscripts

SPT welcomes high-quality scholarly contributions in the following formats:

  • Original Research Articles: Empirical studies with clear methodological rigor and a strong theoretical foundation.
  • Theoretical / Conceptual Papers: Critical analyses, innovative conceptual models, or theoretical discussions related to sustainable pedagogy and educational technologies.
  • Systematic Reviews / Meta-Analyses: Comprehensive and methodologically robust syntheses of existing literature.
  • Practice-Based Case Studies: Evidence-informed descriptions of real-world educational practices, interventions, or challenges.

2. Manuscript Preparation

SPT employs a flexible initial submission format to simplify the process for authors. At the first stage, strict formatting is not required; however, clarity, coherence, and completeness are essential.

General Formatting

  • Manuscripts must be written in clear and academically appropriate English.
  • Files should be submitted in Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) format.
  • Use Times New Roman, 12-pt, single spacing, and 2.5 cm (1 inch) margins.
  • Citations and references must follow APA 7th Edition.
  • References should be inserted as plain text (not auto-generated fields).

Recommended Manuscript Structure

Title Page (submitted separately)

Must include:

  • Manuscript title
  • Author names and institutional affiliations
  • ORCID IDs
  • Email addresses (including designated corresponding author)
  • Acknowledgments (funding, contributions, ethical statements)
  • A declaration of originality and confirmation that the manuscript is not under consideration elsewhere
  • A brief statement explaining the manuscript’s relevance to SPT’s scope

Abstract (200–250 words)

Structured abstract containing:

  • Purpose
  • Method
  • Results
  • Implications
    Provide 4–6 keywords.

Main Text Sections

  • Introduction: Research problem, objectives, theoretical grounding, and relevance.
  • Method: Participants, instruments, procedures, data analysis, and ethical approvals.
  • Results: Clear presentation of findings supported by tables, figures, or quotations.
  • Discussion: Interpretation of results, links to prior literature, implications, strengths, and limitations.
  • Conclusion: Main insights and contributions to sustainable pedagogy or educational technologies.

References

  • Must fully comply with APA 7th Edition.

Figures and Tables

  • Images should be high-quality (TIFF, PNG, or JPEG).
  • Tables must be editable and embedded in the manuscript.

Supplementary Material

  • Appendices, survey instruments, or additional datasets may be submitted as separate files.

3. Required Declarations

All manuscripts must include the statements below, placed before the references:

  • Funding Statement: e.g., “No funding was received for this research.”
  • Conflict of Interest: e.g., “The authors declare no conflict of interest.”
  • Ethical Approval: Required for research involving human participants and must include a brief informed-consent statement.
  • AI Use Declaration: Example:
    “This manuscript involved the use of AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, language-editing tools) for linguistic refinement. All conceptual, methodological, and analytical content is the sole responsibility of the authors.”
  • Authorship Contributions: Specify the roles of each author (conceptualization, analysis, writing, etc.)
  • Data Availability Statement: Indicate whether data are publicly accessible, restricted, or available upon request. Include repository links or DOIs where possible.

4. Submission Process

Manuscripts must be submitted via the journal’s online submission system (system URL will be provided on the SPT website).

Required files:

  • Title page (separate file)
  • Main manuscript (anonymized for review)
  • Supplementary files (if applicable)

5. Peer Review Process

  • All submissions undergo an initial editorial review for scope, relevance, and quality.
  • Eligible manuscripts proceed to a double-blind peer review by at least two experts.
  • Authors must ensure all identifying information is removed from the main manuscript.

Editorial decisions may include:

  • Accept
  • Minor Revisions
  • Major Revisions
  • Reject

A detailed response letter is required when submitting a revised version.

6. Publication Ethics

SPT follows internationally recognized ethical principles, including guidelines provided by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Authors must:

  • Submit original work and properly acknowledge all sources.
  • Disclose funding, conflicts of interest, and AI usage.
  • Ensure ethical compliance for studies involving human subjects.
  • Avoid plagiarism, duplicate submission, data fabrication, or any form of research misconduct.

Violations may result in rejection, retraction, or notification of the authors’ institutions.

7. Open Access and Copyright

SPT publishes all articles under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license.

  • Authors retain full copyright.
  • Readers may freely access, share, and reuse content with appropriate attribution.
  • No article processing charges (APCs) apply.

8. Publication Fees

SPT charges no fees at any stage:

  • No submission fee
  • No review fee
  • No article processing charge

The journal is committed to maintaining open-access publishing without financial barriers for authors or readers.

9. Contact Information

For questions or further assistance, please contact:

mustafaguler@trabzon.edu.tr