Authors Guidelines and Writing Rules
Turkish Journal of Special Education Research and Practice (TRSPED) is
an international peer-reviewed journal published bi-annually
in August and December. TRSPED addresses issues concerning with the
development, education and rehabilitation of infants, toddlers, children,
youths, and adults with exceptionalities (e.g. autism, culturally and
linguistically diverse, emotional and behavioral disorders, hearing impairments,
hyperactivity and attention deficiency, intellectual disabilities, language and
speech disorders, learning disabilities/difficulties, multiple and severe
disabilities, physical disabilities, and visual impairment), and giftedness and
talent (i.e., gifted and talented individuals). TRSPED accepts
manuscripts written in Turkish and English.
Type of Manuscripts:
TRSPED publishes empirical research, systematic reviews,
meta-analysis, position papers, literature reviews, research-to-practice
papers, policy analysis and book/software review focused on special
education. The aim of the journal is to present up-to-date-information
about special education to scholars, clinicians, educators, families,
caregivers, administrators, and policy makers.
1. Empirical research studies published
in TRSPED are those that include students with disabilities or who are at
risk, their teachers, caregivers, siblings, or other service providers. Studies
using group experimental, single-subject experimental, descriptive,
correlational, observational, casual-comparative, survey designs as well as case
studies, action research, and qualitative designs are
welcome. Empirical research studies must have clear and important
implications for special education research and practice. Primary
criteria to evaluate empirical research studies include importance of the
topic for the field of special education, design quality, quality of
implementation and description, and discussion of the findings with respect to
future research and implication for practice or policy. Manuscript length
should be maximum 30 typewritten, double-spaced pages,
including tables, figures, and references.
2. Systematic
reviews and meta-analyses are focused syntheses that
are important to improve and have clear implication for special education
practices. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses should be up-to-date,
comprehensive, and critical. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses should
describe the procedure used to select the reviewed literature, evaluate the
methodological adequacy and quality of the reviewed literature, discuss the
major findings, and present implications for theory, research, policy or
practice. Primary criteria to evaluate systematic reviews and meta-analyses
include comprehensiveness of the review, methodological quality and adequacy,
writing quality, depth and breadth, and value to the field of special
education. Meta-analyses must report effect size estimates. Manuscript
length should be maximum 50 typewritten, double-spaced pages,
including tables, figures, and references.
3. Position
papers are the papers that identify and examine the important
theoretical and practical issues in special education. Position papers define,
explain, compare, analyze, and conclude the specific positions such as an
approach, model, system, and/or program based on the existing literature.
Position papers should take into consideration both the impacts and limitations
of the position. Manuscript length should be maximum 15 typewritten,
double-spaced pages, including tables, figures, and references.
4. Research
to practice papers are those that translate empirical
research findings into actionable guidance for caregivers, special education
teachers, or other service providers. Research to practice papers should be
grounded in appropriate research base and an explicit connection to
evidence-based practices in special education should be made. These manuscripts
may include case scenarios and examples to illustrate how the practice
described can be implemented across different settings with one or more
individuals with special educational needs. Manuscript length should
be maximum 20 typewritten, double-spaced pages, including tables,
figures, and references.
5. Policy
analyses are papers that provide research results and critical
discussions related to legislations and policies on special education. Policy
analyses should include the issues that impact the special education practices
and the individuals with special needs. Manuscript length should
be maximum 15 typewritten, double-spaced pages, including tables,
figures, and references.
6. Book
or software reviews are papers that introduce and evaluate
books or software related to the field of special education. Book or software
reviews should describe the purpose, content, functioning, and usage of the
introduced book or software. Reviews must address and examine the book or
software with a critical approach. Manuscript length should
be maximum 5 typewritten, double-spaced pages, including tables,
figures, and references.
Manuscript Preparation and Writing Rules:
The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association -
7th edition (APA; 2020) should be followed when preparing all manuscripts.
Authors should follow the general guidelines listed below:
1. A
separate title page must be prepared for all manuscripts and include the
following elements: (a) title of the manuscript (12 words or less), (b) type of
the manuscript (as described above) (c) first, middle, and last name of each
author with the higher academic degree obtained noted, (d) names of the
intuitions in which each author is affiliated along with full addresses and
e-mails for all authors, and (e) any acknowledgments, financial disclosure
information, author notes, or other text that could identify the authors to
reviewers.
2. All
manuscripts should accompany a structured abstract of 130-150 words (depending on the manuscript type) and 3-5
keywords. The abstract should be placed on a new page after the Title page.
3. Title
of the manuscript should include 12 words or less. The title should also appear
on the first page of the manuscript (the next page following the Abstract page)
above the first paragraph, centered and bold. All title and headings must be
bold.
4. Length
of manuscripts should not exceed the page-limit specified for each manuscript
type above. Page limits include tables, figures, and references
5. All
manuscript pages should be numbered in sequence, starting with the Abstract
page.
6. When
typing the manuscripts, an 8½ × 11 in. paper with 1-in. margins, double
spacing, left alignment of the text, and Times New Roman 12-pt. type should be
used. This formatting should be used in the Title page, Abstract, Tables, and
Figures.
7. Tables
and Figures should be formatted by APA style and placed at the ends of the
paper following the References. Approximate places of the tables and figures
should be noted within the manuscript using <TABLE X ABOUT HERE>
notation. Each table or figure should be placed on a new page. Tables should be
double-spaced and be created using Word’s table functions. All tables and
figures must be cited in text.
8. Figures
should be black and white only. In rare cases, color figures will be accepted
when the black and white version of the figure is not readable. Pictures may be
accepted on Research to practice papers.
9. Authors
must obtain written permission for figures, tables, photos, other artwork, and
extensive quotes taken directly from other sources.
10.Tab key and centering functions should be used
for head alignment and paragraph indents, instead of the space bar.
11.Manuscripts reporting studies that involve human
subjects must specify that ethical approval was obtained from an Institutional
Review Board. Obtaining permission from an educational agency or other public
entities is not sufficient alone.
12.All manuscripts written in Turkish (except Book
or Software reviews) should accompany an extended English summary of 1000-1200
words. English summary should be placed following the Reference list of the
Turkish manuscript. English summary for manuscripts reporting empirical research
studies, systematic reviews, meta analyses, or literature reviews should
include the following sections (as appropriate): Introduction (150-200 words including research
questions), Method (300-350 words), Results (300-350 words), and Discussion
(250-300 words with implications for future research and practice). English
summaries for the position papers, research to practice papers, and policy
analysis papers should include a separate summary of all major sections of the
Turkish manuscripts. Book or software reviews written in Turkish should include
an English summary of 250 words.
13.Biased language should be avoided in any part of
the manuscript and authors must employ “people first language” when referring
to or describing individuals with disabilities (e.g., students with
disabilities, child with autism).
14.Authors should use an active voice and passive
voice should be avoided (e.g., “Three teachers implemented the intervention”
versus “Intervention was implemented by three teachers”).
15.Each section of the manuscript should only
include information suitable for a given section. For example, authors should
not interpret their findings in the Results section, should not present new
data in the Discussion section, or should not repeat the same information
presented in Results when discussing the findings in the Discussion section.
16.Effect size estimates should be provided in
studies using quantitative research designs including those employed
single-subject experimental research designs.
17.Within text citations and the Reference list
should be formatted using the APA guidelines (2010). Digital object
identifiers (DOIs) must be included in the reference list. All references cited
within the manuscript should be listed in the Reference list and vice versa.
Authors should cite relevant studies/work from Turkish and/or English
literature as appropriate and studies cited within the manuscript should
reflect the most current work (published within the last 10 years).
18.The Cover Letter must state that the purpose of
the manuscript and its expected contribution to the field of special education
and that the manuscripts has not been previously published, is not under review
elsewhere, and will not be submitted for review elsewhere while it is being
reviewed in TRSPED. Authors must also specify that approval from the
appropriate Institutional Review Boards is obtained. The Cover Letter should be
dated and singed by the corresponding author and include contact information
for the corresponding author (full name, institution, address,
phone number, e-mail address).
Manuscript Submission:
All manuscripts should be submitted electronically: https://dergipark.org.tr/trsped.
To submit a manuscript, Log in to the DergiPark system at https://dergipark.org.tr/trsped by
clicking the blue “Login” or green “Submit a Manuscript” buttons and follow the
instruction once you logged in. If you are a new user, please register to the
DergiPark system at https://dergipark.org.tr/register/ (if
you are a first-time user). Once you register, and log in to the system as
described above. Please have all necessary sections (Title page, abstract,
keywords, and main manuscript file with no identifying information, copyright
agreement, and cover letter) before starting to the submission process.
Manuscript Review Process:
Acknowledgement e-mail will be sent to the author(s) within two
days of the submission. A Co-editor will be assigned to each manuscript to
conduct preliminary examination of the manuscript for content and format (aim
and scope, importance, originality, characteristics of subjects, research
design, length, written language, and APA style etc.). Manuscripts that do
not meet the journal guidelines for content or format will be returned to the
author within a week of original submission. Manuscripts passing the
preliminary screening will be forwarded to an Associate Editor who will oversee
the review process. Associate Editors will assign each manuscript to three
reviewers who are experts in special education. The “double-blind” review
process will take 6 to 8 weeks. Upon receiving all reviews, Associate Editors
will make recommendation about the manuscript to the
Co-Editors. After reading and evaluating the manuscript and the reviews,
the Co-editors will e-mail the corresponding author a written editorial
decision and the reviews. The decision will be one of the following: (a)
Accept, (b) Accept with Revisions, (c) Reject, Revise, Resubmit, and (d)
Reject. TRSPED aims to inform authors about the editorial decision within 12
weeks of their submission.
Copyright:
When submitting their manuscript to TRSPED, authors will be
required to sign a Transfer of Copyright form.
