Editorial Policy and Procedure

The Journal of Vocational, Adult and Continuing Education and Training (JOVACET) recognises the need for critical engagement through studies in TVET and Adult and Continuing education and training, and for encouraging critical scrutiny of this expansive knowledge area on the African continent.

The voices and experiences of practitioners, reflecting on all aspects of teaching and learning within vocational education and adult education settings, should be heard through publication of empirical and robust research. While the journal clearly wishes to take forward academic scholarship, it also seeks to strengthen opportunities for reflective practice that makes a scholarly contribution to the field. New knowledge emerging out of complex developmental contexts has significant value and needs to be show-cased beyond existing geographical and political boundaries. The journal is therefore committed to also supporting the development of emerging researchers by providing them with a space to present and defend their research amongst a network of global scholars. Within the field of vocational and continuing education there is substantive ‘grey literature’ that remains in project report form. The journal is potentially a vehicle for the translation of this important work into an academic contribution to a wider community of practice and thereby enhancing its value.

The JOVACET will initially appear at least once a year. Unsolicited articles are welcome for consideration and should be uploaded onto the JOVACET’s website online journal or else emailed to the journal’s administrator, Cathy Robertson, at cathy@tcrobertson.co.za.

The editor(s) are accountable for everything published in the journal and should therefore:

  • Work towards improving the contents of the journal;
  • Adopt peer review methods best suited for the journal and the research community it serves;
  • Ensure that all manuscripts have been reviewed by appropriate reviewers;
  • Ensure quality assurance processes are in place for the material that is published; and
  • Uphold the highest standards of integrity, intellectual rigour and ethics.

The editor(s) will not disclose any information about the submitted manuscripts or their authors to anyone other than the author(s) and reviewer(s), as appropriate. The editor(s) will not use submitted material in any way whatsoever without the written consent of the author(s).

Submitted articles will be reviewed by two anonymous external referees. Appropriate papers will be reviewed according to their significance and soundness. Articles that have been submitted must not have been published or accepted for publication elsewhere. The editor(s) are responsible for deciding which of the manuscripts submitted to the journal will be published. The editor(s) decision to accept or reject a manuscript should be based on the importance of the manuscript, its originality and clarity, the validity of the study and its relevance to the journal’s scope. Considerations will also include current legal requirements regarding libel, copyright infringement and plagiarism.  

Submissions may not exceed the 8 000-word limit and must contain a title, abstract of not more than 200 words and be correctly and completely referenced according to the Harvard system of referencing. Footnotes should be kept to a minimum. Tables should be positioned where they are referred to and not be submitted separately. Authors are requested to consult the author’s guidelines on the website.

The article should not contain any identification of the author and should be anonymised as far as possible. The name(s) and affiliations of the author(s), as well as their email address, should appear on a separate page.

Each author will receive a copy of the journal in which the article appears. The article becomes the copyright of the publishers of the journal. The journal is freely available on the website: www.jovacet.ac.za.