Editorial Policy

Learning Disabilities Worldwide publishes the refereed professional journal, Insights on Learning Disabilities: Prevailing Theories to Validated Practices (ILD), twice yearly. The purpose of this publication is to provide the most up-to-date information on the practices of teaching, therapeutically treating, assessing, or otherwise supporting individuals with learning disabilities. ILD recognizes as a main part of its mission the requirement to report on the educational services and the social opportunities that may be of benefit to individuals with learning disabilities. In accordance with the aim and scope of ILD, all manuscripts should have clear and explicit implications for daily practice of professionally working with children, youth, or adults with learning disabilities. Thus, research papers that do not refer to the application of the particular intervention, strategy, or method will not be considered for publication in the journal. Authors should adhere to the writing guidelines described in the latest edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA). The types of articles considered appropriate for publication in ILD are:

Group experimental and quasi-experimental studies: Designs in which the researchers intervene with a procedure that determines what different groups of subjects will experience are considered to be the best methodological route to detect causal relations between actions and outcomes. They can be an excellent way to built and document the effectiveness of practices. Manuscripts describing such group experimental and quasi-experimental studies should be no more than 25 typewritten, double-spaced pages, including tables, figures, references, and appendices.

Correlational studies: Research studies concerned with assessing relationships between two or more phenomena can be useful in tentatively informing researchers and practitioners about evidence-based practices. To be considered for publication in ILD, these studies must employ sophisticated causal modeling or exclusion methods. Their length should be no more than 25 typewritten, double-spaced pages, including tables, figures, references, and appendices.

Qualitative studies: Studies that emphasize gathering data on naturally occurring phenomena within a particular context are also of interest for ILD. These studies can provide information leading to an understanding of individuals with learning disabilities, their families, and professionals who work with them. The length of such manuscripts should be no more than 25 typewritten, double-spaced pages, including tables, figures, references, and appendices.

Mixed method research studies: A combination of quantitative and qualitative methodologies can be a very effective way to investigate certain research questions with an applied focus. The length of manuscripts describing such research should be no more than 25 typewritten, double-spaced pages, including tables, figures, references, and appendices.

Single subject studies: Designs in which an individual or group of individuals is of primary importance and serves as his or her own control can be used to establish evidence-based practices. Such studies have the potential to examine the effects of interventions on the behavior of one, two, or a few individuals using multiple measures of behavior over time. They are especially suitable for answering applied research questions. The length of respective manuscripts should be no more than 25 typewritten, double-spaced pages, including tables, figures, references, and appendices.

Meta-analyses: Studies in which the results of other studies, all published on the same topic, are statistically combined to gain more information regarding the shared area of inquiry can be an excellent way to inform practitioners about the current state of the art of certain evidence-based practices. Their length should be no more than 30 typewritten, double-spaced pages, including tables, figures, references, and appendices.

Literature reviews: A systematic synthesis of studies about a particular subject area can provide professionals with very useful information on evidence-based practice, even though findings are not combined statistically. The length of such reviews should be no more than 30 typewritten, double-spaced pages, including tables, figures, references, and appendices.

Methodological papers: Manuscripts that describe innovative ways to collect and analyze data from applied settings in such a way that findings will be of benefit for practitioners in their daily work are also potentially eligible for publication in ILD. Their length should be no more than 25 typewritten, double-spaced pages, including tables, figures, references, and appendices.

In addition to original articles, ILD also welcomes critical reviews of recently published books, teaching materials, and software programs. They should include a brief summary of the work and offer an opinion about their potential utility. Such reports must contain the complete bibliographic references and should not be longer than 5 typewritten, double-spaced pages. Critical reviews of books, teaching materials, or software programs will not undergo a review process by members of the editorial board of ILD. However, the editors reserve the right to reject a submission if publication does not seem appropriate.

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Manuscript Submission

Electronic submissions are to be mailed to chutchis@uncc.edu and tacitro@aol.com. Authors must send a cover letter with a statement that their manuscript has not been previously published (or submitted for publication elsewhere, while acceptance by ILD is under consideration). The first page of the manuscript should include the title of the article and the complete names and institutional affiliations of the authors, as well as a short title to be used as a running head, whereas a second page should indicate only the title. Each article should be prefaced by two brief abstracts (120–160 words): one for the academic reader, and the other for the general public. Authors should also include a short (40–60 words) biographical statement with the heading.

Manuscripts will be sent for a blind review to at least two members of the editorial board. Authors will be informed on the editorial decision with a formal letter from one of the editors by email. If the manuscript is accepted, the authors will be asked to send it electronically as a Microsoft Word file and to complete a copyright waiver form. The editors reserve the right to make final editorial changes to the manuscript without however altering the content of the original submission. Articles are judged on the following criteria: relevance to practitioners, soundness of conceptualization, adequacy of the research, reliability of conclusions, and comprehensiveness. In reference to the last criterion, authors are encouraged to use an appealing style, avoiding jargon and “academic prose”, so that the manuscript provides all readers with as many Insights on Learning Disabilities as possible.