Contributions to Music Education

A refereed journal published by the members of the Ohio Music Education Association in recognition of the importance of research in guiding educational practice.

William I. Bauer, Editor
Michael R. Crist, Associate Editor

Information for Contributors

 

Content
The editorial board welcomes manuscripts reporting the results of original research of a philosophical, historical, or scientific nature that contribute to an understanding of music teaching and learning. In addition, papers that provide a comprehensive review and critique of the research literature on a topic, clearly discussing possible implications for music education, will also be evaluated for possible publication. Only unique reviews of literature will be considered; comparable reports should not be available in other music education publications.

In addition, we welcome proposals for special focus issues on important topics in music education. To propose such an issue, send a one-page overall description of the special focus topic, highlighting its importance and the need for an issue on this subject. In addition, send a one-paragraph description of each of the proposed articles. Typically, papers on a topic would be collected and pre-edited by a guest editor. These manuscripts should all be research oriented, but do not necessarily have to be empirical research studies. For example, they could include policy papers, methodology discussions, reviews of literature, etc. All papers will go through the standard CME review process. Contact the editor for further information.

 

Style
The manuscript text should be double-spaced and use a 12-point serif font such as Times New Roman. Tables and figures should be designed so that they will fit the page size of the journal (approximately 4.5 inches wide by 7.5 inches high) and use a font size no smaller than 8 points. Any figures or drawings utilized should be camera-ready. Total length of the manuscript, including the abstract, figures, drawings, tables and references, should not be more than 20 pages. The author's name, address and institutional affiliation should only appear on a separate cover sheet/title page. Any references to the author's identity should be removed from the body of the manuscript to ensure anonymity in the review process.

Quantitative manuscripts should adhere to recommendations made in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (5th edition). Authors of nonquantitative articles may follow APA style, The Chicago Manual of Style (14th edition, 1993), or A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations (K. L. Turabian, 6th edition, rev. by John Grossman & Alice Bennett, 1996). The style chosen should be used consistently throughout the manuscript. The title page must indicate the style used.

 

Submission Procedures
Both electronic and hard copy submissions are welcome. If submitting hard copies, please send four copies of the manuscript and four copies of an abstract of not more than 150 words to:

Dr. William I. Bauer, Editor
Contributions to Music Education
Department of Music
306 Haydn Hall
Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, OH 44106-7105
216-368-2431
contributions@case.edu

Electronic submissions via email are encouraged. Please send manuscripts in .doc, .docx, .rtf, or .pdf file formats. The author's name and institutional affiliation should appear only on a separate title page. Authors should retain a copy of the manuscript to ensure against loss. If the manuscript is based on a thesis or dissertation, a full bibliographic citation of the original work should appear on the title page. Contributions to Music Education follows the Research in Music Education Code of Ethics. As stated in the Code of Ethics, submitting a manuscript indicates that it has not been published previously and is not currently submitted for publication elsewhere, either in its entirety or in part.

 

Evaluation Procedure
Authors are notified on receipt of the manuscript in the editorial office.   Three members of the editorial board, utilizing a blind review process, review submissions.   For original research, reviewers evaluate the following criteria when making a decision as to whether to accept, reject, or suggest revision: (a) importance of the problem, (b) discussion of the problem and its importance, (c) review of relevant literature and/or theory, (d) application of procedures appropriate to the purpose of the study, (e) presentation and analysis of data, (f) validity of conclusions, (g) writing mechanics and communicability, and (h) conformity to style guide.   When examining reviews of literature, the editorial board will consider if: (a) the topic of the manuscript is timely, important, and will be of interest to readers, (b) the manuscript provides a comprehensive review and critique of the literature, (c) the review is coherent, (d) studies are synthesized with connections made among them, providing new insights – not merely a summary of existing studies, (e) a review of literature on this topic is available in other music education publications, (f) the manuscript is well written.   The collective recommendation of the reviewers normally determines whether a manuscript will be accepted for publication.   The review process takes approximately three months, after which authors are notified of the editorial decision.