Language Testing
Language Testing is an international peer-reviewed journal dedicated to publishing research on first (L1), second, additional, foreign, and bi-/multi-/trans-lingual (henceforth collectively called L2) language testing, assessment, and evaluation. Established in 1984, it is the longest standing journal in the field of language testing and assessment. The journal's scope encompasses the testing, assessment, and evaluation of spoken, signed, and tactile languages being learned throughout the lifespan. As such, the journal publishes research that addresses the design, implementation, validation, and use of tests and assessments in large-scale, local, and instructional contexts. Contributions may examine the use of language assessments as research tools to provide information on language knowledge and performance abilities and/or present methodological innovations for language testing research and practice. The journal welcomes submissions that deal with larger social, cultural, philosophical, economic, and political issues in language testing and assessment, including the use of tests to inform high-stakes decision making in domains including but not limited to education, employment, and mobility.
The Editors are committed to promoting interdisciplinary research. We welcome manuscripts that draw on theory and methodology from different areas within linguistics, applied linguistics, and educational and psychological measurement, which have traditionally been the bedrock of Language Testing submissions. We are also open to submissions that draw on insights or traditions from other disciplines as they interface with language testing and assessment (e.g., humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, physical sciences and engineering, and medicine) to generate new insights for our field. Language Testing has a range of submission categories, including Research Articles, Systematic Reviews, Brief Reports, Registered Reports, Viewpoints, Letters to the Editor, Book Reviews, and Test Reviews. We publish primary and secondary research, including empirical studies spanning the methodological spectrum (qualitative, quantitative, mixed methods), reviews, and thought pieces. Additionally, the journal encourages the submission of replication studies that help to embed and extend knowledge of generalizable findings in the field. As a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), Language Testing strives to emulate the highest standards of integrity in research dissemination. We encourage authors to adhere to open science initiatives to promote the transparency, accessibility, and reproducibility of their research.
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Language Testing is an international peer reviewed journal that publishes original research on foreign, second, additional, and bi-/multi-/trans-lingual (henceforth collectively called L2) language testing, assessment, and evaluation. The journal's scope encompasses the testing of L2s being learned by children and adults, and the use of tests as research and evaluation tools that are used to provide information on the knowledge and performance abilities of L2 learners.
In addition, the journal publishes submissions that deal with L2 testing policy issues, including the use of tests for making high-stakes decisions about L2 learners in fields as diverse as education, employment, and international mobility. The journal welcomes the submission of papers that deal with ethical and philosophical issues in L2 testing, as well as issues centering on L2 test design, validation, and technical matters. Primary studies, replication studies, and secondary analyses of pre-existing data are welcome. Authors are encouraged to adhere to Open Science Initiatives.
| Talia Isaacs | University College London, UK |
| Xun Yan | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA |
| Ruslan Suvorov | Western University, Canada |
| Dylan Burton | Georgia State University, USA |
| Troy Cox | Brigham Young University, USA |
| Vahid Aryadoust | Nanyang Technological University, Singapore |
| Khaled Barkaoui | York University, Canada |
| Aaron Olaf Batty | Keio University, Fujisawa, Japan |
| Tineke Brunfaut | Lancaster University, UK |
| Carol Chapelle | Iowa State University, USA |
| Bart Deygers | Ghent University, Belgium |
| Jason Fan | The University of Melbourne, Australia |
| Atta Gebril | The American University in Cairo, Egypt |
| Anthony Green | University of Bedfordshire, UK |
| Luke Harding | Lancaster University, UK |
| Franz Holzknecht | University of Teacher Education in Special Needs, Switzerland |
| Bimali Indrarathne | General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University, Sri Lanka |
| Dan Isbell | University of Hawai’i at Mãnoa, USA |
| Noriko Iwashita | University of Queensland, Australia |
| Eunice Eunhee Jang | University of Toronto, Canada |
| Okim Kang | University of Northern Arizona, USA |
| Ute Knoch | The University of Melbourne, Australia |
| Benjamin Kremmel | University of Innsbruck, Austria |
| Kristopher Kyle | University of Oregon, USA |
| Daniel Lam | University of Glasgow, UK |
| Salomé Villa Larenas | Universidad Alberto Hurtado, Chile |
| Hongli Li | Georgia State University, USA |
| Zhi Li | University of Saskatchewan, Canada |
| Susy MacQueen | Australian National University, Australia |
| Stuart McLean | Kindai University, Japan |
| Shangchao Min | Zhejiang University, China |
| Fumiyo Nakatsuhara | University of Bedfordshire, UK |
| Lia Plakans | University of Iowa, USA |
| Yasuyo Sawaki | Waseda University, Japan |
| Jamie Schissel | University of North Carolina, USA |
| Sun-young Shin | Indiana University Bloomington, USA |
| Jonathan Trace | Keio University, Japan |
| Paula Winke | Michigan State University, USA |
| Jin Yan | Shanghai Jiaotong University, China |
| Soo Jung Youn | Daegu National University of Education, South Korea |
Manuscript Submission Guidelines: Language Testing
This Journal is a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics
Please read the guidelines below then visit the Journal’s submission site http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/LTJ to upload your manuscript. Please note that manuscripts not conforming to these guidelines may be returned.
Only manuscripts of sufficient quality that meet the aims and scope of Language Testing will be reviewed.
There are no fees payable to submit or publish in this journal.
As part of the submission process you will be required to warrant that you are submitting your original work, that you have the rights in the work, that you are submitting the work for first publication in the Journal and that it is not being considered for publication elsewhere and has not already been published elsewhere, and that you have obtained and can supply all necessary permissions for the reproduction of any copyright works not owned by you.
- What do we publish?
1.1 Aims & Scope
1.2 Article types
1.3 Writing your paper - Editorial policies
2.1 Peer review policy
2.2 Authorship
2.3 Acknowledgements
2.4 Funding
2.5 Declaration of conflicting interests - Publishing policies
3.1 Publication ethics
3.2 Contributor's publishing agreement
3.3 Open access and author archiving - Preparing your manuscript
4.1 Formatting
4.2 Artwork, figures and other graphics
4.3 Supplementary material
4.4 Reference style
4.5 English language editing services - Submitting your manuscript
5.1 ORCID
5.2 Information required for completing your submission
5.3 Permissions - On acceptance and publication
6.1 SAGE Production
6.2 Online First publication
6.3 Access to your published article
6.4 Promoting your article - Further information
Before submitting your manuscript to Language Testing, please ensure you have read the Aims & Scope.
Language Testing publishes articles on the testing and assessment of language for a range of purposes, whether educational or professional, and in diverse contexts, including first language, second or foreign language, bilingual and/or multilingual situations. It also publishes articles reporting language project and programme evaluation which have theoretical implications for language testing. Equal preference is given to empirically based and theoretical articles. The former should report empirical research bearing upon theoretical issues, while the latter should offer a critical review and analysis of a theoretical issue that is of current interest to the field. Contributions discussing implications of theory or research for practical testing will also be considered favourably.
Where possible and appropriate, authors should supply sufficient information, including test texts and items, to enable replication of investigations. Lack of statistically significant results, or difficulty in drawing clear conclusions, will not necessarily rule out publication of interesting contributions. Empirical papers that use significance testing should as a matter of course provide effect sizes.
While book reviews are normally commissioned by the editors, offers to review recent publications will also be welcome. The editors also welcome ideas and suggestions from potential guest editors for special issues of the journal that focus on topical themes.
The SAGE Author Gateway has some general advice and on how to get published, plus links to further resources.
1.3.1 Make your article discoverable
When writing up your paper, think about how you can make it discoverable. The title, keywords and abstract are key to ensuring readers find your article through search engines such as Google. For information and guidance on how best to title your article, write your abstract and select your keywords, have a look at this page on the Gateway: How to Help Readers Find Your Article Online.
Purpose
Language Testing is a fully peer reviewed international journal that publishes original research and review articles on Language Testing and assessment.
In order to ensure the publication of only the highest quality articles and reviews an objective process of peer reviewed is rigorously applied. Together with the editors, the referees play a vitally important role in maintaining the exceptionally high standards of the journal.
Review Procedures
All manuscripts are reviewed initially by the editors and only those papers that meet the standards of the journal, and fit within its aims and scope, are sent for outside review. Upon initial review, if one of the editors feels that a manuscript does not meet the required standards, the co-editor is sent an anonymous copy of the submission and asked to confirm the decision. Should the editors concur, the decision not to send for external review is final. Submissions that are rejected at this stage may not fit with the aims and scope of the journal, may not be sufficiently original, may contain serious methodological flaws, be unintelligible, or draw unwarranted conclusions from data presented.
If the editors decide that a submission be sent for external review, it will be sent to at least two reviewers, and normally three. All manuscripts are sent anonymously in order to ensure unbiased consideration by the referees. Any other indications of authorship are removed in order to ensure that publication is not dependent upon irrelevant factors such as race, gender, religion, ethnicity or political commitment.
Submissions are normally reviewed within 2 months of submission, although due to the rigorous blind peer review system this sometimes takes longer. Authors should expect a decision on a submission within 3 months.
Commissioned Papers
From time to time the editors may commission papers for Language Testing, normally for anniversary or special issues. Commissioned papers are sent for review by two or three external reviewers, and the reviews evaluated by the editors in the same way as for all other submissions. A commission therefore does not imply that the submission will be published.
Book and Test Reviews
Book and Test Reviews are commissioned by the book and test review editor respectively. Reviews represent the considered professional view of the expert in question, and publication is dependent upon review by the relevant editor and the co-editors of Language Testing. Reviews are not normally subject to the multiple-blind peer review system that is operated for all other submissions.
Selection of Reviewers and Timelines
The editors of Language Testing select reviewers from the international Editorial Board, or from the international Language Testing community, on the grounds of their expertise to judge the suitability for publication of the submission concerned. All reviewers are qualified and experienced academics with the highest possible reputation in their field, including, in many cases, a history of publishing in Language Testing.
Reviewers are normally asked to complete reviews within six weeks of receiving a manuscript, although this may be longer depending upon a reviewer’s other commitments.
Reviewer Guidelines
Reviewers are asked to judge the suitability of submissions on the following criteria:
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- Published articles, empirical or theoretical, must be original and must make a significant contribution to knowledge in the field of language testing.
- An article should relate reported findings or proposed theoretical contribution to existing knowledge. This is generally to be accomplished through a competent and critical review of the relevant literature.
- Research articles, whether quantitative or qualitative in approach, should be based on new data collected and analysed in a rigorous and well-designed investigation. Reanalyses of “old” data may be used to support theoretical contributions.
Decision Making
Reviewers make recommend that a submission be (a) rejected, (b) revised and resubmitted, (c) accepted for publication with minor amendments, or (d) accepted for publication forthwith. In the case of (c) the editors may ask one or more of the reviewers to ‘sign off’ on amendments, or undertake this task themselves. When manuscripts are revised and resubmitted the editors make every attempt to ask the original reviewers to consider the manuscript again and evaluate it against the specific recommendations made in the first review. If for any reason a reviewer declines to take part in a second review, the editors will attempt to find a replacement reviewer.
The final decision to publish or reject remains with the editors.
Conflict of Interest
If one of the editors, colleague or a student of an editor submits a manuscript to Language Testing, the co-editor steers the manuscript through the review process and keeps the names of the reviewers from the other. No editor takes any decisions or responsibility for the review process of their own work, or the work of a close colleague, student or friend.
If a reviewer recognizes the author of a paper as a colleague, student or friend, they refuse to take part in the review process.
Feedback to Reviewers
Under normal circumstances, anonymous copies of all reviews are circulated to the reviewers within one month of a decision being taken on a manuscript, together with an indication of the decision made. This maintains an open and transparent process, and helps newer reviewers to understand the review process.
Copies of reviews are not always circulated to reviewers of commissioned papers.
Feedback to Authors
Authors are provided with a decision on their manuscript together with anonymous copies of the reviews, usually within two weeks of a decision being made. Where manuscripts are accepted for publication subject to amendments, a timeline for making the amendments is agreed.
All parties who have made a substantive contribution to the article should be listed as authors. Principal authorship, authorship order, and other publication credits should be based on the relative scientific or professional contributions of the individuals involved, regardless of their status. A student is usually listed as principal author on any multiple-authored publication that substantially derives from the student’s dissertation or thesis.
All contributors who do not meet the criteria for authorship should be listed in an Acknowledgements section. Examples of those who might be acknowledged include a person who provided purely technical help, or a department chair who provided only general support.
Any acknowledgements should appear first at the end of your article prior to your Declaration of Conflicting Interests (if applicable), any notes and your References.
Language Testing requires all authors to acknowledge their funding in a consistent fashion under a separate heading. Please visit the Funding Acknowledgements page on the SAGE Journal Author Gateway to confirm the format of the acknowledgment text in the event of funding, or state that: This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.
2.5 Declaration of conflicting interests
Language Testing encourages authors to include a declaration of any conflicting interests and recommends you review the good practice guidelines on the SAGE Journal Author Gateway.
SAGE is committed to upholding the integrity of the academic record. We encourage authors to refer to the Committee on Publication Ethics’ International Standards for Authors and view the Publication Ethics page on the SAGE Author Gateway.
3.1.1 Plagiarism
Language Testing and SAGE take issues of copyright infringement, plagiarism or other breaches of best practice in publication very seriously. We seek to protect the rights of our authors and we always investigate claims of plagiarism or misuse of published articles. Equally, we seek to protect the reputation of the journal against malpractice. Submitted articles may be checked with duplication-checking software. Where an article, for example, is found to have plagiarised other work or included third-party copyright material without permission or with insufficient acknowledgement, or where the authorship of the article is contested, we reserve the right to take action including, but not limited to: publishing an erratum or corrigendum (correction); retracting the article; taking up the matter with the head of department or dean of the author's institution and/or relevant academic bodies or societies; or taking appropriate legal action.
3.1.2 Prior publication
If material has been previously published it is not generally acceptable for publication in a SAGE journal. However, there are certain circumstances where previously published material can be considered for publication. Please refer to the guidance on the SAGE Author Gateway or if in doubt, contact the Editor at the address given below.
3.2 Contributor's publishing agreement
Before publication, SAGE requires the author as the rights holder to sign a Journal Contributor’s Publishing Agreement. SAGE’s Journal Contributor’s Publishing Agreement is an exclusive licence agreement which means that the author retains copyright in the work but grants SAGE the sole and exclusive right and licence to publish for the full legal term of copyright. Exceptions may exist where an assignment of copyright is required or preferred by a proprietor other than SAGE. In this case copyright in the work will be assigned from the author to the society. For more information please visit the SAGE Author Gateway.
3.3 Open access and author archiving
Language Testing offers optional open access publishing via the SAGE Choice programme. For more information please visit the SAGE Choice website. For information on funding body compliance, and depositing your article in repositories, please visit SAGE Publishing Policies on our Journal Author Gateway.
4. Preparing your manuscript for submission
Article submissions should normally be between 4,000 and 8,000 words in length, inclusive of references and tables. Microsoft Word is the preferred word processor. Avoid unnecessary formatting and use a standard font for your text. Times New Roman/Times and Arial/Helvetica are preferred.
Your affiliation in the manuscript should be the institution where the research was carried out, and that address must be retained as the main affiliation address. If you have changed affiliation since completing the research, your new affiliation will be indicated as a footnote to your name in an Author Note section. Changes to affiliation after submitting your manuscript to LT should be considered as exceptional circumstances on an ad hoc basis and only if approved by the journal Editors and by the Publisher. Changes to affiliation cannot normally be made after the article is accepted. Changes to affiliation cannot be made after publication of the article in an issue of the journal.
If you are in doubt about your affiliation, please contact LT editorial office at: April Fidler aprilrfidler@gmail.com
The preferred format for your manuscript is Word. LaTeX files are also accepted. Word and (La)Tex templates are available on the Manuscript Submission Guidelines page of our Author Gateway.
4.2 Artwork, figures and other graphics
For guidance on the preparation of the manuscript, including illustrations, pictures and graphs in electronic format, please use the guidelines of the American Psychological Association (APA.) For a summary of the guidelines, click here.
Figures supplied in colour will appear in colour online regardless of whether or not these illustrations are reproduced in colour in the printed version. For specifically requested colour reproduction in print, you will receive information regarding the costs from SAGE after receipt of your accepted article.
Language Testing does not currently accept supplemental files.
Language Testing operates an APA reference style. Click here to review the guidelines on APA to ensure your manuscript conforms to this reference style.
4.5 English language editing services
Authors seeking assistance with English language editing, translation, or figure and manuscript formatting to fit the journal’s specifications should consider using SAGE Language Services. Visit SAGE Language Services on our Journal Author Gateway for further information.
Language Testing is hosted on SAGE Track, a web based online submission and peer review system powered by ScholarOne™ Manuscripts. Visit http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/LTJ to login and submit your article online.
IMPORTANT: Please check whether you already have an account in the system before trying to create a new one. If you have reviewed or authored for the journal in the past year it is likely that you will have had an account created. For further guidance on submitting your manuscript online please visit ScholarOne Online Help.
As part of our commitment to ensuring an ethical, transparent and fair peer review process SAGE is a supporting member of ORCID, the Open Researcher and Contributor ID. ORCID provides a persistent digital identifier that distinguishes researchers from every other researcher and, through integration in key research workflows such as manuscript and grant submission, supports automated linkages between researchers and their professional activities ensuring that their work is recognised.
We encourage all authors to add their ORCIDs to their SAGE Track accounts and include their ORCIDs as part of the submission process. If you don’t already have one you can create one here.
5.2 Information required for completing your submission
You will be asked to provide contact details and academic affiliations for all co-authors via the submission system and identify who is to be the corresponding author. These details must match what appears on your manuscript. At this stage please ensure you have included all the required statements and declarations and uploaded any additional supplementary files (including reporting guidelines where relevant).
Please also ensure that you have obtained any necessary permission from copyright holders for reproducing any illustrations, tables, figures or lengthy quotations previously published elsewhere. For further information including guidance on fair dealing for criticism and review, please see the Copyright and Permissions page on the SAGE Author Gateway.
6. On acceptance and publication
Your SAGE Production Editor will keep you informed as to your article’s progress throughout the production process. Proofs will be sent by PDF to the corresponding author and should be returned promptly. Authors are reminded to check their proofs carefully to confirm that all author information, including names, affiliations, sequence and contact details are correct, and that Funding and Conflict of Interest statements, if any, are accurate. Please note that if there are any changes to the author list at this stage all authors will be required to complete and sign a form authorising the change.
Online First allows final articles (completed and approved articles awaiting assignment to a future issue) to be published online prior to their inclusion in a journal issue, which significantly reduces the lead time between submission and publication. Visit the SAGE Journals help page for more details, including how to cite Online First articles.
6.3 Access to your published article
SAGE provides authors with online access to their final article.
Publication is not the end of the process! You can help disseminate your paper and ensure it is as widely read and cited as possible. The SAGE Author Gateway has numerous resources to help you promote your work. Visit the Promote Your Article page on the Gateway for tips and advice. In addition, SAGE is partnered with Kudos, a free service that allows authors to explain, enrich, share, and measure the impact of their article. Find out how to maximise your article’s impact with Kudos.
Any correspondence, queries or additional requests for information on the manuscript submission process should be sent to the Language Testing editorial office as follows:
April Fidler
Language Testing Editorial Assistant
E-mail: aprilrfidler@gmail.com
Carol Chapelle
Distinguished Professor of Liberal Arts and Sciences and Professor of TESL/applied linguistics
Department of English
Iowa State University
39 Ross Hall
Ames, IA 50011-1201
USA
E-mail: carolc@iastate.edu