The European Scientific Journal for Dual Higher Education (ESJ DHE) positions itself as the dedicated academic voice for research in the dynamic and increasingly relevant field of dual higher education in Europe and beyond.
Instructions for Authors
Thank you for considering the European Scientific Journal for Dual Higher Education (ESJ DHE) as a venue for your work. We welcome original, rigorous, and relevant contributions that advance research and scholarly debate in the field of dual higher education.
The following guidelines are intended to support authors in preparing manuscripts that are clear, ethically responsible, and suitable for international peer review. Following these instructions before submission helps ensure an efficient editorial process and enables reviewers to focus on the quality, significance and contribution of your work.
We look forward to receiving your submission.
1 Before you begin
Before submitting your manuscript, please ensure that your contribution meets the following requirements.
1.1 Originality and exclusivity of submission
Submitted manuscripts must:
• represent original work that has not been previously published
• not be under consideration by another journal at the time of submission
• comply with relevant standards of research integrity and academic ethics
1.2 Research ethics and declarations
Where applicable, manuscripts must include declarations regarding:
• the ethics approval and consent to participate
• data, code and materials availability
• funding
• competing interests
• author contribution(s)
• use of AI-assisted tools
Authors are responsible for ensuring that their research complies with relevant institutional and professional ethical standards.
1.3 Article length
Manuscripts should normally be between 6,000 and 8,000 words (without references). Exceptions may be considered where there is a clear academic justification.
2 Preparing your manuscript
Authors are responsible for ensuring that their manuscript is academically, linguistically, and technically suitable for peer review.
2.1 General manuscript requirements
Manuscripts must:
• be submitted as a Microsoft Word document (*.docx)
• follow the journal template provided for submissions
• use clear and consistent academic English (British English)
• follow APA 7 citation and referencing conventions
• include DOI links for references where available
2.2 Manuscript structure
Manuscripts should normally follow the structure:
1. Introduction
2. Methodology
3. Results and Discussion
4. Conclusion
5. Declarations (where applicable)
6. Acknowledgements (optional)
7. References
Authors may adapt this structure where appropriate for the nature of their research.
2.3 Empirical research and research materials
Manuscripts reporting empirical research must include the relevant research instruments as anonymised supplementary files. For survey studies, this includes the complete questionnaire as administered, including instructions, item wording, response options and routing. Other materials may include interview guides, coding schemes or intervention materials.
Materials should be provided in the original language and, where applicable, in English. If sharing is restricted for legal, ethical, confidentiality or copyright reasons, authors must explain the restriction and provide sufficient information for editorial and peer-review assessment. Manuscripts may be returned for completion before peer review if the required materials are missing.
2.4 Formatting requirements
Please ensure that manuscripts follow the following formatting conventions:
• left-aligned text
• simple line spacing
• 11-point font
• italics rather than underlining
• figures and tables inserted at the appropriate points within the manuscript rather than placed at the end
• margins of 2.5 cm at the top and bottom and 3 cm on the left and right
2.5 Language quality guidance
2.5.1 Why language quality matters
ESJ DHE serves an international academic readership. Clear and precise academic language enables reviewers and readers to engage fully with the research contribution. Language quality is therefore considered an essential part of effective scholarly communication.
Authors are responsible for ensuring that their manuscript is linguistically suitable for peer review. Language support tools and professional editing services may assist authors during the writing and revision process; however, authors remain responsible for the accuracy, originality, and meaning of their work.
2.5.2 Recommended language quality checks before submission
Before submission, authors are encouraged to complete the following steps.
1. Review readability and organisation
Authors may use readability analysis tools such as ARTE (Automatic Readability Tool for English) or comparable tools to identify areas where the text may be unnecessarily difficult to read.
Consider:
• Are sentences excessively long or unnecessarily complex?
• Are key ideas clearly expressed?
• Are paragraphs logically organised?
• Are relationships between ideas and arguments clearly signposted?
Academic writing will naturally contain specialised terminology and complex concepts. The aim is not to simplify research unnecessarily, but to ensure that arguments are accessible to an international readership.
2. Review the academic language profile
Tools such as TextInspector or comparable academic language analysis tools may be used to review aspects such as:
• academic vocabulary
• lexical diversity
• terminology appropriate to the discipline
• overall language profile
Automated scores should not be treated as measures of writing quality. Rather, such tools may help authors identify areas where academic language could be strengthened.
3. Review grammar, style, and clarity
AI-assisted language tools and writing assistants may support authors in improving:
• grammar and sentence structure
• punctuation
• clarity and conciseness
• academic style and phrasing
Authors should review all automated suggestions critically. Language tools may improve linguistic form, but authors must ensure that revisions:
• preserve the intended meaning
• maintain disciplinary accuracy
• reflect the authors’ own scholarly voice
4. Seek independent language feedback
Authors are encouraged to obtain feedback from someone with experience in academic writing and publishing. This may include:
• a professional academic language editor
• a colleague experienced in international scholarly publishing
• a researcher with expertise in academic writing
2.6 Responsible use of AI-assisted tools
ESJ DHE recognises that AI-assisted technologies can support researchers throughout the writing, editing, and revision process.
However:
• AI tools should support, not replace, authors’ own scholarly judgement
• authors remain responsible for all content and revisions made to their manuscript
• AI tools must not be used to generate misleading, inaccurate, or unoriginal content
• the intellectual contribution of the manuscript must remain with the authors
Authors must disclose the use of AI-assisted tools in the manuscript. The disclosure should indicate:
• the type of tool used
• the purpose for which it was used
• the sections of the manuscript affected
Where appropriate, AI use may also be included in the declaration section.
2.7 Final pre-submission checklist
Before submitting, please ensure that:
• The manuscript follows the journal template
• The manuscript is suitable for an international academic readership
• Key concepts and terminology are clearly defined and used consistently
• Grammar, punctuation, and academic style have been reviewed
• Citation style in text and reference section follow APA 7 and include DOI links where available
• AI-assisted revisions have been critically reviewed
• Declarations (where applicable) have been included
• Acknowledgements (optional) have been included
• The submission has not been previously published, nor is it before another journal for consideration (or an explanation has been provided)
• For empirical research, all required research instruments and research materials have been provided as anonymised supplementary files
3 Submitting your manuscript
All submissions must be made electronically through the journal’s Open Journal Systems (OJS) platform (>> submit here<<).
Authors should:
• upload their manuscript using the required template
• ensure that the submitted manuscript contains no identifying author information
• provide all requested submission metadata through OJS
• where applicable, upload the required research instruments and other research materials as separate anonymised files
Manuscripts that do not follow the required format or submission procedures may be returned to authors before further processing. Once submitted, authors can track the progress of their manuscript and communicate with the Managing Editors through the OJS system.
The information required for the final published version (“camera-ready” manuscript), including author details and ORCID identifiers, will be requested before publication.
4 After submission and publication
All manuscripts undergo an initial editorial assessment before entering the peer-review process. If substantial language revision is required before meaningful peer review can take place, manuscripts may be returned to authors for revision.
Before publication, author(s) and/or the Managing Editor will check the proofs to ensure that no factual or formatting errors have been introduced.
Post-publication changes are normally not permitted. However, where factual inaccuracies affect the data, interpretation, or conclusions of a published article, the Editor-in-Chief will assess whether a correction or retraction is required.
