About the Journal

Focus and Scope

Icelandic Journal of Education is an academic journal in the field of educational science jointly published by the School of Education at the University of Iceland, the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Akureyri and the Educational Research Association. The journal was launched in 2016 as a result of the merger of two older journals; Journal on Pedagogy and Education, and Journal on Educational Research. The journal has two editors, one appointed by the University of Iceland and the other by the University of Akureyri. A consultative editorial board has six members; two nominated by the School of Education, two by the University of Akureyri and two by the Educational Research Association.

The original edition of the journal is published twice a year - in June and December,  subsequently, each issue is printed and sent to subscribers. The journal is also on offer to non-subscribers. Articles may be submitted all year round.

The main objective of the journal is to enhance knowledge and professional debate on matters relating to pedagogy and education in Iceland by publishing academic materials in the form of peer-reviewed articles, reviews and detailed critical appraisals. A prerequisite for the publication of peer-reviewed articles is that they comprise innovative content and have not been published on other venues. Articles can be in Icelandic or English, although articles in English must contain innovative material of international interest; cf. guidelines for authors.

Applications for publishing in the journal have no fees, nor are any administrative charges involved in relation to the processing of articles. Articles published in the journal appear on this website https://ojs.hi.is/index.php/tuuom/index 

and in Opin Vísindi - the institutional repository for peer reviewed articles published in open access.

Peer Review Process

Submissions to the Icelandic Journal of Education are subjected to a double blind review, conducted by two to three specialist reviewers in the field concerned. Care is taken to ensure that one or two of the reviewers have relevant doctorates. The review is anonymous; that is, the reviewers are unaware of the identity of authors and vice versa.

The editors decide whether a manuscript is to be submitted for a review and determine, after the reviewing process is completed, whether an article is published in the journal, in consultation with an editorial board. When deciding on the publication of articles the first principle of policy is that the articles should be academic or research-related; secondly, that they be relevant to those engaged in matters relating to pedagogy and education, in a wide sense; and thirdly, the overall presentation of the journal must be kept in mind on each occasion. The main rule is that submitted articles have not been published elsewhere.

Publication Frequency

Icelandic Journal of Education is published twice a year and articles can be submitted all year round. In general, the journal publishes articles following the sequence in which they become ready for publication. 

Open Access Policy

The web-based journal offers open access under the CC BY 4.0 license; that is, its content can be freely distributed by individual users and institutions. Users are permitted to read, upload, copy, distribute, print, search or link the full text of articles which appear in the web-based journal without requiring advance permission from the publisher or the author as long as appropriate credit is given to the original source. Authors retain the copyright.

The journal is listed in the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ). 

Publication ethics

The Icelandic Journal of Education is committed to upholding the highest standards of ethics in academic publishing. This Code of Ethics reflects international best practices as outlined by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), Elsevier Publishing Ethics, and the Icelandic Review of Politics and Administration.

All parties involved in Icelandic Journal of Education publication process including editors, reviewers, authors, and publishers, must adhere to these guidelines.

Responsibilities of Authors

  • Originality and Plagiarism
    Authors must submit original, unpublished work. Plagiarism, self-plagiarism, and redundant publication is unacceptable. AI - assisted writing tools must be disclosed; ultimate responsibility remains with the authors.
  • Authorship: Those who have made significant contributions should be listed as co-authors. Contributors not meeting authorship criteria should be acknowledged. Authorship changes post-submission require written consent from all authors.
  • Data Integrity and Transparency: Authors are responsible for the accuracy and integrity of data. Data may be requested for editorial review and should comply with open data policies where applicable.
  • Conflict of Interest: Authors must disclose all financial, institutional, or personal conflicts of interest. All funding sources must be acknowledged.
  • Ethical Approvals: Studies involving human participants require prior ethical approval and informed consent. Compliance with GDPR and Icelandic data protection laws is mandatory.
  • Corrections and Retractions: Authors must promptly notify the journal of significant errors. Corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern will follow COPE procedures.

Responsibilities of Editors

  • Fair Review Process: Editorial decisions are based on scholarly merit, relevance, and originality, free from discrimination.
  • Confidentiality: Editors will maintain confidentiality throughout the review process.
  • Conflict of Interest: Editors must disclose any conflicts and recuse themselves from conflicted submissions.
  • Editorial Independence: Editorial decisions are made independently of institutional, political, or commercial interests.

Responsibilities of Reviewers

  • Confidentiality: Reviewers must keep all materials confidential and not use them for personal gain.
  • Objectivity: Reviews should be conducted impartially with constructive feedback.
  • Conflict of Interest: Reviewers must disclose conflicts and decline reviews where conflicts exist.
  • Timeliness: Reviews should be completed within agreed timeframes; delays must be communicated promptly.

Responsibilities of the Publisher

  • Uphold editorial independence and support editors.
  • Investigate allegations of misconduct following COPE guidelines.
  • Ensure long-term digital preservation and access to content.
  • Provide advice and assistance regarding academic publications.

Misconduct Handling

  • Misconduct (e.g., plagiarism, data fabrication, authorship disputes) will be investigated per COPE flowcharts.

Icelandic Journal of Education fosters diversity and prohibits discrimination at all stages of publication.

Publication ethics will be reviewed annually.

Journal History

The journal replaces two older journals, Journal on Pedagogy and Education and Journal on Educational Research. The new journal is published jointly by the School of Education at the University of Iceland, the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Akureyri and the Educational Research Association which published the older journals, respectively. To begin with, a two-year publication contract was entered into. It was decided to maintain the volume sequence of the older of the two previous journals. Thus, the 25th volume is published here. Initially the journal will be published biannually, in mid-June and mid-December (June 2016).