Author Guidelines
The following guidelines are intended to assist authors in preparing and submitting manuscripts to Sustainable Education and Digital Transformation (SEDT). Authors are strongly advised to read these instructions carefully prior to submission. Manuscripts that do not conform to the journal’s guidelines may be returned for revision before the review process.
1. General Information
Sustainable Education and Digital Transformation (SEDT) is an international, peer-reviewed, open-access academic journal publishing original scholarly work in the field of sustainable education and digital transformation. Submissions must present original research that has not been previously published and is not under consideration for publication elsewhere.
All manuscripts must be written in clear and academically appropriate English.
Types of Manuscripts
SEDT accepts the following types of scholarly manuscripts:
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Research Articles
Original empirical studies employing quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-methods designs.
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Review Articles
Systematic, scoping, or critical reviews that synthesize existing literature and contribute to theory and practice.
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Theoretical and Conceptual Papers
Studies that develop, extend, or critically examine theoretical perspectives relevant to sustainable education and digital transformation.
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Policy and Comparative Studies
Analyses focusing on educational policy, governance, reform initiatives, or comparative education contexts.
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Methodological Studies
Papers addressing research designs, instruments, or analytical approaches relevant to sustainable and digital education research.
2. Submission Process
All manuscripts submitted to Sustainable Education and Digital Transformation (SEDT) must be submitted electronically through the journal’s online submission system.
Submissions must be original, complete, and prepared in accordance with the journal’s author guidelines, ethical standards, and formatting requirements. Manuscripts submitted to the journal must not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere.
Authors are responsible for ensuring that their submissions comply with all editorial, ethical, and technical requirements prior to submission.
3. Peer Review Process
SEDT employs a double-blind peer review process to ensure fairness, objectivity, and academic rigor.
All submissions are initially evaluated by the editorial team to assess:
Manuscripts that pass this initial editorial screening are reviewed by at least two independent reviewers with expertise relevant to the subject area of the submission.
Editorial decisions are based solely on academic merit, originality, methodological rigor, clarity of presentation, and relevance to the fields of sustainable education and digital transformation.
4. Ethical Responsibilities of Authors
Authors submitting manuscripts to SEDT are required to comply with the journal’s Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement, which is aligned with internationally recognized best practices.
By submitting a manuscript, authors confirm that:
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The work is original, has not been published previously, and is not under consideration elsewhere
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All sources are appropriately cited and no form of plagiarism or self-plagiarism is present
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All listed authors have made a substantial scholarly contribution and approve the final version
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Any potential conflicts of interest are fully disclosed
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All necessary ethical approvals, permissions, or informed consent have been obtained, where applicable
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Authors may use artificial intelligence (AI)–assisted tools for limited purposes such as language editing or readability improvement, provided that such use is clearly and transparently disclosed.
AI tools cannot be listed as authors. Authors remain fully responsible for the originality, accuracy, integrity, and ethical compliance of all submitted content. Collective responsibility for the manuscript is shared by all listed authors.
5. Open Access and Publication Fees
SEDT is published as a fully open-access journal, ensuring that all published content is freely and permanently accessible to readers without subscription or access barriers.
Article Processing Charges (APC)
Information regarding publication fees, including the presence or absence of an Article Processing Charge (APC), is transparently provided on the journal’s website.
If applicable, any APC is requested only after a manuscript has successfully completed the peer-review process and has been formally accepted for publication. The payment of an APC has no influence on editorial decisions, peer review, or acceptance outcomes.
Editorial decisions are based exclusively on academic quality, originality, and relevance.
6. Copyright and Licensing
Authors publishing in SEDT retain the copyright of their work.
Published articles are made available under a Creative Commons license, as specified on the journal’s website. The applicable license permits the use, sharing, and distribution of the work provided that proper attribution is given to the original authors and source.
Copyright and licensing information is clearly indicated in all published versions of the article.
Authors are permitted to deposit the final published version of their articles in institutional or subject-based repositories, personal websites, or other platforms, provided that appropriate citation to the published article in SEDT is included.
7. Manuscript Preparation
Manuscripts submitted to SEDT must be prepared in accordance with the guidelines below to ensure clarity, consistency, academic quality, and an effective peer-review process.
7.1. Language
All manuscripts must be written in clear and scholarly English. Authors are responsible for ensuring linguistic accuracy prior to submission. Manuscripts with significant language deficiencies may be returned for revision before peer review.
7.2. Manuscript Structure
Manuscripts should be organized logically and coherently. Depending on the type of submission, manuscripts generally include:
7.3. Abstract and Keywords
The abstract should concisely present the purpose, methodology, main findings, and implications of the study. Authors should provide 3–6 keywords to support discoverability and indexing.
7.4. Length of Manuscripts
SEDT does not impose strict word limits. Authors are expected to present their research concisely and appropriately. Submissions that are excessively long or underdeveloped may be returned prior to review.
7.5. Formatting
Manuscripts must be submitted in an editable format (e.g., Microsoft Word). Text should be double-spaced with standard margins and consecutively numbered pages.
Tables and figures must be numbered, titled clearly, referred to in the text, and placed within the manuscript.
7.6. Referencing Style
All submissions must follow the APA (7th edition) referencing style. Authors are responsible for the accuracy and verifiability of all references.
Only sources cited in the text should appear in the reference list. Authors must ensure that all cited sources exist, are retrievable, and have been personally consulted.
The use of AI tools does not exempt authors from responsibility for reference accuracy.
7.7. Ethical and Methodological Transparency
Empirical studies must clearly describe research design, data collection, and data analysis procedures. Ethical approvals, permissions, and informed consent must be stated where applicable.
7.8. Anonymity for Peer Review
To ensure a double-blind review process, authors must remove all identifying information from the manuscript file. Author details must be provided separately through the submission system.
8. Title Page and Author Information
A separate title page file must be submitted and must include:
8.1. Full Title of the Manuscript
8.2. Author Names and Affiliations
Full name, affiliation, country, e-mail address, and ORCID iD for each author. One corresponding author must be designated.
8.3. Author Contributions
A brief description of each author’s contribution.
8.4. Funding Information
Disclosure of funding sources or a statement indicating no funding.
8.5. Conflict of Interest Declaration
A declaration of any conflicts of interest, or the statement:
“The authors declare no conflict of interest.”
8.6. Ethical Approval and Consent
Information regarding ethical approval and informed consent, where applicable.
8.7. Data Availability Statement
A statement indicating data availability or explaining restrictions.
8.8. Artificial Intelligence (AI) Use Disclosure
Disclosure of any AI-assisted tools used and their purpose.
8.9. Acknowledgements
Acknowledgement of contributions not qualifying for authorship.
9. Appeals and Withdrawal
Authors may submit a reasoned appeal against editorial decisions. Appeals are reviewed by the editorial team and, where necessary, additional reviewers.
Authors wishing to withdraw their manuscript must formally notify the editorial office.
10. Final Considerations
Submission of a manuscript to SEDT implies that all authors have read, understood, and agreed to comply with the journal’s editorial policies, ethical standards, and publication procedures.