The Path from Elementary School Teacher to University Faculty, Episode 2: Baptism by Academia. The High Wall of 'Peer-Reviewed Papers'
If the 'Educational Practice Paper Contest' I mentioned last time was about evaluating the passion and ideas from the field, the next step was the challenge of 'peer-reviewed papers.' From here on, it is an even tougher world where not only the face of a 'practitioner' but also the etiquette of a 'researcher' is required.
1. Not even getting read? The baptism of 'submission guidelines'
What makes this decisively different from the educational practice paper contest is the rigorous 'peer review (check)' by experts. And standing before that gate is an even higher wall called 'submission guidelines'.
Each academic society has detailed rules for margin settings down to the millimeter, fonts, and how to write citations. If these are not followed, you won't even get your content read, and you will receive a notice of 'rejection.' To tell the truth, when I first entered, I was rejected immediately because my grasp of this 'etiquette' was insufficient. It was the moment I realized the strict rules of the academic world, where enthusiasm from the field alone is not enough.
2. Where to position your own practice
Papers have several types depending on their nature.
• 'Research Paper': A compilation of theoretical research results.
• 'Practical Research Paper': A systematization of case studies of practice in the field.
• 'Research Note': Results similar to the above, or introductions/reports, etc.
Since my content focuses on my practice in elementary school and its results, issues, and improvements, I have mainly entered them as 'Practical Research Papers'.
3. The long road to acceptance
So far, I have challenged many academic journals, including the Japan Society for Moral Education, the Japan Society for Moral Education Methods, the Japan Society for Human Education, the Japan Society for Educational Practice, and the Kansai Educational Research Association. However, acceptance is not that easy.
The results that come after spending time are mainly in the following four stages:
1. Accepted for publication
2. Accepted for publication after minor revisions
3. Resubmission required
4. Not accepted for publication
I have received the evaluation of 'Accepted for publication after minor revisions' twice so far. However, you should not take this word 'minor' at face value.
In reality, precise feedback covering 10 to 20 points arrives. In response, you must not only correct the paper but also logically answer how you thought and how you corrected (or why you intentionally did not correct) each point in a separate 'revision comparison table.' It is difficult to decipher the intent behind the reviewer's feedback, and this required a vast amount of time and mental energy.
4. Being recognized as a 'researcher'
I cannot forget the words of a person in charge at one academic society.
'An academic journal is the quality of the society itself. Even if there are few entries, we will not publish papers whose quality is not guaranteed.'
As these words suggest, being published in an academic journal means more than just building a track record; it means being publicly recognized as a 'researcher' in that field.
While facing the harsh feedback from reviewers, I was able to deeply understand 'from what perspective researchers look at education.' I feel that this 'researcher's perspective' became the true 'passport' for standing on the university podium later on.