Contribute to AJEC

Given the multidisciplinary nature of the early childhood sector, ECA and SAGE Publishing (SAGE) welcomes submissions from a variety of perspectives. All AJEC submissions should provide a contemporary and informative contribution to the early childhood sector.

ECA acknowledges the unique place of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in our society, the past and current injustices and realities for them across Australia as well as the enduring strength of their cultures and identities. We commit to be at the forefront of achieving a reconciled nation that values, respects and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of knowing and being.

AJEC welcomes submissions from authors who identify as Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, First Nations or Australian South Sea Islanders.

Interested authors are advised to look closely at the Manuscript submission guidelines before submitting a manuscript.

The maximum word count, including references, is 6,500 per paper. Submitted papers that are over this word limit or are without ethical considerations will be rejected.

ECA and SAGE recognise the importance of ensuring that the voices of leading academics and practices in the early childhood sector are shared promptly and efficiently. Therefore, AJEC is published through an article first workflow—not only does your article publish in hard copy but publishes online first.

AJEC publishes peer-reviewed articles on all aspects of the education and care of young children, to impart new information and encourage the critical exchange of ideas among practitioners, academics and students in the early childhood sector. Becoming an AJEC reviewer is a voluntary position and ECA and SAGE both encourage and appreciate the work undertaken by our reviewers.

To submit an article to our journal, or to become a reviewer of the journal please visit our online platform SAGE Track.

To view the AJEC author and reviewer guidelines please visit SAGE Track and click on the ‘Instructions & Forms’ link under the ‘Resources’ list.

Using Large Language Models and generative AI tools in writing your submission

Authors are required to:

  1. Clearly indicate the use of large language models (LLM) in the manuscript, including which model was used and for what purpose. Please use the methods or acknowledgements section, as appropriate.

  2. Verify the accuracy, validity, and appropriateness of the content and any citations generated by language models and correct any errors or inconsistencies.

  3. Provide a list of sources used to generate content and citations, including those generated by language models. Double-check citations to ensure they are accurate, and are properly referenced.

  4. Be conscious of the potential for plagiarism where the LLM may have reproduced substantial text from other sources. Check the original sources to be sure you are not plagiarising someone else’s work.

  5. Acknowledge the limitations of language models in the manuscript, including the potential for bias, errors, and gaps in knowledge.

  6. Please note that AI bots such as ChatGPT should not be listed as an author on your submission.

For more information please view SAGE’s Editorial Policy on the use of LLM and generative AI tools.

Thank you for choosing to submit your paper to AJEC.