Publication Guidelines

Publication Guidelines

Content:

Part A: Objectives and Thematic Orientation of Publications.

Part B: Submission, Review and Acceptance of Manuscripts; Printing costs  

Part C: Editorial and Formal Notes

Part D: Ethical Guidelines

Part A: Objectives and Thematic Orientation of Publications

The book series “Media in Academia” is a series published by the Gesellschaft für Medien in der Wissenschaft (Society for Media in Academia, GMW) in adherence to high ethical and professional standards. It serves as a platform for scholarly discussions and reflections on the role of digital media in science, encompassing all its facets. The primary aim is to foster an open and interdisciplinary debate within this topical field.

Thematic foci

The widespread adoption and diversification of new information and communication technologies have significantly enhanced the importance of digital media in science and teaching since the mid-1990s. They have become indispensable tools for studying, teaching and research, as well as for lifelong learning, particularly since the push towards digitalisation spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic at universities. Digital media now lie at the core of efforts to shape new teaching and learning cultures at universities, playing a crucial role in driving innovations in higher education didactics. Furthermore, they facilitate virtual mobility of teachers and students thereby contributing to the internationalisation of higher education institutions. In the context of a much-discussed “globalised information and knowledge society”, higher education institutions are experiencing changes in their position, function, and socio-political responsibilities. In this process, digital media play a central role at various levels. In a digitalised world, the pursuit of a long-term programme is directed towards clarifying the modes of organisation, tasks, and limits of scientific educational institutions This endeavour includes key questions such as the controllability of renewal processes within higher education institutions and the impact of networking, transparency, and openness as fundamental principles of digitalisation on science and higher education institutions.

The GMW aims to accompany these developments, reflect on them, critically analyse them and offer a forum for the necessary academic debate through its book series. As virtualisation of the courses offered by face-to-face universities advances, along with the increasing availability of purely online courses and the collective experience of several semesters conducted largely online during the Corona pandemic, lasting changes in university structures and fundamental effects on the content and quality of future teaching are to be expected. This necessitates a critical attitude as well as an emancipative perspective of didactic-technological development, which should complement digitalisation measured purely in terms of technological progress.

The innovation potential of digital media must be harnessed appropriately for reforms at universities and to promote qualification in the area of socially necessary competences. The varied experiences with online teaching at faculties and departments from the digital semesters during the COVID 19 pandemic must also be systematically evaluated and included. In doing so, the needs of learners, which have changed due to the increase in crisis-like global developments, should be kept in mind. In relation to this, the previous understanding and system of education should be critically reflected upon. For the GMW, the creative, didactic, and evaluative aspects of the use of digital media in teaching take precedence.

Additionally, alongside the use of digital media for teaching, the impact of digital auspices on science and research under should also be considered, keeping in mind the unity of research and teaching. Regarding digital media for research, there are several repercussions that warrant closer examination, including their influence on research questions, measuring methods, the systematic documentation of results and other scientific processes. Moreover, this field encompasses numerous other pertinent issues that merit consideration. Approaches from areas of open science, data literacy, digital data collections for research and teaching as well as the further development of the scientific publication system should be acknowledged.

Addressees of the publications

The GMW series caters to a diverse range of target groups. If you are interested in contributing to the series, it is essential to consider this varied readership and, if applicable, highlight the specific advantages of the volume for one or more of these groups in an introductory text. The addressees are as follows:

University teachers

• University teachers who use digital media in teaching and research, projects and events.
• Those conducting accompanying research on didactic, psychological, or pedagogical questions.
• Individuals who wish to network with others in the area of the use of digital media in teaching to exchange experiences.
• Those with a general interest in digital media and a desire to stay informed on related topics.

University staff

• University staff responsible for planning and implementing new structures or for driving cultural change in research and teaching.

Academic staff

• Academic staff involved in projects using digital media for teaching and other projects in academic endeavours, and have a broader interest in such topics across projects.

Staff in media, multimedia, and computer centres as well as libraries

• Personnel working in service institutions that use media in science and provide support and advice for teaching with digital media.

Scientists and academics,

• Those conducting application-oriented research on/about media (not only in teaching)
• Professionals who advance corresponding developments (tools, visualisations, etc.),

Those involved in digitisation of teaching and science

• Individuals active in the field of digitisation of teaching and science,
• Those involved in the development and design of teaching/learning media and similar fields.

Typical forms of publication

The GMW book series published by Waxmann Verlag serves as a platform for publishing results from university practice and research on the aforementioned main topics. Authors are invited to submit monographs or collections of academic essays that build upon and expand the existing spectrum of volumes published in the book series. The prerequisites for inclusion are (a) a thematic focus on the use of digital media in higher education and (b) a scientifically rigorous treatment and examination of the chosen topic. The significance of the use of digital media for the education system should be evident, and contributions on organisational developments are expressly desired.

Particular emphasis is placed to the overall readability of the text. The GMW aims to offer reading that appeals not only to the content but also to the form of the readers belonging to the aforementioned target groups, piquing their interest in the respective topics.

Below are examples of various typical forms of publications and the specific criteria for each:

Outstanding scientific works

(e.g. Volume 62, Nina Kahnwald: Informelles Lernen in virtuellen Gemeinschaften. Nutzungspraktiken zwischen Information und Partizipation, Volume 59, Christian Kreidl: Akzeptanz und Nutzung von E-Learning-Elementen an Hochschulen. Gründe für die Einführung und Kriterien der Anwendung von E-Learning or Volume 49, Anne Thillosen: Schreiben im Netz. Neue literale Praktiken im Kontext Hochschule)

The decision for inclusion in the series is based on the qualifying thesis and the reviews. Necessary revisions, which result from the expert opinions, or which are deemed suitable for enhancing readability for a broad readership, are made in consultation with the editorial board. These papers often prompt questions regarding the presentation of scientific results to suit a broad readership or whether questions of methodology occupy excessive space. In consultation with the respective examiners or supervising university lecturers, adjustments can sometimes be made to meet the series’ demands for reader-friendliness.

Thematic volumes

(e.g. Volume 76, Reinhard Bauer, Jörg Hafer, Sandra Hofhues, Mandy Schiefner-Rohs, Anne Thillosen, Benno Volk & Klaus Wannemacher (eds.): Vom E-Learning zur Digitalisierung. Mythen, Realitäten, Perspektiven or Volume 66, Tina Škerlak, Helen Kaufmann & Gudrun Bachmann (eds.): Lernumgebungen an der Hochschule. Auf dem Weg zum Campus von morgen)

In thematic volumes, the contributions must be contextually relevant and the selection should be justified. An overarching summary by the volume editors should make it clear that this is a focused illumination of the topic and not a “loose-leaf collection” of unrelated contributions. The volume editors are also expected to revise the contributions, if necessary, to ensure that the texts have a comparable scientific and linguistic level.

Project reports

(e.g. Volume 72, Helge Fischer, Thomas Köhler (eds.): Postgraduale Bildung mit digitalen Medien. Problemlagen und Handlungsansätze aus Sicht der Beteiligten or Volume 69, Nina Kahnwald, Steffen Albrecht, Sabrina Herbst & Thomas Köhler (eds.): Informelles Lernen Studierender mit Social Software unterstützen. Strategische Empfehlungen für Hochschulen)

For publications addressing subject-specific or site-specific solutions, transferability of the results (e.g. interdisciplinary references) and inclusion of reference projects in the presentation are expected. The content’s relevance for outsiders – not just the process of the project – should be clearly elaborated.

Conference volumes

(e.g. Volume 77, Claude Müller Werder & Jennifer Erlemann (eds.): Seamless Learning – lebenslanges, durchgängiges Lernen ermöglichen, Volume 75, Jörg Hafer, Martina Mauch & Marlen Schumann (eds. ): Teilhabe in der digitalen Bildungswelt or Volume 70, Sandra Aßmann, Patrick Bettinger, Diana Bücker, Sandra Hofhues, Ulrike Lucke, Mandy Schiefner-Rohs, Christin Schramm, Marlen Schumann & Timo van Treeck (eds.): Lern- und Bildungsprozesse gestalten. Junges Forum Medien und Hochschulentwicklung (JFMH13))

In contrast to the thematic volumes, a workshop character of the contributions is justifiable, especially when the volume is already available for the event itself. However, a clear description of the objectives and selection criteria for the contributions, as well as a revision ensuring a comparable scientific and linguistic level of the texts is expected

The results of the GMW annual conferences are published annually as peer-reviewed event volumes in the GMW book series. The volumes of the GMW Book Series are regularly published, each assigned a separate ISBN for printed and electronic publications, and confirmed with an ISSN from the International ISSN Centre.

Part B: Submission, review and acceptance of manuscripts, printing costs

The Editorial Board: Submission, review, and acceptance of manuscripts

A prerequisite for manuscript submission is that the work has not been previously published or submitted elsewhere for publication.

Prospective authors seeking publication in the GMW book series are invited to submit either an exposé with an outline (as well as abstracts of all contributions in the case of edited volumes) or a complete manuscript of their work directly (as well as the reviews in the case of qualification publications). A dedicated editorial board oversees the process of peer-reviewing exposés or manuscripts. Members of the Editorial Board are acknowledged experts within the subject areas covered by the book series and are appointed by the GMW Board.

The Editorial Board supervises the editors or authors throughout the entirety of the development and submission process of the manuscript, up until the decision regarding inclusion or non-inclusion of a volume in the GMW book series is reached. It is responsible for coordinating the peer review process for submitted book manuscripts. Importantly, members of the Editorial Board are not the editors of the book series. The GMW website provides comprehensive information, including the full names, affiliations, and contact details of the Editorial Board members.

Ensuring overall quality through peer review

The GMW Editorial Board engages two experts in digitised teaching and learning, to review the submitted book manuscripts. These reviewers evaluate the respective book manuscript on the basis of the content-related criteria listed earlier and the editorial and formal notes provided below. The reviewers ensure that submitted manuscripts adhere to scientific integrity standards, guarding against issues such as plagiarism, manipulation of citations, and falsification of data. The reviewers submit a reasoned recommendation for acceptance, conditional acceptance, or rejection, which the Editorial Board forwards to the GMW Executive Board. In the case of significantly divergent assessments by the reviewers, precluding a consensual recommendation, the Editorial Board consults a third expert reviewer, who submits an additional reasoned recommendation.

Upon reviewing the recommendations of up to three reviewers, the GMW Editorial Board makes the final determination regarding the inclusion of the submitted manuscript in the book series. Typically, a review period of at least six weeks is allotted. In the case of conditional acceptance, the editors or authors must resubmit a revised version of the manuscript to the Editorial Board i. In this case, the Editorial Board lets the original reviewers reassess the revised manuscript. Upon a book manuscript’s acceptance into the GMW book series, the editors or authors proceed to coordinate subsequent steps directly with Waxmann Verlag. The successfully completed peer review process is acknowledged within the published book.

Promoting quality by through peer review for conference proceedings

In contrast to the peer review procedure for other book manuscripts, the peer review process for manuscripts of the GMW annual conferences is not managed by the GMW Editorial Board, but by the alternating organisers of the respective GMW annual conference. In close consultation with the GMW Executive Board, the organisers of the respective GMW Annual Meeting approach a group of approximately 20 to 50 recognised experts in the subject areas covered by the Annual Meeting. These experts carry out a double-blind peer review on one or more of the submitted conference contributions and make a recommendation for the acceptance or rejection of the respective contribution. The reviewers ensure the absence of scientific misconduct, such as plagiarism, manipulation of citations, or falsification of data. In instances of conflicting recommendations, the organisers of the GMW Annual Meeting obtain a third expert opinion. Based on the recommendations, accepted papers are then included in the respective GMW conference proceedings.

Initial steps for submitting a book manuscript

If you are considering publishing your work in the GMW series, please contact us. Alternatively, you have the option to submit a synopsis along with an outline in advance, for coordination purposes. Depending on the status of your plans and your manuscript, we will provide guidance on which documents are required to proceed with the publication.

Once your submission has been accepted, please contact Waxmann Verlag directly. They will assist in clarifying the organisational issues relating to the publication of your contribution. Subsequently they will send you the printing proofs after the final manuscript’s submission and oversee timely production.

The designated GMW contact person is Dr Klaus Wannemacher (e-mail: wannemacher@his-he.de).

Printing costs

Regrettably, production costs (especially for qualification theses) are not always recoverable through sales. Consequently, it is often necessary for the provision of a printing cost subsidy. The amount of the respective subsidy is contingent on various factors, encompassing the form of publication, domestic and international market opportunities, page count, illustrations, possible typesetting costs and manuscript proofreading costs.

The GMW book series accommodates the following forms of publication and copyright policies:

• Print and e-book publication: Under this arrangement, your book is produced as a printed and a digital book. Both versions are distributed via the publisher and the book trade, subject to a fee.
• Additional open access option: The print and e-book publication can be extended by an open access option. In this case, only a smaller print run is produced and distributed via the publisher and booksellers for a fee. However, the e-book is published under a Creative Commons licence (such as “Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International”, CC BY-SA 4.0) as an Open Access publication and made available to all libraries in the union catalogues. In this case, third parties are permitted to reproduce, distribute and make publicly available the contents of the publication in compliance with the licence conditions, provided that the authors involved are named and the processing and disclosure to third parties is again subject to these conditions.

The copyright holder is named in all published books or articles. The licence conditions are stated in all published books or articles, both in HTML and PDF format.

Additionally, the manuscript is distributed via key databases such as Pedocs and the Directory of Open Access Books. Long-term archiving is also ensured in this way. Furthermore, you can offer the volume on third-party repositories or on your website and post it in repositories for free download.

To assist you with approximate cost estimates, the approximate printing allowances for the various forms of publication and page counts are listed below:

	Print and e-book (with 150 print exemplars)	Open access option (plus print and e-book fee)
ca. 200 pages	2060 €	1500 €
ca. 250 pages	2280 €	1700 €
ca. 300 pages	2500 €	1900 €
ca. 350 pages	2800 €	2100 €
ca. 400 pages	3650 €	2300 €

The printing subsidies mentioned above do not include VAT. These are approximate figures and may vary for the reasons stated above. Alternative financing models such as a fixed purchase are also possible. If you would like a concrete offer, please contact the publisher directly.

The book series is refinanced through printing subsidies from the editors and authors as well as book trade revenues for the print volumes.

The contact person at Waxmann Verlag is Ms Beate Plugge (e-mail: plugge@waxmann.com).

Part C: Editorial and formal notes on text entry

Editorial guidelines

The GMW endeavours to give potential authors as much freedom as possible in order to encourage creative and innovative ideas and presentations. Nevertheless, the book series requires a fundamental set of guidelines, which should be agreed upon in advance in the interest of quality and uniformity in publication. These guidelines include:

• Consideration of different genders in the presentation

Within the volumes of the GMW series, the adoption of gender-appropriate language and the consideration of different genders within research work and presentation are assumed. Authors have various options for the spelling of gender-specific expressions. Clarity from the inclusion of different genders should be evident from the spelling itself. Gender-neutral phrasing can also be used. It is also possible to write out the first names of authors in the bibliography. The editors of volumes of events should, as far as possible, provide the authors with a uniform framework for the consideration of different genders.

• Title, subtitle and abstract

The title and subtitle of the publication should be chosen in a meaningful way and outline the content of the book. At the same time as a German version, the title, subtitle and abstract must also be presented in English.

• Consistent structure of the content

The structure of the manuscripts should be coherent and appropriate to the chosen topic.

• Readability

In the interest of the reader, attention should be paid to clear and comprehensible language (style, paragraphs, sentence length, etc.).

• Presentation of project results

When presenting content relating to results from research or development projects, emphasis should be placed on generalisable conclusions.

• Information on authors

As a service to readers, the text of the manuscript should incorporate supplementary information on the authors in the appendix: brief CV, main areas of work, contact.

• Multiple submissions and redundant publications

There should be no duplication with other volumes in the book series. Essential findings should not have already been published elsewhere.

Formal notes

Please use the format template provided by Waxmann Verlag and, if possible, also observe the formal notes on text compilation when submitting your manuscripts. Authors should make separate arrangements with the publisher regarding the final sifting and checking of manuscripts, the layout, the preparation of a print copy, the obtaining of copyrights and the transfer of commercial rights and ancillary rights as well as the costs of printing and distribution.

If the layout is to be taken over by the publisher, the instructions given below must be observed. If you undertake the reformatting required for printing yourself, please contact the publisher in advance (Ms Plugge, e-mail: plugge@waxmann.com).

Layout of the manuscript

Please always follow the new spelling rules (also in graphics, illustrations, etc.). Enter the text in a uniform font, single-spaced with about 80 characters per line.

Please note the following when entering text:

no hyphenation

no line breaks at the end of a line except at the end of paragraphs

no spaces for indents, e.g. for tables, enumerations, indentations, quotations; please use tabs instead. Please also do not place spaces between abbreviations (e.g., i.d.R.).

For emphasis, please use italics, not boldface, underlining, blocking or capital letters.

Footnotes should be marked by superscript numbers without brackets. The footnote number is placed after the punctuation mark, unless it refers only to the last printout.

Illustrations and graphics

Please number illustrations/graphics consecutively, save them separately in the format in which they were created and additionally as a tif file and mark the place where they are to be inserted.

Please only use reproducible image originals: originals, slides, photos, line drawings.

If you submit the image digitally, please ensure that the resolution is at least 300 dpi in the size in which the image is to appear in print.

Please design graphics as simply as possible, usually less is more. Do not use double frames, shadows, or gradients. If possible, do not use dot grids (grey tones), but line grids (hatching).

All graphics must be black and white.

Please do not use hairlines, the line width must be at least 0.5 pt.

Citation

Please use the APA standard, i.e. the seventh edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA).

Alternatively, the citation method according to the German Harvard variant of the Society for Education and Research in Europe is also permissible (see Sauer, C. (ed.) (2004). Keeping Form: Handbook on the Harvard Method. Society for Education and Research in Europe. https://acf.de/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/GBFE_Handbuch_Harvard-Methode.pdf)

Part D: Ethical guidelines

The book series “Medien in der Wissenschaft” (“Media in Academia”) considers it its duty to ensure the integrity of scientific publications. It follows the COPE guidelines (COPE = Committee on Publication Ethics) for dealing with possible violations of the rules of good scientific practice.

Editors and authors are expected to present research results in an unbiased manner and to avoid anything that could call into question the trust in the book series, the professionalism of the authors and, last but not least, the scientific work itself. In order to maintain the integrity of scientific research and its presentation, the following rules must be observed:

Authorship and Contribution policies: The authors mentioned were sufficiently involved in the scientific work and are jointly responsible for the results. Books and articles should list names of all those who contributed to the published work, to ensure transparency and research integrity. Authors take collective responsibility for determining who should be listed as an author and the order in which they should appear. Individuals who have contributed to the article, but do not meet the full criteria for authorship, should be credited by name and affiliation in the ‘Acknowledgments’ section. 

Avoidance of multiple publication: The manuscript has not already been published elsewhere (in whole or in part), unless the newly submitted work is an extension of earlier work. Results of a single study should not be split into several parts and submitted to different monographs, edited volumes, or journals in order to increase the number of submissions.

Authorship and validity of data used: Text, data, or theories of third parties must not be presented in such a way as to give the impression that they are the author’s own work. The sources must be cited in an appropriate form (this also applies to almost verbatim copies, summaries, or paraphrases). Literal quotations must be marked with inverted commas. Data (including illustrations) must not be falsified or manipulated to support one’s own conclusions. If the editors of the book series become aware of an allegation of scientific misconduct in connection with an book or article published in the GMW book series, the editors will follow the COPE guidelines when dealing with allegations.

Complaints and Appeals Process: GMW will carefully consider complaints, appeals and allegations in line with guidance from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). This applies both pre- and post-publication. When a complaint is made to the book series, it must be passed to the GMW Editorial Board, who must then inform the GMW Executive Board, and address the issue following COPE guidelines. Pending the outcome of an investigation, the published record will be updated accordingly, with a post-publication notice in the form of either a Correction or a Retraction. This notice will be linked to the original book or article. A permanent digital object identifier (DOI) and universal resource locator (URL) link between the notice and the full article enhances transparency and the integrity of the publication record; only in rare cases, where it is in the public interest, will a book or an article be removed. Well-evidenced appeals to editorial decisions are welcome and will be handled by the GMW Editorial Board in the first instance, who will assess the appeal’s validity. If valid, the GMW Editorial Board or external peer reviewers will review the appeal. A new editorial decision will be made based on the results of this review. To submit a complaint, or to appeal an editorial decision: Contact the GMW Editorial Board with an explanation of your complaint or appeal. Please submit complaints or appeals by e-mail to one of the current members of the GMW Editorial Board by visiting the GMW website (see ‘Editorial Board’). Our aim is to acknowledge complaints or appeals within seven days of receipt, and to keep complainants updated throughout the process.

Policies on Conflicts of Interest/Competing Interests: Competing interests can be financial, commercial, legal, familial, or professional. Authors must declare any conflict or competing interests that are relevant to the published book or article (as well as those that may be perceived to be relevant by others). To ensure transparency, neither editors nor Editorial Board members may be involved in editorial decisions about their own scholarly work. Any published article that lists editors or board members as authors must include a ‘Competing Interests’ statement.

Policies on Data Sharing and Reproducibility: GMW is committed to a more open research landscape and facilitating access to research by enabling reproducibility. GMW encourages authors of books and articles published in our book series to share their research data where relevant, including, but not limited to, raw data, processed data, software, algorithms, protocols, methods, and materials.

Policy on Ethical Oversight: Research involving human subjects, human material, or human data, must have been performed in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. Where applicable, the studies must have been approved by an appropriate ethics committee and the authors should include a statement within the article text detailing this approval, including the name of the ethics committee and reference number of the approval. Authors are expected to follow their institutional policies for research ethics. For most research involving human subjects, informed consent to participate in the study should be obtained from participants. Peer reviewers are asked to comment on any ethical problems perceived within submissions.

Policy on Intellectual Property: Authors at the GMW book series retain their copyright but grant the ability for the publisher to disseminate the work under Creative Commons license CC BY-SA 4.0 (and in very rare circumstances under other CC licences).

Options for Post-Publication Discussions and Corrections: Where post-publication corrections or retractions need to be made, or if a book or article is to be removed, these will be accompanied by a correction or retraction notice to indicate the incorrect elements of the book or article and the extent of the corrections made, or the basis for that book or article to be retracted or removed. Correction notices are issued to address relatively minor errors within the book’s or article’s content or changes that have been made to the book’s or article’s metadata. To avoid multiple versions of the same book or article being circulated, these corrections are strictly limited to, for example, errors of spelling and phrasing that affect meaning, data errors, or mis-citations. These changes are outlined in the corrections notice and the original book or article must be clearly linked to this notice. Corrections are usually made within a short time period after publication. Retraction notices are issued for major issues affecting the argument or substantive content of a book or an article that a correction would otherwise not fix. When a retraction is made, following COPE’s Retraction Guidelines, a retraction notice will be issued, linking to the original book or article, which states very clearly and exactly which part(s) of the book or article are incorrect or unreliable, and therefore the basis for the retraction. A ‘Publisher’s Note’ will be added to the original book or article linking readers to the retraction notice. Removals are only to be made in rare circumstances, where not doing so would infringe copyright or cause harm. In the case of a book’s or article’s removal, the contents of the book or article will be removed from circulation. It will not be downloadable as a file or displayed on the book’s or article’s webpage. A notice of retraction will be issued in the same manner as a standard retraction notice, and it will include the reason(s) for the book’s or article’s removal. The original book’s or article’s metadata will remain, linked to the retraction notice.

German version of the publication guidelines