About the Journal

Focus and Scope

Digital Education Review (DER) (ISSN 2013-9144) is a scientific, open-access, peer-reviewed journal published biannually (January and June) by the Digital Education Observatory (OED) and the Virtual Teaching and Learning Research Group (GREAV) at the University of Barcelona.

DER serves as a platform for dialogue and reflection on the impact of ICT on education and emerging forms of teaching and learning in digital environments.

The journal is aimed at researchers, educators, and members of the educational community, as well as anyone interested in the role and impact of ICT in teaching and learning processes.

Its mission is to foster research, reflection, innovation, and the transfer of scientific knowledge to the scientific and professional education community.

DER publishes articles in English and Spanish, including empirical studies, reviews, and theoretical reflections.

 

Publication frequency

The journal is published biannually (January and June).

Calls for papers are restricted to January and June.

Monographic and special issues follow specific schedules and deadlines.

 

Section Policies

The journal publishes the following types of articles:

1. Peer-Reviewed Articles: Miscellaneous articles reviewed through a double-blind process by at least two experts.
2. Reviews: Short pieces on books, software, websites, or PhD theses evaluated by the journal editors.
3. Monographic or Special Issues:
   • Proposals for monographs should be sent to digital.education.review@ub.edu.
   • The publication of a monograph requires compliance with specific criteria:
     • The topic must align with the journal's scope.
     • The Editorial Committee has the authority to accept or reject proposals and set publication dates.
     • Each issue must include at least five articles, with a minimum of half written in English.
     • Authors may contribute only one article per issue, except for complementary pieces evaluated by the Editorial Committee.
     • Articles in monographs undergo the same blind peer review process as regular submissions.
     • Accepted articles are published in open-access format.

 

Peer Review Process

DER follows a double-blind peer review process, ensuring anonymity for both reviewers and authors throughout the review.

Steps in the Peer Review Process:

1. Authors receive acknowledgment of submission (open calls occur in January and June).
2. Manuscripts are initially screened by editors. Authors of rejected manuscripts are informed in February or July.
3. Two external reviewers are assigned to each manuscript based on their expertise, providing detailed reports. Note: Language editing is not part of the peer review process.
4. A final decision to accept or reject is communicated within six months of submission. Authors must confirm their willingness to implement changes within one month. Lack of response will be considered a withdrawal.
5. Editors make the final decision on acceptance and reserve the right to schedule the publication of accepted articles in appropriate issues.

 

Open Access Policy

DER offers unrestricted access to all its content, adhering to the principle that free availability fosters a greater exchange of knowledge.

The journal is an open-access publication, with its content immediately accessible at no cost.

All articles are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 Spain License. Authors retain all rights and agree to the copyright terms as part of the submission process.

DER does not charge fees for manuscript submission or publication.

 

Declaration of publishing ethics and best practices

Digital Education Review (DER) subscribe the Declaration of publishing ethics and best practices for scientific journals published by the University of Barcelona.

The University of Barcelona promotes the open access publication of digital journals and endeavours to guarantee quality and conscientiousness in the transfer of scientific knowledge. The University is committed to ensuring that the articles it publishes and the publishing process itself observe the Code of Conduct and Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). It is therefore essential that all of the stakeholders in this process—journal editors, reviewers, technical editors and authors—know and act according to the Code.

Responsibilities of Journal Editors:

• Ensure impartial publication decisions, unaffected by the author's identity or background.
• Provide transparent submission guidelines, arbitration processes, and reviewer evaluation criteria.
• Publish corrections, clarifications, or retractions as needed.
• Ensure confidentiality in the review process and communications.
• Respect the integrity of published articles.
• Act promptly on plagiarism or ethical concerns.

Responsibilities of Authors:

• Accept accountability for the submitted content.
• Notify editors of errors in published articles to facilitate corrections.
• Ensure originality of submissions and secure co-author consent before publication.

Responsibilities of Reviewers and Technical Editors:

• Provide objective, informed, and constructive feedback based on relevance, originality, and adherence to the journal's guidelines.
• Adhere to deadlines and notify editors of delays.
• Maintain confidentiality regarding manuscript content and review outcomes.