Submissions

Author Guidelines

AI Policy

• Generative AI tools may not be used to create or alter images or figures, unless this use is an intentional and documented part of the research.

• AI tools may not be used to generate substantive text or ideas.

• If AI tools are used at any stage of the aforementioned approved purposes, authors must explicitly name the tool and provide an appropriate citation in accordance with APA 7th Edition guidelines.

Manuscript

Journal articles should be from 6000 to 8000 words, including an abstract (of no more than 100 words) and references. The body text is single-spaced, justified, Times New Roman, 12pt font. The article should not include page numbers. Please consult previous articles to follow the same format. All manuscripts should be carefully prepared for double-blind review. This means that manuscripts do not include the author's name(s), institution(s), or other identifying features. Please follow the Ensuring a Blind Review steps.

Submitting author(s) respect the following guidelines and format for submission:

1. Title
   The first page starts with the article title and the first letter of each word is capitalized according to APA 7th formatting. The title is in Times New Roman, 18 pt, aligned left, with a right indentation of 3.51 cm. A blank line follows the title.
2. Abstract
   The abstract follows the blank line with the title "Abstract" in bold. The text immediately follows on the same line. The abstract is followed by a blank line.
   Example: Abstract: This paper addresses….
3. Keywords
   Keywords follow with the same formatting as the abstract and are separated by semi-colons. Two lines are skipped after the keywords.
   Example: Keywords: Arts; Education
4. Text body
   The body of the text follows. The body text starts with a Drop Cap for the first letter. Please see previous articles for examples. To add this, go into the “Insert” menu, and select “Drop Cap” to the right, 3 lines to drop, Times New Roman.
5. Paragraphs
   Each paragraph has an indent of 1.27 cm at the first line. There are no spaces between paragraphs, except before subtitles.
6. Subtitles
   Each subtitle is in bold, 12 pt, with no indent or colon. Subheadings are also in 12 pt, underlined, with no indentation or colon.
7. Figures and tables
   Figures, images, photographs, drawings, tables, and diagrams are directly inserted into the text and are centered. They must be labeled with appropriate credits for copyright and in accordance with APA 7th style format https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/tables-figures/figures
8. Acknowledgements
   Acknowledgements, if any, are located directly before the References at the end of the paper.
9. References
   All references use APA style (7th Edition). In the reference section, please include hyperlinks to the article’s DOI by highlighting it and using Word's Insert Hyperlink tool and the article’s URL.
10. Endnotes
    Authors must use endnotes, not footnotes. Endnotes should be at the very end of the manuscript after the references. Footnotes, if any (these must be limited), are placed at the appropriate places in the text.
11. Blinding the review
    The instructions in Ensuring a Blind Review have been followed.
12. Not previously published
    The submission has not been previously published, nor is it before another journal for consideration.

Visual Essays

Definition and Scope

A visual essay combines images and text to explore ideas, questions, or experiences. It is a creative form of research that uses visual expression, alongside writing, to communicate insights, reflections, and ways of knowing that may not emerge through text alone. We invite submissions that are visually engaging, thoughtful, and creative, and relevant to contemporary discourse in Arts Education. Visual essays may address teaching practices, artistic processes, classroom phenomenology, community engagement, or innovative research methodologies. This format encourages authors to bridge creativity and scholarship, experimenting with alternative epistemologies to highlight the unique contributions of visual thinking to research.

1. Image Guideline

Authors must include between 5 and 12 images per submission. Images must be high-quality and integral to the narrative or argument of the essay.

Technical Requirements

• File Format: .jpg or .png
• Resolution: 150 dpi
• File Size: Maximum 1–2 MB per image
• Dimensions:
  • Minimum: 1200 px on the longest side
  • Maximum: 2500 px on the longest side

File Naming Convention

• Please name image files clearly using the following format:
  • [Image Number][Author Name][Title].jpg
  • Example: jpg

2. File Submission

Authors must submit a Word document for review. Upon acceptance, authors will be asked to provide a PDF file, which is used solely to preserve and verify the intended layout of images and text.

Manuscript Guidelines

The textual component provides context, analysis, or poetic reflection to accompany the visual work.

• Word Limit: 1,000–1,500 words (inclusive of the abstract and references).

Structure

• Abstract: A concise summary of the inquiry (50–100 words).
• Main Text: The body of the essay.
• References: Citations must strictly follow APA 7th Edition standards.

Formatting

• Text body. The body of the text follows. The body text starts with a Drop Cap for the first letter. Please see previous articles for examples. To add this, go into the “Insert” menu, and select “Drop Cap” to the right, 3 lines to drop, Times New Roman.
• Each paragraph has an indent of 1.27 cm at the first line. There are no spaces between paragraphs, except before subtitles.
• Each subtitle is in bold, 12 pt, with no indent or colon. Subheadings are also in 12 pt, underlined, with no indentation or colon.
• Blinding the review: As all visual essays undergo a blind review process, please ensure no identifying information (author names, affiliations) appears within the manuscript text or the document properties.
• Image Formatting: All images must be labeled and referenced in accordance with APA 7th Edition figure guidelines.

Book Reviews

The book review section publishes reviews of books or arts research projects related to the field of arts education research and issues as outlined in the journal’s focus and scope. The purpose of the review is to provide readers with a critical evaluation and/or creative response to the book or arts project.

In your review, please discuss the following:

• Aims of the book and whether the aims were achieved;
• The background of the author and their expertise in the subject;
• For edited books, the important themes and questions raised in the book, and the chapters that directly speak to these themes and questions;
• The appropriateness of the methodology, including sources used;
• The audience who might benefit from the work;
• The implications of the book for arts education practice, theory, research, and policy;
• How the book compares to other scholarship in the field;
• Any creative responses generated form the review (optional), which may take the form of a poetic sounding, a visual arts response, etc.;
• Constructive comments about the strength and weaknesses of the book.

Book Review Process

1. Review the books on our current pages: http://crae.mcgill.ca/booksForReview;
2. Choose a book and communicate your desire to review it with the Book Editor (list your contact info);
3. Once you receive the book, your review will be due 6 weeks from the day you receive the book;
4. If you expect a delay, please let the Book Editor know so that we may agree on a new deadline.

Submitting author(s) respect the following guidelines and format for book review submissions:

Follow APA formatting and the CRAE article formatting directives described above. The body text is single-spaced, justified, Times New Roman, 12pt font. The article should not include page numbers. Include keywords for your submission.

The first page starts with the article title and the first letter of each word is capitalized according to APA formatting. The title is in Times New Roman, 18 pt, aligned left, with a right indentation of 3.51 cm. A blank line follows the title.

Title of Book, Author(s) or Editor(s), Location of Publisher, Publisher, Year, Number of Pages, ISBN Number

Example:

DBT-Informed Art Therapy: Mindfulness, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, and the Creative Process, by Susan M. Clark, London, England, Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2017, 344 pp., ISBN: 978-1-84905-733-2

Word limit for book reviews should be approximately 1000 words. For edited collections, the word limit may be increased to 1500 words. Please write in accessible language.