Editorial policy | Manuscript preparation | Policy on prior publication | English language editing services | Competing interests | Authorship and contributorship | Author affiliations | Orcid | Supplementary materials | Author hub | Use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools
Editorial policy
English Today (ET) is a quarterly journal whose aim is to be compact, comprehensive, attractive, and accessible.
It covers all aspects of the English language, including its uses and abuses, its international variations, its history, literature and linguistics, and its uses and neologisms. In short, no aspect of English Studies is beyond its reach.
Advice to authors
English Today is unlike most academic journals in that it is aimed at a very wide audience of educated readers – indeed, anyone who is interested in understanding recent developments in the English language in different parts of the world and domains of use. The readers of ET include educationalists, broadcasters, ELT and ESL teachers, teacher trainers, journalists, students and many others, in addition to those who would describe themselves as professional linguists.
Bearing in mind this wide audience, we require authors to write accessible and thought-provoking articles, which illuminate some recent development in the way English is used. Please keep in mind that your article must say something interesting about the English language. It may focus on the functions of English (e.g. its spread and use worldwide) or on its forms (e.g. variation in English style or usage), or a range of related matters. Or indeed your article may discuss both the functions and forms of English in a given context, including literary forms; but the point is that it should always clearly focus on some aspect of the English language itself, and not, for example, on particular experiments in language teaching or a discussion of general linguistic theory or literary matters.
One of the attractions of English Today is that it regularly publishes new and up-to-date research reports that give academics (and others) the opportunity to reach a far wider audience than is the case in most academic journals. And our quarterly publishing cycle often allows us to publish suitable articles promptly.
In ensuring the scope and quality of its content the Editor is assisted by two Associate Editors, a Reviews Editor, and the Editorial Board.
Pre-submission queries
Contributions to ET are welcome from all relevant disciplines and walks of life.
Prospective writers who are not regular readers of ET may prefer to write to introduce themselves, with a proposal, plan, draft, or completed piece. These should be sent to:
englishtoday@cambridge.org
Unsolicited articles can often be of great value, and are welcome.
Manuscript preparation
English Today generally leaves the orthography of articles unchanged wherever possible. We would appreciate your cooperation in following the style set out below.
For Book Reviews, please review the specific submission guidance provided on the ET's Book Reviews page.
1. Length and submission
Word length: Major articles intended for scrutiny by the Editors alone are usually between 2,000 and 6,000 words, while short articles, reviews, and notes range from around 500 to 2,000 words.
Articles which authors wish to go forward for further scrutiny beyond the editorial team (that is, for peer review) can range up to c.8,000 words. Authors should make it clear whether they wish their submissions to be for ‘editor review’ or ‘peer review’. Illustrative material, such as lists, specimens, and photographs can be added to articles.
Abstract: All articles should include an abstract (maximum 250 words).
Keywords: All articles should include a set of relevant keywords (maximum 6 keywords).
Author bio: The author of an accepted article should provide 100-150 words of biography and, if possible, a recent photograph.
2. References
Authors should follow the Chicago Author-Date Style for references.
2.1 In-text references
Should be as follows. Examples given are for hypothetical single authors and double authors (note use of commas, semicolons and &).
(Surname 200X, X–X)
(Surname 200X; 200X)
(Surname et al. 200X)
(Surname and Surname 200X)
Newspaper articles (when there is no byline): (Newspaper, Day Month, Year, X–X)
Examples:
(Crystal 2008, 5–6)
(Social Weather Stations 2006)
(Mesthrie 2005; 2006)
(Kachru and Nelson 2005; Kachru 2004)
(Greenbaum and Nelson 1996)
2.2 Final references
Final references should follow the following style guidelines:
BOOKS
Surname, Name. Year. Title of Book: Subtitle of Book. Place: Publisher.
Surname, Name and Surname, Name eds. Year. Title of Book: Subtitle of Book. Place: Publisher.
Examples:
Mufwene, Salikoko. 2001. The Ecology of Language Evolution. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Kachru, Yamuna and Nelson, Cecil L. 2005. World Englishes in Asian Contexts. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press.
CHAPTERS
Surname, Name. Year. "Chapter title: Chapter subtitle." In Title of Book: Subtitle of Book, edited by Name Surname of the Editor, XX–XX. Place: Publisher.
Example:
Phillipson, Robert. 2002. "Global English and local language policies." In English in Asia: Communication, Identity, Power and Education, edited by Andy Kirkpatrick, 7–28. Melbourne: Language Australia.
ARTICLES
Surname, Name. Year. "Article title: Article subtitle." Name of Journal Vol, no. XX (Month): XX–XX.
Example:
Martin, Assunta. 2004. 'The 'katakana effect' and teaching English in Japan." English Today 20, no. 1 (January): 50–5. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0266078404001087
NEWSPAPER ARTICLES
Surname, Name. Year. "Article title: Article subtitle." Name of Newspaper, Month Day, Year.
If no byline:
Name of Newspaper. Year. "Article title: Article subtitle." Month Day, X–X.
Examples:
Chung, Carol. 2008. "Blast off." Hong Kong Standard, September 27, 2008.
Hong Kong Standard. 2008. "HK ranks second to mainland in FDI." September 27, 2008.
ONLINE SOURCES
Surname, Name. Year/n.d.. "Title of online document." Accessed Month Day, Year. <URL>
Example:
Callcentres.net. 2005. "Philippines may face staff shortage." Accessed September 8, 2007. http://callcentres.net
THESES
Surname, Name. Year. "Title of thesis." Type of dissertation. Place: University.
Example:
Martinez, Norma D. 1972. "An integrative approach to teaching and learning Standard Filipino English pronunciation." Unpublished Master’s thesis. Quezon City: Ateneo de Manila University.
3. Quotations
3.1 Shorter quotations
Shorter quotations should be enclosed within single quotation marks.
Example:
By 2020, it is estimated that ‘300 million, or 40 per cent of the Chinese population to be in the middle class by 2020’ (PBS, 11 January, 2006).
3.2 Longer quotations
Longer quotations should be indented and use a smaller font size.
4. Tables and figures
4.1 Tables
We suggest that the heading of a table (in bold) should be enclosed in the table, and that the number of the table be followed by a colon, and that the table heading should be the same size as the rest of the table, and the same size as the body copy of the article.
|
Example: Table 3: TOEFL scores for individual Asian societies, 2005-06 |
||
|
Rank |
Country |
Paper-based (computer-based) |
|
1 |
Singapore |
- - - (255) |
|
2 |
India |
586 (236) |
|
3 |
Malaysia |
572 (232) |
|
4 |
Philippines |
566 (238) |
|
5 |
Pakistan |
562 (238) |
|
6 |
Bangladesh |
557 (228) |
|
7 |
China |
557 (216) |
|
8 |
Sri Lanka |
548 (234) |
|
9 |
Hong Kong |
539 (216) |
|
10 |
South Korea |
538 (218) |
|
11 |
Nepal |
535 (218) |
|
12 |
Indonesia |
535 (214) |
|
13 |
Vietnam |
534 (207) |
|
14 |
Taiwan |
530 (206) |
|
15 |
Burma (Myanmar) |
518 (206) |
|
16 |
Cambodia |
- - - (206) |
|
17 |
Thailand |
500 (200) |
|
18 |
Japan |
497 (192) |
4.2 Figures
We suggest that the name of the figure (in bold) be placed below the figure (rather than above), and, again, should include a colon.
|
Example: ~*~*~*~@~*~*~*~ |
Figure X: Title of figure
4.3 Colour charges
Charges apply for all colour figures that appear in the print version of the journal. At the time of submission, contributors should clearly state whether their figures should appear in colour in the online version only, or whether they should appear in colour online and in the print version. There is no charge for including colour figures in the online version of the Journal but it must be clear that colour is needed to enhance the meaning of the figure, rather than simply being for aesthetic purposes. If you request colour figures in the printed version, you will be contacted by CCC-Rightslink who are acting on our behalf to collect Author Charges. Please follow their instructions in order to avoid any delay in the publication of your article.
5. Text Preparation
Distinctive usage (such as British and American spelling, special kinds of punctuation, and IPA symbols) is as far as possible kept as authors provide it.
If subheadings are not provided within a longer text they may be added.
All statements of sources for quotations and other data should be thorough and consistent.
6. Do’s and Don’ts checklist
Below is a checklist of (please) ‘do’s’ and (please) ‘don’ts’ which might find useful:
Do’s:
- Do focus on an issue relevant to contemporary English;
- Do include examples of language ‘data’ wherever relevant, e.g. examples of different variants of English, including grammar, vocabulary, or direct and accurate quotations, or photographs etc.;
- Do write clearly and engagingly.
Don’ts:
- Don’t choose an irrelevant topic;
- Don’t frontload the article with a lengthy literature review and description of methodology (be very concise if covering such points);
- Don’t write in an obscure and impenetrable style.
Last updated: 24 April 2024
Policy on prior publication
When authors submit manuscripts to this journal, these manuscripts should not be under consideration, accepted for publication or in press within a different journal, book or similar entity, unless explicit permission or agreement has been sought from all entities involved. However, deposition of a preprint on the author’s personal website, in an institutional repository, or in a preprint archive shall not be viewed as prior or duplicate publication. Authors should follow the Cambridge University Press Preprint Policy regarding preprint archives and maintaining the version of record.
English language editing services
Authors, particularly those whose first language is not English, may wish to have their English-language manuscripts checked by a native speaker before submission. This step is optional, but may help to ensure that the academic content of the paper is fully understood by the Editor and any reviewers.
In order to help prospective authors to prepare for submission and to reach their publication goals, Cambridge University Press offers a range of high-quality manuscript preparation services, including language editing. You can find out more on our language services page.
Please note that the use of any of these services is voluntary, and at the author's own expense. Use of these services does not guarantee that the manuscript will be accepted for publication, nor does it restrict the author to submitting to a Cambridge-published journal.
Competing Interests
All authors must include a competing interest declaration in their title page. This declaration will be subject to editorial review and may be published in the article.
Competing interests are situations that could be perceived to exert an undue influence on the content or publication of an author’s work. They may include, but are not limited to, financial, professional, contractual or personal relationships or situations.
If the manuscript has multiple authors, the author submitting must include competing interest declarations relevant to all contributing authors.
Example wording for a declaration is as follows: “Competing interests: Author 1 is employed at organisation A, Author 2 is on the Board of company B and is a member of organisation C. Author 3 has received grants from company D.” If no competing interests exist, the declaration should state “Competing interests: The author(s) declare none”.
Authorship and contributorship
All authors listed on any papers submitted to this journal must be in agreement that the authors listed would all be considered authors according to disciplinary norms, and that no authors who would reasonably be considered an author have been excluded. For further details on this journal’s authorship policy, please see this journal's publishing ethics policies.
Author affiliations
Author affiliations should represent the institution(s) at which the research presented was conducted and/or supported and/or approved. For non-research content, any affiliations should represent the institution(s) with which each author is currently affiliated.
For more information, please see our author affiliation policy and author affiliation FAQs.
ORCID
We require all corresponding authors to identify themselves using ORCID when submitting a manuscript to this journal. ORCID provides a unique identifier for researchers and, through integration with key research workflows such as manuscript submission and grant applications, provides the following benefits:
- Discoverability: ORCID increases the discoverability of your publications, by enabling smarter publisher systems and by helping readers to reliably find work that you have authored.
- Convenience: As more organisations use ORCID, providing your iD or using it to register for services will automatically link activities to your ORCID record, and will enable you to share this information with other systems and platforms you use, saving you re-keying information multiple times.
- Keeping track: Your ORCID record is a neat place to store and (if you choose) share validated information about your research activities and affiliations.
See our ORCID FAQs for more information.
If you don’t already have an iD, you will need to create one if you decide to submit a manuscript to this journal. You can register for one directly from your user account on ScholarOne, or alternatively via https://ORCID.org/register.
If you already have an iD, please use this when submitting your manuscript, either by linking it to your ScholarOne account, or by supplying it during submission using the "Associate your existing ORCID iD" button.
ORCIDs can also be used if authors wish to communicate to readers up-to-date information about how they wish to be addressed or referred to (for example, they wish to include pronouns, additional titles, honorifics, name variations, etc.) alongside their published articles. We encourage authors to make use of the ORCID profile’s “Published Name” field for this purpose. This is entirely optional for authors who wish to communicate such information in connection with their article. Please note that this method is not currently recommended for author name changes: see Cambridge’s author name change policy if you want to change your name on an already published article. See our ORCID FAQs for more information.
Supplementary materials
Material that is not essential to understanding or supporting a manuscript, but which may nonetheless be relevant or interesting to readers, may be submitted as supplementary material. Supplementary material will be published online alongside your article, but will not be published in the pages of the journal. Types of supplementary material may include, but are not limited to, appendices, additional tables or figures, datasets, videos, and sound files.
Supplementary materials will not be typeset or copyedited, so should be supplied exactly as they are to appear online. Please see our general guidance on supplementary materials for further information.
Where relevant we encourage authors to publish additional qualitative or quantitative research outputs in an appropriate repository, and cite these in manuscripts.
Author Hub
You can find guides for many aspects of publishing with Cambridge at Author Hub, our suite of resources for Cambridge authors.
Use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools
We acknowledge the increasing use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in the research and writing processes. To ensure transparency, we expect any such use to be declared and described fully to readers, and to comply with our plagiarism policy and best practices regarding citation and acknowledgements. We do not consider artificial intelligence (AI) tools to meet the accountability requirements of authorship, and therefore generative AI tools such as ChatGPT and similar should not be listed as an author on any submitted content.
In particular, any use of an AI tool:
- to generate images within the manuscript should be accompanied by a full description of the process used, and declared clearly in the image caption(s)
- to generate text within the manuscript should be accompanied by a full description of the process used, include appropriate and valid references and citations, and be declared in the manuscript’s Acknowledgements.
- to analyse or extract insights from data or other materials, for example through the use of text and data mining, should be accompanied by a full description of the process used, including details and appropriate citation of any dataset(s) or other material analysed in all relevant and appropriate areas of the manuscript
- must not present ideas, words, data, or other material produced by third parties without appropriate acknowledgement or permission
Descriptions of AI processes used should include at minimum the version of the tool/algorithm used, where it can be accessed, any proprietary information relevant to the use of the tool/algorithm, any modifications of the tool made by the researchers (such as the addition of data to a tool’s public corpus), and the date(s) it was used for the purpose(s) described. Any relevant competing interests or potential bias arising as a consequence of the tool/algorithm’s use should be transparently declared and may be discussed in the article.