Publishing in Reading: Policies, Trends, and Problems.

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the positions of editors of journals who were sent a questionnaire designed to investigate (1) policies concerning acceptance rates, major reasons for rejection, lag times to publication and (2) the implications of trends for efforts to disseminate scholarly work. Questionnaires were sent to 106 editors of journals, identified by Otto (1974), who typically publish articles pertaining to reading. Sixty-seven variables were statistically analyzed to determine current publishing policies, as well as anticipated trends. The data indicate a substantial increase in the number of manuscripts being submitted, resulting in drastic decreases in acceptance rates and extended lag time to publication. Failure to add to the current body of knowledge and poorly written articles were the most frequent reasons for rejection. Conclusions, expected trends, and suggestions for authors and editors are also discussed. Tables giving the policies of 55 educational journals are included. (Author/MAI)