The Journal of Catholic Higher Education (JCHE) is a peer-reviewed, interdisciplinary, semi-annual publication of the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities (ACCU). It is the only international journal dedicated solely to the distribution of scholarly work and commentary with a focus on contemporary Catholic higher education (CHE) in the United States and around the world.
Articles appearing in JCHE are ordinarily submitted by authors (individual and multiple authors welcome) and proceed through a blind peer-review selection process. Occasionally, an article is reprinted with author permission, or the text of a speech is published because of its significance to the field. Articles presented to the journal may not be submitted simultaneously to other publications. No worthwhile topic related to CHE is beyond the scope of the Journal.
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For Authors
Manuscript Submission Information
Each manuscript will proceed through a full blind peer-review process, unless the article is not relevant to the Journal’s mission or patently does not meet scholarly standards. Manuscript submissions can be made at any time through the Journal’s electronic submission website. This system provides the tools needed to efficiently manage JCHE’s manuscript submissions, expanded peer-review cohort, and double-blind peer-review process.
Authors: Please submit manuscripts via our online submission system, which contains instructions for authors on how to create an account and submit your manuscript electronically.
Call for Papers
ACCU seeks original compositions that exhibit high scholarly quality. They should contain a thesis, argument, case study, historical account, theological application, philosophical contribution, or other form of expert analysis. Published manuscripts represent a wide range of interests such as: the role of CHE in academia, the Church, and society; Catholic identity; higher education policy; and social justice.
Currently, we are seeking manuscripts on general topics related to Catholic higher education. Please contact jche@accunet.org with any questions.
Manuscript Submission Guidelines
Original manuscripts from individual and multiple authors are welcome. Each manuscript will proceed through a blind peer-review process unless the article is not relevant to the Journal’s mission or patently does not meet scholarly standards. All manuscripts are to be submitted electronically via the EJ Press site. Please visit the EJ Press site to read the author instructions, create an account, and submit your manuscript electronically.
To ensure anonymous review, please upload a version of your manuscript that does not include references to self as author or to the author’s institution. Once articles pass through the full blind peer-review process, the editor will notify authors of the peer-review decision in writing, along with any recommended changes necessary for publication or reconsideration. On rare occasions, with permission of the author and copyright holder, JCHE may reprint an article or speech of exceptional value.
Our Audience
The audience of the JCHE is comprised of policymakers, executives, and administrators in Catholic higher education, scholars from many disciplines, Church personnel, and a broad spectrum of other interested parties. Manuscripts should be written in a style accessible to the Journal’s diverse readership. Particular care should be given to ensuring that technical jargon, advanced statistical methods, and foreign phrases are minimized or explained in plain language.
Style and Format
We strongly encourage prospective authors to review the Chicago Manual of Style as a guide and acquaint themselves with recent issues of the Journal to obtain a sense of desired style and format. When submitting manuscripts, please use this checklist to match your submission with our editorial guidelines:
- Microsoft Word document, 12-point Times New Roman font
- Double-spaced
- Chicago citation style
- Footnotes, not endnotes
- 4,500–6,000 words in length
- 100–150-word abstract
- 100-word author biography
- Do not self-identify in the text or references (in one copy of the manuscript)
All questions can be directed to jche@accunet.org.
Frequently Asked Questions
What article topics do you accept?
We consider articles that address significant issues related to CHE. Articles that are primarily aimed at a specific field’s professional audience (history, science, etc.) are generally not appropriate unless they address issues directly related to CHE. We have a particular interest in articles that address ways to strengthen the mission and identity of CHE, including the unique traditions and charisms, across various contexts and disciplines.
What process is used to review and accept articles?
When articles are received, they are reviewed for appropriateness, based on content and academic rigor. If appropriate, they enter the review process. If an article is determined not to be a match for the Journal, it is returned to the author with explanation.
All articles that match our demands for content and academic rigor then go through a blind peer-review process. In this process, all identification of the author is removed from the article, which is then sent to two reviewers with expertise in the field of the article’s focus. The reviewers remain anonymous to the author and to each other. The reviewers recommend whether the article should be accepted or not based on a set of guidelines provided by the Journal editor. Reviewers also provide suggestions for improving the article, if applicable. Reviewer feedback is then merged into a unified feedback letter which is given to the author, with one of the following decisions presented: Accepted, Conditionally Accepted, Resubmit and Re-review, or Not Accepted.
Once an author makes the recommended changes to an article, the article is reviewed again. The author is then notified as to whether the article has been accepted for publication or not. If accepted, the article is then edited, footnotes checked, and final preparations for publication made.
Additional author instructions may be found on the submission site.
How long will it be until I hear whether my article has been accepted?
The process described above in question #2 takes from four to six months to complete. The author will hear within two weeks if the article will be considered for review (i.e., found appropriate for the Journal). The peer-review process generally takes from two to three months. Please note that any submitted articles received through any “call for papers” process will be reviewed only after the due date for papers has passed.
How long until my article reaches publication?
Generally, approximately six to eight months pass between an article’s submission and its publication.
If I submit my manuscript before any “call for papers” due date, will I hear back sooner on your publication decision?
No, the review process does not begin until the due date passes.
For Peer Reviewers
How do I become a peer reviewer for the Journal?
Thank you for your interest! Potential peer reviewers should visit the Journal webpage to read reviewer instructions along with creating a username and password. Be sure to provide your full contact information, as well as your areas of expertise. Once you become a peer reviewer, you may use your username and password to log in to that website at any time.
How often will I receive manuscripts?
Generally, reviewers are asked to review no more than two manuscripts during an academic year. Most reviewers are invited to review a manuscript, on average, once a year. On rare occasion, reviewers may be asked to review more than two articles, especially if they have expertise in a particular area or others with that expertise are currently unavailable to help.
Is there a particular format I need to follow?
Yes, reviewers are asked to follow a standard format, details of which are provided to each reviewer. Reviewers are asked to evaluate a paper’s merits based upon its academic quality and its application to CHE:
- Is the topic of importance to CHE?
- Does the article pass academic scrutiny?
- Is the literature search section complete and up to date?
- Is the work original and of interest?
- Does it further the field or repeat tired arguments?
What happens if I do not have time to complete the review?
When a reviewer determines that they cannot complete a review for any reason, the reviewer must notify Journal staff immediately so a new reviewer can be identified. Reviewers are asked to update their profile on the Journal webpage when they know they will be hard-pressed to participate in a review process. Reviewers are encouraged to decline review requests if they know that time pressures might prevent them from completing the review in a timely or careful manner.
What if I do not have the knowledge required to complete the review?
If, upon receiving an article for review, a reviewer determines that the article is outside their area of expertise, the reviewer should notify Journal staff immediately so a new reviewer may be assigned. This speaks to the importance of carefully selecting your areas of expertise when you create your online profile.
Can I be a peer reviewer and also submit articles as an author?
Yes! One may serve as a peer reviewer and also submit articles as an author. In fact, peer reviewers are encouraged to submit original articles for consideration. However, if you submit an article to the Journal, you will not be permitted to be a reviewer for that same issue, as this would pose a conflict to the full blind peer-review process.
In all cases, appropriate professional ethical standards are to be followed. For example, it would be inappropriate for a reviewer to write an article based upon ideas and information provided in an article previously reviewed until that article appears in print.