SESSION OVERVIEW
The Publisher’s Information Session at the 2026 Annual Council for the Study of Community Colleges Conference was moderated by Xueli Wang, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and featured three publisher panelists representing journals focused on community colleges:
- Yu Chen, Louisiana State University, Community College Review;
- Amanda Latz, Ball State University, Community College Journal of Research and Practice; and
- Sue Kater, Idaho State University, New Directions for Community Colleges.
The session provided a great overview of considerations when exploring possible journals for submitting your work, including the following.
- Who is the publisher?
- Who comprises the readership?
- What is the typical acceptance rate?
- What are length and content guidelines?
- What type of publications are typical in terms of focus and
- What is the typical time to hear a decision? Time to publication?
- How is AI impacting reviewing and publishing scholarly papers?
- What are suggestions regarding style Guidelines
In addition, the session included discussion of broad themes related to dissemination, including the following:
- Impacts of AI
- Open access
- Dissemination strategies for making your work accessible
- Scholarly vs. practitioner perspectives
- Anonymizing institutions, projects, and individuals
Here is some background on each of the three journals based on their websites.
JOURNAL PROFILES
COMMUNITY COLLEGE REVIEW
Community College Review (CCR) is published by Sage Publication in association with North Carolina State University. CCR Vision is “To be the national leader in publication of scholarly, peer-reviewed research and commentary on community colleges”.
Journal metrics from the CCR website indicate the following:
- First decision - 5 days
- Peer review - 109 days
- Submission to acceptance - 254 days
- Acceptance rate - 19.1%
- APA Style 7th edition
- Typical length - 25 to 30 pages double-spaced
- Submission types: qualitative and quantitative research reports, critical literature reviews, scholarly essays, and book reviews
- Open Access or Fees - No fees to submit or publish. Open access options available.
- Sample article with STEM focus:
- Navigating STEM Major and Transfer Destination Choices: Community College Student Experiences through the Lens of Practice Theory by Dana G. Holland Zahner
The Community College Journal of Research and Practice (CCJRP) is published by Taylor & Francis and has the state goal to be a “Forum for researchers and practitioners in higher education focusing on community college issues by exchanging ideas and empirically tested innovations.”
Journal metrics from the CCJRP website indicate the following:
- Submission to first decision - 42 days
- Acceptance to online publication - 24 days
- Acceptance rate - 25%
- Style - APA 7th edition
- Typical length
- Submission types
- Open access/fees - hybrid open access provides the option to publish open access. The Taylor & Francis open access cost finder produced a sample fee of $3,565 for publishing a research article in CCJRP for an author from the United States.
- Sample articles relevant to S-STEM projects:
- How Organizational Partnerships Spark Information Sharing in a Quest for Sustainable, Institutional Changeby Amy Jo Richardson, David B. Knight, and Walter C. Lee.
- Investigating Dynamic Transfer Processes Among STEM Majors by Heather Thiry.
- How Organizational Partnerships Spark Information Sharing in a Quest for Sustainable, Institutional Changeby Amy Jo Richardson, David B. Knight, and Walter C. Lee.
The Journal of Applied Research in the Community College (JARCC) is sponsored by San Diego State University and published by Montezuma Publishing. The vision for the JARCC is
“To provide a forum for equity minded scholarship and practice briefs to be shared with community college practitioners and researchers in order to enhance institutional effectiveness, inclusive campus environments, reflexive leadership and equitable student outcomes.”
- Accepts Research Articles and Practice Briefs
- Style Guide - APA 7th edition
- Next call for manuscripts deadline - August 1, 2026
- Sample articles with STEM focus:
- Retaining Upward-Transfer Women in Computing Majors, by Jennifer M. Blaney, Northern Arizona University
- Family Matters: An Asset- Based Approach to How Families Shape Engineering Identity for Community College Students, by Brian D. Le, Sarah L. Rodriguez, and Maria L. Espino.
- Retaining Upward-Transfer Women in Computing Majors, by Jennifer M. Blaney, Northern Arizona University
Journal of applied research in the community college Montezuma publishing Mandy, channeling her inner Deb Floyd, CCRP CCJRP Sometimes publish papers from conference last time was Pittsburgh POSITIVE, with students Taylor and Francis
Academic journals have publishers Readership = researchers AND practitioners Scholarly essays - remix of existing papers Length 250 words per page DS 25-30 pages Research briefs = 10 pages Book reviews = 1000 words Acceptance rate of 25% Time to decision - can be long 43 days on average Super quick to publishing online. Think about readership April Chen CCR Admin, students, primary focus empirically grounded, evidence based Special issues Since 1973 Houses within NC state Sage publishing, quarterly Max of 30 pages but flexible Somewhat selective 15-19 % David Aires editor in chief April is an associate editor Sue Kater New Directions in Community colleges Wiley is the publisher (UK) 6000 words Focus translating research to practice Higher acceptance rate Quarterly Trending topics = Can publish continuous New online Six month turn around possible for well written Upcoming special topic issues in equity LinkedIn page Q&A Dissertation already published? Ask questions, rework, don’t take verbatim Book review Why rejected Writing is weak Community college connection Anonymizing Style APA, essential READ INSTRUCTIONS! Ai understand how style guide instruct how to cite any use of AI BE TRANSOARENT do not ever use AI as a ghost writer, YouTube videos out of Yale, poor review Let’s be honest and transparent Plagiarism checker What do practitioners mean? False dichotomy Scholar do research as their job Practitioner = adjacent or in CC Lots of ways to disseminate New journal that is all videos S-stem question What is your goals? What are your audiences goals? What kind of work do you want to do? Do you want to sprint? Do you want to do a marathon? Open access can use grant
REFERENCES
Blaney, M. J. (2021). Retaining upward-transfer women in computing majors. Journal of Applied Research in the Community College, 28(1), 125-144.
Holland Zahner, D. G. (2023). Navigating STEM Major and Transfer Destination Choices: Community College Student Experiences through the Lens of Practice Theory. Community College Review, 51(4), 538–566. https://doi-org.ezproxy.augsburg.edu/10.1177/00915521231182119
Le, D. B., Rodriguez, L. S., & Espino, L. M. (2021). Family matters: An asset- based approach to how families shape engineering identity for community college students. Journal of Applied Research in the Community College, 28(1), 145-154.
Richardson, A. J., Knight, D. B., & Lee, W. C. (2026). How Organizational Partnerships Spark Information Sharing in a Quest for Sustainable, Institutional Change. Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/10668926.2026.2630345
Thiry, H. (2026). Investigating Dynamic Transfer Processes Among STEM Majors. Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 50(1), 71–93. https://doi.org/10.1080/10668926.2025.2505056
This article was provided by Rebekah Dupont, Augsburg University.