Publication Schedule, Continuous Publication & Online First Policy
This policy explains how the Journal of Hypermedia & Technology-Enhanced Learning manages year-round submissions, scheduled issues, publication within an open issue, Online First articles, DOI assignment, article dates, issue completion, and final bibliographic information.
Three Scheduled Issues Each Year
Submissions are accepted throughout the year and are processed according to the journal’s established editorial and peer-review procedures.
February
The first regular issue is opened on the last calendar day of February.
June
The second regular issue is opened on 30 June.
October
The third regular issue is opened on 31 October.
Article-volume target
The journal normally aims to publish at least five articles in each regular issue. If fewer than five articles are ready on the scheduled opening date, the issue is still opened on time and remains marked In Progress while additional eligible articles complete the editorial and production process.
Publication Within an Open Issue
An issue may be published progressively after its scheduled opening date, without changing the journal’s three-issue annual frequency.
Issue opening
Each regular issue is opened on its scheduled publication date with all articles that have completed peer review, editorial acceptance, copyediting, production, and final publication checks by that date.
Additional articles
Additional articles may be published into the current issue while that issue remains marked In Progress. The article must have completed all required editorial and production stages.
Actual publication date
Every article records the date on which it first becomes publicly available. An article added after an issue’s opening date is not assigned an earlier publication date.
Editorial standards
Publication schedules and article-volume targets do not alter reviewer selection, editorial assessment, revision requirements, acceptance criteria, or publication-ethics procedures.
In Progress and Complete
The status displayed on an issue page describes whether new research articles may still be added to that issue.
The issue has been formally opened and contains published, citable articles, but remains open for additional articles that complete the journal’s editorial and production process.
The issue has been formally closed. No new research articles are added after completion. Post-publication corrections, retractions, expressions of concern, or other documented editorial notices may still be issued when necessary.
Issue-closing rule
An issue is marked Complete when the editorial office formally closes it or immediately before the next scheduled regular issue is opened, whichever occurs first. Articles that complete production after closure are considered for Online First publication or assignment to the next appropriate issue.
Online First Publication
Online First allows an accepted article to be discovered and cited before its assignment to a specific volume and issue.
Publication status
Online First articles are peer-reviewed articles that have received final editorial acceptance and are made publicly available before assignment to a specific volume and issue.
Each Online First article is assigned a persistent Digital Object Identifier (DOI) and may be cited immediately. The date on which the article first becomes publicly available is recorded as its Online First publication date.
Limited production or metadata updates may still be made before issue assignment, including the addition of volume, issue, final pagination, or an article identifier. Such updates must not silently alter the article’s research findings, interpretation, authorship, or substantive scholarly content.
DOI, Issue Assignment & Bibliographic Updates
Issue assignment completes an article’s bibliographic information without creating a second publication.
DOI continuity
The DOI assigned to an Online First article remains unchanged when the article is assigned to a scheduled volume and issue.
Record update
The existing article record is updated with the final volume, issue, page range, or article identifier and other complete citation information.
No duplicate publication
Assignment to an issue does not constitute republication, a second acceptance decision, or a second peer-review process.
Transparent corrections
Substantive errors identified after Online First publication are handled through the journal’s applicable correction, retraction, and post-publication policies. Editorially significant changes are not made silently.