ACTE Research-to-Practice Briefs present relevant research on topics of interest to CTE practitioners and include recommendations on applying research in practice. Briefs in this series thus far include:
Learn more about how to submit a Research-to-Practice Brief below, or find out how to join our reviewer pool! Reviewers will be asked to review ONLY if the paper topic is relevant to their area of expertise.
For questions or to submit a brief, please e-mail Research Manager Catherine Imperatore.
Submission Guidelines
Purpose
Each brief should synthesize existing research on key CTE topics, from CTE and related fields, in a format that is easily digestible and that clearly links research with implications for improving practice. Each brief should end with a list of specific recommendations for practice that are based on the research. After reading the brief, CTE practitioners should feel they understand the main findings of research conducted on the topic and how to put the research-based recommendations into practice in their educational setting.
Eligibility
Scholars and other experts in CTE and related fields such as workforce development, human development, education, economics, communication studies, psychology or sociology–including graduate students, professors and others–are eligible to submit briefs. If the brief has been written by a doctoral student, a letter of recommendation from a professor confirming that the brief has been vetted is required for publication.
Briefs are accepted on a rolling basis.
Template
Briefs should be approximately 3,500-4,000 words and formatted in APA style. The paper should include:
- Introduction: 2-4 paragraphs that clearly introduce the topic, how it relates to CTE, from which fields the research is drawn and what the practitioner will gain by reading the brief
- Main Body: Research and related practice should be presented in a practitioner-friendly manner, with headings and sub-headings to break up the text
- Conclusion: 1-2 paragraphs
- Applying Research to Practice: a separate, bulleted list of 5-15 specific, concrete tips, grounded in the research presented
- References
Sample Topics
Each Research-to-Practice Brief should focus on a topic of interest to CTE practitioners. Topics could include, but are not limited to, the following broad topics or sub-topics within these areas:
- Literacy, math or Common Core integration into the CTE curriculum
- Evidence-based practices for CTE educator recruitment
- Improving professional development opportunities for educators
- Incorporating technology in the CTE classroom
- Incorporating technology into career guidance practices
- Evidence-based practices for encouraging parental involvement
- Evidence-based practices for internships, apprenticeships or other work-based learning experiences
- How CTE supports special populations
- Evidence-based practices for career academies
- Evidence-based practices for creating career pathways and programs of study
For additional ideas, visit ACTE’s High-quality CTE Tools library.
Since Research-to-Practice Briefs are meant to be 3,500-4,000 words in length, try to focus on a topic that best accommodates that length. Rather than cutting important research because of a lack of space or stretching out the research to take more room than it needs, narrow or broaden your focus. Research-to-Practice Briefs should focus not on findings from a single study, but should synthesize the findings of multiple studies across a topic area.
Review Process
Following submission, the brief will first be assessed by an ACTE staff member to ensure that it is relevant, clearly written and meets the basic requirements outlined under the Purpose and Template sections above. If the brief passes this initial review, it will then be reviewed by two external reviewers identified by ACTE who have expertise in the subject. At any point in the process, the author may receive their paper back with feedback for improvement.
Recognition
If your paper is accepted and published by ACTE, you will be credited as the author of the publication with a byline on the front page and a short bio in the publication. In addition, a shortened version of the paper may be published under your byline in ACTE Techniques magazine (run on a space-available basis and subject to Techniques editorial guidelines).
For questions or to submit a brief, please e-mail Research Manager Catherine Imperatore.