Module 2 - Which Journal?

As part of a recent module for University, an exploration of potential relevant peer-reviewed journals for our research was required. We were then asked to justify the decision to submit our article to this publication.

I was in a fortunate position as Music Education journals that specifically focus on UK policy and practices are far and few between. The research that I completed as part of the second module of the course needed to be unobtrusive, so I decided to go down the path of Critical Discourse Analysis. I selected the the best journal for this work would be The British Journal Of Music Education (BJME).

This meant studying the syntactic nuances within the Model Music Curriculum and The National Plan For Music and highlighting where they give power to particular cultures. I hope that I can share the results with you once the journal has reviewed my submission.

Below is my justification as to why this research is relevant to the BJME and a table of other Music Education relevant journals that I considered in this process.

The BJME highlights that it ‘strives to strengthen connections between research and practice’ to ‘improve practice within the field of music education’. As a researcher-practitioner, the recent article aligns with the journal's vision and bridges the gap between theoretical concepts and practical application. This intention and context were also the driving force behind the required biographical note accompanying the article, as these values align with mine. Furthermore, supporting insider research empowers music teachers to participate in a scholarly conversation that supports inclusivity by recognising the importance of the practitioner's voice. This recurring theme is seen within the manuscript that I intend to submit. Finally, many academics referenced in the research have contributed to the BJME or are on the editorial board. This not only suggests I believe the works of this journal to be reliable and trustworthy but also gives a platform to further contribute to the work of those reviewing the paper.

The table posted highlights vital critical thoughts when looking at appropriate journals for this CDA research. Although wholly subjective, the ranking system used is based on the aims and scopes highlighted by each peer-reviewed journal and how they align with my epistemological and ontological worldview. The journal impact measures shown are noticeable about this, which are all relatively similar. The low scores of each journal indicate how niche academia in Music education is, and that contribution to the field could be limited within peer-reviewed journals.

The Arts Education Policy Review (TAPR) looked like a likely candidate due to its specific focus on international policies. However, upon deeper exploration, I discovered that the policies and curriculum explored were predominantly USA-focused, governed by a US board of editors, with very restricted articles focussing on UK policy. This limited the chances of acceptance in an already sparse field.

The Journal of Popular Music (TJPM) currently has a call out for several papers, but the CDA research is very UK-specific in its focus. It may have been a restricting factor when competing with already established scholars. TJPM could be an option for future research due to its emphasis on inclusivity and desire for papers on social justice within the music classroom. It is noteworthy that Lucy Green, who has seminal works on informal music pedagogy and has been referenced in some of my previous assignments on pedagogy, is on the editorial board.

Careful consideration has been given when looking at peer-reviewed journal options. Still, the alignment of vision, the number of articles referenced from this journal and its focus on UK policy make the BJME a solid fit for this CDA research.