Author Guidelines
The Organising Committee of the 20th International and 56th Annual Conference of ELTAI invites all registered presenters who attended the conference and presented their papers to submit their full manuscripts for consideration in the forthcoming ELTAI publication initiatives. All submissions must be made only through the site https://journals.eltai.in/conf2026/ Submissions made via email, WhatsApp, or any other medium will NOT be considered.
1. Submission Deadline
- Original Deadline: 31 October 2026
- Revised Final Deadline: 5 pm on 15 November 2026. No further extensions will be granted.
2. Submission Guidelines
- Word Limit: Minimum: 4,000 words; Maximum: 8,000 words
- Referencing Style: Literature papers: MLA Style – 9th Edition, ELT papers: APA Style – 7th Edition
3. Required Documents
Each submission must include the following two separate files:
- File 1: Blinded Manuscript (DOCX) must not contain any author-identifying information. File name must be the Abstract Number assigned during acceptance (also available in the Conference Proceedings). It must adhere to the required Blinded Manuscript Format (Section 5).
- File 2: Author Bio-Sheet (DOCX): Authors must complete the official Author Bio-Sheet Template available at https://cutt.ly/2towmDLp.
4. How to Submit
(1) Create an Account
- Presenters must create a free account on the submission portal:
https://journals.eltai.in/conf2026/ The account must reflect the presenter’s name and email used during conference registration.
(2) Submission by Main Presenter Only
- Only the main presenter must submit the manuscript. Joint presenters must not upload or submit the manuscript separately.
(3) Adding Joint Presenters
- During the submission process, the main presenter must add details of all joint presenters (as per the conference record) in the “Authors” section. Adding anyone new as co-authors will lead to the rejection of the paper.
(4) Upload the Two Required Files
- Blinded Manuscript
- Author Bio-Sheet (template: https://cutt.ly/authorbio)
(5) Tracking the Submission
- Authors must track the status of their paper only through the submission portal. Email requests for status updates will not be entertained before August 2027.
5. Blinded Manuscript Format
Mandatory Sections
1. Title of the Paper (centre aligned, without author information)
2. Abstract (maximum 150 words)
3. Keywords (4–5 keywords)
4. Full Text of the Paper, comprising Introduction, Review of Literature, Methodology, Analysis / Discussion, Findings and Conclusion. (No acknowledgements or self-identifying notes)
5. References: MLA (9th edition) for Literature papers, and APA (7th edition) for ELT papers
Formatting Requirements
- Paper Size: A4
- Font: Times New Roman
- Font Size: 12 pt
- Line Spacing: 1.5
- Margins: 1 inch on all sides
- Headers/Footers: Page numbers permitted. No author names.
- Figures and Tables must be properly numbered and captioned (MLA/APA compliant)
- Images must be in black and white
- Graphs and diagrams must be submitted in editable format (e.g., Excel, PPT, vector)
- Captions must not reveal author identity
6. AI & Plagiarism Policy
Similarity Limit
- A similarity index of up to 10% (as per the iThenticate report to be generated by the Conference Organising Team) will be accepted.
- A similarity index exceeding 10% will result in immediate rejection during the Desk Review stage.
Use of AI Tools
- AI-generated content is strictly not permitted in the manuscript. Any section of the paper that is created or heavily drafted by AI will lead to rejection.
- Permitted Use: AI tools may be used only for language editing, grammar refinement, proofreading, formatting assistance, or technical support in data visualisation (e.g., graph styling), provided the intellectual content and ideas originate from the authors.
Mandatory Declaration
If AI tools are used for permitted purposes, authors must include a clear and specific declaration at the end of the manuscript (before the references), stating:
• The exact AI tool(s) used
• The specific purpose(s) for which the tool(s) were used
• Assurance that no AI-generated content has been included in the conceptual or analytical parts of the paper
Example declaration format:
“AI tools were used solely for language editing and proofreading. No AI-generated content was used in the development of the ideas, analysis, or arguments presented in this manuscript.”
Failure to include this declaration, when AI assistance has been used, will lead to rejection.
7. Review Process
Level 1: Desk Review (to be completed by the end of December 2026)
Evaluation for:
• Completeness of the two required files
• Word limit
• Style sheet compliance
• Formatting
• Ethical and academic standards
• Presence of the similarity report
Non-compliant submissions will be summarily rejected.
Level 2: Peer Review (to be completed before the end of May 2027)
Manuscripts that pass Desk Review will undergo rigorous assessment by a panel of referees, who will evaluate:
• Scholarly merit
• Originality
• Methodological soundness
• Contribution to the field
Level 3: Editorial Review (to be completed before the end of August 2027)
Papers recommended by referees will be reviewed by the editors of the respective publication outlet. This may include editorial revisions, structural or stylistic improvements, and format checks. Final acceptance will depend on editorial approval.
8. Publication Opportunities
Selected papers will be considered for the following:
Tier 1 (Primary Consideration)
• Scopus-indexed Edited Volumes by Peterlang Publishers (No APCs).
• Theory and Practice in Language Studies (TPLS), a Q1 Scopus-indexed journal, subject to its editorial policies and peer-review process; article processing charges (APCs) apply.
Tier 2 (Secondary Consideration)
• Journal of English Language Teaching (JELT) — Peer-reviewed journal by ELTAI
• Journal of Teaching and Research in English Literature (JTREL) — Peer-reviewed journal by ELTAI
Tier 3
• Peer-Reviewed Edited Book (with ISBN) by ELTAI
Assignment to publication outlets is at the discretion of the Editorial Board, based on quality, relevance, and scope.
9. Publication Timeline
• The publication process will take a minimum of 10 months.
• The editorial team aims to complete the publication before August 2027, but this cannot be assured.
• Delays may occur due to the multi-stage review process and publisher timelines (Peterlang, Reflections, JELT, JTREL).
Authors are requested to remain patient and avoid seeking updates via email.
10. Declaration by Authors
All authors must acknowledge the following in the Author Bio-Sheet:
• Only registered presenters who attended and presented are eligible for publication.
• No publication charges will be levied for JELT, JTREL, and the volume by Peter Lang. APC applies for TPLS.
• No complimentary copies of the publication will be provided; copies may be purchased at a nominal cost.
• Authors must complete all revisions within stipulated timelines.
• Authors understand and accept the extended publication timeline.
• Authors will not request updates through email.
Submit your full papers at or before 5 pm on 15 November 2026 only through the site https://journals.eltai.in/conf2026/ Submissions will close automatically at the deadline. No further extensions will be granted.
