ISSN (Print): 1596-9398  |  ISSN (Online): XXXX-XXXX Open Access  |  Bi-Monthly
Journal Information

About the Journal

The Educational Psychologist — Journal of the Neo Cycle Educational Psychologists Association

Journal Details
Publisher Neo Cycle Educational Psychologists (NCEP) Association
ISSN (Print) 1596-9398
ISSN (Online) XXXX-XXXX
Frequency Bi-Monthly
Access Open Access
Language English
Country Nigeria
Founded 2020

Overview

The Educational Psychologist is a peer-reviewed, open-access academic journal published by the Neo Cycle Educational Psychologists (NCEP) Association. The journal serves as the primary scholarly publication of the Association, disseminating high-quality research that advances the understanding and practice of educational psychology in Nigeria, Africa, and the broader international community.

The Educational Psychologist is a peer-reviewed, open-access academic journal dedicated to advancing scholarship in educational psychology across Africa and beyond. We publish original research, critical reviews, and evidence-based perspectives that bridge psychological theory with educational practice.

Published bi-monthly, the journal welcomes submissions from scholars, practitioners, and policymakers whose work intersects psychological science with educational settings. All articles published in The Educational Psychologist undergo rigorous double-blind peer review before acceptance.


Aims & Scope

The journal welcomes empirical studies, theoretical papers, systematic reviews, and case studies across a broad spectrum of educational psychology, including but not limited to: learning and cognition, motivation and engagement, assessment and evaluation, inclusive education, school mental health, developmental psychology in educational contexts, educational policy analysis, and culturally responsive pedagogy.

Topics of Interest
Learning & Cognition
Motivation & Engagement
Assessment & Evaluation
Inclusive Education
School Mental Health
Developmental Psychology
Educational Policy Analysis
Culturally Responsive Pedagogy
Teacher Psychology & Well-being
Educational Measurement
Literacy & Language Learning
Behaviour & Classroom Management
Article Types Accepted
Original Research Articles
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Theoretical & Conceptual Papers
Case Studies
Brief Reports
Book Reviews

History

The Educational Psychologist was founded in 2020 as the flagship scholarly publication of the Neo Cycle Educational Psychologists (NCEP) Association. The journal was established in response to the growing need for a dedicated, peer-reviewed platform that amplifies research rooted in African educational contexts while engaging with global conversations in educational psychology.

From its inaugural issue, the journal committed itself to the principles of open access — ensuring that quality research in educational psychology reaches educators, policymakers, and communities across Nigeria and beyond, without financial barriers.

2020
Journal Founded
The Educational Psychologist launched as the official journal of the NCEP Association, publishing its inaugural volume.
2021
Online Platform Established
The journal transitioned to a fully online platform, making all articles freely available for download worldwide.
2022
Expanded Editorial Board
The editorial board expanded to include scholars from universities across Nigeria and the West African sub-region.
2023
DOI Registration
All articles began receiving Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs), improving discoverability and citation tracking.
2024
Dedicated Journal Website
Launch of this dedicated journal portal at journal.ncep.org.ng, providing enhanced article discovery and access.

Peer Review Process

The Educational Psychologist employs a rigorous double-blind peer review process. All submitted manuscripts are evaluated by at least two independent expert reviewers. Both the author(s) and reviewers remain anonymous to each other throughout the review process.

1
Initial Submission

Author submits manuscript via the online submission portal. All identifying information is removed.

2
Editorial Desk Review

The Editor-in-Chief or Associate Editor conducts an initial check for scope, originality, and basic quality. Manuscripts not meeting minimum standards are returned without external review.

3
Assignment to Reviewers

Suitable manuscripts are assigned to at least two subject-matter experts from the reviewer panel.

4
Review Period

Reviewers are given 4–6 weeks to submit their evaluation. Reviews assess originality, methodology, significance, clarity, and ethical compliance.

5
Editorial Decision

Based on reviewer recommendations, the editor issues one of four decisions: Accept, Minor Revision, Major Revision, or Reject.

6
Revision & Re-review

Authors respond to reviewer comments. Revised manuscripts may be re-reviewed by the original reviewers.

7
Publication

Accepted manuscripts are copyedited, typeset, and published in the next available issue. A DOI is assigned upon publication.


Submission Guidelines

Manuscripts must be submitted through the online submission portal. Authors should read and comply with all guidelines below before submitting.

Formatting

  • Microsoft Word (.docx) format only
  • Times New Roman, 12pt, double-spaced
  • Margins: 1 inch (2.54 cm) on all sides
  • APA 7th Edition referencing style
  • All pages numbered, including references
  • Abstract: 150–250 words
  • Keywords: 4–8 keywords below abstract

Word Limits

  • Research Articles: 5,000–8,000 words
  • Review Articles: 6,000–10,000 words
  • Theoretical Papers: 4,000–7,000 words
  • Case Studies: 3,000–6,000 words
  • Brief Reports: 1,500–3,000 words
  • Book Reviews: 800–1,500 words
  • Word counts exclude references and tables.

Authorship

  • All listed authors must have made substantial contributions
  • Corresponding author must be clearly identified
  • Author names & affiliations on title page ONLY (for blind review)
  • ORCID iD encouraged for all authors
  • Acknowledge all funding sources
  • Declare any conflicts of interest

Manuscript Structure

  • Title Page (with author details)
  • Abstract & Keywords (blind page)
  • Introduction
  • Literature Review / Theoretical Framework
  • Methodology
  • Results / Findings
  • Discussion & Conclusion
  • References

Publication Ethics

The Educational Psychologist is committed to the highest standards of publication ethics and takes all possible measures against publication malpractice. Our policies are guided by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines.

Authorship

All authors must have contributed substantially to conception, data collection, analysis, or drafting. Ghost authorship and gift authorship are not permitted.

Originality & Plagiarism

Submitted manuscripts must be original and not under consideration elsewhere. All submissions are screened for plagiarism. A similarity index of <15% is required.

Corrections & Retractions

Significant errors in published work will be corrected promptly via an erratum or corrigendum. Papers found to violate ethical standards will be retracted with explanation.

Confidentiality

Manuscripts under review are treated as confidential documents. Reviewers must not share or use unpublished data without explicit permission from authors.

Research Ethics

Studies involving human participants must report ethics board approval and informed consent procedures. Data from vulnerable populations requires extra scrutiny.

Conflict of Interest

All authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any financial, personal, or professional relationships that could be perceived as influencing their objectivity.


Open Access Policy

The Educational Psychologist is fully Open Access.
All articles are freely available to read, download, share, and reuse immediately upon publication — with no subscription, registration, or paywall of any kind.

This journal provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge. There are no Article Processing Charges (APCs) for authors, and there are no subscription fees for readers.

All published articles are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence. This allows anyone to share, copy, redistribute, adapt, and build upon the material for any purpose, provided appropriate credit is given to the original authors and the journal.

CC BY 4.0 Licence — What It Means

Share: Copy and redistribute in any medium or format
Adapt: Remix, transform, and build upon the material
Commercial: Use for commercial purposes is permitted
Attribution: Credit must be given to the original authors

Indexing & Abstracting

The Educational Psychologist is working towards indexing in major academic databases. Authors' work is made more discoverable through structured metadata, DOIs, and open-access archiving.

Google Scholar
Indexed
AJOL
Indexed
BASE
In Progress
CrossRef / DOI
Indexed
Dimensions
In Progress
Scopus
Planned

Contact

Editorial Office
editor@journal.ncep.org.ng

For manuscript submissions, peer review queries, and editorial matters.

Association Website
https://ncep.org.ng

For general NCEP Association enquiries, membership, and events.

Privacy Policy

Names and email addresses entered on this website are used solely for the stated purposes of the journal and will not be made available for any other purpose or to any third party. Submitted manuscripts are held in strict confidence during the review process.

Disclaimer

The views and opinions expressed in articles published in The Educational Psychologist are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NCEP Association, the editorial board, or the publisher. The publisher takes no responsibility for any inaccuracy of factual information or any claims made by authors.