The NICEC Journal has just announced a new call for papers.

Issue 59 will feature a special collection of research papers focusing on critical contributions from early-career researchers, guest-edited by young researchers André Borges, Oscar Gomez, Hanna Lonka, Taísa Oliveira, and Reihaneh Rahmatjou.

This upcoming issue encourages early-career researchers to publish their work on critical perspectives in career and career guidance research. Building on the COCAG Action (i.e., Critical Perspectives on Career and Career Guidance), critical research refers to contributions identifying, understanding, or challenging career theories, policies, and practices that create or maintain unfair power structures, inequalities, or social injustice.

Who can apply?

The first author of each contribution should be an early-career researcher, which refers to a researcher who is currently completing master’s-level or doctoral studies, or has recently completed these studies (i.e., less than five years).

Submission instructions

The editors welcome a broad range of submissions and are particularly interested in those that attempt to answer one or several of the questions proposed by the COCAG Action, which are:

How can the challenges and changes that are happening to careers in the contemporary world are being lived and understood?
How can policymakers respond to contemporary challenges to individuals’ careers, and what should a socially just perspective look like?
How can career guidance practice adopt a more responsive and critical stance to address the changing world?

These submissions may include:

Critical theoretical explorations
Critical and social justice perspective on careers and career guidance
Evaluations of policies and practices
Evidence on the experiences of marginalised groups
Methodological reflections
Interdisciplinary or cross-sector perspectives
Transnational, comparative, or global perspectives
Arts-based, participatory, or creative approaches to researching and representing career experiences

Submissions are encouraged in a variety of formats, including original research articles, conceptual articles, or short articles (e.g., policy development update, evaluation of a new service, reflections or point of view articles). Alternative article types and formats aligned with the special issue’s aims will also be considered.

First, interested authors are required to submit an abstract proposal using the following form before November 12th, 2026. An email will be sent to authors confirming their successful application through this form.

In the form, first authors of each submission are expected to provide an abstract of a maximum of 250 words detailing their proposal, in addition to a short biography of 250 words, contact information, and affiliations of the authors.

Detailed submission guidelines for the full drafts, including formatting and word count requirements, are available on the NICEC website.

Timeline

The deadline for the submission of abstract proposals is due by November 12th, 2026. This expression of interest will then be evaluated, and a decision about the retained proposals will be communicated in early January 2026.

The deadline for full first drafts is April 9th, 2026. Following peer review, authors will receive feedback and decisions by June 18th, 2026, with revisions due by August 27th, 2027. The publication process will continue with proof reviews during September and October 2027, culminating in the issue’s release on November 1st, 2027.

Detailed timeline:

12th November, 2026 – Deadline for receipt of abstract proposals

Early January 2027 – Decisions for retained abstract proposals

9th April, 2027 – Deadline for receipt of full first drafts

30th April, 2027 – Articles sent to reviewers

18th June, 2027 – Reviews collated. Decisions + feedback given to authors

27th August, 2027 – Final deadline for revisions from authors

17th September, 2027 – Articles sent to design

1st October, 2027 – Proofs available and sent to authors

15th October, 2027 – Editors + authors corrections returned to designer

22nd October, 2027 – Final proof available for approval

1st November, 2027 – Issue published

Contact details

Prospective authors are welcome to discuss their proposed contributions with the editorial team. To do so, please fill out the first pages of the form (you don’t need to fill out the form entirely, and can just write “contacting for an inquiry” in the other sections, such as the abstract section. A member of the editorial team will reach out to you soon after.

Adventures in Career Development

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