About the Journal
The Journal of Learner Research, Design, and Innovation (JLRDI) is a faculty-reviewed, double-blind peer-reviewed, open-access scholarly journal established to provide basic education learners with an authentic venue for the publication, dissemination, and preservation of their research and innovation outputs.
JLRDI recognizes learners as emerging researchers capable of contributing meaningful knowledge, evidence, perspectives, and solutions to issues within their schools, communities, and broader society. The journal promotes a culture of inquiry, methodological rigor, ethical research practice, scientific communication, creativity, human-centered design, and responsible innovation.
Focus and Scope
JLRDI primarily publishes learner-generated research and innovation developed through the following curricular pathways:
- Science Research for Grades 8–10 under the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STE) curriculum;
- Research 1 and Research 2 under the Strengthened Senior High School Curriculum, treated as a connected research continuum from proposal development to the conduct, completion, presentation, and refinement of a research study; and
- Design and Innovation under the Strengthened Senior High School Curriculum, particularly outputs involving human-centered problem identification, ideation, prototyping, user testing, refinement, and the development of responsive solutions.
The journal welcomes appropriately developed scholarly outputs including scientific research articles, quantitative and qualitative studies, mixed-method research, applied research, experimental investigations, research and innovation reports, engineering and design studies, prototype development studies, design case reports, and other forms of learner scholarship consistent with the aims and standards of the journal.
JLRDI particularly encourages work that demonstrates a clear research or design problem, appropriate use of evidence, sound methodology or design processes, ethical conduct, meaningful analysis, defensible conclusions or design decisions, and relevance to real-world needs.
Editorial and Peer Review Policy
All manuscripts submitted for publication undergo an initial editorial screening to determine their relevance to the journal's scope, completeness, scholarly readiness, ethical compliance, and adherence to submission requirements.
Manuscripts that pass the initial screening undergo double-blind peer review, in which the identities of both the authors and reviewers are concealed during the review process. Reviews are conducted by qualified faculty members and, when appropriate, external researchers, subject-matter specialists, practitioners, or other experts whose backgrounds are relevant to the submitted work.
The review process evaluates manuscripts according to standards appropriate to the nature of the research or innovation and the developmental level of the learner-authors. Particular attention is given to originality, coherence, methodological or design rigor, ethical compliance, quality of evidence, appropriateness of analysis, validity of conclusions, clarity of scholarly communication, and the contribution of the work.
JLRDI views peer review not only as a quality-assurance mechanism but also as part of the research-learning process. Constructive reviewer feedback is intended to help learner-authors strengthen their work through revision, reflection, and responsible scholarly communication.
Open Access Policy
JLRDI is committed to the principle that learner-generated knowledge should be accessible to the widest possible audience. The journal therefore provides immediate open access to its published content, allowing readers to access published articles without subscription barriers.
Open access supports the journal's educational mission by enabling learners, teachers, researchers, schools, communities, and other interested readers to discover, read, and use learner research and innovation for legitimate educational and scholarly purposes.
Any reuse of published work must respect the authors' intellectual property rights and comply with the copyright and licensing conditions adopted by the journal.
Copyright and Author Rights
Learner-authors retain authorship and appropriate intellectual property rights over their original work. Submission to JLRDI grants the journal the right to review, publish, reproduce, distribute, archive, and make the accepted work publicly accessible as part of its scholarly publication activities.
JLRDI recognizes that some learner research or innovations may have potential for patenting, utility model registration, industrial design protection, commercialization, or other forms of intellectual property protection. Authors, research advisers, and editors should therefore determine whether intellectual property protection is necessary before public disclosure or publication of potentially protectable innovations.
The journal shall clearly indicate the copyright and open-access license applicable to published articles. A Creative Commons license may be adopted as part of the journal's formal publication policy.
Research Ethics and Integrity
JLRDI requires authors to observe appropriate standards of research ethics and academic integrity. Research involving human participants, minors, animals, potentially hazardous materials, sensitive information, communities, or other ethically significant subjects must comply with applicable institutional requirements and must secure the necessary consent, assent, permissions, approvals, or clearances before the research is conducted and published.
The journal does not tolerate plagiarism, fabrication or falsification of data, inappropriate manipulation of findings, undisclosed conflicts of interest, misrepresentation of authorship, or other forms of research misconduct.
The use of generative artificial intelligence and other AI-assisted technologies in preparing manuscripts or conducting research must be disclosed when applicable. Artificial intelligence systems cannot be listed as authors because authorship requires accountability for the accuracy, integrity, and originality of the work.
Learner Authorship
JLRDI recognizes learners as the primary authors of research and innovation that they substantially conceptualized, conducted, analyzed, documented, and prepared for publication.
Teachers, research advisers, mentors, and other adults should be listed as co-authors only when their contributions satisfy the journal's authorship criteria and extend beyond their regular supervisory, instructional, or mentoring responsibilities. Otherwise, their contributions should be appropriately recognized in the acknowledgment section.
This policy safeguards learner ownership of scholarly work while recognizing legitimate intellectual contributions from collaborators and mentors.
Privacy Statement
Names, email addresses, personal information, and other data entered into the JLRDI journal platform shall be used exclusively for the stated purposes of the journal and its editorial, peer-review, publication, communication, and archival processes. Such information shall not be made available for unrelated commercial purposes.
Because many JLRDI authors may be minors, the journal gives particular attention to the responsible handling of learner information. Personal contact details, sensitive personal information, and unnecessary identifying information should not be publicly disclosed.
Authors must likewise protect the confidentiality and privacy of research participants and ensure that published manuscripts do not contain information that could improperly identify individuals who were promised anonymity or confidentiality.
Sponsorship and Editorial Independence
JLRDI may receive institutional, logistical, technical, or financial support from its publishing institution and from partner organizations that share its educational and scholarly objectives.
Any significant sponsorship, financial assistance, institutional support, or potential conflict of interest shall be disclosed when relevant. Sponsors and supporting organizations shall not influence editorial decisions, peer-review outcomes, or the acceptance or rejection of manuscripts. Editorial decisions shall remain based on scholarly quality, ethical compliance, relevance, and the journal's established policies.
History of the Journal
JLRDI was established as a scholarly platform dedicated specifically to making the research and innovation of basic education learners visible, accessible, and enduring.
The journal responds to the growing emphasis on authentic research, evidence-based problem-solving, scientific communication, engineering and design processes, and human-centered innovation within basic education. It seeks to bridge classroom research experiences and formal scholarly communication by giving learner-authors an opportunity to subject their work to editorial evaluation, double-blind peer review, revision, publication, and dissemination.
Through JLRDI, research outputs that might otherwise remain as classroom requirements, printed manuscripts, research-defense materials, or capstone projects can become part of a growing and organized body of learner-generated scholarship.
Digital Preservation and Archiving
JLRDI is committed to the long-term preservation and accessibility of its published scholarly content. The journal shall maintain appropriate digital backups and archival copies of its published materials and metadata.
Participation in recognized preservation networks or services such as LOCKSS, CLOCKSS, or other compatible digital preservation systems shall be stated on this page only after such services have been formally configured or activated for the journal.
Commitment
JLRDI seeks to develop young people not merely as students who complete research requirements, but as emerging researchers, designers, innovators, and responsible contributors to knowledge.
The journal provides a space where learner inquiry can move beyond the classroom, withstand scholarly scrutiny, and become part of the wider conversation about problems, evidence, possibilities, and solutions.
