Chapter 13: Writing for Publication on Research With Young Children

Providing the best possible educational experiences for young children remains a challenge in educational systems throughout the world (Tankersley et al., 2015; Wilkinson, 2021). Many different people have a stake in the quality of early education, including teachers, educational system leaders and managers, child development specialists, psychologists, policy makers, healthcare professionals, researchers, children and their families. All these stakeholders need to know about and be able to use new knowledge based on high-quality research studies about what works best under what circumstances to enhance the quality of early childhood education.

The spread of good practice in early childhood education, based on research evidence from well-designed studies, is dependent on new knowledge being accessible in professional journals. In turn, journals’ publication of new knowledge depends on the people who are carrying out research to submit what they have learned for publication (Hoot & Szente, 2013; Saracho, 2013). Research findings that remain unpublished and lessons learned that are not shared with colleagues in the field are unlikely to benefit the education of young children.