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This paper compares the findings of two studies on the publication patterns in leading Australian, English and German education journals. The first study was funded by the German Research Association and the second one was unfunded, and they were conducted by a team of international researchers. The first study compared three English and three German leading education journals. The second study analysed the publication patterns in three leading Australian education journals. All papers published between 2001 and 2010 in the nine selected education journals were analysed according to their author profile, thematic focus and methodology used. The analyses (covering three geographical regions) showed the publication patterns in the selected journals, indicating similarities and also some key differences. This paper focuses on the Australian education journals and how their publication patterns relate to the English and German journals.

This paper discusses rationales for comparative work in education and draws on two projects on analysing publications in educational journals internationally. It uses the cases of Germany and England to illustrate the points made. The paper outlines some of the major developments in education in these two countries and identifies their implications for the work of academics in this discipline. The main argument is that the analysis of journal publications provides for tracking of the development of academic disciplines, and that the comparisons of publication patterns in two countries offers insights into the particular starting points and trajectories of a field of study such as education.

This article outlines some of the findings of a project funded by the German Research Association which conducted an analysis of six leading journals of education in Germany and England. All articles published in these journals between 2001 and 2009 were analysed according to thematic foci, methodological approaches and characteristics of authors. The findings of this analysis demonstrate that there are clear differences and similarities in publication patterns between different journals and countries and that some of these patterns have changed substantially over time. The comparative perspective used for the analysis results in conclusions regarding nation-specific trajectories of the discourse and research in the area of education. (Contains 7 tables, 9 figures and 12 notes.)

This article reports on an evaluation of the development of a new type of qualification that is being introduced in England between 2008 and 2011. These diplomas are aimed at 14-19-year-olds, and are expected to present young people with an alternative to established academic qualifications, and also an alternative to established vocational qualifications. The article sets out and discusses the methods used to evaluate the development process of these diplomas. On this basis, it identifies two issues in the development process that raise questions regarding governance structures in education and training in England. The first issue concerns the way in which a multitude of actors and stakeholders have collaborated in the development process of these diplomas. The second issue focuses on the way in which employers have been brought into the development of a qualification that aims at preparing young people better for employment. For both of these issues, the article concludes that new governance structures have been set up that are only partly successful in reaching the goals set by the government. The weaknesses identified are then discussed within the wider contexts of the English qualification system and the relevant regulatory framework in education and training. (Contains 1 table, 3 figures and 10 notes.)