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Author Guidelines

 

JSSWR publishes peer-reviewed original research related to social and health problems, programs, and policies. The editorial board is particularly interested in rigorous qualitative or quantitative studies of practice in social work and related fields. JSSWR welcomes both full-length and brief reports. In addition, JSSWR publishes meta-analytic studies. In preparing a manuscript for JSSWR, please follow the Journal Article Reporting Standards (JARS) of the American Psychological Association (APA). All manuscripts must be submitted online.

Online Submission:

To make an online submission, use the Submit button in the header on this page.

Guidelines for Preparing a Manuscript

Quick Checklist
The checklist below merely summarizes the key manuscript requirements. Full explanations and further details for each point are provided below the checklist. Authors are also encouraged to review  "Tips for Preparing a Journal Manuscript."

  • Manuscripts must follow the style principles of the Publication Guide of the American Psychological Association, Sixth Edition (2010), except where JSSWR has noted modifications (e.g., place tables and figures at appropriate points within text).
  • The text is double-spaced, with 1" margins all sides, and uses 12 pt. Times New Roman font.
  • Tables and figures are single-spaced and placed at appropriate points within the text; tables and figures use Arial font, no smaller than 9 point.
  • Manuscript is saved in Microsoft Word document file format.
  • Full-reports do not exceed 35 pages (including title page, abstract, references, tables, and figures).
  • Brief reports do not exceed 16 pages (including title page, abstract, references, tables, and figures).
  • The manuscript includes an abstract (page 2) that does not exceed 200 words; up to five key words or phrases are provided and spaced two lines below the abstract; MeSH keywords are used when possible.
  • References include digital object identifiers (DOIs) or active uniform resource locators (URLs), when available. The URLs are hyperlinked (i.e., ready to click, such as http://pkp.sfu.ca).
  • The manuscript has been prepared following the instructions for Ensuring a Blind Review.
  • Credit is given when the words and ideas of others are used. Quotation marks are used to denote the exact words of others. When ideas are paraphrased, the original sources are properly cited.
  • Supplementary information is provided as separate files, and submitted in the specified formats.

 

Finding DOIs for References

            The DOI System provides many helpful citation-linking tools through the CrossRef.org site. The Simple-Text Query option at http://www.crossref.org/SimpleTextQuery/ allows you to retrieve DOIs by cutting and pasting a formatted reference list. Available DOIs are returned as active links, highlighted in red at the end of the reference entry. Simply cut and paste the DOIs to your reference list. Cutting and pasting ensures accuracy of the complex DOI alphanumeric strings.  

            Resolving a DOI. To locate an article using the DOI number, use the DOI Resolver option at http://www.crossref.org/05researchers/58doi_resolver.html by pasting or typing in the DOI number and clicking the "Submit" button.

 

Manuscript Preparation Details

Length and Style of Manuscripts

Full-length reports cannot exceed 35 double-spaced pages, including title page, abstract, references, tables, and figures. Longer manuscripts may be considered for review if the article is well written and the authors can provide justification for the added length (e.g., reviewed multiple instruments, included multiple studies).

Brief reports cannot exceed 16 pages (inclusive of title page, abstract, references, tables, and figures).

Supplementary Information

As an electronic journal, JSSWR provides authors with the means to go beyond the limits of text by adding audio clips, videos, and slide shows as supplementary material for their articles. Photographs should be submitted as .gif, .jpg, or .png files. 

Style

With a few modifications, JSSWR follows the style principles of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Sixth Edition (2010). Manuscripts that do not conform to APA style will be returned without review.

Format Requirements

  • Use 12-point Times New Roman font, double-spaced throughout (except tables and figures), and set margins at 1" on all sides.
  • Submit your manuscript as a Microsoft Word document.
  • Provide an abstract of no more than 200 words.
  • Please place tables and figures at appropriate places in the manuscript rather than at the end of the text.
  • If submitting to a peer-reviewed section of the journal, follow the procedures for Ensuring a Blind Review.
    • — Mask the manuscript by replacing authors' names with "Author" in the in-text citations and references.
    • — Ensure that the title page contains only the runninghead, title, and date manuscript is submitted.
    • — Ensure that the manuscript does not include any identifying information. For example, instead of writing,"This research was approved by the University of North Carolina Institutional Review Board," mask the text to read, "This research was approved by the Institutional Review Board of a large university in the Southeastern United States."

Abstract and Keywords

Manuscripts must include an abstract of no more than 200 words, beginning on a separate page (page 2) after the title page. In the online submission process, the abstract is uploaded separately from the manuscript. Therefore, you may find it helpful to save and title the abstract as a distinct Word file.

When possible, abstracts should be written in present tense. The abstract should not include in-text citations unless the research builds directly on another researcher's work. Following the abstract, leave two lines of space and then provide up to five keywords or phrases.

Use MeSH Keywords to Improve "Searchability" of Your Article

        The MeSH (Medical Subject Headings) system of keywords was developed by the National Library of Medicine to provide a better system for indexing and retrieving the rapidly growing number of publications in the PubMed and MEDLINE databases. MeSH is a controlled vocabulary thesaurus arranged in an 11-level hierarchical tree that is updated yearly. Going the extra step of assigning MeSH keywords to your article will increase the ability of scholars to locate your article using this standardized search vocabulary with Internet search engines.  

       To determine if a term is MeSH keyword, enter the term in the MeSH browser at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/2010/mesh_browser/MBrowser.html Select "Main Headings" and click Find Exact Term. If the term is a MeSH keyword, the returned page will show your term in the box labeled "MeSH Heading." If the term is not recognized by MeSH, re-do your search but click on Find Terms with ANY Fragments. This broad search will return a list of MeSH keywords related to your term. Select a keyword from that list that best identifies your topic.

       For example, the term outbreak entered in the MeSH browser is returned as the MeSH heading disease outbreak, so you would want to modify your keyword list accordingly. In contrast, a search for the term sexual violence returned no results using the Exact Term search. However, the alternate ANY Fragments search returned a list of 27 main heading keywords (plus subheadings), ranging from Child Abuse, Sexual to Violence, Behavior Assaultive.  

       The MeSH system is also a useful research tool for conducting literature searches. Brief video tutorials are available from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?db=mesh

 

Tables

Prepare tables according to APA guidelines with two notable exceptions:

  • single-space all table elements, and
  • place tables at appropriate places within the text.

Otherwise, following APA guidelines for tables:

  • number each table with an Arabic numeral (e.g., Table 2);
  • use Times New Roman for all-text tables or Arial for mixed figures and text tables:
  • refer to each table within the text
  • omit gridlines and vertical rules;
  • align figures on decimal points or places;
  • give units of measurement in table notes, not within the table;
  • use lowercase letters to indicate table notes, and use * to indicate p values.

Figures (i.e., graphs, diagrams, photographs)

  • refer to each figure in the text
  • place each figure at the appropriate place within the text
  • number each figure with an Arabic numeral (e.g., Figure 1)
  • include explanation of any symbols or abbreviation in figure captions so the reader can easily interpret the figure without having to refer to the text.
  • submit photographs as .gif, .jpg, or .png files

Writing Style

JSSWR encourages authors to use precise, concise language and an economy of expression. Please use a direct style and avoid passive construction whenever possible. Avoid overuse of abbreviations and acronyms. A helpful guideline is to limit the use of unfamiliar abbreviations and acronyms to no more than five per manuscript.

Referring to Study Participants

Manuscripts reporting the findings of studies conducted with human participants must include a statement indicating the research received appropriate institutional approvals. In addition, authors should ensure their manuscripts do not contain information that would allow anyone to discern the identity of study participants. If a manuscript includes participant quotes or refers to participants by pseudonyms, the text should include a statement of the precautions taken to protect confidentiality.

Qualitative reports that include extensive direct quotes from participants may deviate from standard format on the following points:

  • Participants' quotes can be set in italics; if more than one line, set as a single-spaced block quote.
  • Pseudonyms and descriptive information may be enclosed in parentheses following quote.

    Example:

    "I learned others saw the world differently than I did, and I realized that my perspective was limiting my opportunities." (Joe, 26-year-old)

Headings

JSSWR encourages thoughtful use of headings to help the reader process the information presented. JSSWR uses the five levels of headings as described in the APA manual of style:

(Level 1) Centered, Boldface, Headline Style Capitalization

(Level 2) Flush Left, Boldface, Headline Style Capitalization

(Level 3) Indented 0.5", boldface, sentence style caps, paragraph heading that ends with a period. Body text of paragraph ....

(Level 4) Indented, boldface, italicized, sentence style caps, paragraph heading that ends with a period. Body text of paragraph ....

(Level 5) Indented, italicized, not bold, sentence style caps, paragraph heading that ends with a period. Body text of paragraph ....

Math and Numbers

  • In general, numbers one through nine are written out, except when used to report percentages, exact units of measure (i.e., points on a scale, precise time units), sample sizes, or used in combination with numbers 10 or greater. For example:
    • "...seven items that use a 5-point Likert scale."
    • "The 3-year study...approximate six-month intervals."
    • "...4 of the 15 studies reviewed...
    • "...an increase of 3% was the smallest percentage reported for..."
  • Do not begin a sentence with a numeral. Because numbers as figures are more easily comprehended than numbers as words, the preferred approach is to rewrite the sentence placing the number within the sentence. If that solution is not possible, spell out the number.
  • A space precedes and follows every mathematical expression (e.g., p  = .031, not p=.031).
  • Superscripts and subscripts in equations should be typed as such.
  • Unless additional digits are necessary, JSSWR prefers that values are rounded to two decimal places. However, p values should be reported to two or three decimal places.
  • Statistical significance levels (p values) less than .001 should never be reported as zero, instead report these values as p < .001.
  • For additional details, see the Publication Guide of the American Psychological Association, Sixth Edition (2010)

Miscellaneous Style Points

  • Avoid jargon, buzzwords, nominalization, and using "impact" as a verb.
  • Avoid the tendency to inflate words; that is, making words longer than necessary (e.g., suicidality, generalizability, or operationalize when not used as a math term).
  • Avoid use of "feels," "thinks," "believes" when reporting participant responses. Instead, ensure objective reporting of such information. Rather than writing, "participants believed they understood the options..." use "participants reported they understood the options...."
  • The nouns "data," "phenomena," and "criteria" are plural.
  • Reserve the use of "significant," "significantly," and "significance" to refer to statistical significance; use in combination with "statistical" or "statistically" (as appropriate) for clarity.
  • When introducing a term, set the word in italics on first use and provide definition; subsequent occurrences are set in regular font.


 

Submission Preparation Checklist

As part of the submission process, authors are required to check off their submission's compliance with all of the following items, and submissions may be returned to authors that do not adhere to these guidelines.

  1. The submission has not been previously published, either in whole or in part, nor is it before another journal for consideration (or an explanation has been provided in Comments to the Editor).
  2. The text follows the style principles and reference formats outlined in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Sixth Edition (2010).
  3. The submission file is in Microsoft Word document format.
  4. The manuscript has been masked following the instructions in Ensuring a Blind Review.
    • The manuscript has been scrubbed and masked for identifying information that might lead to a reviewer deducing the identity or affiliation of author(s).
    • For examle, the title page should include only the running head, title, and submission date.
  5. The text is double-spaced with 1" margins on all sides; uses 12-pt. Times New Roman font; and all illustrations, figures, and tables are placed within the text at the appropriate points rather than at the end.
  6. References include URLs and Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) whenever available. The URLs are formatted with a hyperlink (i.e., ready to click, such as http://pkp.sfu.ca).
  7. Credit is given when the words and ideas of others are used. Quotation marks are used to denote the exact words of others. When ideas are paraphrased, the original sources are properly cited.

  8. The Abstract does not exceed 200 words. Five keywords or phrases are provided, spaced two lines below abstract.

    • See Author Guidelines for instructions for finding and using MeSH keyword to make your manuscript more "searchable."

  9. All authors and their affiliations must be listed on the submission form (i.e., Step 2: Metadata) or the manuscript will be returned without review.

  10. Submitting author must note whether or not competing interests exist (Step 2: Metadata). Do not leave the Competing Interest comment box blank.
 

Copyright Notice

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

  1. Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
  2. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the nonexclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.

 

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