JPED Author Guidelines
The Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability welcomes submissions of innovative and scholarly manuscripts relevant to the issues and practices of educating students with disabilities in postsecondary educational programs. Manuscripts must be submitted electronically via e-mail to jped@ahead.org
Guidelines for authors are as follows:
Content
Manuscripts should demonstrate scholarly excellence in at least one of the following categories:
• Research: Reports original quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-method research
• Integration: Integrates research of others in a meaningful way; compares or contrasts theories; critiques results; and/or provides context for future exploration.
• Innovation: Proposes innovation of theory, approach, or process of service delivery based on reviews of the literature and research
• Policy Analysis: Provides analysis, critique and implications of public policy, statutes, regulation, and litigation.
Format
All manuscripts must be prepared according to APA format as described in The Publication Manual (6th ed.), American Psychological Association, 2010. For responses to frequently asked questions about APA style, consult the APA web site at http://apastyle.org/faqs.html
• Manuscript length typically ranges between 25 and 35 pages including figures, tables, and references. Exceptions may be made depending upon topic and content.
• Write sentences using active voice.
• Authors should use terminology that emphasizes the individual first and the disability second (see pages 71 - 76 of APA Manual). Authors should also avoid the use of sexist language and the generic masculine pronoun.
• Manuscripts should have a title page that provides the names and affiliations of all authors and the address of the principal author.
• Include an abstract that does not exceed 250 words. Abstracts must be double-spaced on a separate page, or placed in an e-mail request.
• Provide a cover letter asking that the manuscript be reviewed for publication consideration and that it has not been published or is being reviewed for publication elsewhere.
• Tables and figures must conform to APA standards, and must be in black and white only. All tables and figures should be vertical and fit on the page, no landscape format.
Please note:
• Manuscripts must be submitted as e-mail attachments in either Microsoft Word or .RTF format to jped@ahead.org
Upon acceptance for publication
For manuscripts that are accepted for publication, the following items must be provided to the Executive Editor:
• An electronic copy of the final manuscript as an e-mail attachment.
• A 40-50 word bibliographic description for each author.
• A signed and completed Copyright Transfer form.
Manuscript submissions by AHEAD members are especially welcome. The JPED reserves the right to edit all material for space and style. Authors will be notified of changes.
Practice Brief Manuscripts
JPED will devote a few pages of general issues to a Practice Brief Section to expand the pool of innovative ideas. Practice Briefs will consist of good practical strategies and programs used to support postsecondary students with disabilities. The body of the Practice Brief papers will be four pages long (excluding title page, abstract, reference page, Tables, and Figures). The Practice Briefs will not replace the regular research-based JPED papers. They will provide an opportunity for Postsecondary Disability Service staff to share their best practices. To write a Practice Brief for publication consideration, use the following to develop the paper:
• Title page
• Abstract (no more than 60 words)
• Literature Review (no more than two paragraphs, cite references using APA 6th edition style)
• Problem (one paragraph)
• Students and Location Information
• Strategy
• Observed Outcomes
• Implications
• References
• Tables and Figures (if needed)
If you have any questions, e-mail jped@ahead.org
Send your finished papers via e-mail to: jped@ahead.org for publication consideration. Each Practice Brief will be sent to three postsecondary disability direct service staff for review.
Please note:
• Do not send original artwork during the manuscript review process; it will be requested upon article acceptance.
• Authors will be notified by email upon receipt of their manuscript. The editorial board strives to adhere to a six week review timeline.
Manuscripts must be submitted as email attachments (compressed or "zipped" files preferred) to jped@ahead.org
Upon acceptance for publication
For manuscripts that are accepted for publication, the following items must be provided to the editor:
• An electronic copy of the final manuscript as an email attachment.
• A signed and completed Copyright Transfer form.
• A 40-50 word bibliographic description for each author.
Manuscript submissions by AHEAD members are especially welcome. The Journal reserves the right to edit all material for space and style. Authors will be notified of changes.
Guidelines for Special Issues
Occasionally the Executive Editor of the Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability is approached with ideas related to research, policy, theory or practice that would comprise a topical issue of the journal. Special issues feature a series of articles on a particular topic. The JPED welcomes ideas for special topical issues related to the field of postsecondary education and disability. The issue can be formatted as a collection of articles related to a particular topic, or as a central position paper followed by a series of commentaries (a modified point counter point).
Below is the process for proposing and submitting ideas for a special issue:
Authors who wish to prepare a special issue should first contact the JPED Executive Editor at jped@ahead.org
The authors should describe the topic and proposed authors.
If the series appears to be valuable to the readership of the JPED, the Executive Editor will contact the individual making the proposal with a decision to proceed. The Executive Editor may provide suggestions for modification to content or format. The proposer will be a Guest Editor of the special edition The Guest Editor will then submit a list of proposed articles, authors and affiliations, and brief abstracts to the Executive Editor. The Guest Editor will inform authors of due dates and monitor the progress of the special issue. Each special edition manuscript will be reviewed by a combination of the Guest Editor, the Executive Editor, JPED editorial board members, and Guest Reviewers through the standard review process. The guest editor and the editors will be responsible for final editing and formatting.
Book Review Column Guidelines and Procedures
Please contact the JPED Executive Editor at jped@ahead.org to suggest books to be reviewed or to discuss completing a book review. Contact and discussion should be done before the book review is completed in order to expedite the procedures in the most efficient and fairest way possible. Book reviews that do not follow the guidelines may not be considered for publication.
Goals of JPED Book Review Column
• To bring new publications to the attention of service providers, administrators, researchers, and others within the field of disabilities services in higher education
• To help shape and extend the field itself by suggesting new directions, locating books within the field's current perspectives, and challenging conventions or extending our thinking when appropriate
• To provide a vehicle for those who are interested in writing for a scholarly publication
• A book review in a professional journal is a service to the readers.
• Therefore, the review should simultaneously convey the content of the book, evaluate the publication as to its relevance to the field, and assess its particular quality and usefulness for various audiences within our field.
Ways to Participate
• Contact the Executive Editor to suggest books to be reviewed
• Contact the Executive Editor to discuss reviewing a particular book
• Executive Editor or designee will invite individuals to review books of interest to the field
• Executive Editor may identify three to four individuals to do book reviews on a regular basis.
Books to be reviewed should have been published within the last two to three years. Topics of interest can include legal aspects, assessment of adults, Disability Studies, personal accounts of the experiences of disabilities, instructional and service provision strategies, among many others. Also, remember that AHEAD is an international organization; we welcome international books and reviewers. The Executive Editor will decide whether a particular book is appropriate for review in the journal.
Content and Format
In general, the book review should present:
(1) an overview of the book, providing the book's stated purpose, the author's viewpoint, and a general summary of the content
(2) an evaluation of the book, elaborating on the author's objectives and how well those objectives were achieved, the strengths and weaknesses of the book
along with the criteria you used for making that assessment, and the organization and presentation of the book, and
(3) recommendations that focus on to whom you would recommend the book, why, and how you would suggest the book be used, and its potential contribution
to our field.
Of course, the emphasis on each of the three areas may vary depending on the book reviewed; however, each of the areas should be addressed in some way in the review.
Aspects of content, evaluation, and recommendation can be treated separately or woven throughout the review narrative. It is inappropriate to use the book review as a forum for personal biases, research interests, or to dwell on minor points in the text and extraneous or peripheral concerns.
Citations within the book review should use American Psychological Association (APA) (6th edition) style.
At the end of the review, list your name and institutional affiliation as you want it to appear when the review is printed.
Submission
The length of a book review can range from 800 - 1200 words. Please send in an e-mail attachment in MS Word, double-spaced to jped@ahead.org. After the review is submitted, the Executive Editor or designee will determine whether it is in accordance with the guidelines. If so, the book review will be reviewed and you will be contacted to discuss any minor changes, deletion, or additions needed before it is forwarded for publication. If the review does not meet the guidelines and/or requires more extensive revisions, it will be returned to the author for revisions or may be considered by the Executive Editor or designess to be inappropriate for publication at any time. Book reviews are considered to be academic manuscripts, and minor edits may be made to the manuscripts.
JPED Manuscript Review Process
All manuscripts received the Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability (JPED) are reviewed for publication based on the Journal’s overall mission, and goals for its readership. Following is a description of the manuscript review process for JPED:
• Upon receipt, each manuscript is logged in and assigned a code number for identification.
• The manuscript is then read by the Executive Editor for overall appropriateness, scholarship, and its relevance to the Journal.
• A letter is sent to the author, usually within 2-3 weeks, acknowledging receipt of the manuscript. The manuscript is either then sent out for review or deemed “not appropriate for review”. Typical reasons for not sending the manuscript out for review is a mismatch between the theme of the manuscript and the stated content
guidelines for publication or a general concern in the quality of research*.
*NOTE: For publication, the manuscript must either be a research study; and/or an integration of other research studies, including a critique of results, or content for future exploration; and/or present an innovation regarding existing theory, approach or process of service delivery.) Manuscripts must also meet a minimum threshold level of excellence in scholarship to be considered for further review. (See other published articles in JPED for level of professional scholarship.)
• Upon its acceptance for review, the manuscript is sent to two or three professionals in the field of higher education and disability who are members of the
editorial board. The selection of reviewers also depends on the topic of the manuscript. Editorial board members provide comments and make a recommendation for publication.
• Reviewers are asked to respond within 4 weeks of receipt of the manuscript.
• All reviewer feedback is read by the Executive Editor and a final decision is made either to (1) accept the manuscript with minor editing, (2) request revisions and
resubmission for publication, or (3) reject the manuscript. A letter with the final decision and explanation for the decision is sent to the author(s) shortly after receiving the recommendations from the reviewers.
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Resources for New Authors
Authors may want to check the following resources for additional guidance on APA style. All can be accessed through the APA website (http://www.apastyle.org):
Gelfand, H. & Walker, C.J. (Ed.). (2001). Mastering APA Style: Student’s Workbook and Training Guide. (American Psychological Association, Washington, DC).
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 6th edition (2010) or http://www.apastyle.org/faqs.html.
