GUIDELINES FOR AUTHORS
THE FAMILY JOURNAL:
Counseling and Therapy for Couples and Families
The Official Journal of the
International Association of Marriage and Family Counselors
Overview
THE FAMILY JOURNAL: Counseling and Therapy for Couples and Families invites articles concerned with theory, research, and practice in counseling with couples and families. Research manuscripts include quantitative, qualitative, and evaluation designs. Descriptive articles may include current issues, innovative methods, and professional concerns.
Originality
All manuscripts are the original work of the authors, have not been published, and are not being considered for publication elsewhere. In the event of publication, The Family Journal retains copyright ownership. For any extensive quotation (more than 500 words) used in the manuscript, authors must obtain a letter of permission for its use and submit a copy of that letter with the manuscript. Authors bear full responsibility for the accuracy of references, quotations, tables, and figures.
Client Anonymity
Client anonymity must be protected in all manuscripts. Authors should avoid all identifying information in describing clients and their personal histories.
Review Process
All manuscripts will be sent for initial review to three members of the Editorial Board. Reviewers’ comments are sent to authors. Authors and reviewers remain anonymous throughout the review process. Generally, authors can expect within 6 months a decision regarding publication. Prior to publication, authors will receive a copy of the edited article for final approval.
Submission of Manuscripts
Authors submit online their manuscripts as an e-mail attachment to FamilyJournal@mc.edu The e-mail will function as the cover letter.
Style
Manuscripts
We prefer manuscripts that are 20 pages or less in length, double-spaced, using guidelines from the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (5th or latest edition), and saved in Microsoft Word (97 or later version). There should be separate pages for the title page, abstract, references, and any tables or figures. Use tables and figures sparingly, including only essential data. Combine tables whenever possible. All information identifying the author should appear only on the title page. A separate brief biographical paragraph for each author should be submitted with the manuscript.
The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (5th ed.) will be used to evaluate and edit manuscripts. Authors should carefully prepare and proofread their manuscripts. Insure agreement of citations and references. Avoid technical terminology, jargon, and acronyms. Demonstrate multicultural sensitivity and competency through thoughtful applications and examples. Authors should reduce bias in language against persons based on gender, sexual orientation, race or ethnicity, disability, and age.
Headings and subheadings should be used to organize the paper. All titles should be as brief and meaningful as possible. Limit use of footnotes and appendices. Since the journal uses a masked or anonymous reviewing system, please omit all citations, references, footnotes, and other information pertaining to the authors’ identities or affiliations.
All manuscripts should conform to the ethical codes of the American Counseling Association and International Association of Marriage and Family Counselors.
Cover Letter
Prepare a cover letter in the e-mail to accompany the manuscript. Include all authors’ names and affiliations to avoid potential conflicts of interest. Clarify funding and special circumstances in an author note. Provide accurate addresses and phone numbers, as well as e-mail addresses and fax numbers, to facilitate the review process. Indicate in your cover letter how the proposed article could inform the membership of the International Association of Marriage and Family Counselors, as well as clinicians and researchers in diverse settings. We would like to receive manuscripts from professionals working in countries outside the USA. We can accept manuscripts written in other languages if the author provides an English translation.
Editor
Stephen Southern, Editor, The Family Journal Editorial Office, Mississippi College, Department of Psychology & Counseling, Box 4013, 200 S, Capitol Street, Clinton, MS 39058
Authors who want to refine the use of English in their manuscripts might consider utilizing the services of SPi, a non-affiliated company that offers Professional Editing Services to authors of journal articles in the areas of science, technology, medicine or the social sciences. SPi specializes in editing and correcting English-language manuscripts written by authors with a primary language other than English. Visit http://www.prof-editing.com for more information about SPi’s Professional Editing Services, pricing, and turn-around times, or to obtain a free quote or submit a manuscript for language polishing.
Please be aware that SAGE has no affiliation with SPi and makes no endorsement of the company. An author’s use of SPi’s services in no way guarantees that his or her submission will ultimately be accepted. Any arrangement an author enters into will be exclusively between the author and SPi, and any costs incurred are the sole responsibility of the author.
