How to submit your manuscript
Qualitative Social Work is hosted on Manuscript Central™, a web based online submission and peer review system - SAGETRACK. Please read the Manuscript Submission guidelines below, and then simply visit
http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/qsw to login and submit your article online.
IMPORTANT: Please check whether you already have an account in the system before trying to create a new one. If you have reviewed or authored for the journal in the past year it is possible that you will have had an account created.
All papers must be submitted via the online system. If you would like to discuss your paper prior to submission, please refer to the contact details below.
Qualitative Social Work: Research and Practice encourages the submission of original manuscripts, commentary and essays devoted to the examination of issues related to qualitative research and evaluation and to qualitative approaches to social work practice. Manuscripts submitted for main articles should be 15-25 double spaced pages (4000-7000 words) in length, including references, figures and tables.
The journal also invites articles for regular special features. These include:
New Voices:
Articles by oppressed voices that often have been silenced, and from authors working in contexts that are new to publishing on qualitative research and practice and are exploring new possibilities for the use of qualitative research and practice. We welcome articles from practitioners, new researchers and others who are finding creative ways to work with and write about qualitative research and practice. Articles may take the form of concise reviews, syntheses, reports, innovative writing forms, or reflective analyses based on dissertations and theses completed or in process, conference papers or practice accounts of 10-15 pages (2750-4000 words).
Response and Commentary:
This section includes responses to previous articles in the journal or contributions that initiate discussion of current research and practice issues. Usually 4-6 pages (1000-1500 words).
Practice and Teaching of Qualitative Social Work:
Critical 'how-to' accounts and reflections on the methodology and practice of qualitative social work. Normally 10-15 pages (2750-4000 words).
Technical Applications:
Reviews of developments that impact on qualitative research and practice such as qualitative analysis software and voice activated recording devices. Normally 5-10 pages (1200-2500 words).
The journal will produce occasional themed issues on topics of current interest.
Qualitative Social Work: Research and Practice will be published four times a year.
Copy presentation:
Articles should be written in English. They should not have been previously published or be under consideration by any other journal. Please confirm that all authors have agreed to the submission. All submissions are refereed anonymously, so please attach a separate page with your name and contact details. Please supply an abstract of about 150 words, four or five key words, and brief biographical details for each author.
Figures should be supplied as good black and white prints suitable for direct reproduction (keep tints to a minimum and clearly defined if they are essential) or high-resolution eps or tif files.
Notes should be shown in the text by superscript Arabic numerals and collected in a list before the References.
References in the text should read Brown (2000: 63-4), or, for a series of references, (Black and Williams, 1999; Downey and Jones, 2001). Use 'et al.' in the text for more than two authors, and give all names in the References list. The letters a, b, c etc. should be used for different works by the same author in the same year: Brown (1999a, b). The reference list should be alphabetical, in the following style:
Journal article: Hall, Tom (2000) 'At Home with the Young Homeless', International Journal of Social Research Methodology 3(2): 121-33.
Book: Becker, Howard S.(1998) Tricks of the Trade: How to Think about Your Research. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Chapter in book: Kemmis, Stephen and McTaggart, Robin (2000) 'Participatory Action Research', in Norman K. Denzin and Yvonna S. Lincoln (eds) Handbook of Qualitative Research, 2nd edn, pp. 567-606. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Paper/unpublished work: Martin, Marion (1996) 'The Focus Group as a Means Towards Participatory Needs Assessment', paper presented at the Joint World Congress of the IFSW and IASSW, Hong Kong, July.
Website: Brodie, Isabelle, 'Theory Generation and Qualitative Research', ESRC Theorising Social Work Research Seminar 6, http:/www.nisw.org.uk/tswr/brodie.html (consulted Sept. 2001).
The preferred style of the journal is for contributors to give first names of cited authors in the reference section, but initials only are also acceptable.
Either US or UK spelling is acceptable (retain original in quotes and references). Please use words for numbers one to nine, and figures for 10 and over. Write dates and decades as 16 September 2001 and the 1980s.
Editorial contact details:
Roy Ruckdeschel, School of Social Service, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO 63103, USA. [email: ruckdesc@slu.edu]
Samantha McDermott, Journal Administrator, Department of Social Policy and Social Work, Seebohm Rowntree Building, University of York, Heslington, York, YO10 5DD, UK [email sm557@york.ac.uk]
Robyn Munford, Professor of Social Work, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand email: [r.munford@massey.ac.nz]
Authors of main articles are sent pdf proofs for checking before publication. After publication, a link to a restricted access pdf plus up to 5 copies of the journal will be sent to the corresponding author.
Reviews may be sent to the Reviews Editor, Karen Staller, School of Social Work, University of Michigan, 1080 S. University, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 USA email: [kstaller@umich.edu]
English Language Editing Services: Please click here for information on professional English language editing services recommended by SAGE.
