Typescripts in triplicate should be submitted to Dr Kevin Durkin, Department of Psychology, University of Strathclyde, 40 George Street, Glasgow G1 1QE, UK. They should be clearly typed using double spacing, on one side of the paper only, using A4 (21.0 by 29.7 cm). Authors should keep another copy for the correction of proofs. Authors are also encouraged to supply a file of the paper on an IBMcompatible disk; in some cases, this can expedite communications with reviewers. Authors of accepted manuscripts are required to supply a copy on disk of the final version of their paper, preferably in straight ASCII format ('text only' file).
Title page should include the title of the article, the author's name and affiliation, and the address to which proofs are to be sent. An email address should also be added. Titles should be so worded that part may be used as a running headline (maximum length 40 characters including spaces): or alternatively an abbreviated title of the same length may be given. First Language uses blind review. To facilitate this, authors are requested to ensure that their manuscripts contain no clues as to their identity and that the first page of the manuscript is headed with the paper's title but no other identification.
Abstract An abstract of the paper in not more than 120 words, and five keywords in alphabetical order, should be provided on a separate sheet.
Style Use a clear readable style, avoiding jargon. If technical terms or acronyms must be included, define them when first used. Use nonracist, non-sexist language and plurals rather than he/she. Authors should follow the instructions set out in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (5th edn, 2001). Particular attention should be paid to the following: (1) Tables should contain no vertical rules, and no internal horizontal rules except for a rule below the column headings. (2) The reference list should be typed double spaced. For each reference, the first line should start on the left, and subsequent line(s) should be indented (NOT vice versa). Particular care should be taken to ensure that all references cited in the text are included in the reference list, and that any references omitted during text revision are removed from the list. (3) Endnotes should be kept to a minimum. If essential, they should be typed double spaced in a list with hanging numbers, on a separate sheet. House style will be applied to headings and layout; also, authors should note that the journal uses a zero before a decimal number less than one. Superfluous commas should be avoided.
Spellings Either US or UK spelling is acceptable. Use one style throughout, but original spelling in quotes and references.
Punctuation Use single quotation marks with double quotes inside single quotes. Present dates in the form 1 May, 1998. Use points in abbreviations in initials of names, Latin abbreviations, reference abbreviations, the United States when used as an adjective and for labels to conceal the identities of study participants. Do not use points with contractions or acronyms (e.g. APA, NY, USA, Dr, PhD) or measurement abbreviations.
Age Chronological age should be stated in years and months and (if needed) days, as follows: 2;10.43.
Phonetic transcriptions should use the symbols and conventions of the IPA.
Book reviews should be submitted in the same form as articles. The title page should be in the following form: Pathways to Language: From Fetus to Adolescent. By K. Karmiloff & A. Karmiloff-Smith (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2001). Pp. 256. Hardback, 19.50. ISBN 0-674-00476-0. The reviewer's name and affiliation should also be given at the end. Books for review should be sent direct to the Reviews Editor: Dr Matthew Saxton, Institute of Education, University of London, 25 Woburn Square, London, WC1H 0AA, UK. Email: M.Saxton@ioe.ac.uk. Book reviews are normally commissioned by the journal; however, the Reviews Editor welcomes offers to review and will be pleased to discuss possible assignments. Potential reviewers should provide a CV indicating areas of expertise and previous publications.
Tables should be typed (double spaced) on separate sheets and their position indicated in the text. Each table should have a short descriptive title at the top, and any footnote(s) typed below. On disk, tables should be sent in a separate file and not included in the text.
Illustrations All line diagrams and photographs are termed 'Figures' and should be referred to as such in the manuscript. They should be numbered consecutively, and their position should be indicated in the text. All illustrations must be black-and-white or 'grayscale'. Line diagrams should be presented in a form suitable for immediate reproduction (i.e. not requiring redrawing), each on a separate A4 sheet. They should be reproducible to a final printed text area of maximum 193 x 117 mm. Illustrations on disk must be supplied as JPG, TIF or EPS files at high resolution; any scanning should be done at a minimum of 300 d.p.i. Figures must be sent as separate files, and not embedded in the text. Alternatively, photographs may be submitted as clear, glossy unmounted black and white prints with a good range of contrast. Labels and numerals should not appear on the print, but should be marked on a photocopy. All figures should have short descriptive captions typed on a separate sheet. Further details are available from Journal Production, SAGE.
Permissions Authors are responsible for obtaining permissions from copyright for reproducing any illustrations, tables, figures or lengthy quotations previously published elsewhere. Permission letters must be supplied to SAGE.
Corrections in proof, other than of printer's errors, may be charged to the author.
English Language Editing Services: Please click here for information on professional English language editing services recommended by SAGE.
