The Journal of Disability Policy Studies (JDPS) addresses compelling, variable issues in ethics, policy, and law related to individuals with disabilities. Articles have implications in fields such as education, law, sociology, public health, family studies, medicine, social work, and public administration. Special series discuss current problems or areas needing more in-depth research. This journal helps decipher complex legislation, explain problems and concerns driving current public policy, and unravel the tangled philosophies surrounding controversial ethical issues. JDPS is published quarterly.
Types of Articles
A major focus of JDPS is the publication of quantitative and qualitative policy research. Submissions are judged by the social significance of the problem and adherence to accepted research practices and standards. The contribution to theory and knowledge and the use of appropriate method are more important than any particular methodology. A variety of levels of analysis is appropriate, including societal, organizational, group, family, and individual. The following types of articles are considered for publication:
- Brief Reports. Less-detailed research reports are published as brief reports, which are studies that make methodological or conceptual contributions but that are too short to merit publication as research articles.
- Discussion Articles. The journal also publishes critical discussions of issues related to disability policy. Criteria for acceptance include the social significance of the topic and the contribution to informed debate of policy issues. In some cases, discussion articles may be accompanied by commentary solicited by the editors after consultation with the author.
- Review Articles. JDPS welcomes articles that integrate policy-related research, particularly across disciplines. Submissions in this category are judged for their thoroughness, fair reporting, and interpretation of others’ research and for their contribution to the field of disability policy.
- Policy Forum is dedicated to publishing timely and provocative material not usually found in an academic journal. Persons interested in contributing to this section should contact the editors for more information.
- Comments. Readers are encouraged to submit comments and reactions to JDPS for publication in the Comments section. Please submit typed, doubled-spaced copy within two months of the publication data of the article on which comment is made.
Less-detailed research reports are published as brief reports, which are studies that make methodological or conceptual contributions but that are too short to merit publication as research articles.
Acceptance Criteria
The editor assumes that when an author submits a manuscript to JDPS for review, the author (a) assures that the manuscript is not being considered concurrently by another journal; (b) has not published a substantial part of the article or the findings elsewhere; (c) is responsible for the accuracy of all statements and findings; (d) agrees that the editor has the right to edit the manuscript as necessary for publication, if accepted (such that content is not changed); (e) will obtain permission, if appropriate, to quote and reproduce material owned by someone else; and (f) assigns all rights for the publication of the manuscript, if accepted for publication, to the Hammill Institute on Disabilities.
Manuscript Preparation
JDPS prefers to receive all manuscript submissions electronically.
Please note: This journal does not accept Microsoft Word 2007 (for Vista operating system) documents at this time. Please use Word’s “Save As” option to save your document as an older (.doc) file type.
Guidelines specified in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA; 5th edition, 2001) should be followed. Pay particular attention to the sections concerning guidelines for nonsexist language (APA 2.13, p. 66), avoiding ethnic bias (2.15, pp. 67), and disabilities (2.16, p. 69).
General
1. Because this journal uses blind peer review, make sure that the files you load during submission DO NOT CONTAIN ANY IDENTIFYING INFORMATION, such as author names, acknowledgments, or bios. You will provide this information later if your manuscript is accepted for publication. Make sure your file names do not include an author name.
2. Articles should be double spaced, using left alignment, a nonproportional font, and 12-pt. type. Include the title of the paper, an abstract of no more than 150 words, and 4 to 5 keywords.
3. Set all margins to 1 inch.
4. Format for 8½ in. x 11 in. paper. Do not format for A4 paper.
5. Please type all copy upper and lower case—do not use all capitals or small capitals.
6. Place all figures and tables in a separate file. (Tables need not be double spaced.) Indicate the location of tables and figures in text in boldface, enclosed in angle brackets, on a separate line.
Example: <Fig. 1 here>
7. Please use your tab key and centering functions to do head alignment, paragraph indents, etc. DO NOT USE THE SPACE BAR.
8. Use endnotes as sparingly as possible. Number them with Arabic numerals starting with 1 and continuing through the article; for example: “(see Note 1).” Do not use footnotes.
Artwork
Figures must be provided as production-ready. Do not use rules or tick marks smaller than 1 point in size. Acceptable electronic formats for figures or other art are: TIFF, EPS, Word, or Excel. If you have trouble loading Excel files, copy and paste them into a Word document. Scans must be at least 300 dpi (also sometimes called lpi). Scans done at lower resolutions will have a very poor print quality even if they look crisp and clear on a laser printout.
Permissions
Obtaining written permissions for material such as figures, tables, art, and extensive quotes taken directly—or adapted in minor ways—from another source is the author’s responsibility, as is payment of any fees the copyright holder may require. Because permissions often take a considerable amount of time to be granted, authors should start the request process as soon as possible. Authors should never assume that material taken from software or downloaded from the Internet may be used without obtaining permission. Each source must be investigated on a case-by-case basis. Authors can download the Sage Permissions Request form at https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/jdps. The form has been written to cover all necessary provisions; however, copyright holders may require use of their own form. In these cases, the author should read any forms carefully to make sure that the language is broad enough to allow publication in all formats, worldwide, as well as in both electronic and print versions. Failure to obtain permission will result in either removal of the particular item or the article being pulled from the journal issue.
Manuscript Submission
Manuscripts should be submitted online through Manuscript Central.
Starting the Submissions Process
1. Launch your Web browser (Internet Explorer 5 or higher, Netscape 6 or higher, or Mozilla Firefox) and go to the Manuscript Central
homepage (https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/jdps).
2. Log in or click the “Create Account” option if you are a first-time user of Manuscript Central.
3. If you are creating a new account:
- After clicking on “Create Account” enter your name and e-mail information and click “Next.” Your e-mail information is very important. Continue entering information as prompted.
- Enter a user ID and password of your choice (we recommend using your e-mail address as your user ID) and then select your areas of
expertise. Click “Finish” when done.
4. Log in and select “Author Center.”
Submitting Your Manuscript
Make sure you have the following items and information available: your original manuscript files; keywords for the manuscript subject matter; all coauthors’ full names, addresses (city/state), and e-mail addresses; # of figures, # of tables, # of words in the manuscript; if the manuscript is for a special issue; if you submitted manuscript previously, and if so, ID number assigned by the journal editorial office.
5. After you have logged in, go to the Author Center and click the “Submit a Manuscript” link.
6. Enter data as prompted, clicking the “Next” button to save your work and advance.
7. You will be prompted to upload your files:
- Click on the “Browse” button and locate the file on your computer.
- Select the description of the file in the drop down next to the Browse button.
- When you have selected all files you wish to upload, click the “Upload” button.
8. Review your submission (in both PDF and HTML formats) before sending. Click the “Submit” button when you are done reviewing.
Copyright
After your article has been accepted for publication, please go to the journal’s Manuscript Central Web site to obtain the Transfer of Copyright form. Please download, fill this out, and send it to the JDPS editorial office: Fax: 864.656.1322.
Ordering Reprints
Information regarding reprints will be sent with the complimentary printed copy of the journal issue in which your article appears.
Journal Contact Information
Dr. Antonis Katsiyannis
Clemson University
Eugene T. Moore School of Education
College of Health, Education, and Human Development
407 C Tillman Hall
Clemson, South Carolina 29634-0715
864.656.5114
Fax: 864.656.1322
E-mail: antonis@clemson.edu
Dr. Mitchell Yell
University of South Carolina
Department of Educational Studies
Wardlaw 235G
Columbia, South Carolina 29208
803.777.5279
Fax: 803.777.2824
E-mail: myell@gwm.sc.edu
Authors who want to refine the use of English in their manuscripts might consider utilizing the services of SPi, a non-affiliated company that 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. (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.)
