Topics in Early Childhood Special Education (TECSE) is published to communicate information about early intervention. Early intervention is defined broadly and includes services provided to (a) infants, toddlers, and preschoolers who are at risk for or display developmental delays and disabilities and (b) the families of such youngsters. TECSE includes articles on personnel preparation, policy issues, and operation of intervention programs. The aim of the journal is to publish information that will improve the lives of young children and their families. TECSE is open to manuscripts from (a) diverse theoretical perspectives, (b) all disciplines related to early intervention, and (c) all authors with information of value to the field. TECSE is published quarterly.
Types of Articles
TECSE publishes three topical issues and one nontopical issue per volume year. Topical issues address an identified problem, trend, or subject of concern and importance to early intervention. Upcoming topics are listed in each issue of TECSE, and authors are encouraged to submit manuscripts of various types (described below) that are related to the identified topics. Manuscripts are not solicited. The nontopical issue is titled “Research and Practice in Early Intervention,” and manuscripts may deal with any issue related to early intervention. The intent is to provide a forum for publishing manuscripts that (a) do not match the content of upcoming topical issues, (b) describe an innovation or development, (c) maintain a dialogue on important issues, and (d) present new conceptualizations or research findings on previously addressed topics. The following types of articles are considered for publication:
Reports of original research: descriptions of investigations related to any aspect of early intervention. Investigations from diverse methodologies, including experimental studies using group or single-subject designs, descriptive studies using observational or survey methodologies, case studies, and qualitative investigations, are welcome. Primary criteria are high technical quality in the design, implementation, and description, as well as importance to the field. Discuss findings thoroughly yet conservatively from two perspectives: issues for theory or future research and implications for practice or policy.
Literature reviews: summaries of the existing literature that have relevance for early intervention. Reports synthesizing literature that is generally available to the journal’s readers, as well as reviews focusing on less accessible but relevant literature, are welcome. Describe the procedure used to select the reviewed literature, address the methodological adequacy of the literature, discuss the major findings, and present implications for research/theory and for practice or policy. Criteria for acceptance are review comprehensiveness, adequacy of methodology, quality and clarity of writing, and value to the field.
Conceptual statements: presentations of particular issues, topics, or practices in early intervention. These fall into one of three types: (1) clearly articulate particular problems in the field; (2) present new conceptual foundations for approaching, analyzing, and potentially solving defined problems; or (3) describe innovations for practice. Primary criteria are concise presentation of the conceptualization or innovation, sufficient operational definition of relevant variables so that the issue can be studied further or have an effect on practice, adequacy of documentation, and clarity of presentation.
Position papers: descriptions of selected issues on which the existing literature is insufficient to make definitive conclusions. Manuscripts that identify developing issues, compare and contrast different models or approaches, or describe a definable position are welcome. Criteria include attention to the existing literature, presentation of a logical case related to the adopted position, and description of the limitations and implications of the position. The editor is interested in publishing contrasting positions on issues that deserve open, constructive dialogue but is not interested in papers that are subjective or illogically attack a given program or practice.
Program descriptions: discussions of specific, well-developed programs of service or training. Descriptions of programs that are innovative, involve a unique arrangement of existing resources to provide early intervention services or training in early intervention, or solve particularly recalcitrant problems are welcome. Primary criteria are clear presentation of the program’s theoretical or philosophic basis, description of its components in replicable terms, and discussion of its effects. Descriptions of the problems encountered and attempted solutions are desired. Clear evidence must be presented that the program was implemented as described, produced defined outcomes, and is capable of being replicated.
Manuscript Preparation
TECSE 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.
Authors are expected to folow guidelines specified in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA; 6th edition, 2010), paying particular attention to the sections concerning guidelines for nonsexist language (APA 3.12, 3.13, & 3.14), avoiding ethnic bias (3.14), and disabilities (3.15) on pages 76 to 76. TECSE will not be following the rule of two spaces between sentences.
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, but please use Word's table function. 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/tecse. 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 ScholarOne Manuscripts.
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 journal's ScholarOne Manuscripts homepage (https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/tecse).
2. Log in or click the “Create Account” option if you are a first-time user of ScholarOne Manuscripts.
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 manuscript pages; 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 ScholarOne Manuscripts Web site to obtain the Transfer of Copyright form. Please download, fill this out, and mail it to the TECSE editorial office: Beth Brookfield, 2778 Mayberry Drive, Reno, NV 89509.
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. Glen Dunlap
Division of Applied Research and Educational Support
Department of Child and Family Studies, FMHI
University of South Florida
2778 Mayberry Drive
Reno, NV 89509
(T) 775-786-9319
glendunlap@sbcglobal.net
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.)
