Instructions for Submitting Articles

Please note that all manuscripts should be complete and comply with the editorial guidelines appearing in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (5th ed.). (The manual is available from the APA Order Department, P.O. Box 92984, Washington, DC 20090-2984; tel: 800-374-2721; fax: 202-336-5502; e-mail: order@apa.org; online: www.apa.org/books/) You may find it helpful to consult "Appendix A: Checklist for Manuscript Submission" and "Appendix B: Checklist for Transmitting Accepted Manuscripts for Electronic Production" appearing on pages 379 through 386 of the APA Manual, the contributor information appearing in the journal, and/or the following summary of requirements for acceptable manuscripts. If you have any questions whatsoever, please ask for clarification.

Formatting. Set all margins at 1 in. Type all components double-spaced, including title page, abstract, text, acknowledgments, references, appendixes, tables, figure captions, and footnotes. Indent all paragraphs and make sure the entire manuscript is neat and readable. Use superscript numbers to cite footnotes; type all footnotes on a separate page (not at the bottom of the pages on which they are cited). Type all figure captions on a separate page.

References. Provide complete, APA-formatted references and text citations and make sure the two correspond exactly. Pages 207 through 281 of the APA Manual provide (a) detailed guidelines on preparing references and citations, and (b) many excellent sample references and citations. When typing a reference for a chapter in an edited book, be sure to add the inclusive page numbers of the chapter.

Tests, Scales, Subscales, Factors, Variables, Effects. See APA Manual regarding capitalization. For statistics, see APA Manual regarding presentation. Acronyms: Define on first mention.

Permissions. Authors are responsible for all statements made in your work and for obtaining permission from the copyright owner(s) to reprint or adapt a table or figure or to reprint quotations from one source exceeding the limits of fair use. Write to the original author(s) and publisher to request nonexclusive world rights in all languages for use of the material in the article and in all current and future print and nonprint editions. Please note that you must obtain permission for any lines of poetry or song lyrics you quote as well as for prose, and that you will be liable for any licensing fees required for such use. Provide copies of all permissions and credit lines obtained (see APA Manual, Section 3.73, pp. 174–175, for sample credit lines). Click here for a sample permission request form.

Concordance of Elements. Make sure your manuscript is complete and internally consistent. Each reference must be cited in text at least once; each citation must have a corresponding reference. Likewise, each figure, table, and footnote must be cited; if a figure, table, or footnote is cited in text, the corresponding element must be included with the manuscript.

Shortening the production schedule involves combining the stages of author review of copyedited articles and subsequent review of typeset page proofs into a single review of proofs made from copyedited files via desktop publishing. With timely publication the concern of all involved, we assume you will (a) accept minor editorial changes that do not alter intended meanings; and (b) alter page proofs only to correct errors, update publication information, and respond to editors' queries. As substantial alterations will not be made after manuscripts have been typeset, please take the time now to make sure that your manuscript and its file are complete and identical and that they represent your "final say."

Preparing Files for Online Submission

The following formats are acceptable: Word and WordPerfect for text; tif, jpeg, gif, bmp, cdr for art. Your initial submission will contain at least two of the file types listed below.

• Cover letter (required). The cover letter file should contain any comments to the editor as well as a statement indicating that the findings reported have not been previously published and that the manuscript is not being simultaneously submitted elsewhere. Authors should also state that they have complied with the American Psychological Association's ethical standards in the treatment of any participants in the work being reported.
• Manuscript (required). The manuscript file should contain the entire text of your article, including abstract, all text, references, footnotes, and appendixes. Figures and tables may either be included in this file or submitted separately.
• A blind review procedure will be used for all submitted manuscripts, and so author names and affiliations should not appear anywhere in the manuscript file. Do not include a title page containing author name(s). Only manuscript files that have been accepted for publication should contain author names and affiliations.
• Figures. Figures may be submitted as separate files (one file for each figure) or included at the end of the manuscript file. Submit high-quality, professionally prepared black-and-white originals. Please note that figures appearing in the journal will look only as good as what you provide. Make sure lettering and details are crisp, clear, and large enough so that they will be legible upon reduction. (Figures are reduced in size to conserve space on the printed page.) Make sure each figure is identified. Assess whether textual information appearing on a piece of artwork might be best presented as part of the caption; alter artwork and caption accordingly.
• Tables. Tables may be submitted as separate files (one file for each table) or included at the end of the manuscript file.
• Action Letter (for revisions only). Once your manuscript has been reviewed, you may be asked to revise the manuscript before publication. Please respond to each editor or reviewers' comment in an action letter and attach it as a separate file. Do not include the name(s) of the author(s) in the action letter.

Please submit all text files in WordPerfect or Word. IBM-formatted files are preferred, but of course Macintosh is also acceptable. For other computer users, please try to convert and transfer your file to an IBM-compatible or Mac format. If unable to do so, please contact the LEA Online Journal Developer.