Guidelines for Journal Article Authors
An official publication of the Alabama Counseling Association, The Alabama Counseling Association Journal is an electronic journal published twice a year. A primary purpose is to communicate ideas and information which can help counselors in a variety of work settings implement their roles and develop the profession of counseling. The Journal may include thought-provoking articles, theoretical summaries, reports of research, and discussions of professional issues, summaries of presentations, reader reactions, and reviews of books or media. The ALCA Journal is located on the ALCA website (www.alabamacounseling.org). Inquiries about The Journal should be directed to the Executive Director.
MANUSCRIPTS: Practitioners, educators, and researchers in the fields of guidance, counseling, and development are encouraged to submit manuscripts. While priority will be given to ALCA members, counselors from other states and countries are valued contributors. Manuscripts, which conform to the Guidelines for Authors, must be submitted to the Editor, Kathryn Cox (kcoxlpc@gmail.com).
EDITORIAL BOARD: The ALCA Journal Editorial Board consists of one representative from each division of The Alabama Counseling Association. Members serve three-year terms for which a rotation schedule has been established. The primary function of the Editorial Board is to assist in determining the content of publications. At least two members of the Editorial Board read each manuscript submitted to the publication through a blind review system. No honoraria or travel funds are provided for Editorial Board members.
Guidelines for Authors
The purpose of The Alabama Counseling Association Journal is to communicate ideas and information that can help counselors in a variety of work settings implement their counseling roles and develop the profession of counseling. A function of The Journal is to strengthen the common bond among counselors and to help maintain a mutual awareness of the roles, the problems, and the progress of the profession at its various levels. In this context, thought provoking articles, theoretical summaries, reports of research, descriptive techniques, summaries of presentations, discussions of professional issues, reader reactions, and reviews of books and media are highly recommended. Manuscripts that are theoretical, philosophical, or researched-oriented should contain discussion of the implications and /or practical applications. All manuscripts that contain data derived from human subjects and are submitted by individuals associated with a university or college, are required to obtain Institutional Review Board approval from their respective institution. Description of such approval will be stated in the Methodology section of the manuscript. Authors should ground their work with an appropriate review of the literature.
Review process
Authors are asked to submit an electronic original copy in Microsoft Word. All manuscripts should be prepared according to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6th Edition). Manuscripts that are not written in compliance with publication guidelines will be returned to the author with a general explanation of the deficiencies. Manuscripts that meet The ALCA Journal publication guidelines will be distributed to a minimum of two (2) members of the Editorial Board. The Editor will synthesize the reviewers‟ comments and inform the authors of both publication decisions and recommendations. Anonymity of authors and reviewers will be protected.
Procedures to be followed by authors
Publication procedures
Authors of accepted manuscripts will be asked to submit a final, electronic manuscript in Word format. All manuscripts accepted for publication will be edited and altered for clarity. No alterations that change the integrity of the article will be made without the primary author’s permission. Authors whose manuscripts are accepted may be asked to review manuscripts subsequent to the publication of the article in The ALCA Journal
MANUSCRIPTS: Practitioners, educators, and researchers in the fields of guidance, counseling, and development are encouraged to submit manuscripts. While priority will be given to ALCA members, counselors from other states and countries are valued contributors. Manuscripts, which conform to the Guidelines for Authors, must be submitted to the Editor, Kathryn Cox (kcoxlpc@gmail.com).
EDITORIAL BOARD: The ALCA Journal Editorial Board consists of one representative from each division of The Alabama Counseling Association. Members serve three-year terms for which a rotation schedule has been established. The primary function of the Editorial Board is to assist in determining the content of publications. At least two members of the Editorial Board read each manuscript submitted to the publication through a blind review system. No honoraria or travel funds are provided for Editorial Board members.
Guidelines for Authors
The purpose of The Alabama Counseling Association Journal is to communicate ideas and information that can help counselors in a variety of work settings implement their counseling roles and develop the profession of counseling. A function of The Journal is to strengthen the common bond among counselors and to help maintain a mutual awareness of the roles, the problems, and the progress of the profession at its various levels. In this context, thought provoking articles, theoretical summaries, reports of research, descriptive techniques, summaries of presentations, discussions of professional issues, reader reactions, and reviews of books and media are highly recommended. Manuscripts that are theoretical, philosophical, or researched-oriented should contain discussion of the implications and /or practical applications. All manuscripts that contain data derived from human subjects and are submitted by individuals associated with a university or college, are required to obtain Institutional Review Board approval from their respective institution. Description of such approval will be stated in the Methodology section of the manuscript. Authors should ground their work with an appropriate review of the literature.
Review process
Authors are asked to submit an electronic original copy in Microsoft Word. All manuscripts should be prepared according to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6th Edition). Manuscripts that are not written in compliance with publication guidelines will be returned to the author with a general explanation of the deficiencies. Manuscripts that meet The ALCA Journal publication guidelines will be distributed to a minimum of two (2) members of the Editorial Board. The Editor will synthesize the reviewers‟ comments and inform the authors of both publication decisions and recommendations. Anonymity of authors and reviewers will be protected.
Procedures to be followed by authors
- Manuscripts must be word processed on eight and one-half by eleven inch white paper with double spacing and one-inch margins
- Authors should make every effort to submit a manuscript that contains no clues to the author’s identity. Citations that may reveal the author’s identity should be masked within the text and reference listing.
- Author notes including current position, work address, telephone number, and email address should be included on a separate page. Other pages should exclude such affiliations.
- Camera ready tables or figures should be prepared and submitted on separate pages.
- Recommended length of manuscripts is between 13 and 20 pages.
- Authors should submit only original work that has not been published elsewhere and is not under review by another journal. Lengthy quotations (300-500 words) require written permission from the copyright holder for reproduction. Adaptation of figures and tables also requires reproduction approval. It is the author’s responsibility to secure such permission and provide documentation to the ALCA Journal Editor upon acceptance for publication.
- Protection of client and subject anonymity is the responsibility of authors. Identifying information should be avoided in description and discussion.
- Authors should consult the APA Publications Manual (6th edition) for guidelines related to discriminatory language in regard to gender, sexual orientation, racial and ethnic identity, disability, and age.
- Authors should consult the APA Publications Manual (6th edition) for guidelines regarding the format of the manuscript and matters of editorial style.
- The terms counselor, counseling, and client are preferred, rather than their many synonyms.
- Authors bear full responsibility for the accuracy of references, quotations, tables, figures, and other matters of editorial style.
- The ALCA Journal expects authors to follow the Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice of the American Counseling Association (also adopted by the Alabama Counseling Association) related to publication including authorship, concurrent submissions, and Institutional Review Board approval for studies involving human subjects.
Publication procedures
Authors of accepted manuscripts will be asked to submit a final, electronic manuscript in Word format. All manuscripts accepted for publication will be edited and altered for clarity. No alterations that change the integrity of the article will be made without the primary author’s permission. Authors whose manuscripts are accepted may be asked to review manuscripts subsequent to the publication of the article in The ALCA Journal
