Guidelines for Authors

The Journal of Social Action is an official publication of Psychologists for Social Responsibility (PsySR) and Counselors for Social Justice (CSJ). This electronic journal upholds highest academic and professional standards using a peer review process. The journal is published twice a year electronically (pdf) with articles in either English or Spanish, with an extended abstract in the other language.

The mission of the journal is to promote reflection on community change and system transformation in which counselors and psychologists play a role. The journal aims to highlight 'engaged scholarship' and the very important social change work done by professionals and activists that would not normally find its way into publication. The journal thus attempts to break down the divide between theory and practice in one of the most critical areas of our work: social transformation.

Manuscripts submitted should be relevant to counselors, psychologists and related professionals as well as students and educators. Policy makers, community organizers, and activists should also find the content to be informative and relevant to their work.

The following are examples of the types of submissions that are encouraged:

Articulation of theory of social action practice in counseling and psychology
Examples of collaborative efforts to address a particular social issue, accompanied by ample critique
Research using methodology that brings the voices of communities and individuals most affected by particular social problems to the forefront
Research documenting the nature and complexity of a particular social problem
Outcomes research highlighting community interventions that have been successful in addressing social issues, or case studies of unsuccessful projects
Interviews of notable practitioners, community organizers, activists, psychologists, counselors and educators
Dialogues between scientists/practitioners, policy makers and community members both nationally and internationally

Manuscripts should be grounded in theory, practice or research. Manuscripts whose sole intent is to present an opinion or partisan political perspective are not appropriate for this journal. Specific guidelines are listed below:

All manuscripts should adhere to the guidelines presented in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (5th edition).
Each file must contain a separate title page with title, author(s)' name and affiliation and contact information. No identifying information should be contained in the remainder of the manuscript. The second page of each manuscript should contain an abstract of not more than 50 words. Figures and tables should follow the reference section and should comply with APA Style.
Bias in language regarding gender, sexual orientation, nationality, disability, age, religion, social class, race and ethnicity is not acceptable.
Manuscripts should be double-spaced with one inch margins and adhere to a 25 page limit.
Submission of a manuscript implies intent to publish the Journal of Social Action and compliance with all ethical and legal standards of the American Psychological Association and American Counseling Association regarding publication and treatment of research participants.
Manuscripts published previously or those submitted to more than one source simultaneously are not eligible for consideration.
Any possible conflict of interest, financial or political, related to the submitted work must be clearly indicated in the manuscript and in a cover letter accompanying the submission.
Written copyright permission must be submitted when using lengthy quotations (300-500 words) tables or figures (or adaptations thereof).
If the identity of clients or community members may be inferred by the content of the manuscript (e.g., quotes, etc.) signed written permission must be obtained by those individuals including clear informed consent that is understandable to the consentee.
Manuscripts should be submitted electronically as an e-mail attachment in Microsoft Word or Rich Text format to the Journal of Social Action (jsacp@lclark.edu).

Manuscripts will be reviewed through a masked, peer review process. Inquiries regarding editorial policy may be directed to the editors at jsacp@lclark.edu.

Guidelines for Authors

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