Guidelines for Authors

The Journal of College Student Development is interested in manuscripts concerning student development, professional development, professional issues, administrative concerns, and creative programs to improve student services. Authors may focus on recent original research, replication of research, reviews of research, graduate education in student affairs, or essays on theoretical, organizational, and professional issues. Both quantitative and qualitative research manuscripts are considered. Manuscripts should address one of the following:

Support for the extension of knowledge in the area of developmental theory; Support for increasing sophistication in the assessment of developmental change and the factors contributing thereto; Support for practitioner efforts to apply theoretical developmental constructs to programs in the field; or Support for increasing our knowledge of organizational behaviors so that effective tactics and strategies might be applied to the implementation of developmentally focused programs on the campus.

Style Guidelines

Manuscripts must be clear, concise, and interesting with a well-organized development of ideas. The Publication Manual, Fifth Edition of the American Psychological Association should be followed for reference style and general guidelines.

When preparing a manuscript for publication, the author(s) must carefully follow the instructions listed below:

Avoid use of the term "subject." Use more specific references such as "student," "client," or "participant." Use titles that are short and descriptive. Place the title on a separate page with the names of the authors, their professional titles, and their institutional affiliations. Include an abstract on the second page beneath the title and before the first paragraph of the article (except for manuscripts submitted for "On the Campus" or "Research in Brief"). The abstract or capsule statement should clearly describe the main intent or outcome of the manuscript in 50 words or fewer. Place each table and figure on separate pages following the reference section of the manuscript. Supply figures as camera-ready art. Include only essential data in tables and combine tables whenever possible. Indicate in the narrative of the manuscript, on a separate line and in square brackets, where to place the table or figure. Final placement is at the discretion of the layout editor. Only citations referred to in the manuscript should be listed in the references. Check all references before mailing the manuscript to ensure that all sources cited in the text appear in the references and vice versa, and that all references are accurate and complete. Use the reference style in the APA Publication Manual,Fifth Edition. Lengthy quotations (a total of 300 or more words from one source) require written permission from the copyright holder for reproduction. Adaptation of tables and figures also requires such approval. The author is responsibile for securing such permission. A copy of the publisher's written permission must be provided to the Journaleditor immediately upon acceptance of the article for publication. Use a common type style, such as Courier or Times Roman, and set all text (including references, quotations, tables, and figures) in 12-pitch type, double-spaced, or 12-point type with 30 points of leading. Set the title in upper and lower case. Set the first-level subheading in ALL CAPS; set the second-level subheading in upper and lower case; set the third-level heading in upper and lower case, underlined, and run-in with the paragraph. Underlining is preferred for elements that are to be set in italics, because underlining is easily seen on the hard copy. Allow generous margins (at least one inch) around each page and submit single-sided copies only. Because manuscripts are processed through a masked review system, they should contain no clues to the author's identity or institutional affiliation (with the exception of the title page previously mentioned). Where appropriate, institutional identification will be inserted after acceptance of the manuscript. Avoid footnotes. The Journalwill not publish acknowledgments except on rare occasions for recognition of external funding. Authors are responsible for the accuracy of references, quotations, tables, and figures. Authors should make sure these are complete and correct. Submission of a manuscript indicates the author's agreement to furnish information...