New!! Online journal targeting action research in West Virginia

The WV Center for Professional Development (WVCPD) will be publishing an online journal targeting action research in West Virginia’s P-12 schools. The first issue is set for publication in February 2008. The second issue is set for publication in February 2009.

The deadline for submission for the second issue is November 14, 2008.

Manuscripts related to ACTION RESEARCH on the following topics will be considered:

• Educational leadership and instruction in P-12 education, including:
• Instructional leadership
• Professional development
• Teaching practice(s)
• Educational materials, media or technology
• Issues and challenges

Eligibility

West Virginia teachers, administrators, and higher education faculty are eligible to submit papers for the second issue. 

Submitting to the journal

Inquiries and submissions MUST be sent electronically to:   Dixie Billheimer
dbillheimer@wvcpd.org         

General Guidelines

Materials, including manuscripts and supporting media, must be based on original action research. Written work should reflect scholarly communication in a format that is understandable and interesting. Please carefully review all suggestions/guidelines provided in this document before making a submission. Original work received in the correct format will expedite the review process. Submissions not submitted in the correct format will be returned to the author(s).
Spelling, punctuation, sentence structure, and mechanical elements such as, spacing, length, and consistency should be carefully examined before submission. All media (photos, video, etc.) submitted with manuscripts must include a copy of signed release for those pictured.

Length

This is an electronic journal, so length of papers may vary. Length should be appropriate to the topic and focus. Recommended length is 15-20 typewritten pages, double-spaced, one-inch margins.  

Originality

All manuscripts must be original. Manuscripts that have already been published or that are under review by another journal should not be submitted. Submission of a manuscript represents certification by the author that the article is not being considered and has not been published elsewhere.
The format of headings, tables, figures, citations, references, and other details should follow APA style as described in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 5th edition.

Handling of Manuscripts

Acknowledgement of receipt will be provided for all manuscript submissions.  Review will be completed as promptly as possible. Each manuscript will be reviewed by at least three members of the Review Board. Reviews will take 4-6 weeks. This is a blind review process, so please be certain that your name DOES NOT appear in the manuscript.
When a decision for publication or rejection is made, the senior author or author designated to receive correspondence will be notified. At the time of notification, the author may be asked to make revisions and resubmit, or the Editor may suggest revisions for approval of the author(s).

Submission

All documentation must be submitted in electronic format. No hard copy documents will be accepted.  Documentation should be submitted in either DOC or RTF format. DOC files created with MS Word are preferred. If using MS Office 2007 please save .docx files in a .doc format.
Please send the following three files as attachments within one email message when making your submission: a title page, an abstract page, and a manuscript. Refer to the section labeled Tables, Figures, & Graphics for additional information, if supporting media is also being submitted.

• Title Page – Attach a title page that includes the title and author(s) of your manuscript. Manuscripts are blind reviewed so there should be no indication of the author(s) name within the actual manuscript.
• Abstract – Attach an abstract page that includes the manuscript title and an informative, comprehensive abstract of no more than 120 words. This abstract should succinctly summarize the major points of the paper, including a summary and/or conclusions.
• Manuscript – Attach the full manuscript that includes the title and the body of your paper. Your name should not appear in this document. Manuscripts should be double-spaced with 1 inch margins. A font size of 12pt is preferred. In general, articles should not exceed 15-20. Long articles or articles containing complex material should be organized with short, meaningful subheadings.

Tables, Figures & Graphics

Any graphics/media that go in the article must be submitted as separate files. The highest quality is preferred. Additionally, placement of graphics/media should be noted within the manuscript, so website developers will have the information needed for proper design. Any graphics created in Microsoft Word must also be submitted as separate files.
Tables - All tables (i.e., data displayed in rows and columns) must be embedded in the manuscript near the first reference to the corresponding table. Tables MUST be no wider than 5.25" in the document. Lengthy tables are discouraged as they are difficult to read online.  
Figures - Any graphics that go in the article must be submitted as separate files. Figure graphics (e.g., charts, graphs, photographs, and drawings) must be in either .GIF or .JPG format. Filenames for figures must be clearly labeled as Figure 1, Figure 2, etc. Figures should be numbered in sequence and must be referenced within the text of the manuscript.
ALT tags will be applied to all graphics. The default tag will be the figure caption supplied by the author. Authors should provide captions for any graphics/media, including links to audio and/or video.
Photographs - All photographs submitted with manuscripts must include a copy of a signed permission form from the copyright holder.
Video/Audio – If submitting video or audio files please contact Dixie Billheimer (dbillheimer@wvcpd.org) regarding format.

Citations

All sources must be properly cited and referenced, even those found on the World Wide Web.  Citations should strictly follow American Psychological Association (APA) style guide. As per APA all citations must match the reference list and vice versa. Over use of references is discouraged. Authors are responsible for checking the accuracy of all references and that all references cited in the text also appear in the Reference section.

URLs

Hyperlinks to the Internet may be included in your submission. Hyperlinks should be fully qualified and typed out. For example, “West Virginia Center for Professional Development  (http://www.wvcpd.org).” URLs for documents cited in the text should be placed in appropriate APA format in the Reference List. If you wish to refer readers to a number of online resources, avoid cluttering the text of your article by including an alphabetical listing of online resources in a Resources section at the end of the manuscript. Include the name of each web site referred to in the article, with the URL beside it.
PLEASE CAREFULLY READ AND ADHERE TO THESE GUIDELINES.
MANUSCRIPTS NOT SUBMITTED ACCORDING TO THE GUIDELINES WILL BE RETURNED.