Journal of Family &
Consumer Sciences
Guidelines for Authors
The Journal of Family & Consumer
Sciences (JFCS) is the official publication
of the American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences
(AAFCS). Its purpose, expressed by the mission statement,
is "To be the premier journal in the family and consumer
sciences profession and to embody the mission of AAFCS."
As such, JFCS publishes peer-reviewed
articles and practical information that promotes the well-being
of individuals; strong, resilient, and sustainable families;
and supportive communities. JFCS
is published four times per year: January, April, September,
and November. The most recent acceptance rate (June, 2009)
is 60%.
A list of themes for each issue is published
in the November issue each year and is posted on the AAFCS
Web site. Authors who are submitting for a specific theme
issue should identify that issue in their cover letter. (Submitting
for a specific theme is not required.)
Contributions of original research/evaluation,
practice, and strategies for success related to the five themes
in the updated body of knowledge are encouraged: 1) wellness;
2) resource development and sustainability; 3) global interdependence;
4) capacity building; and 5) appropriate use of technology.
ARTICLE CATEGORIES
JFCS accepts manuscripts in the
categories listed below. All submitted manuscripts should
be reader friendly. Write in a clear, direct, concise style,
avoiding wordiness and jargon. Reviewers evaluate each manuscript
on the basis of content, originality, scientific accuracy,
clarity, and contribution to family and consumer sciences.
References must be in APA style. Manuscripts in all
categories that exceed the word limit may be returned to authors
for rewrite.
1. Scholarship section (Peer Reviewed)
2,500-word limit. ($40 review fee required.)
The following manuscripts with a basic or applied
focus are sought: original research, program evaluation, issue
papers, or theory or philosophical papers. Manuscripts should
include:
- Abstract;
- Introduction stating the purpose and relevance of the
study;
- Clear and full description of hypotheses or objectives,
interventions, and methods, including criteria for sampling
as well as statement of human subject review;
- Presentation of appropriate findings or results;
- Discussion (for greatest value, compare results with
data from related studies of a similar nature); and
- Applications/conclusions.
2. Practice (May be Peer Reviewed)
500-word limit.
Invited manuscripts for Practice are usually
not peer reviewed. A maximum of two illustrations (tables,
figures, or drawings) may be included. No review fee
required.
3. Strategies for Success (Two types
of manuscripts will be accepted)
a. Scholarship section (Peer Reviewed)
2,000-word limit (shorter manuscripts preferred). The
same guidelines as presented in Category 1 Scholarship section
will be used except for the word limit. ($40 review fee
required.)
b. Brief Paper (Peer Reviewed) 600-word
limit ($40 review fee required.)
4. Reviews of New Books (Not Peer Reviewed)
500-word limit. Books should relate to family and
consumer sciences and should be recent titles. Their primary
intent should not be course texts. (No review fee required.)
5. Reflections (Not Peer Reviewed)
125-word limit. Readers are invited to respond and
share their perspectives to previous articles or issues within
FCS. (No review fee required.)
6. Did You Know?. . . 40-word limit.
News briefs, "factoids," or research findings that
impact the lives of individuals, families, and communities
served by FCS professionals. (No review fee required.)
7. Features (Invited) 800–3,500
words
Features are in-depth, rigorous presentations
of breakthrough thinking and applications in FCS, and typically
are based on the theme of each issue. Features may also be
theory and philosophy papers. To determine potential interest
in a topic, prepare a two or three page summary
answering the following questions. 1) What is the central
message of the proposed manuscript? 2) What is new, useful,
and important about the idea? 3) What are the real-world implications?
3) What research supports the logic in the proposed manuscript?
4) What academic, professional, or personal experience will
be drawn upon to make the argument convincing? Submit
summary electronically to the editor. (No review
fee required.)
JOURNAL STYLE
JFCS uses the Publication Manual
of the American Psychological Association, 5th Edition
(see pages 215-281 for instructions on citations/references)
and Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, latest
edition.
MANUSCRIPT PREPARATION
Manuscripts are to be prepared in Microsoft Word or rich text;
leave at least a one-inch margin on all sides. Use 12-point
font size and double-space. Do not insert page breaks. Single-space
the references, using the Hanging Indent feature (In Word,
under Format/paragraph/special). Number pages sequentially.
Avoid unnecessary use of ALL CAPS, underlines, boldface
and italics. Avoid excess formatting as it may have
to be undone. Plain text without boxes, borders, shading etc.
is preferred. (Use of italics in references to comply with
APA style is acceptable.)
Authors Page—for all submissions
This page includes: the title of the manuscript; word count
excluding abstract and references; full names, academic degrees
(doctoral only), certifications related to FCS such as CFCS,
and affiliations (position title, organization, address, telephone
number, home and cellular numbers, fax number, E-mail
address and AAFCS membership number) for each author; indicate which author is corresponding
author. Type authors' names in the order they should appear
in the published article.
Title
The manuscript title needs to be specific, informative, conveying
the findings or relevance of the article. Titles serve two
purposes: they describe the content and make locating an article
in a database easier. The title should appear on the abstract,
the first page of the manuscript text, the author's page,
and in all correspondence. Avoid lengthy titles.
Abstract (for Scholarship section only)
100-word limit.
The abstract states the purpose and primary conclusions of
the paper.
Tables, Figures, and Illustrations,
Footnotes
Include tables, figures, and illustrations including photographs
only if they are necessary to clarify a manuscript.
Each table or figure should be understandable by itself and
not require the reader to refer to the text. Avoid footnotes
and avoid repeating the table information in the manuscript,
if possible. Obtain permission to reprint if necessary and
include copy of permission with manuscript. (See Section 7.01
of APA Manual for additional information on permissions.)
MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION (for all manuscripts)
All items except the payment of review fee can be submitted
electronically via E-mail. Submit the entire article in one
document that includes the authors’ page, main article
references, abstract, figures and tables (Word/Rich Text).
If certain graphics/illustrations (PowerPoint, etc.) cannot
easily be embedded in the main article file, they can be in
a separate document. Submit the cover letter as a separate
document. All submissions must include an authors'
page (see above).
The cover letter should identify
one author who will handle correspondence regarding the manuscript.
Provide a complete address, telephone numbers (work, home,
and cellular), fax number, and e-mail address for this author.
Identify the article title, its category, focus, and relevance
to JFCS and the field of family
and consumer sciences.
SEND all submissions via email
to Debra Bass, Managing Editor: dbass@aafcs.org
SEND a $40 processing and review fee
(if applicable) made payable to AAFCS as soon as possible
after submitting the manuscript for Scholarship or Strategies
for Success manuscripts for peer review. Processing of
manuscripts cannot begin until the fee is received.
MAIL the $40 review fee along
with a copy of the Author’s page to the Managing Editor:
Debra Bass, Managing Editor
Journal of Family & Consumer Sciences
American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences
400 N. Columbus St. #202
Alexandria, VA 22314-2752
Authors will receive in 2-3 weeks a notification
of receipt of the manuscript. A formal acknowledgment/copyright
transfer letter will be emailed to authors upon receipt of
the Review Fee (if required.) Authors will be instructed to
print out the letter, sign it and mail it back to the Managing
Editor.
Before a manuscript is sent out for peer review
(if required), an initial screening is performed. This may
result in the manuscript being returned to the author(s) if
relevance is not clear, guidelines are not met, if it is incomplete
or if the editors believe that further work or development
is necessary before it is sent out for peer-review. Manuscripts
undergo a blind review process. Manuscripts are accepted at
the discretion of the Journal editors. If plagiarism
is suspected, the author will be contacted.
Manuscripts submitted for consideration
or published elsewhere may not be submitted to or published
by JFCS. Theses and dissertations published
in hard copy, microfiche, and/or electronic formats are not
considered to be previously published. Manuscripts developed
from theses and dissertations regardless of the publication
format are eligible for submission to the JFCS
if not submitted to another journal. Manuscripts are considered
with the understanding that they have not been published previously
in print or electronic format and are not under consideration
by another publication or electronic medium. Findings previously
presented in an oral report or in an abstract in conjunction
with a scientific or professional conference may be submitted
for consideration. Copies of possibly duplicative materials
that have been previously published or are being considered
elsewhere must be provided at the time of manuscript submission
and may preclude consideration by JFCS.
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