Submissions

Author Guidelines

Author Guidelines for Journal Submission Categories

Authors are welcomed to submit manuscripts to one of the following categories. To determine the correct placement within the journal categories, please consult the following guidelines.

• Autoethnography: An autobiographical genre of academic writing that draws on and analyzes or interprets the lived experience of the author and connects researcher insights to self-identity, cultural rules and resources, communication practices, traditions, premises, symbols, rules, shared meanings, emotions, values, and larger social, cultural, and political issues. (see APA Essentials of Autoethnography)
• Book review: Typically evaluate recently-written works. They offer a brief description of the text’s key points and often provide a short appraisal of the strengths and weaknesses of the work. (see a nonfiction book review template and three short examples.)
• Empirical peer-reviewed research article: reports the results of a study that used data derived from actual observation or experimentation. Empirical research articles are examples of primary research. The research may use quantitative or qualitative research methods. (see APA Journal Article Reporting Standards.)
  • Quantitative Research uses numerical data to establish causal relationships between variables (“Based on 100 interactions, A causes B.”). 
  • Qualitative Research objectively and critically analyzes behaviors, beliefs, feelings, or other values (“People suffering from Illness A tend to be more cautious.”) 
• Perspectives on innovation by Practitioners, Scholars, Professors, and Students: Brief papers that present futuristic, insightful commentary on current events in sports in higher education. These papers are not opinion-based but based on observations and critiques of the field.
• Research note: When writing a research note, the author(s) must be clear on what kind of contribution they want to make to the field of social sciences. Thus, the role of the research note is not to further justify predominant theoretical perspectives but to serve as an incubator or laboratory for new thinking in the field of social sciences. The goal and function of the Research Note are to allow for the dissemination of preliminary data or to present an update on exciting research in progress—ideally, to demonstrate initial but potentially valuable ideas. Often, a Research Note will present strong initial and provocative data that may not fully answer a given question (often due to factors such as a small sample size) but that are strong enough to warrant experimental follow-up. (see Research Article vs. Research Note)

Format Guidelines

Title

Should be Centered, Size 18 Bold-faced font and Times New Roman; it should not have its own separate page.

Author’s Name

During Blind Review Process: For the initial review process, please list “AUTHOR NAME” in place of your name(s), so that a double blind review can take place. After the manuscript is accepted, you should then list your name(s) in lieu of “AUTHOR NAME.”

During Copy Edit Process (after Review Process is complete): Should appear two lines after the title, be centered, 14 sized font and Times New Roman; if there are multiple authors, there should be only a single line between authors. 

Author’s Affiliation

Should appear on the next line after the author’s name and follow the same stylings as the Author’s name. For the initial review process, please list AFFILIATION in place of your actual desired affiliation, so that a double blind review can take place. After the manuscript is accepted, you should then list your desired affiliation.

Page Numbers

Should be included on every page including the title page in the bottom right hand corner. There is a page limit of 51.

Running Header

Should include the journal’s full name on the left hand side and Volume #, Issue # should be on the right hand side. Volumes are only increased by 1 after there have been 10 issues (i.e., Volume 1, Issue 1-10 should be published prior to Volume 2, Issue 1 is published, etc.).

Abstract

Should not be indented and should not receive Title heading. Should be italicized and placed on the page immediately after the author’s affiliations. 150-250 word limit. Authors should include 3-5 keywords directly under Abstract. Keywords should be italicized followed by a colon with 5 keywords written in regular font separated by commas.

All submissions should adhere to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association 6th edition author guidelines.

Main Text 

Should be justified, single-spaced, Size 12 regular typeface (not bold or underlined) Times New Roman font. Should immediately follow the abstract and not start on a new page. However, there should be a line in between the abstract and the main text. 

Any blocked quotations should not be justified and should be treated as a separate paragraph; once the quotation is finished, the rest of the text should follow standard main text formatting. For further guidance on how to include block quotes within your manuscript, you may refer to this link.

Be sure to have an extra line after each paragraph and each section header.

Headers 

Should follow the formatting of Levels 1-5 in accordance with the image displayed below. Level 1 Headers should include variations of “Literature Review,” “Conceptual Framework,” “Methodology,” “Results/Findings,” “Discussion/Implications,” “Future Research,” and “Conclusion.” The Header “Introduction” should not be included, as it is inferred, according to APA. Instead, authors may use creative license to draw the reader’s attention (e.g., The Path to Leadership in the National Football League).

Tables & Figures

Should be embedded within text.

Format for tables and for figures.

References

All text should be single-spaced. 

Within text: references should be alphabetized and single-spaced. For further guidance on citing articles with 1-5 authors and on citing articles with more than 5 authors, you may refer to this link.

Within Reference List: references should be alphabetized and double-spaced between entries. For further guidance on APA citations on citing articles with 1-7 authors and on citing articles with more than 7 authors, you may refer to this link.