SIS Quarterly Author Guidelines
Topic Links: Length of Article | Submission | Accurate Referencing | Figures & Tables | Copyright | Manuscript Checklist | Samples of APA Style References | The Editorial Process
This guide and checklist has been prepared for you to follow when submitting an article for publication in an AOTA Special Interest Section (SIS) Quarterly. The guide is adapted from the fifth addition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA). For additional and more detailed help, consult the APA Manual or go to their Web site at www.apa.org
The 11 Special Interest Sections are:
- Administration & Management
- Developmental Disabilities
- Education
- Early Intervention & School
- Gerontology
- Home & Community Health
- Mental Health
- Physical Disabilities
- Sensory Integration
- Technology
- Work Programs
Length of Article
Manuscript pages should be double-spaced with 1-inch margins. You should discuss the length of your article with the SIS Quarterly production editor. Generally, three manuscript pages equal one printed page. Most SIS Quarterly newsletters are 3½ printed pages. In the absence of any instruction from the SIS Quarterly editor, plan your article to be no longer than 11 to 13 manuscript pages, about 3,000 words, and about 21,000 characters with spaces. Because the length can vary considerably based on tables, bullet lists, subheads, number of references, etc., if two of the three measurements are within these parameters, then the article likely will fit.
Submission
Articles should be submitted as e-mail attachments. The article/s should be in Word with the entire article double-spaced, using 12-point Times New Roman font. Margins are 1 inch.
Accurate Referencing
Be sure to include complete references. You are responsible for the accuracy of all of the references cited in your article; AOTA does not verify this information. If you mention work, words, laws, or materials devised by someone other than yourself, you must cite the source. You should also cite the source of any assessments or tests that you refer to in your article so that other practitioners can locate these materials easily. In text, use the author-date form to cite a source; also list each source in the reference list. If more than one reference follows a sentence in text, list those references in alphabetical order within the parentheses. For direct quotes used in text, indicate author, date, and page number(s) of quote. Each in-text citation must agree in spelling and year of publication with the corresponding entry in the reference list.
You can use the attached samples of APA style references as a guide when preparing your reference list. The APA Web site at www.apastyle.org/elecref.html provides information on citing electronic references. References for journal articles must contain the names of all authors up to six, the date of publication, the name of the article, the full name of the journal, the volume number, the issue number if the pagination begins with page 1 with each issue, and the inclusive page numbers. References for books must include the names of all authors up to six, the complete title of the book, the city and state of publication, and the name of the publisher. The reference list should be arranged alphabetically by the authors' last names. If you have sources that provide useful information but that are not cited in the text, list them under the heading Related Readings.
Figures and Tables
Figures and tables are easy to distinguish. All graphs and photos are figures. If the material contains rows and columns, then it is a table. All of the elements in each figure must be large enough to remain legible after the figure is reduced. Photographs must be sharply focused and uncluttered, and taken at the highest resolution your camera will allow (this is not the default setting). Because photos are not printed in color they must have high contrast. Be sure to mention all figures and tables in the text and to include titles and appropriate permissions (see Copyright section).
Copyright
By submitting a manuscript to a Quarterly newsletter, the author is acknowledging that AOTA will hold the copyright if the manuscript is published. AOTA assumes copyright of all manuscripts that we publish. To avoid copyright infringement, manuscripts submitted to AOTA must not be under consideration by any other publisher.
Authors are required to secure written permission to use previously published tables or figures from the copyright owner and release forms from people in photographs. Please be aware that the copyright holder may issue a fee for reprinting and that AOTA is not responsible for that fee. Even if you are the author of a previously published table or figure, the publisher may own the copyright.
Be sure to complete a copyright release form and send it with your article. The SIS Quarterly editor will send you the form, or you can get it from our Web site at http://www.aota.org/Pubs/Publish/40403.aspx.
MANUSCRIPT CHECKLIST
Manuscript Preparation
- Entire manuscript is double-spaced-including quotations, references, author identification notes, figure captions, and all parts of tables.
- Margins are 1 inch.
- Article is submitted as Microsoft Word document.
Title Page
- Author's credentials (i.e., PhD, MA, OTR, FAOTA) are included in the byline.
- Author's bio includes the author's current job title, place of work, mailing address, and e-mail address.
Paragraphs and Headings
Each paragraph is longer than a single sentence but not longer than one typed page.
Headings accurately reflect the organization of the paper.
Abbreviations
- Unnecessary abbreviations are eliminated and any necessary ones are explained.
- Abbreviations in tables and figures are explained in the table notes and figure captions.
- Words that can be shortened by abbreviation or acronym should be spelled out at first use, and the abbreviation and acronym should be used only if it appears more than once in the article.
Units of Measurements
- Metric equivalents for all nonmetric units are provided.
References
- All references are cited both in text and in the reference list.
- Text citations and reference list entries agree both in spelling and in date.
- Page numbers are provided in text for all quotations.
- References (both in the parenthetical text citations and in the reference list) are ordered alphabetically by the authors' surnames, then by date of publication (from oldest to newest).
- Journal titles in the reference list are spelled out fully, eliminating the word "The".
- Inclusive page numbers for all articles or chapters in books are provided in the reference list.
Tables and Figures
- Every table column has a heading.
- Electronic photographs are sharply focused and taken at the highest resolution the camera will allow. They must reproduce well in black and white.
- Each photo or figure is labeled with the correct figure number, the author's name, and a caption.
- All figures and tables are referred to in the text.
Copyright
- A copyright release form has been completed and signed by each author.
- Written permission to use previously published text, tables, or figures is enclosed with the manuscript.
- Written permission to use photographs of recognizable persons is enclosed with the manuscript. Permission is given by the photographer (if not you) and by each person shown (or his or her guardian).
SAMPLES OF APA STYLE REFERENCES
Periodical
Royeen, C. B., & Marsh, D. (1988). Promoting occupational therapy in the schools. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 42, 713-717.
Book
Ayres, A. J. (1972). Sensory integration and learning disorders. Los Angeles: Western Psychological Services.
Web
American Psychological Association. (2000, August 22). Electronic reference formats recommended by the American Psychological Association. Retrieved August 26, 2003, from http://www.apa.org/journals/webref.html
Article in an edited book
Hopkins, H. L., Smith, H. D., & Tiffany, E. G. (1983). Therapeutic application of activity. In H. L. Hopkins & H. D. Smith (Eds.), Willard and Spackman's occupational therapy (6th ed., pp. 223-229). Philadelphia: Lippincott.
Unpublished paper presented at a meeting
Allen, C. K. (1986, November). Cognitive disability: Theory, assessment, management, and research. Paper presented at the meeting of the Georgia Occupational Therapy Association, Augusta, GA.
Newspaper or newsletter article
Anzalone, M. (1988, September). Neonatal outcome: From clinical result to research. Developmental Disabilities Special Interest Section Newsletter, 11(3), 1-3.
Legal citation
Education for All Handicapped Children Act. (1975). Pub. L. 94-142, 20 U.S.C. § 1401.
Government publication
National Center for Health Statistics. (1986). Americans needing home care (DHHS Publication No. PHS 86-1581). Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.
Publication of limited circulation
Chandler, L. S., Andrews, M. S., & Swanson, M. W. (1980). Movement Assessment of Infants: A manual. (Available from Movement Assessment of Infants, PO Box 4631, Rolling Bay, WA 98061)
Film
American Occupational Therapy Association (Producer). (1984). Medicare prospective payment system and its implications for occupational therapy [Film]. Rockville, MD: Producer.
THE EDITORIAL PROCESS
Your article is reviewed by the SIS chairperson and SIS Quarterly editor. It will be reviewed again for content by staff in AOTA's Professional Affairs Division. If the article is incomplete, contains inaccurate information, or needs substantive rewriting for organization or clarity, it may be returned to you for additional work. If space becomes an issue, your article will be edited down.
Your article will be edited for grammar, clarity, consistency, and style by AOTA's Communications Group. You will be sent a copy of the article after the editing has been completed. You need to review it carefully and resolve any queries. It is very important that you return the article by the deadline given to you. Our production schedule has tight deadlines, and your cooperation in helping us stay on schedule is greatly appreciated.
Distribution
After the SIS Quarterly has been printed, each author will receive one complimentary copy.
Requests to Reprint
Authors wishing to republish their SIS Quarterly article or to make copies of the article for other uses must contact the Quarterly production manager at AOTA for permission to do so.
