The Counseling Psychologist

http://tcp.sagepub.com/

The Submission Guidelines for The Counseling Psychologist

SAGE Publications
The Counseling Psychologist 2007 35: 6
DOI: 10.1177/0011000006294910
The online version of this article can be found at:
http://tcp.sagepub.com/content/35/1/6

Published by:
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On behalf of:

Division of Counseling Psychology of the American Psychological Association

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The Submission Guidelines for

The Counseling Psychologist

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES FOR ALL MANUSCRIPTS

When submitting manuscripts for review, authors should identify themselves only on a removable cover sheet and nowhere else in the manuscript.
It is very important that references in the text that include the work of any of
the authors be replaced with Author Citation to facilitate a masked review
process. The reference section does not need to be masked. Manuscripts
that are not appropriately masked will be returned to the authors.
Proposals for major contributions involve all 6 steps described below.
Proposals include 3 steps (1-3) in the review process that journal and forum
manuscripts and major contributions do not have to undergo.
1. For proposals, the editor will make a prompt review of the suitability of the
proposal for distribution to The Counseling Psychologist (TCP) editorial
board. If the proposal is found inappropriate or incomplete, it will be returned
to the author with recommendations regarding submission. Once a proposal
is complete, it will be sent out to members of the editorial board for ratings
and comments. The editor will provide feedback to the author within approximately 2 months after the receipt of the proposal. This communication will
specify a decision about whether to proceed or whether any additional information or development is needed before a final decision can be made.
2. Any substantial deviations from the approved proposal must be cleared with
the editor.
3. A date for completion of the article(s) and an approximate publication date
will be established by the editor. A failure to meet the established deadline
will result in loss of the position in the publishing schedule, possibly resulting
in a delay in publication of a year or more.

Journal, forum, and major contribution manuscripts follow the review and
publication steps outlined in Steps 4 to 6.
4. When the completed manuscript(s) is received, it will be reviewed by editorial board members, ad hoc reviewers, and the editor(s). Editorial feedback will
be provided within 6 to 8 weeks of receipt of the manuscript. If appropriate,
THE COUNSELING PSYCHOLOGIST, Vol. 35 No. 1, January 2007 6-12
DOI: 10.1177/0011000006294910
2007 by the Division of Counseling Psychology.

6
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SUBMISSION GUIDELINES 7

the author(s) will be allowed between 8 and 10 weeks to make revisions and
still retain their original place in the publication sequence. Delays in making
acceptable revisions may result in long delays for the eventual publication of
the manuscript.
5. If the manuscript is reviewed favorably for publication, the authors will be
notified. Minor revisions may be requested as the manuscript is prepared for
publication. For major contributions that involve reactions, the author(s) will
be asked to submit a list of possible respondents. The editor will review these
suggestions, consult with content experts (including TCP board members),
and then select reactants with input from the author(s).
6. Once a draft has been received that is judged to be acceptable with only
minor revisions, the manuscript is scheduled for publication and needed documents are requested. In the case of manuscripts that have reactions, respondents will be contacted by the editor. Reactants will be allowed 6 to 8 weeks
to prepare their articles.

GUIDELINES FOR SUBMITTING

MAJOR CONTRIBUTION PROPOSALS TO TCP
One of the hallmarks of TCP is the thematic format of the journal, introduced in 1969 by John Whiteley. The basic format is to have one or more
articles constituting a major contribution on a single topic, followed by reaction articles from a diverse group of colleagues to stimulate additional
thought. Given the manuscript length of major contributions, most often
potential authors engage in a two-step review process. First, they submit a
proposal for a major contribution (approximately 15 pages), and if the proposal is approved, full-length manuscripts are subsequently developed and
reviewed for acceptability (see details below). In a few exceptional cases,
potential authors may already have complete, full-length manuscripts; these
authors can submit their manuscripts directly for editorial review.
Major Contribution Proposal Format
The proposal format consists of three sections prepared in accordance
with the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association
(5th edition; American Psychological Association [APA], 2001).
I. Proposed Content and Structure
Section I is an approximately five-page overview of the following five
points, preferably addressed point by point:

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8 THE COUNSELING PSYCHOLOGIST / January 2007

1. A one-paragraph description of the content domain of the major contribution.

2. Specific goals of the major contribution. The goals should include some level
of conceptual, empirical, and methodological contributions to research, practice, and/or training activities of interest to counseling psychologists. Critical
literature reviews are encouraged. Authors are especially encouraged to submit a package of shorter articles. For example, the lead article might be primarily a conceptual article, with the next two articles each providing empirical
support for some part of the conceptual model identified in the first article. A
fourth article might build on the other three articles by discussing practice
implications. Collectively, the package of articles in such a major contribution would integrate theory, science, and practice. Whether through one
extended manuscript or a package of shorter articles, the best proposals will
explicitly (a) integrate theory, practice, and science; (b) address major societal problems; (c) discuss implications for specific populations, such as
women, men, racial/ethnic group members, nonethnic groups (gay, lesbian,
bisexual), and various educational levels, social classes, and nationalities;
and (d) establish a historical context for the major contribution.
3. A brief rationale explaining why and how both the content and specific goals
above are important for counseling psychologists at this time.
4. A one-paragraph description of the proposed structure of the major contribution. The complete manuscript, whether consisting of one or more articles,
including references, can range from 70 to 120 double-spaced, typed pages.
Given the general shortage of journal space, concise manuscripts are valued.
5. Specify the amount of time needed to prepare the proposed major contribution.

II. Summary of the Proposed Major Contribution

Section II is a summary of the proposed article(s) that constitute the
major contribution (approximately 10 pages). The purpose of this section is
to allow the author(s) to provide specific details about the proposed structure and content of the proposal discussed in Section I. Inclusion of some
citations is encouraged.
III. References
Section III is a listing of the references used in Sections I and II.
DESCRIPTION OF THE FORUMS OF TCP
An important component of TCP is the forums that facilitate the discussion of conceptual, empirical, and methodological issues in specific domains.
Each forum has one or more features that are described below. However, the

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SUBMISSION GUIDELINES 9

journal welcomes manuscripts that are not designated for any particular
forum.
The Professional Forum is for articles that examine a wide range of professional issues in counseling psychology such as (but no limited to) education and training, professional roles, professional development, licensure,
organizational and political issues within the profession, the impact of social
issues and national policies on counseling psychology, and ethical or legal
issues.
The Scientific Forum is for articles that (a) examine methodological
issues, (b) are critical reviews of the literature, and (c) are an integration of
conceptual and empirical approaches to enhance theory development.
The Practice-Science Integration Section is for manuscripts dedicated to
the description and discussion of treatment approaches and counseling
interventions from an integrated scientist practitioner perspective. The
Practice-Science Integration Section is a section of the Scientific Forum
and encourages authors to submit manuscripts that draw from a wide body
of empirical, clinical, and theoretical literature with a focus on current clinical practice and best practices in psychology. The aim of this section is to
promote more scientifically informed practice and practice-sensitive
research for a range of clinical and counseling issues such as depression,
anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder. Articles should focus on both the
conceptualization and etiology of various forms of human distress and on
assessment procedures, intervention strategies, and training approaches.
Manuscripts may be written in the form of case presentations and should
include theoretical foundations, history, definitions, clinical categories, conceptualization, and so forth. Integrated within each section, where appropriate,
should be research evidence, where research is broadly defined. Manuscripts
should be 25 to 45 pages in length.
The Social Justice Forum is for articles addressing social inequality and
the role of counseling psychologists in addressing oppression in the lives of
clients and in society as a whole. Topics might include (but are not limited
to) analyzing research methods from a social justice perspective, integrating social justice into training and curricula, the role of advocacy in counseling, ethical dilemmas associated with advocacy, and public policy (see
Carter, 2003, for more topics). In addition, manuscripts may deal with
issues relating to the various -isms (e.g., racism, sexism, heterosexism, etc.).
The Social Justice Forum also encourages the submission of manuscripts
designed to enhance awareness, sensitivity, knowledge, and practice about
a broad range of culturally diverse populations. Manuscripts that integrate
conceptual, empirical, and methodological issues in conducting research
and practice with diverse populations that vary in social class, gender, race,
ethnicity, age, lifestyle, and religious values are encouraged.

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10 THE COUNSELING PSYCHOLOGIST / January 2007

The Legacies and Traditions Forum is for articles that document the personal and professional lives of early pioneers whose work has shaped our
profession. Each article represents an oral history of the profession. Pioneers
must be at least 60 years of age and must have made major contributions to
the field of counseling psychology through science and/or practice activities.
The coeditors of the Legacies and Traditions Forum are Linda Forrest, PhD,
and Naomi Meara, PhD.
The International Forum is a deliberate attempt to increase the visibility of
international contributions to counseling in a variety of ways: (a) to promote
awareness, knowledge, and skill of international and intercultural counseling
activities among members of the Society of Counseling Psychology; (b) to
promote professional relations and communication between society members
and the larger international community of professional counselors; and (c) to
provide an opportunity to share information on international and intercultural
counseling issues. Articles might focus on counseling persons in an international population, counseling strategies unique to an international setting,
problems in adapting counseling to an international setting, reviews of literature on counseling in nonEnglish-speaking countries, and research on international populations. For examples of International Forum articles, please
refer to the January 2000 issue of TCP.
The Around the Winter Roundtable is for invited manuscripts that focus
on racial and cultural issues relevant to counseling psychology. Invited authors
include the keynote speaker and/or the Janet E. Helms award recipient from
the Winter Roundtable on Cultural Psychology and Education. The editor of
the Around the Winter Roundtable Forum is Madonna Constantine, PhD.
The Comments Forum is for brief comments on articles published in the
journal. Based on both Fowler (1991) and Stone (1994), the following
guidelines have been established for the comments section: Manuscripts
submitted as comments should not exceed five double-spaced pages; all comments are reviewed; comments on comments are rarely accepted; a rejoinder
from an author whose article is being commented on will be reviewed, if warranted; unsolicited rejoinders (from other than the original author) are rarely
accepted; readers are encouraged to write directly to the author with comments that fall outside of our guidelines or do not require a broad audience;
comments should be submitted no later than 4 months after the publication
on which the comment is made. Any exceptions to the above guidelines are
made only if they significantly and substantially add to the discussion or
provide corrections or points of fact.
In Memoriam is to honor those psychologists who have made significant
contributions to counseling psychology. Past presidents of Division 17 and
Leona Tyler Award winners are all recognized. In addition, selection of
distinguished past contributors is on a case-by-case basis, with assistance

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SUBMISSION GUIDELINES 11

from an advisory committee composed of the past president, president, and

president-elect of the society.

MANUSCRIPT PREPARATION AND ETHICAL ISSUES

When submitting manuscripts to TCP for editorial review, authors should
identify themselves only on a removable cover sheet and nowhere else in the
manuscript. Manuscripts that are not appropriately masked will be returned
to the authors.
Manuscripts should be prepared according to the Publication Manual of
the American Psychological Association (5th edition; APA, 2001). All parts
of the manuscript must be typed, double-spaced, and on 8.5 11 paper.
Authors are advised to use language that is free from sexist, racist, or ethnic bias; heterosexism; bias toward people with disabilities; ageism; and
other kinds of bias. All manuscripts should include an abstract on a separate page that contains no more than 150 words. Tables are to be included,
when necessary, to depict the results. Tables, figures, abstracts, and captions
are to be prepared on separate pages and must also conform to the Publication
Manual of the American Psychological Association (5th edition; APA, 2001).
Authors are expected to adhere to the APA Ethical Guidelines in conducting all phases of their investigation and manuscript preparation. In particular, it is important that all ethical issues with regard to treatment of
research participants be carefully examined and actions taken in accordance
with the APA Ethical Guidelines. Moreover, it is important that every person who contributed to the project is acknowledged in the author notes, in
accordance with APA policy, or is listed as an author.
In preparing and submitting manuscripts, authors are expected to report
data and results that are both honest and accurate. Such practices as submitting a previously published manuscript for review and submitting the
same manuscript to various journals at the same time should not be exercised. Piecemeal or fragmented publications that form a single study are
discouraged unless there is a clear benefit to the scientific community.
Multiple reports from a large data set must include reference to proper
reports and make clear the degree of sample overlap. In all cases where
multiple reports from the same data set, authors should inform the editor
and explicitly note any overlap in the report. On receipt of any manuscript
for review, authors will be asked to sign a form indicating adherence to
APA Ethical Guidelines and the issues identified above.
Authors submitting manuscripts are protected by common law against
the unauthorized use of their unpublished work. Specifically, an unpublished manuscript is considered to be a confidential or privileged paper.

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12 THE COUNSELING PSYCHOLOGIST / January 2007

Reviewers will be asked to destroy or return the manuscript after their

review is completed; in addition, reviewers will be asked not to circulate,
quote, cite, or refer to the unpublished work in any way unless specific permission is granted by the author.

MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION
Editorial feedback will be provided within 6 to 8 weeks of receipt of the
manuscript. Submission of major contributions or major contribution proposals should include an original plus nine masked copies.
All other journal or forum manuscripts should be submitted with an
original plus six masked copies. As of January 1, 2007, please send all
submissions to:
Nadya A. Fouad, PhD
Editor-Elect, The Counseling Psychologist
Department of Educational Psychology
PO 413
UWMilwaukee
Milwaukee, WI 53201-0413
U.S.A.

Inquiries can be addressed to the editor-elect at the above address or via

e-mail (nadya@uwm.edu) or telephone (414-229-6830).

REFERENCES
American Psychological Association. (2001). Publication manual of the American
Psychological Association (5th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.
Carter, R. T. (2003). The counseling psychologist in the new millennium: Building a bridge
from the past to the future. The Counseling Psychologist, 31, 5-15.
Fowler, R. D. (1991). Statement of editorial policy. American Psychologist, 46, 3-5.
Stone, G. L. (1994). Comment on comments. The Counseling Psychologist, 22, 5.

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