National Reading Conference Yearbook

Style Sheet & Guidelines for Preparation of Manuscripts

resenters at the annual meeting of the National Reading Conference are invited to submit articles, based on their presentations, for possible inclusion in the NRC Yearbook. The Yearbook is a refereed publication; acceptance of papers by the program committee does not guarantee publication. Only previously unpublished manuscripts can be considered.

The National Reading Conference Yearbook provides an annual snapshot of research and theory in literacy and literacy education. The Yearbook includes refereed articles by both emerging scholars and more established researchers. Much of its contents is made up of smaller scale studies, complete portions of scholarly inquiries of greater scope, and explorations into new areas of thought.

Manuscripts should be no more than 20 pages, including references, and should be typed 72 characters per line using a 10-point Courier-sized font. Slightly longer manuscripts can be considered when the quality of the research and the nature of the report justify it. However, such exceptions will be rare and manuscripts that conform to the specified length will be given preference. All submissions will

Manuscript Preparation Checklist

Mailing Your Manuscripts

Include 4 copies of the manuscript and 2 stamped, self-addressed envelopes (one with $.33 and one with $.55 postage) to the editors:

Timothy Shanahan &

Flora Rodriguez-Brown, Editors

National Reading Conference Yearbook

1040 W. Harrison (M/C 147)

University of Illinois at Chicago

Chicago, IL 60607-7133

receive blind review, and authors are cautioned to report their research in ways that will not provide unnecessary clues to their identities. For instance, when referring to one’s own work, it is preferable to cite it by Author, 199x, rather than by your name.

Manuscripts will be evaluated and selected for inclusion in the Yearbook based on criteria that include:

Two self addressed, stamped envelopes should be included. One of these should have .33 postage, to allow acknowledgement of the receipt of the manuscript, and the other should have .55 postage for return of reviewers’ comments and information about the review of the manuscript.

Manuscripts must be postmarked by January 10, 2000.

 

 

 

 

Manuscript Preparation

 

 

  1. Follow APA STYLE in the text, reference list, tables and figures. The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (4th edition) is available from the: American Psychological Association (1200 17th Street N.W., Washington, DC 20036). Please pay particular attention to APA guidelines for headings, references, and the construction of tables and figures.

  2. Misspelled words, needless repetition, and illogical organization make a poor impression. Content is our most critical consideration, but reviewers and editors are also influenced by clarity of communication.

3. Avoid sexist language.

4. The Yearbook rarely publishes endnotes or footnotes. Please incorporate these into the text.

5. Abstracts will not be published in the Yearbook.

6. In the upper right-hand corner of the cover page, type the full name and professional affiliation of each author. Include a complete address and telephone number for the contact person. In the middle of this page, put the complete title of the manuscript. Below that, indicate the running head to be used in the upper right-hand corner of each manuscript page. The running head must not include the author’s name.

7. On the second page, include the complete title of the paper near the top. The running head should begin on this page. This and subsequent pages should not include any author information. The body of the manuscript should follow the title.

  1. To meet length specifications, consider the following:

    2. a. Eliminate nonessential words and phrases. Removal of unnecessary prepositions, articles, and superfluous phrases can often reduce an article by one to three pages.

    b. Use tables and figures only when absolutely necessary, as these can add considerably to the length of the manuscript. Tables or figures should only be included when they increase clarity. Information in tables and figures should not be repeated in the narrative. Figures should be submitted in camera-ready form. Since these are photographed, unclear photocopies cannot be accepted.

    c. Avoid redundancy. It is not necessary to state the purpose of the study, research questions, or findings more than once.

    d. When citing sources to substantiate a point, one, two, or three is usually sufficient.

  2. Double space everything, including quoted materials, transcripts, and references.

  3. Use a 10-point Courier font or an equivalent font size. Use a one-inch margin on all sides. Do not reduce font size or reduce margins to meet space limitations.