Call for Submissions: Journal for Service-Learning Research with Children and Youth

Posted by on August 10, 2009

Information for Action: A Journal for Service-Learning Research with Children and Youth

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

The Goals of Information for Action: A Journal of Service-Learning Research with Children and Youth are to:

* Expand the community of service-learning educators and researchers
* Contribute to the academic legitimacy of service-learning
* Improve the quality and sustainability of service-learning programs
* Increase the quality, quantity and relevance of service-learning research
* Increase the number of students, teachers, and faculty who can contribute to the expansion of knowledge and understanding of the principles and practices of service-learning and community participation

Therefore, the Information for Action: A Journal of Service-Learning Research with Children and Youth seeks papers that contribute new research, theory, pedagogy, and other matters related to service-learning in school and community settings that affect youth, ages 5-18.  We will do one call for submissions for the year, using articles for three publications, from January 2010 through September 2010.

Competitive Articles:  The Journal seeks articles in three primary categories.  The first category is in work related to rigorous, academic research that expands knowledge of theories and principles of service-learning and related youth fields.  The second category is in applied research, performed primarily by teachers and practitioners, who can share insights that will help others to improve their understanding and practice of service-learning.  The third category includes articles that are written by youth involved in research/evaluation activities that can shed important information about service-learning from the youth perspective.

An academic article is more competitive if it conforms to APA guidelines and:

1. Is well written
2. Breaks new ground
3. Is relevant to the readers of the journal who come from many academic disciplines/professions
4. Pertains to curriculum-based service-learning
5. Discusses questions and findings in light of related research and theory
6. Goes beyond mere description of a service-learning course or initiative to analysis, application, recommendations, and/or lessons learned
7. In the case of research, reflects rigorous methodology (i.e., design, methods, and analysis).

Articles written by teachers and youth are more competitive if they adhere to Items 1-6, and also:

1. Shares important insights about implementing and practicing high quality service-learning
2. Provides information to practitioners and youth about the value of service-learning for growth in knowledge, personal development, social and civic development, and understanding of school-community issues.

Manuscript Submission Process

During this second year, calendar 2008-09, the Information for Action Journal will produce two on-line issues, based upon a single review process.  This process includes the following rules and deadlines.

1. A one-page abstract or precis is due by August 15, 2009 by e-mail only to the editor.  Invitations to submit a complete paper will be sent to those whose abstracts that have the most promise.
2. Complete articles are due by October 15, 2009.  To insure that we are able to return your article when reviews are completed, please include in the cover letter your U.S. mail address and email address.
3. Articles will be returned with peer reviewer comments by November 15, 2009.  Final articles are due by December 20, 2008.
4. The winter publication is expected by February 2010.

Questions may be directed to the editor.
Article Guidelines

1.      Avoid the use of “volunteer” or “voluntary.” It is preferable to use “community service,” “service-learning,” or “community service learning.”
2.      Manuscripts must be well written and between 5 and 25 pages long.
3.      Submit a copy of the article using Microsoft Word as an email attachment.
4.      Please do not submit manuscripts under consideration by another publication.
5.      Use APA style. In particular, please follow APA reference style, both in text and in the reference list, only include citations in the reference section that are cited in text, and place notes at the end of the paper under “Notes” (see #11 below) rather than at the bottom of pages.
6.      Place each figure and/or table on a separate page at the end of the text of the paper, and include in the narrative of the manuscript where you would like to place the figure or table (e.g. PLACE FIGURE 1 HERE). Final placement may be influenced by page layout requirements.
7.      Use italics rather than underlines, both in the text and in the reference section. We do not use underlines at all in the Information for Action Journal.
8.      Where applicable, research data must be recent.
9.      Include an abstract that is a few sentences in length located between the title and the beginning of the text.
10.  Include a short section at the end of the document on the implications of the research or the report for practitioners, indicating who this information will help to change practice of service-learning programs.
11.  For consistency throughout the Journal, use “service-learning” with a hyphen or “community service learning” without a hyphen.
12.  Follow the end of the paper with Notes (acknowledgments and/or footnotes which are identified by raised numbers), then References, and then Author (a few sentences of biographical sketch of each author).
13. E-mail copies of your articles to:

Robert Shumer, Editor, IFA/JSLRCY
rshumer@umn.edu or drrdsminn@msn.com
College of Education and Human Development
Department of Curriculum and Instruction
245 Peik Hall
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota
651-336-7777