Bulletin or Focus which is the better fit for my article concept?

Writing for the ACLP Bulletin: An Introduction Child Life Council s Bulletin/Child Life Focus is the foremost professional resource focusing on the unique knowledge and skills of the child life community. Its goal is to provide content that encourages the continued clinical development of child life professionals, and a forum for highlighting their milestones, challenges, innovations and successes. If you would like to discuss your ideas for an article for the Bulletin or the Focus, please contact the Managing Editor at bulletin@childlife.org. Bulletin or Focus which is the better fit for my article concept? BULLETIN Articles submitted for the Bulletin are shorter in length (500-1,000 words) and address a variety of topics of interest to the child life community. These articles should incorporate evidencebased practice and research wherever possible, but in general they will be less clinical in nature than articles written for Focus, with a more loosely defined structure based on the topic and article type. For a list of topic suggestions, and more information on writing specifically for the Bulletin, please refer to the Bulletin Submission Guidelines: http://www.childlife.org/files/bulletinsubmissionguidelines.pdf FOCUS Child Life Focus is a special insert included with each issue of the Bulletin. Articles submitted for Focus are generally longer (anywhere from 1,750 to 7,000 words in length), more scholarly in nature, and when possible, based on principles found in research. The editorial panel encourages evidence-based submissions that promote the development of the child life profession, through original research, conceptual and practical perspectives, effective assessment and intervention methodologies, theoretical articles, innovative service delivery models, and substantive reviews of issues relevant to child life practice. All Focus submissions are subject to a blind review by members of the Focus Review Board. For a list of topic suggestions, and more information on writing specifically for Focus, please refer to the Focus Submission Guidelines: http://www.childlife.org/files/focussubmissionguidelines.pdf 1

General Bulletin Writing Guidelines ADVANCED CONTENT In order to challenge Bulletin readers, aim to educate on a more advanced level. Write to an audience of child life professionals, assuming that they are familiar with the core components of child life theory. Students will have become familiar with these concepts in their undergraduate training and the newsletter should be a source of additional learning. However, authors should spell out common terms and acronyms, as these can differ around the world. COMPREHENSIVE Be sure to consider a larger context for your article topic than within the scope of your program or locality, and where possible, consider how ethical, legal and other implications may vary by setting. Many articles can benefit from a preliminary literature and research review, to determine the context and existing body of work on your topic. This background work is especially important for Focus articles, but can also be applicable for articles intended for the Bulletin. APPROPRIATE TERMINOLOGY Articles should be free of political, racial, religious, gender or ethnic bias. Authors are encouraged to use terminology that is sensitive to individuals who have a disease or disability. ACLP endorses the concept of people first, not their disability. Whenever possible, terminology should reflect the person with a condition (e.g., children with diabetes, families of children with emotional disorders) rather than the condition as an adjective (e.g., diabetic children, emotionally disturbed youth). Authors should avoid generic labeling for a group of people with a condition, such as the diabetics. All acronyms should be spelled out when first used in the article to ensure universal understanding (e.g. FCC, Family-Centered Care). ORGANIZED PRESENTATION & FLOW The editorial panel encourages a writing style that is clear, direct and concise. Don t use more words when fewer will do. The article should be free of spelling, grammar, or punctuation errors, and it should adhere to CLC s guidelines for publication style and format (see Article Submission Process, below). Begin planning your article by writing an outline, and then write from your outline. Make sure the article will flow logically from one subject to another. Where appropriate (particularly for longer articles), use headings and subheadings. 2

Article Submission Process If you are planning to submit an article, it is highly advisable to contact the editorial panel at bulletin@childlife.org before you begin work, to discuss your ideas and receive guidance. Your article proposal should include the following information: A brief description or summary of your intended topic Estimated length of your article Which publication Bulletin or Focus? Intended submission deadline Your complete contact information Any additional questions you have about the submission process By communicating with the editors about the topic and timing of your intended submission, you will avoid potential pitfalls and may increase your chances of writing an article that is ultimately approved for publication. Please allow yourself ample time before the deadline to complete your article, and be sure to check in periodically with the editorial panel about your progress, including any changes they should anticipate to the content or length of your submission. SUBMISSION DEADLINES January 1: Spring issue, mailed in April April 1: Summer issue, mailed in July July 1: Fall issue, mailed in August October 1: Winter issue, mailed in September Please note, due to space limitations and content considerations, the Bulletin editorial panel does not guarantee placement of an accepted article in a particular issue, and may at its discretion hold an article for publication in a future issue. ACCEPTANCE CRITERIA All articles should meet the following general requirements: To avoid copyright infringement, the manuscript has not been published elsewhere in its submitted form The article is relevant to continuing child life professional education and development Any research conducted has approval by the appropriate institutional review board (IRB), unless exempt from IRB review Where applicable, the article s content has been thoroughly researched for soundness and accuracy by conducting a literature review Clearly and concisely written; and free of spelling, grammar, or punctuation errors Adherence to guidelines for publication style, format and word count limit 3

STYLE, FORMAT AND WORD COUNT REQUIREMENTS Style Guidelines ACLP adheres to American Psychological Association (APA) style in all published materials. Please review the widely available Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association for detailed information on how to prepare an article for publication, including guidelines on properly formatting references and citations and presenting data in tables and figures. A brief introduction to APA style, along with some basic writing tips, is available on the ACLP website at: http://www.childlife.org/files/clcwritingtips.pdf Document Formatting Microsoft Word Graphic files should be saved as separate files in jpg format, and not embedded in the text. Type a note within the manuscript in italics indicating where graphics and charts should go, with any text that should go with the graphic. Remember, you are responsible for obtaining consent to use any photographs and non-original artwork before submitting your article. Please contact the Managing Editor at bulletin@childlife.org for a consent form designed for this purpose. Use the same, easy-to-read font throughout the manuscript Indent using the indent or tab key, not hard returns or the space bar Indicate emphasis by italicizing text, not by bolding or underlining Word Count Word count requirements will vary depending on whether you plan to submit an article for the ACLP Bulletin or for Focus. Please review the appropriate submission guidelines for further information. SUBMITTING YOUR ARTICLE Before you submit your final draft, we recommend that you ask one or more colleagues to review and help you edit your article. In order to be considered for publication in the Spring, Summer, Fall or Winter issue, submissions must be received by the 1st of January, April, July and October, respectively. Please refer to the checklists in the ACLP Bulletin and Focus Submission Guidelines, and then submit all required files (including the manuscript and a signed Submission and Copyright Agreement Letter) to the Managing Editor at bulletin@childlife.org. 4

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? Once you have submitted your article, you will receive an acknowledgement of receipt from the Managing Editor. All submissions will undergo a process of review and revision, which will typically take several weeks, depending on the content and the type of article. In many cases, the editorial panel will request additional edits and/or rewrites from the author before the article is accepted for publication. Articles that are accepted for publication will undergo a final round of review and editing by the editorial panel, and then will be slated for inclusion in an upcoming issue of the ACLP Bulletin. If you have any questions about writing or formatting your manuscript, or about CLC s editorial process, please contact the Managing Editor at bulletin@childlife.org or 1-800-252-4515. Updated June 6, 2013 5