Submissions Guidelines

Proposal Process & Guidelines
To submit a proposal, please email a Word document or PDF to mjcsl@umich.edu with the subject line "Proposal attached." If the editors decide to invite you to submit a manuscript based on your proposal, you will receive instructions for how to upload your document(s) via Janeway, our submissions management system.

Before being invited to submit a manuscript, you will first need to submit a proposal to the MJCSL editors for approval. Proposals MUST include:

• Up to a 150-word summary of the main argument. Be sure to highlight how your work intervenes in an ongoing conversation.
• The first few paragraphs and, if appropriate, section headings (make sure you tell us your big picture story here). The first few paragraphs can take the form of a literature review if this is most appropriate for the submission in question.
• Five recommended resources that are less of a bibliography than giving readers context to your field and your vantage point.
• Title, author name(s), institution(s).

Proposals should be sent via email to mjcsl@umich.edu with the subject line "Proposal attached." Proposals that do not meet the above requirements will not be reviewed. We accept proposals on a rolling basis.

• For Issue 1: proposals must be received by May 1st
• For Issue 2, proposals must be received by December 1st

Please note that MJCSL does not read unsolicited manuscripts. The editorial team will review your proposal to determine interest in pursuing it. If so, you will be invited to submit a full manuscript according to the guidelines below.

Manuscript Guidelines

Feature Article Manuscripts should conform to the following author guidelines:

• Manuscripts should be no more than 7,500 words, excluding tables, references, and appendices. While we encourage authors to be as concise as possible, we acknowledge longer manuscripts may be more applicable for certain projects.
• Manuscripts should be submitted in Times New Roman 12 pt font, double spaced, with page numbers included.
• References should conform to the American Psychological Association (7th edition).
• Please render all spellings in American English. To change British or Commonwealth spellings to their American equivalents, please see the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.
• If audiovisual materials, tables, or charts are included, please attach individual files AND place the material within the text at the appropriate point with labels (e.g., Table 1, Fig. 2, etc.).
• Authors must acquire authorization for any media materials used and/or ensure they fall under the definition of fair use.
• Authors are responsible for providing alt text. Alt text should be simple (1-2 sentences max) and descriptive rather than interpretive. You can find further guidelines for alt text  here.
• Authors must carefully proofread their work before submission.

If you are asked to submit a manuscript, the deadlines are:

• For Issue 1: August 1st
• For Issue 2: March 1st

Our aim is to complete the external review process and issue a decision within three months of the original date of full manuscript submission. Accepted manuscripts will be edited and published within one year from submission, depending on the number and type of manuscripts in progress.