Article Guidelines

 

The Advising Issues & Resources section of the Clearinghouse of Academic Advising Resource is a juried publication that promotes the advancement of academic advising through the greater dissemination of pertinent, practical, and timely resources related to 'Critical Issues' within the advising field.  To meet this mission, several 'Critical Issues' have been identified. Volunteers, with expertise in these fields, are sought to author overviews dealing with the issues surrounding their topic.

Overviews are meant to inform members about the topic in an article that can be easily read in 5 - 10 minutes i.e., the time it would take for an advisor to eat a sandwich or drink a cup of tea.  The following guidelines should help those who volunteer to write a 'Critical Issue' overview.

ADDRESSING YOUR TOPIC

Article authors should strive to represent balanced perspectives on their assigned topic(s). The ideal submission is educational in nature, positive in tone, and focused on particular aspects academic advising. Case studies, best practices, real-world examples, analysis, tutorials, perspectives and opinions are all acceptable (IT Compliance, 2007). However commercial messages and promotions are not. Submissions must be both product- and vendor-neutral. NACADA reserves the right to edit, modify or reject submissions that include a distinctly favorable slant to any one vendor.

ORGANIZING YOUR ARTICLE

 

In the beginning: While it may seem self-evident, the opening paragraph not only grabs the reader's attention, it delineates the main theme(s) of the article. Remember, advisors often read articles in 5-10 minute snatches of time. Grab their attention, tell them why they should continue reading, and let the details emerge in the body.

 

The body: The majority of an article should be devoted providing details that illustrate how this aspect of advising is useful. What implications does your article have for practice within the advising role?

 

When possible, use references to other resources such as books/articles/web sites that provide background. Be sure to cite these references using the guidelines of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 5th edition. Improperly citing, or failing to cite, quotations and references is plagiarism and your article cannot be published if this occurs.

Articles are preferably written in 3rd person (advisors should.) although 1st person (we should.) is occasionally warranted. Do NOT write in 2nd person (you should.).  

In conclusion: End the article with a conclusion and encourage the reader to 'read more about it' about the topic.

 

Annotated Bibliography: Provide up to a dozen resources where advisors can 'read more about' or research the topic further. We encourage you to provide comments about each resource to focus advisors' attention on its most applicable portions or its use for advising. Example of an annotated bibliography.

Discussion questions:  Provide up to 5 questions members could use to discuss the topic presented in the article with campus advisors. 

 

PRODUCTION ISSUES

 

Timeline: The Clearinghouse Director works with authors to set realistic copy deadlines. Most deadlines are within 90 days. 

Length: The article should be between 1000 - 1650 words. Do not count the reference citations and the annotated bibliography in this word count.

 

COPYRIGHT ISSUES

Simply stated, NACADA can not print what NACADA doesn't own. Authors should follow the Clearinghouse's copyright guidelines.

 

SUBMITTING YOUR ARTICLE

 

EDITING YOUR ARTICLE

Submission of an abstract, synopsis or a full chapter is no guarantee of publication. NACADA reserves the right to edit all submissions for length and suitability to a given issue, without final and formal review of the contributor. However, NACADA will make every effort to allow an author to preview such alterations (IT Compliance, 2007).

Once the article is received it will be edited at the Executive Office to fit the Clearinghouse's format and style and submitted to the Clearinghouse Editorial Board for comments, suggestions and acceptance (or suggested changes). For each article, the Editorial Board has the same goal: not just to correct grammar, but to help you say exactly what you want with grace and power while helping you organize the article to best speak to our wide audience of readers (Brohaugh, 2002). Some articles require little editing, others a great deal. Some authors fear the editing process but don't worry as the editor makes suggestions and you have the opportunity to accept or reject these suggestions.

Once the edit is complete you will receive the edited article back for final approval before final submission to the Editorial Board. At this time you will have one last opportunity to edit for content. When agreement is reached between the author(s) and the Editors, an edited version of the article will be posted in the Clearinghouse.

References

Brohaugh, William. (2002). Write Tight: How to Keep Your Prose Sharp, Focused and Concise. Wilmington, DE: ISI Books.

IT Compliance. (2007). Submission Guidelines.  IT Compliance Magazine: The Latest Insights & Perspectives From Leading IT Practitioners. Retrieved 4-10-07 from http://www.itcompliancemagazine.com/submission-guidelines.html.

PUBLICATION ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Publication of Clearinghouse articles is announced in the monthly NACADA member Highlights.  Additionally, a letter of congratulations from the Executive Office is sent to the author(s)' administrator of choice. When the article is accepted for publication author(s) should provide the name and email address of the campus administrator who should receive this e-letter. 

 

Thanks again for taking time to provide an article vital to advisors. Please feel free to email miller@ksu.edu at anytime during the writing process.