Guidelines for Writers for JSD
JSD is the flagship publication for the National Staff Development Council. It is published four times a year (Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall) and is included in most categories of membership in NSDC. JSD is available only through NSDC and is not sold on news stands.
NSDC is a nonprofit educational association whose goal is to ensure high-quality professional learning for all teachers every day in order to improve student learning. NSDC members are primarily district administrators, principals, and teachers with an interest in professional development.
NSDC members and the field look to the JSD for solid, credible articles by leading educators, reports of effective programs and practices, book reviews, and columns. They expect articles that are interesting, thought provoking, timely, practical, informative, concise, and complete.
Issues are organized around themes but each issue also includes several non-thematic articles. In general, articles that are appropriate for an announced theme are more likely to be published. Upcoming themes are published in each issue of JSD and available on the organization's web site (www.nsdc.org/news/jsd/themes.cfm)
The JSD offers no payment for articles by professional educators.
Decisions regarding publication are made by the JSD editor and the director of communications. NSDC reserves the right to reject poor quality or untimely material, whether solicited or otherwise, at any time during the editing process.
What we look for
The JSD looks for brief (1,500-2,000 words) manuscripts that are helpful to practicing K-12 educators. Our primary audience is directors of staff development, other district administrators who are responsible for staff development, principals, lead teachers, and classroom teachers.
We prefer articles written in an informal, conversational style. We are not looking for conventional research reports or term papers.
Writers should emphasize what they have learned from their experiences.
At the beginning of each article, they should describe what they have learned and what they are trying to share with readers. Articles should emphasize the implications of their discoveries for practitioners.
We will not accept articles about programs that are proposed.
Highest consideration will be given to work that is aligned with NSDC's Standards for Staff Development and can provide data demonstrating improvements in student learning.
Writers should avoid educational jargon and complicated phrasing. They should write in simple, direct sentences.
Writers should look for opportunities to break out interesting information into separate "sidebars'' to run with the main article. If methodology is essential for understanding, please include that in a sidebar and not in the main text of the manuscript. Writers also can include a list of additional resources (books, articles, videos, web sites) that are not referenced directly in the article. Where appropriate, graphs and charts also can be used to illustrate key points. Writers should provide the raw data for such charts and not attempt to produce a publishable graphic on their own.
How To Submit Your Manuscript
NSDC acknowledges every manuscript that is received. Writers should expect a confirmation letter within several weeks of the manuscript deadline.
The JSD editor and director of publications review each submission to determine its appropriateness for the JSD. Manuscripts are either accepted as submitted, returned for revisions, or rejected.
NSDC now prefers submissions by e-mail, preferably as attachments in Microsoft Word format. If you must submit your manuscript by mail, please send three copies.
Each manuscript should be double-spaced with generous margins all around.
No manuscript should exceed 12 pages, including references and charts. Please number the pages and include the author's name next to the page number on each page.
Cover page should include
- Suggested title of article.
- Writer's name.
- The theme and date of issue for which the manuscript is being submitted.
- Complete contact information for the writer(s), including phone, address, fax, and e-mail address. This information is essential for follow up contact.
- Writer's current professional position. You may also identify any major articles or books you have recently published.
- A word count.
An early option for writers: Well in advance of the final deadline, writers can submit by e-mail a brief synopsis of a few hundred words regarding an article they would like to write. Either the JSD editor or the director of publications will respond regarding the appropriateness of the idea and offer early guidance about producing such an article.
What style should be used
Writers are responsible for providing complete and accurate references, as appropriate. For references, JSD follows guidelines established by the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Assn. (1994, 4th edition). Writers are expecting to ensure that their references compile with those guidelines.
Cite references in text like this (Sparks, 1997) and list them in bibliographic form at the end of the article. See a recent issue of JSD for examples of citations.
Authors bear full responsibility for the accuracy of citations, quotations, and information supplied for figures and charts. For questions of spelling, we use Webster's Tenth Edition Collegiate Dictionary.
Where appropriate, writers also can include a list of additional resources, even if they are not directly cited in the article.
The editing process
If your article is accepted, it will be edited for publication by the JSD editor and the director of publications, and be copy edited.
During this process, the JSD editor is likely to contact you to clarify certain points. An editor also may want to e-mail you to review or clarify your manuscript.
Because we strive for high quality writing, your article is likely to undergo substantial editing, including some rewriting and reorganizing. Remember that this is a normal part of the editing process for any publication with high standards. Don't be startled or upset that an editor is changing your article. The editor's goal is to produce the most readable and interesting article possible for the magazine's targeted audience. Your help and understanding in this process is greatly appreciated.
You will receive an edited version to review, correct, and approve. Typically, you will be asked to return the article within several days.
When you receive this final edited version, you also will receive a copyright form. Signing that form gives NSDC permission to print your article in JSD, to post it on our web site, and to use it for other electronic purposes.
What about photographs?
The JSD encourages writers to submit appropriate photographs to illustrate their articles. We prefer black and white glossy prints or high-resolution JPGs. Do not send actual photos until you have been notified that your article has been accepted for publication. You may, however, submit with your manuscript photocopies of available photographs for review.
When a photograph has been accepted, please include a note with each photograph that:
- Identifies the individuals pictured;
- Describes what they are doing and where; and
- Names the photographer.
If the photographs need to be returned, please mark each with your name and address by taping a small piece of paper onto the back of each photo. Please do not write on the photograph itself.
Writers are responsible for obtaining written permission for publication from the subjects of the photographs.
If photographs have been published by a local newspaper or magazine, we will make the necessary contacts to obtain those photos if you will provide us with the appropriate information. The JSD also will bear the cost of purchasing such photographs.
When Your Article is Published
Writers receives two complimentary copies of the issue containing their published articles. Those copies will be mailed as soon as they are received in the JSD office.
Manuscripts, editorial correspondence, and questions about submissions should be sent to:
Tracy Crow
674 Overbrook Dr.
Columbus, OH 43214
E-mail:
tracy.crow@nsdc.org
