Suggestions When Submitting Manuscripts

On the next several pages, there is a list of questions and other considerations that you should follow prior to submitting a manuscript to Rehabilitation Education. Some of those may seem obvious; others more subtle. Perhaps more than any other suggestion that could be made, as Editor, I would ask potential authors (particularly new academicians) to consider two points:

1. Be sure the manuscript is appropriate to Rehabilitation Education. In order to help with this evaluation, ask yourself: “Why would rehabilitation educators be interested in this topic?” or “How would this information be useful to rehabilitation educators?”
2. Before submission, ask a colleague with an established and successful publishing record to provide candid and constructive feedback regarding the manuscript.

Regardless of the type of manuscript submitted (e.g., data-based, review of the literature, conceptual or theoretical papers), all authors should follow guidelines and procedures noted on the next several pages. In order to help authors who submit data-based papers (both qualitative and quantitative), there is a specific section of questions that they should consider prior to submitting manuscripts. These suggestions are taken from several sources as cited in the Herbert (2007) editorial found in Volume 21, Issue #2.

General Checklist

1. Does the article title clearly reflect manuscript content? Is the title reasonably succinct?
2. Does the article contain information relevant for rehabilitation education practice?
3. Is the page length for a non-research paper not more than 30 pages (including references)? Please note that research articles can be longer but, as a guide, they should not exceed more than 40 pages (including references).
4. Does the manuscript abstract reflect paper content and between 50 and 100 words?
5. Does the literature review avoid discussion of nonessential topics?
6. Is the writing style clear, concise, and logical?
   1. Can readers understand the transition from one idea to another?
   2. Does one idea build logically from a previous expressed point?
   3. Are tables kept to a minimum and contain information that is not duplicated in the narrative?
   4. Have spelling and grammatical errors been corrected?
7. Does the manuscript follow APA style (e.g., references are properly cited, accurate and complete; manuscript section headings, figures, and tables are formatted correctly)?

Manuscripts containing descriptive and inferential statistics should consider the following:

1. Does the review of the literature culminate in a clear statement of the problem?
2. Are there specific research questions or hypotheses?
3. Are the research questions operationally defined?
4. Is the research methodology explained sufficiently to allow for replication?
5. Is there a clear explanation for choosing the research design and have the assumptions associated with this design been met (e.g., randomization)?
6. Have internal and external threats to validity been considered and addressed in the design?
7. Have statistical assumptions associated with research questions been met?
8. Are confidence intervals, effect sizes, and power estimates been reported?
9. Are conclusions and implications for research and practice consistent with data found in the study? Have these implications been clearly explained in the paper?
10. Are internal and external threats to validity addressed in a Limitations section? Are other alternatives to explain findings offered?

Relevant questions pertaining to survey research should consider:

1. What was there a satisfactory participation rate (e.g., at least 50%)? If not, what interfered with achieving a higher rate?
2. What was the rationale for the sampling procedure used?
3. How was the survey developed, pilot tested, and/or revised?
4. Are survey item examples included in the text or, if necessary, an appendix of the survey included?
5. If existing instruments were modified to accommodate the study what was the rationale for doing so?
6. What were the reliability and validity estimates (if relevant) of all instruments used?

Qualitative Data Papers

Studies that apply these designs should address these aspects:

1. Did the Introduction contain information explaining the need for a qualitative design?
2. Did the Methodology include about qualitative procedures used and the rationale for using them and how they were appropriate to the research questions of interest?
3. What data collection procedures were used and how are they indicative of good qualitative research practices (e.g., triangulation, theme analysis)?
4. What procedures were used to address researcher bias sources?