Guidelines for Authors
T
he Journal of Student Financial Aid invites the submission of manuscripts that report original
research or discuss policy or position issues. The Editorial Board also welcomes
correspondence about financial aid issues or articles and letters appearing in the Journal.
Writing and Authors should present their material in clear and concise language appropriate
Organizing
for the general reader as well as financial aid administrators. Attention should
Manuscripts
be given to the use of proper English. The presentation and development of the
theme should be orderly, avoiding irrelevancies and wordiness. Generally,
articles are structured into segments with headings that suggest the logical
progression from introduction to conclusion. Headings reflect the manuscript
organization and denote the relative importance of each topic.
Research Articles
A research article should begin with an introductory statement of purpose,
which does not have a heading. It should proceed with a discussion of recent
and related research, followed by a presentation of the methodology. The
analysis of the evidence follows, then conclusions and implications directly
related to the evidence presented.
Statistics, Charts, and Graphs
Statistical data should be summarized in the text. Figures and tables must be
clear, comprehensible, and used only when they add to the presentation or
when they reduce the need for a lengthy discussion in the manuscript.
Particularly complex research (including statistical terminology) should be
explained in an understandable way for readers not fully acquainted with
research methodology and analysis. Complicated graphs should be submitted
with actual plotting points indicated.
Issue Articles
An issue article should address a position or a perspective on a student aid
policy or topic. The headings should reflect the organization of the article. The
author presents the issue in the introduction, which is not headed. Unlike the
components of a research article, the sections of an issue article are arranged
by relationship. The sections display the perspectives of others, the evidence
and logical argument, and positive and negative implications. The conclusion
should suggest next steps or otherwise finalize what has been introduced and
argued earlier.
Style Manual Questions of style should be referred to the most recent edition of the
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA).
Although APA style has been historically oriented toward research, the APA
stresses the adaptability of the style to more theoretical manuscripts.
Authors unfamiliar with APA style should read the first chapter of the
manual, “Content and Organization of a Manuscript,” from which the primary
points of these guidelines are derived.
National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators 41
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