|
Individual Differences Research
ISSN: 1541-745X |
|
A Note About Our Formatting Guidelines To avoid outright rejection or special typesetting charges, please closely follow these guidelines to ensure that your manuscript is formatted to our specifications prior to submission. Following our guidelines will ensure that your submission receives as expedited a review as possible and reduces chances of rejection due to simple errors and omissions. For those of you who are “veteran” writers, we do not intend to insult your skills. However, we have found it better to err on the side of caution and provide perhaps too many guidelines rather than outright reject an article for what could be a relatively simple issue such as those noted below.
Specific Points 1. With few exceptions noted in our guidelines, authors should follow the form and style of the current APA Publication Manual: http://www.apastyle.org. 2. Manuscripts should be double-spaced using one-inch margins and 12-point font (Times New Roman). 3. Manuscripts should be no more than 20 pages in length. The editor may in some instances grant special permission for longer manuscripts or suggest publication as a monograph. Contact us for permission or more information. 4. Use US, not UK or Australian spelling. For example, where both -ise and -ize endings are possible, please use the latter, thus: realize, equalize. Other examples are words which use “ou” in UK and Australian but not US spelling. Specifically, use favorite, not favourite and behavior, not behaviour. 5. Use the textual references of APA style, not MLA. An example of a textual reference is (Watson, 2007). 6. Italicize appropriately in the manuscript text, tables, and figures (i.e., F, p, SD, M, t, N). Always use italics instead of underlining. 7. Use consecutive numbering for all pages in the upper right-hand corner of the manuscript. The title page should be page 1. 8. Do not use the footnote creator in your word processor. Instead use superscript numbers and include a footnote list corresponding to the numbers used in the text at the end of the manuscript, before the references. 9. When including material directly from another source, such as a questionnaire or table, the author is responsible for obtaining copyright permission. 10. use decimal points not commas for numerical information in the text and tables and figures. For example, use 0.5 not 0,5. 11. Save your manuscript as an MS Word file. If MS Word is not available, our second choice would be Rich Text Format (RTF). Save a separate title page which includes the authors’ contact information. Do not include a title page in the main text file. This will facilitate “blind-review.”
Abstract 1. The first page of the main text file containing your manuscript should be the abstract (p. 2 of the paper). 2. Abstracts should be included on a separate page and should summarize the purpose, methods, and findings of the study. 3. Abstracts should be no more than 150 words. 4. The number of participants in the study should be included in the abstract. We prefer the sample size be noted in parentheses. For example, “Participants (N = 150) completed the…”
Introduction (and Text in General) 1. Double-space all text. 2. Do not use extra spaces between paragraphs. 3. Use the tab button to indent paragraphs, not spaces. 4. Ensure that only one space follows all punctuation, including periods at the end of sentences. 5. Manuscripts should be clear and concise with well-organized development of ideas. Although certainly not a requirement, we have found it often helpful to divide the introductory section of the paper into sections with headings to provide an easy-to-follow framework for the reader. 6. Near the end of the introduction, the paper should include a hypothesis, research question, or goal of the study.
Methods 1. Include a Participants section describing the sample. Include the number of participants, average age (and standard deviation), number of males and females, and if available, racial information. 2. Include a clear, concise description of the methods used. If the study uses only questionnaires, authors may combine the Participants and Procedures sections. 3. Include an Instruments or Measures section describing all scales used. Make certain to include a citation of the scale’s source, the number of items, number and names of factors (if any), sample items, and reliability and validity information from previous studies using the scale. If the authors developed the scale for their study, this should be noted and whatever reliability and validity information is available (i.e., internal consistency, factor analysis) should be included either here or in the Results section
Results 1. The means, standard deviations, and internal consistencies of measures should be included. 2. Only essential data should be included in tables or figures. We prefer authors to avoid unnecessary tables; instead summarize information in the text when possible. 3. If tables and figures are used, they should be added at the end of the paper (following the reference list). Do not embed these materials in the text. Any tables or figures used should be referred to in the text of the manuscript.
Discussion 1. Please include in the discussion a brief summary of your results as related to your hypothesis. 2. Also, include the result of your study in the context of previous research findings and/or theory. 3. Include a brief discussion of the limitations of your study. All studies have limitations. It is important that authors acknowledge these for less informed readers. 4. Lastly, if there are any, include some suggestions for directions of future research.
References 1. Check that all references are cited in the body of the paper and all citations are listed in the reference list. 2. Use APA style for all references. For example: Elliot, A. J., & Thrash, T. M. (2002). Approach-avoidance motivation in personality: Approach and avoidance temperaments and goals. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 82, 804-818. 3. Do not use abbreviated journal titles in the reference list.
Tables 1. Each table should be on a separate page. 2. Large tables may not have a desirable appearance. Try to reduce their size when possible. Include only essential data in tables and avoid the excessive use of tables. Table size can be reduced by several means such as using brief headings and titles. 3. Tables should always be formatted using your word processor’s (preferably MS Word) “Table Creator” to make tables. You should NEVER use tabs or spaces to create your table. 4. Please use brief table titles and put N’s and p values below the table in a Note rather than in the table title.
Figures 1. Each figure should be on a separate page. 2. Do not place a box around the figure. 3. Do not use colors or shading. 4. Use dotted and solid lines rather than colors (the journal is printed in black and white only). 5. Do not include the figure number or title in the figure. 6. Make sure the figure is as clear and dark as possible. Take in to account that the size of figures may be reduced to fit in the journal. So, small fonts may be difficult to read.
|
|
Individual Differences Association |
