Submissions Guidelines for Young Children
The Journal of the National Association for the Education of Young Children
(Updated January 2008)
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Please note page-length requirements, updated cluster topics, and online submission process.
About Young Children
Types of Articles
Formatting Requirements
References, Citations, and Excerpts
Permissions
Photographs
How to Submit an Article
Review and Editing Process
Contact Information
About Young Children
Young Children is the award-winning, bimonthly journal of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). Each issue offers practical and research-based articles on timely topics of interest. Our readers—more than 100,000 members and subscribers—work with or on behalf of young children from birth through age eight (infants, toddlers, preschoolers, kindergartners, and primary school children). They include teachers, family child care providers, child development program administrators, resource and referral counselors, early intervention specialists, elementary school principals, university professors, students, policymakers, and others.
The journal editor and consulting editors use the following criteria when reviewing the content of articles submitted to Young Children. We look for articles that
- reflect the current knowledge base in early childhood education
- include relevant research findings, when appropriate
- share numerous examples and vignettes from the author’s experience
- provide practitioners with practical strategies
- suggest ways to involve families, when appropriate
- discuss the roles of culture, ethnicity, and language when relevant to the content
- support inclusion of children with a range of abilities
- show respect for individual characteristics such as gender, religion, and age
*A successful article devotes about one-third of the text to practical strategies for implementing recommendations.*
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Types of Articles
Because the readers of Young Children have diverse backgrounds and interests, articles vary in content, length, and writing style. We do not seek term papers, literature reviews, or reports of research methodology and findings. The best way to learn what kinds of articles are appropriate for Young Children is to read several back issues.
General Feature Articles
These articles address important issues for the early childhood community. Here are examples of the topics of articles found in Young Children.
Cluster Topic Articles
Each issue includes a group of articles that consider different aspects of the same topic. Cluster topics are decided on many months in advance (see page 2). For an example of a cluster article go to: http://journal.naeyc.org/btj/200505/05Wien.asp
Young Children Cluster Topics for 2008
Listed below are the cluster topics for the May through November 2008 issues of Young Children. Topics for clusters in 2009 will be announced in late 2008.
Issue |
Cluster Topic |
Submission Due Date |
May 2008 |
Teaching and Learning through Routines, Transitions, and Other Daily Activities |
Closed |
July 2008 |
Creative and Thoughtful Strategies for Implementing Learning Standards |
February 1, 2008 |
September 2008 |
Addressing Challenges: Helping Children, Families, and Early Childhood Educators Build Coping Skills |
April 1, 2008 |
November 2008 |
Applying Research to Classroom Practice |
June 1, 2008 |
| January 2009 |
Teaching and Learning about Literacy |
Not seeking new submissions |
| March 2009 |
Supporting All Kinds of Learners |
October 1, 2008 |
| May 2009 |
Mathematics in the Early Years |
December 1, 2008 |
Regular and Periodic Features
In addition to cluster topic and general articles, Young Children includes several standard features.
- Viewpoint columns allow authors to express their opinions about specific issues or practices. See example: http://journal.naeyc.org/btj/200303/PromotingStandards.pdf
- Teachers on Teaching articles are brief pieces in which authors share ideas, reflections, and insights about teaching and learning in all age groups and in a range of settings.
- Family Ties articles are brief, practical pieces about effective strategies for building relationships with families to support children’s development and learning. See example: http://journal.naeyc.org/btj/200409/seplocha.pdf
- Research in Review articles familiarize readers with research and describe implications for practice. Authors work with the journal’s Research in Review editors. For more information, contact the journal editor. See example:
http://www.journal.naeyc.org/btj/200309/DelayingKEntry.pdf
- Public Policy articles address current topics with local, state, and/or federal policy implications. They are developed in collaboration with NAEYC’s Public Policy and Communications Department. For more information, contact the journal editor.
Articles selected for publication in Young Children are considered a contribution to the profession; authors do not receive fees or royalties. The journal does not accept articles already published elsewhere in print or electronic format and expects that articles have not been simultaneously submitted to other publications. All articles published in Young Children have been peer reviewed.
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Formatting Requirements
When submitting an article to Young Children please follow the following formatting and submission guidelines. Articles that do not follow the required format may be returned for reformatting before review.
Format
Young Children follows Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th Edition, for spelling and the Chicago Manual of Style, 15th Edition, for style and reference formatting. For more information visit www.m-w.com or www.chicagomanualofstyle.org.
We ask writers to use an informal, conversational style. Write in the active voice (e.g., "The teacher planned . . ." rather than "Plans were made by the teacher . . .")
Young Children prefers articles that are written in plain language, that is, language that is clear, straightforward, and easy for the reader to understand. Information about the plain language movement can be found here: http://www.plainlanguage.gov/.
Authors are encouraged to include visuals (charts, graphs, children’s work samples, photographs) that enhance clarity and promote understanding. See photography guidelines: http://journal.naeyc.org/about/photos.asp
In addition, authors are asked to
Include a separate cover page
- Upload the cover page onto Manuscript Central as a separate document from the article.
- List the title
- Provide name, affiliation, title, address, phone, fax, and e-mail for each author
- Designate one author as the primary contact
- Indicate the type of article (cluster theme, general, Viewpoint, etc.)
- Provide a brief summary of how one-third of the text is devoted to providing information for practitioners
Follow length requirements
- Articles and Viewpoints are from 3 to 12 pages, double-spaced, including references and visuals. Please note: Our readers find articles that range in length from 3 to 9 pages most useful and these shorter articles tend to be published more quickly.
- Teachers on Teaching and Family Ties are 2 to 3 double-spaced pages.
- For an article to be considered for publication it must meet page-length requirements.
Format the document as follows
- Upload the article and cover page to Manuscript Central as two separate documents.
- Remove the name(s) of author(s) from all pages of the article except the cover page; all manuscripts are subject to a blind review.
- Include subheads throughout the article. However, the subheads should not contain any information that could identify the author to reviewers.
- Use Times New Roman font, 12-point type, double space lines, and leave wide margins.
- Number the pages.
- Include the title and date in the footer.
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References, Citations, and Excerpts
Authors should provide accurate and complete information for references and resources. Follow Chapter 17-Documentation II in the Chicago Manual of Style, 15th Edition (available at libraries and bookstores). Examples follow.
Book
Chambers, A. 1996. The reading environment: How adults help children enjoy books. York, ME: Stenhouse. Text citation: (Chambers 1996)
Edited book, new edition
Bredekamp, S., & C. Copple, eds. 1997. Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs. Rev. ed. Washington, DC: NAEYC.
Text citation: (Bredekamp & Copple 1997)
Volume, more than three authors
Charlesworth, R., C.H. Hart, D.C. Burts, & M. DeWolf. 1993. The LSU studies: Building a research base for developmentally appropriate practice. In Perspectives on developmentally appropriate practice, vol. 5 of Advances in early education and day care, ed. S. Reifel, 3–28. Greenwich, CT: JAI.
Text citation: (Charlesworth et al. 1993)
New publisher, old book
Erikson, E.H. [1950] 1993. Child and society. New York: Norton.
Text citation: (Erikson [1950] 1993)
Chapter from an edited book
Baroody, A.J., & J.M.L. Wilkins. 1999. The development of informal counting, number, and arithmetic skills and concepts. In Mathematics in the early years, ed. J.V. Copley, 48–65. Reston, VA: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.
Text citation: (Baroody & Wilkins 1999)
Journal article
Henriques, M.E. 1997. Increasing literacy among kindergartners through cross-age training. Young Children 52 (4): 42–47.
Text citation: (Henriques 1997)
Newspaper
Mitchell, A., & F. Bruni. 2001. Scars still raw, Bush clashes with McCain. New York Times, March 25, 2001.
Online resource
Stenger, R. 1999. Tiny human-borne monitoring device sparks privacy fears. Online: www.cnn.com/1999/TECH/ptech/12/20/implant.device.
Unpublished paper
McClellan, D.E., & S. Kinsey. 1997. Children’s social behavior in relationship to participation in mixed-age or same-age classrooms. Paper presented at the biennial meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, 3–6 April, in Washington, D.C.
Text citation: (McClellan & Kinsey 1997)
Monograph
Fox, N.A. 1994. Introduction to Part 1. In The development of emotion regulation: Biological and behavioral considerations, ed. N.A. Fox, 3–6. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, vol. 59, nos. 2–3, serial no. 240. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Permissions
Authors are responsible for seeking written permission from parents or legal guardians to include children’s art and work samples.
They must also seek and submit written permission from the copyright holder for quoted material longer than 50 words.
Photographs
Authors may want to supply informative, interesting photographs to illuminate their points. This is not a requirement. Photography guidelines are available at http://www.journal.naeyc.org/about/photos.asp or by contacting Meredith MacMillan. If you opt to submit photographs with your article, they should be uploaded separately to Manuscript Central as JPEG or TIF files. Please do not paste them in the body of the article. Photos should be at least 4 megapixels or larger.
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How to Submit an Article
Authors should submit articles to Young Children through Manuscript Central at http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/youngchildren. After creating an account authors will find instructions for manuscript submission. (Please note, use your email address as your Manuscript Central ID not your NAEYC ID.)
Some frequently asked questions:
Why does Young Children use online submission?
Manuscript Central allows authors to track the progress of their manuscript through the peer review process. Consulting Editors and Young Children editors can access articles via the Internet, improving workflow and tracking.
What if I mail my manuscript?
We will contact authors who mail their manuscripts and ask them to register and submit their article online. If authors do not have Internet access other arrangements can be made.
What if I get an email saying my manuscript has been unsubmitted?
Articles are unsubmitted when they do not meet the submissions guidelines listed here. The most common reasons for an article to be unsubmitted include the following: the article exceeded the page length requirement, the article was not double spaced, the article contained a cover page that was not uploaded separately, the article contained the author’s name or other identifying information, or the article was in an incorrect type size or font. If an article is unsubmitted the authors must make the recommended changes so that the article meets these guidelines. Once the changes are made the authors can resubmit their article to Manuscript Central.
What if I have any questions about the system?
Authors can contact Manuscript Central for assistance. For Manuscript Central support click on “Get Help Now” at the following web page: http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/youngchildren. The Manuscript Central support phone number (available Monday - Friday, 3:00 am to 8:30 pm EST) is 1-434-817-2040 X 167. You can also contact the Young Children editorial staff at editorial@naeyc.org. Please put Manuscript Central Query in the subject line.
What if I’m using Windows VISTA?
At this point Manuscript Central does not support VISTA. Manuscript Central currently supports the following operating systems: Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows XP Service Pack 2, and OSX Version 10.3.8. If you are experiencing difficulty submitting your manuscript we recommend you submit from a computer which uses a supported operating system.
Alternate submissions process
If you have an idea for an article and would like to know whether it is appropriate for Young Children, please prepare a 2- to 3-page outline with the following information:
- proposed title
- authors’ names, affiliations, and contact information
- anticipated length
- why this topic is important for early childhood educators
- planned visuals
- mail or e-mail the proposal to the journal editor.
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Review and Editing Process
The review process generally takes four to six months from receipt of manuscript. The process includes the following steps
- Initial reading. The journal editor determines whether the article meets basic guidelines. If not, the author is advised that the article is not appropriate for Young Children. Articles might not meet the journal’s criteria for content, writing style, length, or format. At times, the journal has a backlog of articles on the same topic. In some cases the editor will recommend that the author revise an article before it is considered for review by consulting editors. (Authors are contacted from 8 to 10 weeks after receipt of article.)
- Peer review. If an article meets the basic guidelines, we will ask that the author resubmit it via e-mail to facilitate the review process. Articles that meet basic guidelines undergo peer review by members of NAEYC’s Consulting Editors Panel. (Consulting editors are experts in early childhood education and child development who apply for their positions and are appointed by the NAEYC Governing Board for three-year terms.) The reviewers provide comments and suggestions. NAEYC senior staff may also review articles. (Peer review is usually completed 12 to 20 weeks after receipt.)
- Determination of status. Using all reviews as a guide, the journal editor determines one of the following as the next step.
- Accepts the article.
- Asks the author to make revisions and resubmit it for further review (most articles require some revisions) and possible acceptance.
- Advises the author that the article is not accepted.
(Journal editor typically determines status 18 to 26 weeks after receipt.)
- Decision. The journal editor notifies the author of the decision via U.S. mail, enclosing reviewers’ useful suggestions for enhancing the manuscript. Revised articles, along with a summary of changes, may be submitted via e-mail. (Journal editor contacts author about 20 to 28 weeks after receipt.)
After Revisions
The journal editor reads the revised manuscript, considers how the author responded to the reviewers’ recommendations, and determines one of the following as the next step:
- Accepts the article.
- Asks the author to make necessary revisions.
- Advises the author that the manuscript still does not meet publication criteria.
Articles that are accepted are generally published 12 to 24 months after acceptance.
From Acceptance to Print
It is not possible to determine in advance the exact publication dates of accepted articles. When planning issues the journal editor considers cluster themes and the content, style, intended audience, and length of articles as well as articles’ submission dates.
When an article is scheduled for publication, authors are asked to complete biographies and copyright transfer forms. Both forms are provided electronically. The copyright transfer includes permission for publication in Young Children and online in Beyond the Journal.
Editing involves the journal editor and a copy editor. Authors will hear from one or both editors and may be asked to update, clarify, or expand article content or references. The copy editor returns the edited article to the author via e-mail for final approval before the manuscript enters production. On occasion, last-minute changes in an issue’s content may cause publication of an article to be postponed.
Authors receive two copies of the issue in which their article appears.
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Contact Information
NAEYC
1313 L Street, NW, Suite 500
Washington, D.C. 20005
Derry Koralek, Journal Editor
202-232-8777
or 800-424-2460, ext. 8853
dkoralek@naeyc.org
Susan Friedman, Assistant Editor
202-232-8777
or 800-424-2460, ext. 8421
sfriedman@naeyc.org
Meredith MacMillan , Editorial Associate
202-232-8777
or 800-424-2460, ext. 8417
mmacmillan@naeyc.org
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