International Journal of Play Therapy^®

Editor

Michael LeBlanc, PhD, LMHC
State University of New York at Oswego

Editorial Advisory Board

2010–2013

Sue Ammen, PhD, RPT-S
Alliant International University-Fresno, California

Stephen Demanchick, PhD, LMHC, RPT
Nazareth College, Rochester, New York

Dee Ray, PhD, LPC, RPT-S
University of North Texas, Denton

Janine S. Shelby, PhD, RPT-S
University of California, Los Angeles

Yih-Jiun Shen, DEd, NCC
University of Texas-Pan American

Daniel Sweeney, PhD, LPC, LMFT, RPT-S
George Fox University, Portland, OR

2011–2014

David A. Crenshaw, PhD, ABPP, RPT-S
Rhinebeck Child and Family Center, Rhinebeck, New York

Becky Davenport, PhD, LMFT-S, RPT-S
Institute for Couple/Family Enhancement, Texas

Sandra Frick-Helms, PhD, RN
University of South Carolina, Columbia

Heather M. Helm, PhD, LPC, RPT-S
University of Northern Colorado, Fort Collins

Jodi Ann Mullen, PhD, LMHC, NCC, RPT-S
State University of New York at Oswego

Anne L. Stewart, PhD
James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Virginia

2012–2015

Athena Drewes, PsyD, RPT-S
Astor Services Home for Children & Families, Poughkeepsie, New York

Victoria Fitton, PhD, LMSW, RPT-S
Michigan State University, Lansing

Cynthia A. Reynolds, PhD, PCC-S, CSC, RPT-S
University of Akron, Ohio

Sarah Stauffer, PhD, NCC, NCSC
University of Lausanne, Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland

Becky Taylor, PhD, LPC
Texas Christian University, Fort Worth

Mary Ellen Warren, PhD, LP
School of Medicine, University of South Carolina, Columbia

Editorial Coordinator

Sharon Ramos
American Psychological Association

Abstracting and indexing services providing coverage of International Journal of Play Therapy

• Journals@Ovid
• PsycINFO
• SwetsWise All Titles

Prior to submission, please carefully read and follow the submission guidelines detailed below. Manuscripts that do not conform to the submission guidelines may be returned without review.

Submission

The Association for Play Therapy contracts with APA to market, technically edit, publish, and distribute its semiannual, peer-reviewed International Journal of Play Therapy.

Submit manuscripts electronically (.rtf or .doc) through the Manuscript Submission Portal.

Michael LeBlanc, PhD, NCC
The Counseling and Psychological Services
Department
School of Education
State University of New York at Oswego
Oswego, NY 13126-3599
Email

Please provide email addresses and telephone and fax numbers for use by the APA editorial office and later by the production office. Most correspondence is conducted by email. Please also provide your email address in your cover letters and keep a copy of the manuscript to guard against loss. Manuscripts are not returned.

Categorize your submission as one of the following options:

• Research & Theory. Theoretical, philosophical, and research articles and literature reviews. Priority is given to play therapy research manuscripts. Manuscripts, including references, must not exceed 25 pages.
• Current Practices. Articles regarding beneficial play therapy practices, current issues, and concerns related to play therapy that include theoretical underpinnings for practices and/or issues. Manuscripts, including references, must not exceed 20 pages.

Manuscript Preparation

Prepare manuscripts according to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6^th edition). Manuscripts may be copyedited for bias-free language (see Chapter 3 of the Publication Manual).

Review APA's Checklist for Manuscript Submission before submitting your article.

If your manuscript was mask reviewed, please ensure that the final version for production includes a byline and full author note for typesetting.

Double-space all copy. Other formatting instructions, as well as instructions on preparing tables, figures, references, metrics, and abstracts, appear in the Manual.

Below are additional instructions regarding the preparation of display equations and tables.

Display Equations

We strongly encourage you to use MathType (third-party software) or Equation Editor 3.0 (built into pre-2007 versions of Word) to construct your equations, rather than the equation support that is built into Word 2007 and Word 2010. Equations composed with the built-in Word 2007/Word 2010 equation support are converted to low resolution graphics when they enter the production process and must be rekeyed by the typesetter, which may introduce errors.

To construct your equations with MathType or Equation Editor 3.0:

• Go to the Text section of the Insert tab and select Object.
• Select MathType or Equation Editor 3.0 in the drop-down menu.

If you have an equation that has already been produced using Microsoft Word 2007 or 2010 and you have access to the full version of MathType 6.5 or later, you can convert this equation to MathType by clicking on MathType Insert Equation. Copy the equation from Microsoft Word and paste it into the MathType box. Verify that your equation is correct, click File, and then click Update. Your equation has now been inserted into your Word file as a MathType Equation.

Use Equation Editor 3.0 or MathType only for equations or for formulas that cannot be produced as Word text using the Times or Symbol font.

Tables

Use Word's Insert Table function when you create tables. Using spaces or tabs in your table will create problems when the table is typeset and may result in errors.

Submitting Supplemental Materials

APA can now place supplementary materials online, available via the published article in the PsycARTICLES^® database. Please see Supplementing Your Article With Online Material for more details.

Abstract and Keywords

All manuscripts must include an abstract containing a maximum of 250 words typed on a separate page. After the abstract, please supply up to five keywords or brief phrases.

References

List references in alphabetical order. Each listed reference should be cited in text, and each text citation should be listed in the References section.

Examples of basic reference formats:

Journal Article:
Herbst-Damm, K. L., & Kulik, J. A. (2005). Volunteer support, marital status, and the survival times of terminally ill patients. Health Psychology, 24, 225–229. doi: 10.1037/0278-6133.24.2.225

Authored Book:
Mitchell, T. R., & Larson, J. R., Jr. (1987). People in organizations: An introduction to organizational behavior (3rd ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Chapter in an Edited Book:
Bjork, R. A. (1989). Retrieval inhibition as an adaptive mechanism in human memory. In H. L. Roediger III & F. I. M. Craik (Eds.), Varieties of memory & consciousness (pp. 309–330). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

Figures

Graphics files are welcome if supplied as Tiff, EPS, or PowerPoint files. The minimum line weight for line art is 0.5 point for optimal printing.

When possible, please place symbol legends below the figure instead of to the side.

Original color figures can be printed in color at the editor's and publisher's discretion provided the author agrees to pay

• $255 for one figure
• $425 for two figures
• $575 for three figures
• $675 for four figures
• $55 for each additional figure

Permissions

Authors of accepted papers must obtain and provide to the editor on final acceptance all necessary permissions to reproduce in print and electronic form any copyrighted work, including, for example, test materials (or portions thereof) and photographs of people.

Download Permissions Alert Form (PDF, 47KB)

Publication Policies

APA policy prohibits an author from submitting the same manuscript for concurrent consideration by two or more publications.

See also APA Journals^® Internet Posting Guidelines.

APA requires authors to reveal any possible conflict of interest in the conduct and reporting of research (e.g., financial interests in a test or procedure, funding by pharmaceutical companies for drug research).

Download Disclosure of Interests Form (PDF, 38KB)

Authors of accepted manuscripts are required to transfer the copyright to APA.

Download Publication Rights (Copyright Transfer) Form (PDF, 83KB)

Ethical Principles

It is a violation of APA Ethical Principles to publish "as original data, data that have been previously published" (Standard 8.13).

In addition, APA Ethical Principles specify that "after research results are published, psychologists do not withhold the data on which their conclusions are based from other competent professionals who seek to verify the substantive claims through reanalysis and who intend to use such data only for that purpose, provided that the confidentiality of the participants can be protected and unless legal rights concerning proprietary data preclude their release" (Standard 8.14).

APA expects authors to adhere to these standards. Specifically, APA expects authors to have their data available throughout the editorial review process and for at least 5 years after the date of publication.

Authors are required to state in writing that they have complied with APA ethical standards in the treatment of their sample, human or animal, or to describe the details of treatment.

Download Certification of Compliance With APA Ethical Principles Form (PDF, 26KB)

The APA Ethics Office provides the full Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct electronically on their website in HTML, PDF, and Word format. You may also request a copy by emailing or calling the APA Ethics Office (202-336-5930). You may also read "Ethical Principles," December 1992, American Psychologist, Vol. 47, pp. 1597–1611.

Other Information

• Appeals Process for Manuscript Submissions
• Preparing Auxiliary Files for Production
• Document Deposit Procedures for APA Journals