Submissions

Journal ‘Administration’ publishes:

Research Articles

Joournal welcomes manuscripts using diverse theoretical and research frameworks about topics across the domain of public administration. Articles are expected to adhere to high-quality scientific standards and promote knowledge and understanding for professionals and practitioners interested in theory, empirical research, and salient developments in the field. Research topics appropriate for journal ‘Administration’ encompass a broad domain, ranging from theoretical and empirical research about public organizations, policy analysis, evaluation research, and normative theory that explores value questions associated with public administration. To this end, Journal encourages submissions that emphasize these broader elements as well as pieces that have a particular focus, including, but not limited to international and comparative research, and research syntheses.

International and comparative research that builds knowledge and theory that is useful for practitioners and scholars around the world is encouraged. Journal is dedicated to engaging the global public administration community through research that provides readers with opportunities to compare practices and processes and interpret international trends and developments in the field.

Research syntheses should apply a rigorous and critical assessment of a body of theory and empirical research, articulating what is known about a phenomenon and ways to advance research about the topic under review. Research syntheses should identify significant variables and effect sizes, a systematic and reproducible search strategy, and a clear framework for studies included in the larger analysis. Meta-analyses that statistically combine studies to determine an overall effect or effect size are encouraged.

All submissions should include three to five sentence-length takeaway points for readers that provide Evidence for Practice. Articles from practitioners or co-authored by practitioners and scholars are welcome.

Viewpoints

Academics and practitioners have different audiences, viewpoints, interests, intellectual approaches, research methods, and styles of discourse. Journal ‘Administration’ serves as a critical instrument for bridging these differences, and is committed to engaging the practice community in a new way to increase involvement and participation. Journal seeks manuscripts from key stakeholders and/or organizations that are attuned to the problems and concerns confronting their constituents in large numbers.

Book Reviews

The Book Review feature aims to engage scholars and practitioners in a lively discussion of books that take on timely topics, advances in theory and/or practice, service innovation, and problems and constraints facing public administration and policy stakeholders. Journal ‘Administration’ takes a broad view of the field of public administration, and welcomes reviews of books published from all regions of the world. Book reviews should strive for clarity, conciseness, and timeliness. Length of manuscripts should be appropriate to content. Review articles that bring together a number of books are encouraged. Please follow the same style instructions as those noted for regular manuscripts.

Information on Manuscript Formatting

Tables, Figures, Charts, Appendices

Each table or figure should be on a separate page at the end of the manuscript. Indicate placement of tables, figures, etc. in the text as follows: leave two double spaces after the last line of preceding text; insert the sentence, [Table (Figure) N here], and leave two double spaces before beginning the next line of text.

Note that the words “table,” “figure,” “appendix,” etc. should be lowercase when referred to in the text. Zeros should be omitted before decimal points in tables, but not in the text.

Please do not use heavy borders or shading. If the table, figure, or chart requires fill effects please use patterns instead of shading. Journal ‘Administration’ does not print in color.

Article Title and Section Headings

The guidelines for article titles and section headings are as follows (please do not underline):

• Article title and principal subheads: 14-point roman type, title case, bold, and set on a line separate from the text.
• Secondary subheads: 12-point roman type, title case, bold, and set on a line separate from the text.
• Sub-subheads (run-in subheads): 12-point roman type, title case, bold and italic, run-in at the beginning of a paragraph, and followed by a period.

Quotations

Quoted matter that runs six or more typed lines or that involves two or more paragraphs should be set off as a block quotation; the quotation should start a new line, be set without quotation marks, and be set in 11-point type. Shorter quotations are run into the text and enclosed in quotation marks. Be sure to include page number(s) where the quotation appeared. Quotation marks should be used to set off a word of unusual meaning or an unfamiliar, excessively slangy, or coined word the first time it is used. Quotation marks are unnecessary thereafter. Commonly known facts and proverbial, biblical, and well-known literary expressions do not need to be enclosed in quotation marks.

Capitalization

When in doubt, do not capitalize. Only acronyms and the word PAR should appear in all capital letters (after one spelled-out use). Civil, military, religious, and professional titles and titles of nobility are capitalized only when they immediately precede a personal name and are thus used as part of the name. Article and section titles of any kind should be capitalized in title case.

Italics

Italicize names of books, newspapers, and journals; please do not underline them. Italicize the names of plaintiff and defendant in the citation of legal cases. Italics are used for isolated words and phrases in a foreign language if they are likely to be unfamiliar to readers. Foreign words or phrases familiar to most readers and listed in Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th edition (for example, laissez faire) are not italicized if used in an English context. Italics may be used for emphasis and on the first occurrence; thereafter they are best set in roman.

Notes and References

Manuscripts should follow the style guidelines in the Chicago Manual of Style, 16th edition, using the Author-Date method of citing and referencing. Specific questions about style issues can be addressed at http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html . All references must have authors’ full first names.

For notes, please do not use the autoformat feature or the footnote feature to embed endnotes in the word processing program. Notes should be listed altogether before the reference section with the corresponding superscript numbers unlinked and entered manually in the text.

Structure

1. Use the following structure for your research article: Abstract, Evidence for Practice, Introduction, Theory, Methods, Results, Discussion, and Conclusion.
2. Include a robust discussion section distinct from your conclusion.
3. Do not use a heading for your introduction. It is implied that your first several paragraphs are introductory.
4. Do not use in-text citations in your evidence for practice points. These are intended to be direct, concise statements about implications and insights of your research findings that are directly relevant for practice.
5. Give your article a title that is both descriptive and inviting to prospective readers.
6. Your article title should appeal to both scholars and practitioners.
7. Use a shortened version of the main idea of your article in the title. Be sure to consider including keywords that people will use to search for your topic.
8. Use keywords, but do not use technical jargon or esoteric words.
9. Try to limit your titles to 8 words or less.
10. Titles should fit evenly into one or two lines.
11. Your abstract should inform readers what your article is about and its most important findings.
12. Readers, including scholars and practitioners, should be able to understand your topic, argument, and conclusions. Make your abstract straightforward and do not use technical language or jargon.
13. Your abstract should be 150 words or less.
14. Lead with the main message and primary findings of your article.
15. Do not refer to the “article” in your abstract; it is understood that the content of your abstract is about your article.
16. Provide a distinct conclusion that tells readers what you found, why it is important, and what difference it will make for research and practice.
17. Make sure you separate your discussion section from the conclusion of the article.
18. Synthesize your article; don’t summarize it. Show readers how the pieces of your article fit together.
19. Answer the question “So what?” Why is your article significant, and how is it relevant?
20. References are included in your word count, so make sure they are necessary.

Style

1. Follow the Chicago Manual of Style, Author-Date format for citations.
2. Use endnotes, not footnotes.
3. Minimize the number and length of notes. If content is important, then put it in your main text.
4. Do not use numbered headings.
5. Do not use autonumbering or the autoformat feature.
6. Do not use outline numbering in the ABC format. Instead, use bullets or numbers.
7. Spell out the meaning for all acronyms you create when you first use the acronym. In general, limit the use of acronyms.
8. Use active voice. Convert passive to active voice wherever possible.
9. Be consistent in language and style.