Author Guidelines
The Journal of Faith Integration in Counseling (JFIC) publishes articles that inform counseling practice in a variety of settings with diverse client populations. Manuscripts submitted for review to the JFIC must be original works on the part of the authors. Authors submitting manuscripts to the journal should not simultaneously submit them to another journal, nor should manuscripts have been published elsewhere in substantially similar form or with substantially similar content. Manuscripts typically fall into one of the following categories, although other kinds of submissions may be appropriate for JFIC readers:
Research: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed method studies are published in JFIC. In these manuscripts, the review of the literature provides the context and need for the study, logically leading to the purpose and research questions. Authors are encouraged to follow APA JARS in reporting research. The methodology guides the manuscript and includes a full description of the participants, data collection, data analyses, and results. Authors are expected to discuss the significance of the results and provide implications on the multidimensional understanding and integration of faith in counseling.
Teaching: Manuscripts that integrate faith beliefs into pedagogy, counselor education, or other training practices can be submitted for review. Manuscripts in the teaching category can be from the perspective of the student, educator, or leadership and administration. All teaching submissions will need to address and align with accreditation standards for counseling and related programs.
Literature Review: Manuscripts focused on reviews of literature and meta analyses are encouraged to use established protocol such as PRISMA in their methodology and JARS in their writing. A review of the literature provides a critical overview of existing conceptual and empirical knowledge in a particular area. Authors are expected to discuss the significance of the literature and provide implications of the literature on the multidimensional understanding and integration of faith in counseling.
Theory: These manuscripts provide a new theoretical perspective on a particular issue or integrate existing bodies of knowledge in an innovative way. All theoretical pieces must include implications related to the multidimensional understanding and integration of faith in counseling and when appropriate, implications for public policy related to the counseling profession.
Practice: Manuscripts with a practice focus provide innovative approaches in counseling practice, counseling programs, ethical issues, and training and supervision practices. Practice manuscripts are grounded in counseling or educational theory and empirical knowledge. A Practice manuscript is defined as one that uses evidence based data to address aspects of Gordon Paul’s (1967) question (paraphrased): What works best for this client with this problem with this counselor in this setting? Practice manuscripts must include implications related to the multidimensional understanding and integration of faith in counseling practice.
Submission of Manuscripts: Manuscripts are to be submitted electronically (in one document) in Microsoft Word format (.doc or docx) to https://jfic.researchcommons.org/journal. Full instructions and support are available on the site and a user ID and password can be obtained on the first visit. For additional inquiries, contact the journal Editor at email: . Manuscripts are reviewed by at least two editorial board member Reviewers and an Associate Editor and typically undergo revision before final acceptance. The Editor makes final decisions regarding publication. All submissions are blind peer reviewed. Therefore, authors must submit a manuscript that contains no clues to the authors’ identity. Citations that may reveal the authors’ identities (e.g., “in an extension of our previous work [citation of work with authors’ names]”) should be masked (e.g., [“Authors, 2011”]). The authors’ names, positions or titles, places of employment, and mailing addresses should appear on one cover title page only and not in an author footnote. Other subsequent pages should include an abbreviated manuscript title in the header, not to exceed 80 characters and spaces.
Preparation of Manuscripts: The JFIC uses the current edition of The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association as a writing style guide for contributors. This means that we ask authors to look to APA recommendations regarding the title, abstract, and headings used in the paper, as well as the format of references and citations within the text. We also request some writing practices we think improve the reporting of qualitative research methods and results, such as the use of active voice and the inclusion of the researcher's context as it relates to the topic under study. Otherwise, style is a matter of choice on the parts of authors. We recognize that the style of writing for contributions to JFIC is a matter of particularity for authors, and we welcome a range of writing styles.
Selected Sections for Manuscript Submissions
Title Page: The first page of the manuscript should be masked and only contain the title of the manuscript. Prepare a separate, supplemental file labeled “Title Page” and upload at the above website in addition to the blinded manuscript. This title page document should contain the article title, the names and affiliations of all coauthors, author notes or acknowledgments, and complete contact information of the corresponding author who will review page proofs (including complete mailing address and email) in the following format: Author(s) Name only (i.e., no degrees or position titles listed), Department Name, University Name, at City (if applicable). Author Name is now at Department Name, University Name, at City (if changed from above listing). Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Author Name, full mailing address (including street or PO Box), City, State (using postal abbreviation), zip code, and Email (email: name@name.edu).
Abstract: The abstract should express the central idea of the manuscript in nontechnical language. It should be on page 2 and is limited to 150 words. Keywords should follow the abstract on page 2 and should include a maximum of 5 words.
Tables and Figures: No more than 3 tables and 2 figures with each manuscript will be accepted. Tables may be supplied within the document submission. Figures (graphs, illustrations, line drawings) may be supplied within the document submission and must also be supplied in electronic format with a minimum resolution of 600 dots per inch (dpi) up to 1200 dpi. Halftone line screens should be a minimum of 300 dpi. JPEG or PDF files are preferred. (See 7th APA Publication Manual for more detailed information on table and figure preparation).
References: References should follow the style detailed in the current edition of the APA Publication Manual. Check all references for completeness, including the year, volume number, pages, and DOI for journal citations. Make sure that all references mentioned in the text are listed in the reference section and vice versa and that the spelling of author names and years is consistent. Do not use Footnotes or Endnotes. Incorporate any information within the body of the manuscript. Authors must also carefully follow APA Publication Manual guidelines for nondiscriminatory language regarding gender, sexual orientation, racial and ethnic identity, disabilities, and age. In addition, the terms counseling, counselor, and client are preferred, rather than their many synonyms.
Page Limitations: Research section submissions using quantitative methods must not exceed 30 pages, including references. Alternatively, qualitative method contributors to the Research section can let data considerations shape the length of their narrative rather than an arbitrary limit of words or pages. However, authors should give careful consideration to qualitative manuscripts over 45 pages. For submissions to the Literature Review, Theory, or Practice sections manuscripts must not exceed 25 pages including references. Manuscript titles are limited to 80 characters. Any submissions that do not adhere to length limitations will be returned without review.
Permission Requirements: Lengthy quotations (generally 400 cumulative words or more from one source) require written permission from the copyright holder for reproduction. Previously published tables or figures that are used in their entirety, in part, or adapted also require written permission from the copyright holder for reproduction. It is the author’s responsibility to secure such permission, and a copy of the publisher’s written permission must be provided to the Editor immediately upon acceptance for publication.
Accepted Articles: Authors will receive information for submitting a final copy of their article upon acceptance from the journal Editor. This final version of the article should have any previously masked author references and in-text citations reinstated and include all author names with their departmental and university affiliations. Full contact information should be included for the designated corresponding author. Once the article is in production with the Publications team, the corresponding author will receive copy edited PDF page proofs for review via email.
If you have any questions regarding the submissions process please email the Editor at .
American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.).
Paul, G. (1967). Insight versus desensitization in psychotherapy 2 years after termination. Journal of Consulting Psychology, 31, 333-348.