Publication Ethics Statement
The Journal of School-based Counseling Policy and Evaluation (JSCPE) holds the values of high-quality, critical, and innovative scholarship that advances school-based counseling policy and evaluation science. To achieve this value, the journal is engaged in a comprehensive double-blind, peer-reviewed process that serves as a gatekeeper for articles of significant intellectual merit.
Authors should avoid intentional or accidental misrepresentation of methods, results, policy, or theory in scholarly works. These misrepresentations may lead to damaging the trust and reputation of JSCPE along with scientific research in general. The following topics serve as a guide for authors submitting to this journal.
Guidelines for Submission
Authors should only submit manuscripts that have not been published already and that are not under consideration with another journal. The submission of the manuscript should not breach copyright laws/regulations. The manuscript as it is submitted should be approved by all co-authors and other responsible parties. Conference proceedings and translations of previously published articles should no be submitted. Manuscripts should not be plagiarized and authors should avoid cutting up a single study into a number of smaller publications for the purpose of quantity.
Peer-Reviewed Process
All manuscripts are first reviewed by the editor to determine appropriateness for the journal. Manuscripts may be desk rejected, meaning they have significant concerns preventing them from being reviewed. If appropriate, articles are assigned to three editorial board members (double-blind reviewers) who provide critical feedback and render a decision of Reject, Major Revisions, Minor Revisions, or Accept. These editorial board members have expertise in the topic area related to the article being reviewed. The journal editor then makes a final decision based on the reviewers’ recommendations and the feedback they provide on the manuscript. All manuscripts will be reviewed through a blind process and will be treated with all due diligence to avoid conflict of interest and possible review bias.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism occurs when an author attempts to pass off another person's writing and research as their own. Self-plagiarism or duplicate publication is when an author reuses large parts of their previously published work without the appropriate references. All manuscripts are reviewed for plagiarism. If there are concerns that an author has plagiarized, the journal editor will communicate this concern. In cases plagiarism is confirmed, the manuscript will not be published.
Authorship
Submitting authors should preemptively identify the proper authorship order that represents the work and effort of all authors in a fair and just manner. Authors listed on an article should have made substantial contributions to the project, helped draft or revised the intellectual materials, approved the final manuscript prior to publication, and agree to be accountable for the accuracy and integrity of the findings. Authors are encouraged to handle any authorship disputes independently but they can consult with the journal editor to resolve the dispute if needed.
Adherence to Professional Standards
Authors should share information about sources of funding, potential conflicts of interest, informed consent (for human subjects research), and a statement on the welfare of animals (for research involving animals). Authors should also adhere to a discipline-specific ethical codes or standards that guide their research and publication.
Conflict of Interest
Authors should disclose any possible conflicts of interest when they submit a manuscript. Any conflicts of interest should be noted as a part of the author note. If an author does not have a conflict of interest, they are encouraged to include a statement in their author note declaring such.
Publication Information
JSCPE is published on-line (open access) two times a year. Manuscripts should follow closely the formatting style of the American Psychological Association (latest edition). JSCPE reviews manuscripts within approximately 30 working days of submission and publishes accepted articles in the relevant forthcoming issues upon receiving the final versions.
Rights for Authors and JSCPE
Authors retain copyright, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0) that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in JSCPE. For more information, see https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. Ultimate responsibility for the accuracy of the article content is the principal author.
