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Author Guidelines: Please read ALL guidelines before submission

RCEJ welcomes a variety of manuscripts from educators, researchers, students, practitioners, and individuals with disabilities. We strive to be a rigorous, inclusive, and responsive publication. Please thoroughly read all information below prior to submitting a manuscript.

Cover Sheet

All manuscripts must be accompanied by a separate cover sheet that includes (a) the category and subcategory of manuscript submission (see below); (b) article title; (c) names of all authors and affiliations; (d) complete mailing address for corresponding (first) author, and e-mail addresses of all authors; (e) any acknowledgments, financial disclosure information, author notes, or explanation of other text that could identify authors to reviewers; and (f) statement attesting to having read the Author Agreement (see the tab in the Navigation Menu).

Manuscript Categories

Authors must indicate the category (in bold) and subcategory (bullets) for submission within their cover sheet to facilitate a proper consideration and review. Please note the guidelines for each category of submission; page totals noted are inclusive of title page, abstract, references, tables, and figures.

Full-Length Articles–The following submissions will undergo a double-blind, peer-review process with two reviewers:

  • Topical Manuscripts: empirical (quantitative or qualitative), systematic review, and conceptual articles. Works of original research: 20-35 pages; systematic reviews and conceptual: 15-25 pages.

  • Field-Initiated Projects: descriptive articles on current initiatives: 15-25 pages.

  • Policy/Legislative Analysis: critical analysis of the implications of current, proposed, or needed policy: 15-25 pages.

Brief Articles–The following submissions will undergo a double-blind, peer-review process with one reviewer:

  • Commentary & Discourse Forum: topics of contemporary interest to promote discussion and debate, including case studies: 15-20 pages.

  • Pedagogy Knowledge Forum: descriptive articles on teaching, collaboration, and course development: 15-20 pages.

  • Research & Best Practice Briefs: short, responsive reports of interim research and digests of broader project findings: 5-10 pages.

Editor Review–The following submissions will undergo an editorial review process:

  • Book, Test, and Media Reviews: reviews of books, tests, media, software, and other materials relevant to readers: up to 10 pages.

  • Letters to the Editor: forum for feedback from readers regarding published content or future directions: up to 5 pages.

Special Issues and Special Sections

Authors interested in serving as guest editors for a Special Issue must submit a written proposal to the RCEJ Editors; this would contain a minimum of 6 manuscripts. Preferably, no more than one Special Issue will be published in a calendar year. If accepted, the issue must be completed within one year. A Special Issue will include an editorial from the Guest Editors. The Special Issue proposal must include:

  • The title of the Special Issue;
  • A brief CV of all proposed Guest Editors (typically no more than three);
  • A statement of the Special Issue’s significance for RCEJ and a draft introduction;
  • Titles and draft descriptions of each of the proposed articles, with brief details of contributors. Acceptance of a proposal is not a guarantee of an individual manuscript’s acceptance. Preferably, there should be at least 8 proposed articles to allow for possible rejections; and
  • An outline timetable.

Authors can also propose a Special Section comprising 3-5 manuscripts addressing a single topic, project, or issue. A single Guest Editor will work in consultation with the RCEJ Editors to facilitate the blind review process; Special Sections will include a short introduction from the Guest Editor. Manuscripts for a Special Section must be completed prior to the proposal submission. A Special Section proposal must include:

  • The title, description, and statement of significance of the Special Section;
  • A brief CV of the proposed Guest Editor; and
  • Titles, contributors, and abstracts for each proposed manuscript. Acceptance of a proposal is not a guarantee of an individual manuscript’s acceptance.

Manuscript Preparation

All manuscripts submitted to the Journal must not have had a substantial part of the article or the findings published elsewhere, and will not be simultaneously submitted or published elsewhere. All manuscripts should be prepared according to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed., 2020). Manuscripts not adhering to APA guidelines and the guidelines below will be returned to the author prior to review. Manuscripts should adhere to the page guidelines noted above and the following formatting guidelines:

  • Manuscript: The manuscript should not contain any author names or affiliations that would identify the author(s) to reviewers. The manuscript should consist of a cover page with title, an abstract, all content (including tables, figures, and images), and references (appendices where applicable). Consistent with APA manuscript guidelines, all documents should be formatted to 8 ½ x 11 in., with one-inch margins, double-spacing, left justified, Times New Roman, 12-pt. font for all text. The entire manuscript must be submitted as a Word document (no PDFs). Please remove any extra line breaks before or after paragraphs that may be a default function in Word. The abstract should be no more than 250 words and contain up to 5 keywords to identify the content of the manuscript. The reference list must include the DOI or web link of cited sources.
    • Tables, Figures, Images, and Appendices: Given the digital format of the Journal, all tables, figures, images, and appendices will be submitted within the manuscripts. Authors should place these items in the text at their discretion and label them accordingly. All tables should be created in Microsoft Word and double-spaced. All figures and images should be high-quality resolution for readability. Artwork and photographs should be digitized and permission should be granted from the artist/photographer. Appendices should be used for longer reference items (e.g., full interview protocol or survey) and placed at the end of the document. Appendices can be submitted as separate documents, if more appropriate.
  • Permissions: It is the authors’ responsibility to obtain written permission for material (e.g., figures, tables, quotes longer than 200 words) taken directly or adapted from another source. Payment of fees to the copyright holder may be required and is also the authors’ responsibility. Permission must be obtained prior to publication.
  • Language: It is expected that all manuscripts will include inclusive language. Gendered pronouns and references should be avoided, unless specific to a respondent or participant. Person-first language is consistent with APA guidelines; however, authors who identify with the disability community and prefer identity-first language will be recognized. Other use of language regarding disability should avoid stigmatization (e.g., drug addict, drug abuse), pity (e.g., suffers from a disability), disempowerment (e.g., wheelchair-bound, trauma victim), and euphemism (e.g., special needs, differently abled).

Submission Process

All manuscripts, including cover sheet and attachments, will be submitted using the link above. Guided instructions for submission can be found here. Once received and initially reviewed for completion, the manuscript will be tasked for review based on the manuscript category; authors will be notified when it is assigned. Projected timeline for notification of a peer review is 60 days, and editorial review 30 days.

Revisions

The corresponding author will be notified when the revision is completed. Editor and reviewer comments, as well as the review decision, will be available for viewing. It is expected that manuscripts submitted for consideration for publication will undergo revision before final acceptance. If the manuscript requires revision, authors should follow the directions as provided on the website. Authors agree that the Editors have the right to edit the manuscript as necessary for publication, if accepted, such that content is not changed.

Publication and Publication Fees

RCEJ is a fully online, Open Access journal. Open Access publications allow rehabilitation researchers to actively engage in the promotion of knowledge translation across academic and professional disciplines. All articles accepted for publication in RCEJ are published under the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0.

With respect to copyright, under this Open Access license:

  • Author(s) grant permission for any third-party to copy, distribute, reuse, or build on the work, even commercially, without permission provided that the original author(s), citation details, and journal are properly identified.
  • Copyright of articles published by the Rehabilitation Counselors and Educators Journal is retained by the author(s).
  • Author(s) allow the Rehabilitation Counselors and Educators Journal to identify itself as the original publisher and agree to an Open Access Licensing Agreement to publish the article.

There is no fee to submit a manuscript to RCEJ. The submission process is completely free. There is a publication fee if the manuscript is accepted (there is no publication fee associated with Letters to the Editor). This fee covers immediate, worldwide Open Access to the full article text, as well as the day-to-day process of developing and maintaining an effective peer review system and publication process. The publication fee structure was designed to be equitable and inclusive of researchers and scholars at all levels. The rate for these fees is dependent on the length of the manuscript and the status of the first author/guest editor. Please consult the current publication fee structure for rates; these fees pertain to manuscripts submitted through 2024. New fee schedules will be issued for 2025. No fees will be charged or collected until the manuscript has been approved in its final version. Accepted manuscripts will not be published until the payment is received.

Waivers for the publication fee are available at the Editors’ discretion. Authors wishing to apply for a waiver due to financial hardship should contact the Editors at rcej@rceapro.org; this applies to individual manuscripts and not Special Issues/Sections. Additional service may be required in lieu of payment of the publication fee.

After the manuscript is accepted, a set of PDF page proofs and HTML web layout will be available. The proof should be used to check for omissions or any typesetting and editing errors. Significant changes by the authors at this stage will require permission from the Editor. The proof must be returned with needed corrections within one week. Subsequent corrections after this period cannot be guaranteed. Please note that RCEJ may proceed with publication if no response is received after the one-week period.

Advance online publication is available for manuscripts who are awaiting placement in future issues.