CALL FOR PAPERS Special Issue: Art Therapy’s Response to Techno-Digital Culture Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association is seeking submissions for a special issue presenting thoughtful reflections on how the profession can respond effectively to the emerging needs of therapists and clients in the techno-digital age. The Journal invites a diverse range of clinical, educational, ethical, and cultural perspectives on the impact of the interactive, networked, and virtual worlds in which many people now live. Original research on the psychological influences of techno-digital culture, unique therapeutic issues, approaches to creative expression, and other relevant concerns will be featured. The deadline for submissions is March 15, 2008 CALL FOR COVER ART How to Publish in Art Therapy: From Submission to Publication

Publish in Art Therapy

How to Publish in Art Therapy: From Submission to Publication

1. If you have a paper you would like to see published, first consider whether it is appropriate for Art Therapy. The journal’s inside cover and Guidelines for Submission provide information on what kinds of manuscripts are in its scope and purposes. Read the articles from Art Therapy in the library or posted on this site from the current issue.


2. Before submission, ask a trusted colleague to read your manuscript to spot obvious errors in data, make sure that your thesis is clear and supported by your findings, and is written for a professional audience. Use your colleague’s feedback to refine the paper and make corrections.


3. Review the Guidelines for Submission and check that your manuscript is in order before submission. Common problems that result in an immediate return without review are a) failure to conform to APA style in reference citations and manuscript preparation, b) excessive length, c) excessive number of figures or tables, d) missing abstract, e) author’s name appears in the body of the text, and f) manuscript does not conform to submission categories.


4. Send the manuscript via email attachment to the Editorial Office of Art Therapy following the Guidelines for Submission; complete and attach the Attention Authors form. Within one to two weeks, you will get an email message acknowledging that your manuscript was received.


5. It will take six to ten weeks for your manuscript to be reviewed, depending upon the volume of submissions waiting for review. To ensure impartiality, the editor will remove your name from the manuscript and send it to two reviewers. It is important to understand that the review process takes time as most editors and reviewers are working professionals who volunteer time to the journal while juggling many other duties. When the reviews are not in agreement, your manuscript may be sent to a third reviewer and this also adds to the time the review process.


6. The reviewers will evaluate according the criteria of a) appropriateness for the journal, b) adherence to APA requirements, c) quality of the writing, d) quality of the content, and e) significance to the field of Art Therapy. They assess its overall strengths and weaknesses, and may make suggestions for improvement.


7. Finally, an editorial decision will be made based on reviewer recommendations. You will receive a letter stating either a) that Art Therapy will publish the paper, b) revisions are necessary before considering it for publication, or c) why the paper cannot be published.


8. If you receive a rejection letter, take heart from the fact that rejection rates are high for most journals. Your article or research study may not be a good match for the reading audiences of the journal. Often, the work is sound but needs to be better organized or more solidly developed, or presented more clearly.


9. Whether or not your manuscript was accepted, the comments of the reviewers are very valuable. They provide insight into how an experienced researcher or art therapy professional regards your ideas. This in turn offers clues to how accessible your ideas may be to the readers of Art Therapy.


10. You may be informed that while the paper cannot be accepted as is, the reviewers agree to review it again as a revision. It is important to follow their suggestions closely, keeping in mind that their opinions are informed by publication experience. Although not a guarantee of future acceptance, the recommendation to revise usually comes from the reviewers’ desire to support the manuscript’s potential for publication. Revise and resubmit the manuscript, following the same steps, and include a cover letter stating how you addressed the reviewers’ evaluative feedback.


11. If your paper is accepted for publication, you may be asked to make some minor revisions and submit the paper one last time along with a high resolution CD version of any images. The copyright for the article is signed over to the publisher with a form that accompanies your final version of the manuscript. Because some time may have passed since the first submission, you will be asked to review and update the Attention Authors form.


12. Accepted manuscripts await publication for some months while the editors make selections for each quarterly issue of Art Therapy. The content will be balanced between full length articles, brief reports and viewpoints, and between research and timely issues affecting the field. You will be informed as soon as the editor knows when your paper will be published. Prior to production, the editor and copyeditors will do final fact checking and editing of your paper, and may ask you to review minor corrections and queries that require your response. Finally, you will be asked to approve a “galley proof" that shows how your article will appear in print. No changes to the text can be introduced by the author at this stage. Because these are the last steps before printing, delays in returning the manuscript or proof file may result in delayed publication.

American Art Therapy Association - ArtTherapy.org