Questions: [email protected]
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**NOTICE: Thank you for your interest in submitting work to RDS.
At this time we are not accepting unsolicited submissions.
Open submissions are scheduled to resume this Spring 2025. **
General Requirements For All Submissions
***Articles that do not meet these guidelines will be returned to the author.***
1 - File Format, Font and Spacing—Articles must be submitted as MS Word, TXT or RTF Documents. All text must be double spaced with 1”margins. Font must be 12 point, Times New Roman. Follow the guidelines put forth by the American Psychological Association (APA 7.0). All submissions not adhering to this will be returned without review.
2 - Abstract, Key Words and Biographical Statements - Each article must include an abstract of no more than 50 words and 3 keywords. Send as a separate document a title page that includes a 1-3 sentence biographical statement of each author, and what degrees, professional credentials, and affiliations are to be listed after the author’s name(s). For content and length requirements for various types of submissions, please see the “specific section” guidelines below.
3 - Peer Review—All submissions to RDS are peer-reviewed. Only Research Articles and Essays will be anonymously peer-reviewed. These works should be scholarly in nature. All identifying information, including name of author(s), affiliation, and contact information, should be deleted from the article file. This information (name of the article, authors' names, and authors' affiliations) should be submitted separately as a title page file. Please be sure that the title of the article appears in both the documents.
4 - Footnotes and Endnotes—Do not use footnotes at the bottom of the page or any embedded notes. All notes (if used) must be endnotes. References, endnotes, and acknowledgments will appear at the end of the article text.
5 - Citations and References—Use the most current guidelines set forth by the American Psychological Association (APA 7.0).
6 - Article Length- Articles should generaly be no longer than 7,500 words, including references and tables. Additional word restrictions may apply to articles that are part of a special themed issue and will be determined by the guest editor.
Citation and Reference Examples
Journal
Reference: Hemingway, L., & Priestley, M. (2006). Natural hazards, human vulnerability, and disabling societies: A disaster for disabled people? The Review of Disability Studies: An International Journal, 2(3), 57–67.
Citation: According to Hemingway and Priestley (2006), people with disabilities are vulnerable in a disaster.
Book
Reference: Foucault, M. (1990). The history of sexuality, vol.1: An introduction. (R. Hurley, Trans.). Vintage.
Citation: Many authors have written about the importance of studying sexuality (Foucault, 1990).
7 - Language, Grammar and Syntax—American English spelling is preferred (i.e. analyze instead of analyse). Do not use contractions or slang unless it is in the original text as quoted. Groups of people that are marginalized or experience discrimination usually have preferred terms to describe themselves and these terms should be used. Please consult regularly with relevant groups as these terms change depending on context and as language evolves. Notes on specific language use should be included as necessary. Corrections of grammar and syntax may occur during the editing process.
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Disability language – Recognizing that the words we use to describe disability have historically had consequences--and continue to, authors are invited to make explicit the choices for the language they use concerning disability. Furthermore, recognizing the contested nature of these terms, RDS does not dictate the specific language an author must use. Save for patently offensive words, the journal will not exclude authors for nonstandard uses. In most cases, authors are encouraged to use what is considered modern and appropriate language in reference to disability such as “individual with a disability,” “disabled people” and “the disability community.” Terms such as “handicapped,” “retarded,” “crippled,” “the disabled” and “impaired persons” are not used in RDS unless they are being referenced in quotes or as a point of historical comparison.
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Gender inclusive language – Avoid terms that are gender specific (e.g., mankind, stewardess, etc.) when referring to mixed groups or when use of the feminine can be construed as a diminutive or connote unequal status to an implicitly male norm. Avoid alternating the use of masculine and feminine pronouns in an article unless the alteration refers to shifting social or subjective gender identities. Avoid the form s/he, unless this is a preferred form of reference or is integrally related to the description or analysis of a transgender phenomenon. It is also permissible to use the plural “they” in reference to an individual if the intent is to avoid nonconsensual gendering or if this is the preferred mode of reference for the subject being referred to. Other gender neutral pronouns—e.g., “ze”, “zhe”, “zim”—should be respected as per the preference of the subjects to which they refer. For any non-standard use, we ask that authors make explicit their language choices to ensure greatest accessibility for readers unfamiliar with the usage.
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Note on new terms – Please provide a definition of new terms. Non-standard words, jargon, slang, etc. should be defined or explained for the reader.
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Please refrain from broad statements such as “most people would agree that…” and provide multiple citations for all claims that refer to multiple sources i.e., “it has been well documented…”
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Race and Ethnicity - Efforts must be made to ensure that terms referring to race and ethnicity are those preferred by the group or person being referenced. Use caution as some terms may have stigmatizing, derogatory and negative connotations in particular groups and contexts. Terms such as “racialized” (e.g., racialized women) or “person of color” are often preferred.
8 - Non-Native English Speakers—English grammar and syntax must be understandable enough for the article to be reviewed and edited. Authors with limited English skills are encouraged to partner with a co-author whose first language is English or to write the article in their first language and have the article translated into English by a professional translator. We also suggest considering a translation/editing service to assist ESL authors. Here is a list of companies that provide these services. This list is not an endorsement and authors should research these and others on their own:
http://wileyeditingservices.com/en
https://www.aje.com/en
http://www.editage.com
http://www.enago.com
9 - Headings—The use of headings and sub-headings to separate major ideas and themes is encouraged. Use the most current guidelines set forth by the American Psychological Association (APA 7.0) for heading format.
10 - Graphs, Tables and Images —Use no more than three graphs, tables or images per article not to exceed two pages of text. All graphs, tables and images must include an alternative text description.
11- Copyright Permissions- Work previously published must be so noted with a complete citation. If a copyright was obtained on the previously published work, written permission from the copyright holder must be submitted with the manuscript. Previously published work is not encouraged.
12 - Date of Publication—We cannot guarantee date of publication of any article until the issue in which that article appears is in press. This includes providing verification of publication for the purposes of tenure and promotion. All articles submitted to RDS are “submitted” until they are either “accepted for publication,” “accepted for publication with revisions,” or “not accepted for publication.”
13 - Publication Ethics—The editors take reasonable steps to prevent publishing papers involving research that includes plagiarism, citation manipulation, data falsification, undisclosed conflicts of interest, or other misconduct. Evidence of misconduct will result in the rejection or withdrawal of the manuscript. Any concerns about published or pending articles can be brought to the attention of editors at [email protected].
Proposing a Special Themed Issue
If you wish to submit an idea for a Special Themed Issue for which you would serve as a guest editor, you are encouraged to send a preliminary message directly to the editorial team at [email protected].
Formal proposal guidelines for themed issues follow below.
RDS Special Themed Issue Proposal Submission Guidelines
Submitting a Special Themed Issue Proposal
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Please contact the Editor at [email protected] to discuss and confirm your topic prior to submitting your proposal for formal review.
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Proposals for a RDS Special Themed Issue may be submitted at any time. Proposals must explore questions and themes from a disability studies perspective, and should have relevance to an international audience.
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Please allow up to 2 weeks from the submission of a proposal for a response from the Editors.
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After the proposal has received a full editorial review, prospective guest editors will be notified of the decision on acceptance.
Guest Editors
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All Special Themed Issues must have at least two guest editors, but no more than four. The designated lead guest editor is responsible for coordinating the initial review and preparing an overall summary statement on the initial decisions.
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Guest editors are expected to be professional and respectful in communications related to the RDS Special Themed Issue, at all points of the publication process: eliciting works for the issue; responding to questions about the issue; working with authors; preparing and delivering review comments and decisions.
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All submitted works, reviews and decisions must be treated confidentially, and papers should not be shared beyond the guest editors.
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Public forums should not be used to notify other editors or authors of decisions.
Timelines
Review Process
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All submissions to Special Themed Issue must first undergo rigorous review by the guest editors. The RDS Editor should be immediately notified of any works submitted which do not fall under the guest editors’ areas of expertise. This will allow adequate time to send for appropriate external review.
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As part of the initial review, each guest editor should include a decision, as well as detailed comments on the submitted work. Comments can be in track changes and comment boxes on the paper itself. Lead guest editors should prepare a summary statement highlighting the strengths of the article and areas for improvement, and a justification for the decision. Summary statements should be at least 250 words in length and may draw from the comments directly on the paper.
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Following the first round of guest editorial review, guest editors will record their decisions and upload their feedback. Before notifying the authors, the editorial team will review the papers and guest editor decisions. To ensure a rigorous review and that submissions meet RDS quality standards, the editorial team may request an additional level of review for papers. At this stage, artistic and creative works will be forwarded to the associate editor of Creative Works.
Special Themed Issue Proposal Checklist
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Special Themed Issue Submission Form with guest editor affiliation, contact information, statement of experience with reviews, and a short CV (5 pages max).
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Proposed Timeline that describes the guest editors’ preferred schedule, and/or lists any potential scheduling conflicts (dates when the guest editors are not available).
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Call for Papers and Creative Works which includes a description of the issue, key issues explored and addressed, and the relevance to international disability studies. The call should include guest editor contact information. RDS reserves the right to request revisions to the call. Calls may request abstracts or completed papers and creative works. Guest editors should consider implications on timeline if accepting abstracts for uncompleted works. Sample papers are available at http://rdsjournal.org/index.php/journal/announcement/view/2.
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List of Places/Networks/Listservs where the call can be published. RDS will circulate the call. Guest editors are also encouraged to actively promote the call.
