CONTRIBUTOR INFORMATION

Content: Scientific Studies of Reading (SSR) is the official journal of the Society for the Scientific Study of Reading and publishes original empirical investigations (Research Articles and Research Reports) on all aspects of reading and literacy. Occasionally, scholarly reviews of the literature, manuscripts focused on theory development, and discussions of social policy issues will also be considered for publication. Please contact the editor prior to submitting such papers. Research Articles must be less than 6000 words in length; Research Reports must be less than 3000 words and, if accepted, will generally be published more quickly than other manuscripts. All articles must be written in English.

Research Articles (max 6000 words, not including the abstract and references) present new data, new methods, or both. They must include a review of relevant literature and a clear and self-contained presentation of methods and data followed by a discussion.

Research Articles must be written to be understandable to a readership with experience in reading research. Detailed descriptions of data analysis methods are warranted only when they are novel or unusually complex. Both the theoretical and practical significance of the findings, as well as limitations of the study, should be discussed.

Research Reports (max 3000 words, not including the abstract and references) present new data that relate to an existing question in reading research. The literature review is expected to be focused and end with clear research questions. Presentation of methods and data must be clear and self-contained, and the discussion of the findings should be limited to their immediate significance and limitations of the study.

Manuscript Preparation: Prepare manuscripts according to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA; 6th ed., 2010). Authors must use bias-free language in their articles as specified in the "Reducing Bias in Language" on pp. 70-77 of the APA Manual (6th ed.). Authors are responsible for obtaining permission to reproduce copyrighted material from other sources and are required to sign an agreement for the transfer of copyright to the publisher. All accepted manuscripts, artwork, and photographs become the property of the publisher.

Type all components of the manuscript double-spaced, including the title page, abstract, text, quotes, acknowledgments, references, appendixes, tables, figure captions, and footnotes. The margins have to be at least one inch on all sides. Number manuscript pages consecutively throughout the paper. To facilitate anonymous review, only the article title should appear on the first page of the manuscript. Authors should also supply a shortened version of the title suitable for the running head, not exceeding 50 character spaces. An abstract of no more than 100 words should be typed on a separate page. Avoid abbreviations, diagrams, and reference to the text in the abstract.

Review Process: All manuscripts submitted will be acknowledged promptly. Authors should keep a copy of their manuscripts to guard against loss.

Due to the high number of submissions, the editors will conduct a preliminary review of each submission. Only manuscripts deemed by the editors to be potentially acceptable are sent out for blind review. If the manuscript is not sent out for blind review, the authors will be informed of the decision promptly.

Acceptance: The theoretical and practical significance and the potential impact of findings are the major criteria for acceptance of papers reporting new empirical data. Papers with interdisciplinary interest and significance across more than one context are favored over papers with more limited significance.

Permissions: Authors are responsible for all statements made in their work and for obtaining permissions from copyright owners to reprint or adapt a table or figure, or to reprint a quotation of 500 words or more. Authors should write to the original author(s) and publisher to request nonexclusive world rights in all languages to use the material in future editions. Provide copies of all permissions and credit lines obtained.

Regulations: In a cover letter, authors should state that the findings reported in the manuscript are original and have not been published previously, and that the manuscript is not being simultaneously submitted elsewhere. Authors should also state that they have complied with American Psychological Association ethical standards in the treatment of their samples.

The cover letter should contain the title; authorship; authors' affiliations; any statements of credit or research support; and mailing and e-mail addresses (of the submitting author).

Manuscript Submission: Manuscripts are submitted via the Scientific Studies of Reading Manuscript Central web site at http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/hssr.

Directions for Electronic Submission:

1. Go to Scientific Studies of Reading's Manuscript Central homepage.
2. Log-in or click the "Create Account" option if you are a first-time user of Manuscript Central.

3. If you are creating a new account:
   1. After clicking on "Create Account" enter your name and e-mail information and click "Next". Your e-mail information is very important.
   2. Enter your institution and address information as prompted then click "Next.".
   3. Enter a user ID and password of your choice (we recommend using your e-mail address as your user ID) and then select your area of expertise.
   4. Click "Finish" when done.
4. Log-in and select "Author Center."

5. After you have logged in, click the "Submit a Manuscript" link on the Author Center screen.
6. Enter data and answer questions as prompted.
7. Click on the "Next" button on each screen to save your work and advance to the next screen.
8. Your will be prompted to upload your files:
   • Click on the "Browse" button and locate the file on your computer.
   • Select the description of the file in the drop down box next to the Browse button.
   • When you have selected all the files you wish to upload, click the "Upload" button.
   • NOTE: you have a limit of 30 MB combined for all files you upload.
9. Review your submission (in both PDF and HTML formats) before sending to the Editor. Click the "Submit" button when you are done reviewing.

You may stop a submission at any point and save it to submit later. After submission, you will receive a confirmation via e-mail. You can also log-on to Manuscript Central at any time to check the status of your manuscript. The Editor will inform you via e-mail once a decision on your manuscript has been made.