•  
  •  
 

Manuscript Submission Guidelines

These guidelines are intended to help authors prepare their manuscripts for submission to the Journal of Extension. It is an author’s responsibility to adhere to the journal’s established editorial standards. A submission will be returned and may be rejected if the manuscript demonstrates disregard for these standards.

General

Ethics

The journal adheres to the ethical publishing standards outlined by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Fit

Authors should evaluate whether the Journal of Extension is the appropriate outlet for their work or if a discipline-specific journal would be a better fit. Regardless of the article's category, the topic should be relevant and have implications for U.S. Extension practice. That is, how does it help Extension professionals perform their jobs more effectively?

County-based needs assessments have a limited readership in JOE. Unless the method is novel and can be adopted by other states, or the results have led to a change in practice or policy with broad implications, it is best to publish the manuscript in another type of publication, such as a technical report that can be shared quickly with interested stakeholders. Manuscripts that are related to COVID-19-related adaptations, programs, and tools should have clear implications in a post-COVID environment.

Reach out to the editor if you have any questions about manuscript fit.

Manuscript Preparation

Reviewing the following guidelines will aid in the preparation of your manuscript.

Article Categorization

  • The manuscript is categorized appropriately (Feature, Research in Brief, Ideas at Work, Tools of the Trade, or Commentary) and meets the article type criteria described in the guidelines on the JOE Article Categories page.
  • The manuscript is within the designated word count for the selected article category.

Compliances and Permissions

  • Manuscripts that report data from human subjects should note approval from an Institutional Review Board (IRB), regardless of article category. This includes if you received a determination that it is not human subjects research.
  • The manuscript complies with the Journal of Extension duplicate publication policy.
    • In general, authors must not submit manuscripts describing their data or other original material if such content has been published elsewhere, offered for sale, broadly distributed, or if the author(s) have designated the copyright of the material to another publisher or institution.
  • Permission from the copyright owner has been obtained for any reproduced or adapted material, and content acknowledging such permission is included at the appropriate place in the manuscript. Do not submit your manuscript until you have obtained this permission.
  • Obtain a signed photo release from any person shown in a photograph in the manuscript.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

What requires disclosure?

  • Assistive AI (e.g., for grammar and style) does not require disclosure but requires human oversight.
  • Generative AI (for content creation) must be disclosed: the model name, its purpose, and how it was used (see also the Citations section).
    • Authors must verify the accuracy of AI-generated content, including citations (e.g., checking for bias and factual accuracy).
    • AI tools cannot be authors.
    • Reviewers must not use AI to write reviews due to confidentiality and the risk of exposing unpublished content.

Manuscript Format and Adherence to Editorial Style

Ensure that the manuscript conforms to APA Style. The APA manual is the definitive source for manuscript development and style guidelines, with the few exceptions noted here. Although the APA website provides helpful information, the manual generally offers more detailed guidance.

Format your manuscript as detailed below; do not use the typeset version of articles published in the journal as a guide, as manuscripts will undergo copyediting and typesetting following acceptance.

  • Format: The manuscript is in a single Microsoft Word document, double-spaced, in Calibri 11-point font, with 1-inch margins.
  • Include the following in this document:
    • Title
    • Abstract
    • Keywords
    • As applicable:
      • Tables (placed where they appear in the document)
      • Figures (placed where they appear in the document)
      • Appendices
  • Line Numbers:

    To aid the review process, add line numbers to your document (Note: This is a deviation from APA style).

  • Abstract
    • The abstract is in paragraph form and is 100 words or fewer. Do not include abbreviations in parentheses if used only once in the abstract.
    • The abstract contains only information that is included in the body of the manuscript.
  • Keywords

    Include three to five keywords that describe your topic (but do not include Extension as a keyword).

  • Abbreviations

    For the term Cooperative Extension System, you may use the shortened forms “Cooperative Extension” and “Extension” without introducing a shortened form at first use.

  • Anonymization

    Remove information that could identify an author and their institution, and substitute a placeholder as needed in in-text citations and reference list entries (e.g., [University], [State], [Author]).

  • Capitalization
    • Use the capitalized term “Extension” when referring specifically to any aspect of the U.S. Cooperative Extension System.
    • Do not capitalize Extension area program area names (e.g., 4-H youth development, agriculture and natural resources, community development, family and consumer sciences).
    • Capitalize specific program names (e.g., Minnesota’s 4-H Science of Agriculture program). For clarity and as appropriate, it is acceptable to capitalize and italicize names of Extension programs (e.g., Dining with Diabetes).
    • Do not capitalize Extension-related job titles unless identifying a specific individual (e.g., Hank Kimball, County Extension Agent), but not if used as a general term (county Extension agent, state Extension director).
  • Citations
    • Consult the APA website or the APA manual for creating the reference list (Section 9) and for citation examples (Section 10).
    • Set in-text citations and References section entries as ordinary text, free from any underlying codes resulting from the use of citation management software.
    • For in-text citations for direct quotations, use page numbers or page number alternatives to indicate the exact positions of quoted material in the source text.
    • Beyond examples listed in the current APA manual on pages 338–339, submissions need not include citations for familiar video conferencing platforms (e.g., Zoom, WebEx), presentation software (e.g., Prezi), or data analysis software (e.g., NVivo).
    • Citing Generative AI (e.g., ChatGPT): To cite ChatGPT in APA style, treat it like software and cite OpenAI as the author and “ChatGPT” followed by the version number in parentheses as the title. Include the date of the version and a URL, and add “[Large language model]” in square brackets.
      • In-text: (OpenAI, Year)
      • Reference List: OpenAI. (Year). ChatGPT (Month Day version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/chat
  • Contractions

    It’s acceptable to use contractions.

  • Footnotes and Endnotes

    The manuscript contains no footnotes or endnotes.

  • Content
    • Use of Generative AI
      • If a generative AI model (e.g., ChatGPT) is used in drafting a manuscript, the use of AI must be disclosed in the methods section and cited appropriately.
      • AI cannot be named as an author.
    • All sources cited in the body of the text are included in the References section, and the References section includes only those sources cited in the body of the text.
    • The content is appropriately aligned with the journal article reporting standards outlined in the APA manual (Section 3), as applicable.
    • The manuscript explicitly describes implications or applications for Extension professionals.
  • Effectiveness of Writing
    • According to APA style, first person is used to refer to the manuscript’s author(s). Avoid the use of the editorial we.
    • Use active voice.
    • Avoid use of jargon.
  • Tables
    • Consider whether a table is the best way to present your information. Consult the APA manual for principles of table construction.
    • Consider whether the table needs to be included in the body of the manuscript or whether it is best included as an appendix or supplemental material.
    • Create tables using Microsoft Word’s Tables feature; do not embed images.
    • Refer to a table by a table number in the body of the text preceding the table.
    • Number tables with whole numbers in the order they are mentioned in the text. The table number (e.g., Table 1) is placed above and outside the table, not as the first row.
    • Table titles are in title case and italicized.
    • Place the table as near as possible to the discussion of the table and between, not within, paragraphs.
    • Content and organization of table notes, if any, adhere to the APA manual's guidelines (e.g., general, specific, and probability notes; Section 7).
    • For any table that is reproduced or adapted from a copyrighted source, include an appropriate acknowledgement and do so in accordance with APA Style.
  • Figures
    • Consider whether a figure is necessary. All figures should serve a purpose (i.e., they are not decorative). Consult the APA manual for principles of figure construction (Section 7).
    • If a figure uses color, it remains legible and understandable when printed in grayscale.
    • Refer to a figure by a number in the body of the text preceding the figure.
    • The placement of the figure is indicated in the body of the manuscript, as near as possible to the discussion of the figure and between, not within, paragraphs.
    • Figures are numbered with whole numbers in the order in which they are mentioned in the text. The figure number (e.g., Figure 1) is placed above and outside the figure.
    • Figure titles are in title case and italicized. The title is clear, complete, and concise.
    • Content and organization of figure notes, if any, follow the APA guidelines.
    • For any figure that is reproduced or adapted from a copyrighted source, an appropriate acknowledgement is included and is in accordance with APA guidelines.

    • Appendices and Supplemental Materials

    Appendices appear at the end of the typeset manuscript. Provide supplemental materials as a separate document or documents.

    • Appendices
      • Appendices should be used to include information that is integral to understanding the manuscript content.
      • Material included as an appendix conforms to APA style.
      • Refer to the appendix in the body of the manuscript. If only one appendix is included, it is referred to as “Appendix” (e.g., “see Appendix”). If multiple appendices are included, each appendix is referred to by its label (e.g., “see Appendix A”).
      • Survey instruments, interview questions, and other materials may be included in the manuscript; if so, the manuscript must still adhere to the word count for the manuscript category. If not included in the body of the manuscript, this material can be provided as supplemental material, which is included as a separate document on the article’s landing page, but it is not copyedited or typeset by the journal.
    • Supplemental Material
      • Prepare supplemental material in a separate file or files.
      • Supplemental material will not be copyedited or typeset by the journal.
      • All supplemental material will be accessible from the article’s landing page.

    Submission Procedure

    Be ready to upload the following information to the manuscript submission portal, either as a file or by copying and pasting into the appropriate field.

    • Cover Letter: Include the following information in a cover letter or in the appropriate field in the manuscript submission portal:
      • Statement that the material hasn’t been submitted elsewhere
      • Author Contribution Statement: Authorship is reserved for individuals who make a substantial contribution to and who accept responsibility for a published work. For multiple-authored manuscripts, an author contributions statement is required. An author contribution statement is a narrative description of each author’s specific role in a research project, clarifying their intellectual input for transparency and accountability. (e.g., indicate who was involved in study conceptualization, data collection and analysis, writing—original draft, writing—review and editing). Clearly state what each author did, using action verbs.
      • Ethics Statement: This statement notes approval of the research by an institutional review board, including the protocol number, or a determination that it was not human subjects research.
      • Funding: Funding source, if applicable
      • Conflict of Interest Statement: The authors should clearly state any financial or non-financial interests related to the submitted manuscript. This could include funding sources, stock ownership, patents, consultation fees, and personal relationships. If there are no conflicts, this should be explicitly stated as “none declared.” All sources of funding and support for the study, including those for writing or revising the manuscript, must be disclosed.
        • Examples:
          • All authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.
      • Names and contact information for three possible reviewers
        • Manuscript: Submit the manuscript as a Word document, using 11-point Calibri font, double spaced, with 1-inch margins. Submit supplemental materials as a separate document(s).
        • Author Information: Information about yourself and any additional co-authors and their names, email addresses, and institutional affiliations
        • Keywords: Three to five keywords that will help readers locate your article in searches
        • Abstract: The abstract is in paragraph form and is 100 words or fewer.
        • Acknowledgements: Acknowledgements may include recognizing who provided some form of support or thanking the research participants.
        • Data Availability Statement: Coming soon
        • Alt Text for Images:Alt text is the text that describes an image and is essential for web accessibility. Screen readers read it aloud to users with visual impairments, and it is also displayed when an image fails to load. To write effective alt text, be concise and accurate, focusing on conveying the image’s content and purpose while avoiding redundant text or phrases like “image of.” For best practices and examples of alt text, see https://accessibility.huit.harvard.edu/describe-content-images.

        Manuscript Review Process

        The Journal of Extension is a peer-reviewed journal. The review process is as follows:

        1. All submissions undergo an initial review by the senior editor. The initial review will determine whether the submission aligns with JOE’s purpose and scope. The senior editor reviews the manuscript for adherence to technical specifications related to manuscript preparation, article categorization, and associated word count, organization, cohesion, and clarity.
        2. If advanced to the next stage, an associate editor reviews the submission and secures peer reviewers.

        3. Review Type

          : The manuscripts in the following categories undergo double-anonymized peer review: Feature Articles, Research in Brief, and Ideas at Work. Tools of the Trade and Commentary manuscripts undergo editor review.

        4. Review Determinations

            Manuscripts will be returned with one of the following recommendations:
          • Accept
          • Accept with minor revisions
          • Major revisions required for acceptance
          • Reject
        5. The associate editor considers the reviewers’ feedback and makes a publication decision in consultation with the senior editor, as needed.

        Responding to Editor and Reviewer Feedback

        If an author agrees to undertake the recommended revisions, the author must submit the revised manuscript, along with a detailed, point-by-point response to the reviewers’ comments, within 3 months. If an author has not returned the manuscript within the 3-month timeline, it will be withdrawn from consideration. Authors with concerns about meeting a deadline should contact the senior editor or associate editor to request an extension.

        Editorial Turnaround Times

        Turnaround times for editorial reviews vary based on the current submission rate and the condition of the submitted manuscripts. Authors can help reduce editorial review turnaround times by following the submission guidelines and responding promptly to requests for revision.