Submission Guidelines for Articles
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Perspectives offers practical, research-based articles on current topics of interest to anyone who works with or on behalf of young children, pre-birth through age 7. Our readers include music specialists, movement specialists, music therapists, early childhood educators, childcare providers, parents, early intervention specialists, elementary school principals, researchers, teacher educators, students, policy makers, and others.
The mission of Perspectives is: a) to provide a network of communication, support, and information among the members of ECMMA; b) to encourage teacher development by fostering a free exchange between professionals in the field of music and other professionals in the field of early childhood development; and c) to advocate for music in early childhood by supporting education of parents, classroom teachers, and administrators.
Authors are encouraged to submit manuscripts that apply to all phases of music and movement education for young children, the professional needs and best teaching practices of early childhood music and movement educators, and/or practice-based research topics that are relevant to early childhood music and movement education.
The ECMMA Editorial Review Board, comprised of practicing professionals in early childhood music and movement, referees all articles submitted for publication in Perspectives.
By submitting a manuscript to Perspectives: Journal of the Early Childhood Music & Movement Association you indicate that your article is not currently published or simultaneously submitted for publication elsewhere in print or online
General interest articles are evaluated with the following criteria:
- Usefulness and relevance to the field of early childhood music and movement
- Consistency with work/research in the field
- Clarity of ideas
- Writing style
- Grammatical construction
Research articles are evaluated by the following:
- Design of the research
- Presentation of research purpose and problem(s)
- Sound methodology
- Presentation of results/findings
- Interpretation of results/findings
- Conclusions
- Discussion and implications for the profession
The article should be written in a clear and concise conversational style that avoids unnecessary jargon, technical language, and passive voice. The excessive use of long quotations from other sources is strongly discouraged. The article must be consistent with related professional literature. It is understood that authors will avoid personal commentary that is not relevant to the current topic or content that promotes a specific person, performing group, institution, or product.
Submission Deadlines:
February 1st
May 1st
August 1st
November 1st
Manuscript Submissions
Manuscripts must be sent via email to the Perspectives Editor, Angela Barker, (acfbarker@gmail.com) as text in MS Word (.doc) and all images in either .gif or .jpg format. All images and tables must be clearly marked as to their appearance in the manuscript.
The word count for articles is between 800 to 3000 words (excluding references). Each page should be numbered and have 1-inch margins. The text and references must be double-spaced throughout.
Authors should follow recommendations in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.) for research-based manuscripts. Please contact the Perspectives Editor for questions relating to publication style.
All manuscripts must include the following:
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A separate page that includes:
- The author’s name, credentials, and affiliation
- Complete contact information with mailing address and email address
- A brief, two-line biographical note (20-25 words)
- Title page
- 150- to 250-word abstract
- A list of keywords: 6 – 10 words
-
Body of article
- 800-3000 words
- Double-spaced text throughout
- 10- or 12-point font
- Numbered pages
- Completelist of references and/or bibliography
Images
Images (figures, graphs, and pictures) should be submitted as separate graphic files (.tif, .gif, .bmp, .jpg). Tables should be prepared as MS Word documents (.doc).
Sound and Video
Perspectives will be able to include sound and video clips with articles that are posted online. Contact the ECMMA Managing Director for information on recommended file formats
Obtaining Releases
Authors are responsible for obtaining all necessary releases/permissions required for copyrighted material used in their article. For example, permission must be obtained from parents to use and electronically disseminate a photograph of a child or a child’s drawing. Authors of articles that use tables, figures, and images from other copyrighted sources must provide documentation to the Perspectives Editor verifying that permission has been obtained. Contact the Perspectives Editor (acfbarker@gmail.com) with questions about releases and permissions.
GUIDELINES FOR SUBMITTING BOOK REVIEWS
Contributors should consider the following guidelines when submitting a book review for Perspectives:
- Choose a book that is current (published within the past 4 or 5 years) and based on relevant research.
-
The book should focus on topic of interest and value to early childhood music & movement educators, such as
- Best practices in music and/or movement instruction for teachers of young children, pre-birth through age 7;
- The role of music and/or movement in children’s early development;
- Professional development for early childhood music and movement educators.
- Word count for the book review is 500-550 words.
- Provide the complete title, author name, date published, and publisher information.
- Include the book reviewer’s name, credentials, and school/institution affiliation.
- Send the review as a word document (.doc) to Perspectives Editor, Angela Barker, at acfbarker@gmail.com.
All book reviews submitted for inclusion in Perspectives are subject to copy-editing by the Editor or a member of the ECMMA Editorial Review Board. The Editor reserves the right to accept or reject a book review based on its relevance and appropriateness to the book review guidelines stated above, and to determine which issue a review will be included. For additional information or clarification about the guidelines for book reviews, please contact the Editor.
