Author Guidelines

Social Issues and Policy Review (SIPR) Model Manuscript Outline 

SIPR is a journal for review articles that provide timely theoretical and empirical reviews of topics and programs of research that are directly relevant to addressing social issues and informing relevant public policy.  Papers in SIPR represent a variety of disciplinary orientations and are accessible and relevant to a broad audience. 

Manuscripts submitted to SIPR are evaluated in terms of relevance to the mission of SIPR, originality, scholarly contribution, and effectiveness of presentation. The first step in the process is the submission of a brief, 1-2 page proposal that summarizes the content of the piece and explains the relevance of the work to the mission of SIPR.  If this preliminary review is favorable, authors will be invited to write a full paper for consideration for publication in SIPR and will be given an appropriate timeline for inclusion in a volume.  Full drafts of the manuscripts will again be reviewed.  Works are normally between 40 and 50 manuscript pages, including title page, abstract (120-140 words), narrative, references, tables, figures, and notes, and must conform to the format and guidelines of the American Psychological Association. 

SIPR is covered by Wiley’s Early View service. Early View articles are complete full-text articles published online in advance of their publication in a printed issue. Articles are therefore available as soon as they are ready, rather than having to wait for the next scheduled print issue. Early View articles are complete and final. They have been fully reviewed, revised and edited for publication, and the authors’ final corrections have been incorporated. Because they are in final form, no changes can be made after online publication. The nature of Early View articles means that they do not yet have volume, issue or page numbers, so Early View articles cannot be cited in the traditional way. They are therefore given a Digital Object Identifier (DOI), which allows the article to be cited and tracked before it is allocated to an issue. After print publication, the DOI remains valid and can continue to be used to cite and access the article.

A sample paper outline is: 

1. Title of the proposed manuscript and full contact information for the corresponding author (name as it should appear on the manuscript, mailing address, phone, fax, and e-mail).

2. Statement of the Issue

   This section briefly identifies the theme and goals of the manuscript, making a case for the importance of the topic and its relevance to the mission of SIPR.

3. Framework and Description of Relevant Theory and Research

   This section presents the scholarly foundation of the work, including a description of relevant theory and research. It must achieve several objectives:

   1. Articulate a coherent framework that organizes the paper

   2. Develop a logical scholarly argument based on current theory and research that can be applied to understanding and addressing important social issues and public policy

   3. Demonstrate the connection of the framework adapted to an appropriately comprehensive body of knowledge

4. Social Issues and Policy Implications

   Manuscripts must have direct relevance to understanding and addressing social issues and public policy, and must clearly articulate these connections. This section articulates the connections between theory, research, and practice in a way that can be understood by people with a variety of professional and academic backgrounds. That is, this section makes clear the relevance of the theory and research for understanding social issues and public policy, and, in some cases, implementing change, in ways that are accessible to policy makers and practitioners, as well as academics with a variety of backgrounds. 

5. Conclusion

   This brief section summarizes the work, including social issue and policy implications, and suggests promising directions for the future.