Policy Perspectives is an electronic periodical that presents different perspectives on current policy issues. Policy Perspectives welcomes submissions of articles consistent with our mission: to provide research, education, and services to public and nonprofit organizations that will strengthen administration, leadership and public policy making.

Our audience of approximately 1300 includes legislators, state department heads, county officials, municipal officials, academics, citizens and the press.

This is not a forum for promoting specific agendas. Policy Perspectives is intended for general readership and authors must be mindful of that focus. While our material covers a wide range of topics and includes formal studies, issue analysis, and program evaluation, the emphasis is on assisting policy makers and public administrators. The following provides specific guidance on article preparation, submission and review.

The Process

Typically, the editor asks an author to write an article 3 months before it is scheduled to appear. He or she indicates the subject, maximum length, and deadline for the first draft. The deadline is usually 1 month before the issue appears.

Upon article is submission, it is reviewed by the editorial staff for content and acceptability for publication. The article may be returned to the author with suggestions for revisions, and the author has about two-four weeks to revise and submit a new draft. This version goes to the editorial staff, for style and clarity edits, who will communicate directly with the author as necessary. The edited article again goes to the author for his or her approval or rejection of any editorial changes. Changes to which the author objects are subject to negotiation with editorial staff. In the unlikely event that agreement cannot be reached, either the author or CPPA is free to withdraw the article.

Preparing the Article

The editors of Policy Perspectives try to make the periodical comprehensible to the average reader interested in public policy research and administration. We may simplify the language to make it understandable to a lay audience. In doing so, we rely on the Chicago Manual of Style for matters of spelling, punctuation, and grammar.

Limits: All submissions must fall within the following space limitations:

Title: 7 words
Subtitle: 10 words
Content: 1200 words

Inclusions: All submissions must include an author byline and a separate teaser.

Author byline: Name, Title, Organization
Teaser: 1 paragraph, used for first page intro and press release, should attract readers to whole article

Format: Please create your article in Microsoft Word format with no embedded graphics except tables. Any graphics (including charts) must be separate (see Graphs below). Please include paraphrased notes and labels in the article text that identify where separate graph should be placed. We will delete these notes and labels when we prepare the document for publication.

Footnotes: Data sources should appear in footnotes rather than in the text. Footnotes should be placed at the end of the article. Footnotes generally follow the Chicago Manual of Style. If you are unclear as to the style to follow in footnotes, please provide complete publication information and it will be formatted correctly.

Tables: Tables must be in Microsoft Word and no larger than 4 inches wide by 8 inches long. Larger tables must be submitted as a separate Microsoft Word file.

Graphs: Graphs must be received as a separate file, in PDF, JPG or GIF format and no larger than 500 pixels wide by 700 pixels.

Artwork and Photographs: We welcome pictures or other illustrations. Photographs must be pertinent to the subject matter, clear enough to reproduce well, and in JPG or Gif format and no larger than 500 pixels wide by 700 pixels. You must have copyright permission on any artwork or photograph you send.

Proofs

You will be emailed Microsoft Word format proofs of your article. Your promptness in reviewing this material (usually within 5 days) is essential if we are to meet our deadlines. Upon review, please email the editor with final comments. Changes can be made to proof only to correct errors in type or matters of fact and after approval by the editor.

Archives

CPPA maintains archives of all publications on its Web site at www.cppa.utah.edu. Rights for use of all text, photography, and illustrations in Policy Perspectives or any other CPPA publications or promotional material shall be understood to cover both print and electronic use in any medium. Policy Perspectives is copyrighted, and the CPPA holds the copyright. CPPA reserves the right to post such items (and authorize others to do the same) without additional notice to, permission from, or payment to the writer.

Questions

Questions concerning the preparation of articles should be directed to:

Megan Crowley
Center for Public Policy & Administration
801-585-5899