Publishing in gifted education: information for writers. (Writing in the Field of Gifted Education).

Since the inception of Gifted Child Quarterly as the Gifted Child Newsletter in 1957 (Hays, 1993), eight additional journals dedicated to gifted children or their education have been launched. According to Hays, information on gifted education is primarily transmitted through three specific journals: Gifted Child Quarterly, Roeper Review, and the Journal for the Education of the Gifted. His analysis included 1,773 articles with 2,492 authors and coauthors. A few investigations focusing on content analyses have been conducted (Carter & Swanson, 1990; Hays; Rogers, 1989). Carter and Swanson analyzed 500 journal articles to identify the 25 most frequently cited publications from 1972 to 1988. Rogers' study examined the ratio of articles reporting research to nonresearch articles, topics covered, populations studied, and research designs used in the literature published from 1975 to 1986. Although many different people are influenced by research and events affecting the field of gifted education, Hays concluded that authorship in the literature of gifted education is dominated by university personnel. Graduate students, teachers of the gifted, regular education teachers, administrators, service coordinators, parents, and students all have valuable contributions to make to the field.

Henson (1999) has suggested several reasons why people pursue publishing. He stated that some write to give back to their professional group and improve it, to enhance their instruction, and to improve their status through promotion, tenure, and possible merit pay. Wilson (2001) asserts that junior faculty members seeking tenured status must publish more and at a faster pace than ever before. Other reasons for pursuing publication might include professional commitment, pride in accomplishments, and advancement of their educational field. Administrators, teachers, coordinators, college and university faculty and staff, psychologists, graduate students, and parents can improve their publishing success only when they have an accurate knowledge base regarding journal requirements, audience, and procedural benchmarks.

This survey was conducted to determine the specific requirements and publication information pertaining to journals in gifted education. The primary factors investigated were general information on each publication, including name of journal, editor, and possible sponsoring association. The number of subscribers, target audiences, and most frequently presented topics were among the specific information in the publication profile. Publication statistics focused on the number of issues, acceptance/rejection rates of manuscripts, numbers of articles published, and the categories of authors submitting to each journal. Author guidelines also were investigated and included the availability of such, average time allotted for manuscript review, the approximate time from acceptance to publication, required writing style, and other pertinent information. Requested of each editor, based on their professional experience, was advice beyond their printed guidelines to persons wanting to publish in that specific journal. The purpose of the study was to provide information to prospective writers in the hope of increasing the number and quality of manuscripts submitted to the journals in the field and broadening the spectrum of authorship in the field.

Method

A survey was forwarded in the fall of 2000 to each editor of a publication specific to the area of gifted education. Only those editors of publications in the United States were solicited for information. Initially a two-week period was allotted for return of the survey. Any questions pertaining to the submitted information were handled via telephone, e-mail, or fax. The editors] of the following journals completed all dimensions of the survey: Gifted Child Quarterly (GCQ; Tracy L. Cross), Gifted Child Today (GCT), Gifted Education Communicator (GEC), Gifted and Talented International (GTI), Journal for the Education of the Gifted (JEG), Parenting for High Potential (PHP), Roeper Review (RR; Ruthan Brodsky), and Understanding Our Gifted (UOG). The former editors of the Journal for Secondary Gifted Education did not respond to the survey. Appendix A contains contact information for the current editors of these journals.

Results

Publication Profile

The results of the survey indicated that the total number of subscribers ranged from 600 to 800 with Gifted and Talented International to 10,000 with Gifted Child Today (See Table 1). Some journals distribute complimentary subscriptions thereby affecting the actual number of paid subscribers. Gifted and Talented International indicated a list of six complimentary subscriptions, Gifted Education Communicator had 60, and Roeper Review had 150.The journal with the most longevity in the field of gifted education was Gifted Child Quarterly, established in 1957, and the most recent entry is the Gifted Education Communicator, launched in 2001. Six of the eight journals indicated an affiliation with a sponsoring association or institute. Six editors indicated manuscripts were peer reviewed, with the number of reviewers ranging from six with Parenting for High Potential to more than 80 with Gifted Child Quarterly. The editors of Understanding Our Gifted and Gifted Education Communicator indicated that articles are not peer reviewed because many of the articles published are solicited. Both journals indicated, however, that unsolicited manuscripts are welcome. The other journals use a blind peer review system where personal identification and professional affiliation of the authors are removed prior to being submitted to the panel of reviewers.

The majority had issues published four times a year with Gifted Child Today having six and the Gifted and Talented International citing two. Manuscripts received in 1999 numbered 171. The most manuscripts received in 1999-2000 were 78 to Roeper Review with Gifted and Talented International receiving the least at 20. The number of manuscripts published ranged from 49 in Roeper Review to 8 in Parenting for High Potential. Because the review and revision process can be quite lengthy, the acceptance rate cannot be calculated by dividing the number of manuscripts received by the number of manuscripts accepted in a given year. The manuscripts accepted may have been submitted as much as 2 years prior. For example, for GCQ only 11% of manuscripts were accepted from first-time submissions in 1999. Some of those manuscripts not accepted were accepted at a later date, following revisions that were guided by the critiques of reviewers.

Six editors indicated that themed issues were published on a regular basis. The editor of Parenting for High Potential noted that occasional themed issues were published, while Gifted and Talented International does not publish such.

The possession of copyright for manuscripts published varies among the journals. Three of the journals list their sponsoring organizations as copyright holders. In Gifted Child Quarterly and Parenting for High Potential, the copyright is held by the National Association for Gifted Children, while the World Council for Gifted and Talented Children holds the copyright on articles published in Gifted and Talented International. The publisher maintains the copyright on articles published in Gifted Child Today and Understanding Our Gifted while the journal holds the copyright on articles published in the Journal for Education of the Gifted. Both Gifted Education Communicator and Roeper Review list special provisions under their copyright agreements. The editor of Gifted Education Communicator commented that articles from the journal may be reprinted freely with the expectation that proper credit be given to the author and journal. Authors may request copyright in their name, but must agree not to submit the article elsewhere as a previously unpublished piece. The editor of Roeper Review specified that the publication holds the general copyright, but special provisions in the author agreement allow authors to republish their work in part or in full in other publications or duplicate their work for presentations (e.g., lectures, conference presentations, or teaching purposes).

Target Audience and Topics

Each editor was queried as to the target audiences for the publication. Those audiences suggested on the survey had an even distribution of six responses each including counselors, elementary school teachers, middle school teachers, parents, psychologists, secondary teachers, and teacher educators (See Table 2). However, the editor of Parenting for High Potential indicated that parents were the primary target audience of that publication. The editors of Journal for the Education of the Gifted and Roeper Review indicated that administrators were additional target audiences. Likewise, the editors of Gifted Child Quarterly and Gifted and Talented International added researchers to their responses. The editor of Roeper Review also included legislators as an audience of choice.

Most frequently cited topics covered within the publications in 1999 were teaching strategies, identification, special populations, and programming. The Journal for the Education of the Gifted was the only journal indicating policy information as a frequent topic. Others mentioned were conceptual issues in the Journal for the Education of the Gifted and social-emotional issues in Understanding Our Gifted. All journals indicated that they include book and/or product reviews.

Author Guidelines and Information

Authors represented a variety of professional roles. Professors were the most prevalent group (See Table 3). Other groups who published frequently and were mentioned specifically by editors included counselors, freelancer writers, state education officials, and agency personnel. Author guidelines were accessible for each specific journal with six journals offering them via the Internet. The average time for submission review varied from 2 weeks with Parenting for High Potential to approximately 4 months for Gifted and Talented International. With Understanding Our Gifted, the time for solicited manuscripts was 3 months and 3 to 6 months for unsolicited submissions. The average time from acceptance to publication ranged from 6 weeks with Gifted Education Communicator to 4 to 12 months with Gifted Child Quarterly. The average number of reviewers for each manuscript was three with Gifted Education Communicator using a minimum of two but often three reviewers, and Parenting for High Potential using six or more reviewers per manuscript.

Other information requested pertained to writing style and the use of photographs. The American Psychological Association (APA) writing style was required by five editors and allowed in addition to Chicago Style in Understanding Our Gifted. Parenting for High Potential encouraged informal writing, and Gifted Education Communicator accepted a variety of styles. Photographs were accepted by six of the editors. The Journal for the Education of the Gifted indicated they were rarely used, and Gifted Child Quarterly did not accept them.

The number of words preferred for manuscript submission ranged from 2,000 to 10,000 for Gifted Child Today to 2,000 to 3,000 with Understanding Our Gifted. Twenty pages including the abstract and references are suggested by Roeper Review (2). Electronic submissions were not accepted by two of the editors, but all of the others welcomed them, and Parenting for High Potential preferred an electronic format. For half of the editors, disk copies were preferred with submission of the manuscript; the remaining four desired them after acceptance. For most journals, the preferred method of editorial contact was email, but Gifted Child Quarterly preferred communication by letter.

Editorial Advice

The editors of the publications were asked to give advice beyond their publication guidelines for prospective authors hoping to publish in the field of gifted education. Each of the eight editors responded with suggestions. The quality of the writing, including a readable style, was mentioned along with knowledge of the audience and adhering to publication guidelines. One editor astutely suggested reviewing several issues to determine past subject matter, writing styles, and the organization of articles. It was also suggested that the manuscript be read by knowledgeable colleagues who could offer constructive feedback before initial submission. Articles should have complete references and include practical applications.

Along with following the established guidelines for each publication, Henson (1997) suggests additional ideas for writing for publication. One recommendation that is sometimes overlooked is to submit the manuscript on quality paper with read able print. APA policy does not allow the submission of one manuscript to more than one editor simultaneously (Henson, 1997, 1999). Blanket submission of a manuscript to all publications in the field of gifted education is not permissible. Henson further suggests writing for themed issues. He believes the primary advantage is that most themed issues have far less competition than those that are nonthemed. According to Henson (1997), by writing for themed issues, opportunities for publication can increase by as much as 450%. Most journals announce themes well in advance and have specific deadlines for each.

Few writers initially submit a perfect manuscript. However, adhering to the stylistic requirements outlined in the submission guidelines can save prospective authors time (Joyce & Joyce, 1990). Nevertheless, editors usually request that authors change or alter certain aspects of the submitted manuscript. Henson (1997) suggests that it is a big mistake not to incorporate the editors' suggestions when possible and make additions or changes in the manuscript for resubmission.

With the increase in the number of publications over the last four and one-half decades there are many more outlets for the dissemination of quality research, best practices, and practical suggestions for all interested in writing and publishing in the field of gifted education. With the knowledge presented on various aspects of writing for publication in gifted education, not only might the quality and quantity of manuscript submissions increase over the next decade, but also the pool of manuscript authors may expand to further advance the field.

Appendix A

Gifted Education Publications. Editorial Contacts as of September, 2002

Gifted Child Quarterly
Dr. Paula Olszewski-Kubilius
Center for Talent Development
Northwestern University
617 Dartmouth
Evanston, Illinois 60208
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail]
www.nagc.org/Publications/GiftedChild/

Journal of Secondary Gifted Education
Co-Editors:
Rena Subotnik,
Marcia Delcourt,
and Bonnie Cramond
Submissions to Dr. Bonnie Cramond
Department of Educational Psychology
University of Georgia
323 Aderhold Hall
Athens, GA 30602-7143
FAX [phone]
Phone [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail]
www.prufrock.com/mag_jsge.html

Gifted Child Today
Dr. Susan Johnsen, Editor
Baylor University
P.O. Box 97304
Waco, Texas 76798-7304
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail]
www.prufrock.com/mag_gct.htm

Parenting for High Potential
Dr. Don Treffinger, Editor
P.O. Box 14100, NE Plaza
Sarasota, Florida 34278
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail]
www.nagc.org/Publications/Parenting/

Gifted Education Communicator
Margaret Gosfield, Editor
3136 Calle Mariposa
Santa Barbara, California 93105
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail]
www.CAGifted.org

Roeper Review
Dr. Tracy L. Cross, Executive Director
Indiana Academy
Ball State University
Muncie, Indiana 47306
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail]
www.roeperreview.org

Gifted and Talented International
Dr. Joyce Van Tassel-Baska
Smith Professor in Education
232 Jamestown Road
Williamsburg, Virginia 23135
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail]
www.cge.org

Understanding Our Gifted
Dorothy Knopper, Publisher
Open Space Communications, Inc.
1900 Folsom, Suite 108
Boulder, Colorado 80302
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail]
www.openspacecomm.com

Journal for the Education of the Gifted
Dr. Laurence J. Coleman, Editor
Professor, Daso Herb Chair in Gifted Studies
Dept. of Early Childhood
University of Toledo
Mail Stop #954
2801 West Bancroft
Toledo, OH 43606-2290
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail]

Table 1

Publication Profile

                                GCQ           GCT      GEC

Year First Published            1957          1976     1969/2001
# of Subscribers                6,000         10,000   4,500 in
                                                       California
Peer Reviewed                   Yes           Yes      No
# of Reviewers                  80+           40       N/A
# of issues published/year      4             6        4
# of Manuscripts Received
  1999                          70            52       56
# of Manuscripts Accepted
  1999                          16            33       48
# of Articles Published 1999    19            35       48
Themed Issues                   Yes, but      None     Yes, 4
                                none in
                                1999
Sponsoring Association          NAGC          None     California
                                                       Association
                                                       for the
                                                       Gifted

                                GTI          JEG           PHP

Year First Published            1975         1968          1996
# of Subscribers                600-800      2,000         5,000
Peer Reviewed                   Yes          Yes           Yes
# of Reviewers                  20           40            6
# of issues published/year      2            4             4
# of Manuscripts Received
  1999                          20           38            25
# of Manuscripts Accepted
  1999                          12           8             10
# of Articles Published 1999    10           11            8
Themed Issues                   No           Yes, 1        Occasionally
Sponsoring Association          World        The           NAGC
                                Council on   Association
                                the Gifted   for the
                                and          Gifted
                                Talented     --
                                             Council for
                                             Exceptional
                                             Children

                                 RR          UOG

Year First Published            1977        1988
# of Subscribers                2,250
Peer Reviewed                   Yes         No
# of Reviewers                  69          N/A
# of issues published/year      4           4
# of Manuscripts Received
  1999                          78
# of Manuscripts Accepted
  1999                          44
# of Articles Published 1999    49
Themed Issues                   Yes, 4      Yes, 4
Sponsoring Association          Roeper      None
                                Institute

Note: Manuscripts accepted may have been received in previous years.
Gray boxes indicate no item response received.

Table 2

Target Audience and Topics

                             GCQ           GCT   GEC   GTI

Target Audience
  Parents                                  X     X
  Teacher Educators          X             X     X     X
  Counselors                 X             X     X
  Psychologists              X             X     X
  Elementary Teachers        X             X     X
  Middle School Teachers     X             X     X
  Secondary Teachers         X             X     X
  Other                      Researchers               Researchers

Topics
  Teaching Strategies        X             X     X
  Creativity                               X
  Technology                               X
  Identification             X             X     X
  Special Populations        X             X     X
  Curriculum                               X     X     X
  Research                   X                         X
  Funding
  Policy Information
  Programming                              X     X     X
  Staff Development                        X     X
  Parents                                  X     X
  Counseling and/or
    Guidance                               X     X
  Other
Reviews of Books
and/or Products              Yes           Yes   Yes   Yes

                              JEG              PHP

Target Audience
  Parents                     X                X
  Teacher Educators           X
  Counselors                  X
  Psychologists               X
  Elementary Teachers         X
  Middle School Teachers      X
  Secondary Teachers          X
  Other                       Administrators

Topics
  Teaching Strategies         X
  Creativity                  X
  Technology                  X
  Identification              X
  Special Populations         X
  Curriculum                  X
  Research                    X
  Funding                     X
  Policy Information          X
  Programming                 X
  Staff Development
  Parents                                      X
  Counseling and/or
    Guidance
  Other                       Conceptual
                              Issues
Reviews of Books
and/or Products               Sometimes        Yes

                             RR              UOG

Target Audience
  Parents                    X                X
  Teacher Educators          X
  Counselors                 X                X
  Psychologists              X                X
  Elementary Teachers        X                X
  Middle School Teachers     X                X
  Secondary Teachers         X                X
  Other                      Administrators
                             Legislators

Topics
  Teaching Strategies        X                X
  Creativity                 X                X
  Technology                 X                X
  Identification             X                X
  Special Populations        X                X
  Curriculum                                  X
  Research                   X                X
  Funding
  Policy Information
  Programming                X                X
  Staff Development                           X
  Parents                                     X
  Counseling and/or
    Guidance                                  X
  Other                                       Social-
                                              Emotional
Reviews of Books
and/or Products              Yes              Yes

Table 3

Submission Guidelines and Information

                                   GCQ           GCT          GEC

Author Categories
  Professors                       X             X            X
  Parents                                        X            X
  Psychologists                    X
  K-12 Administrators                            X            X
  K-12 Teachers                                  X            X
  Graduate Students                X             X
  Other                                          Counselors   State
                                                              Education
                                                              Officials
Author guidelines in each issue    No            Yes          No
Author guidelines online           Yes           Yes          Yes
Author guidelines ONLY
available through mail             No            No           No
Average time for                   8-10 weeks    4-8 weeks    3 months
submission review
Average time from acceptance       4-12 months   3 months     6 weeks
to publication
Writing Style                      APA           APA          Varies
Photographs                        No            Yes          Yes
Preferred # of words                             2-10,000     2-3,000
Electronic submissions             No            Yes          Yes
Send disk copy                     After         After        With
                                   Accept        Accept       Submis-
                                                              sion
Preferred method of                Letter                     E-mail
editorial contact                  E-mail

                                   GTI          JEG       PHP

Author Categories
  Professors                       X            X         X
  Parents                                                 X
  Psychologists                                 X         X
  K-12 Administrators              X                      X
  K-12 Teachers                                 X         X
  Graduate Students                                       X
  Other                            Agency                 Freelance
                                   Personnel
Author guidelines in each issue    Yes          Yes       No
Author guidelines online           Yes          No        Yes
Author guidelines ONLY
available through mail             No           No        No
Average time for                   Up to        90 days   2-weeks
submission review                  4 months
Average time from acceptance       4-6 months   Varies    Varies
to publication
Writing Style                      APA          APA       Informal
Photographs                        Yes          Rarely    Yes
Preferred # of words               4,500                  Varies
Electronic submissions             Yes          No        Preferred
Send disk copy                     With         After     With
                                   Submission   Accept    Submission
Preferred method of                Fax          Any       E-mail
editorial contact                  E-mail

                                   RR              UOG

Author Categories
  Professors                       X               X
  Parents                                          X
  Psychologists                    X               X
  K-12 Administrators              X               X
  K-12 Teachers                    X               X
  Graduate Students                X               X
  Other
Author guidelines in each issue    Yes             No
Author guidelines online           Yes             No
Author guidelines ONLY
available through mail             No              Yes
Averagw time for                   6-8 weeks       Solicited
submission review                                  =3 months
                                                   Unsolicited
                                                   =3-6 months
Average time from acceptance       10 months       6 months
to publication
Writing Style                      APA             APA/Chicago
Photographs                        Yes             Yes
Preferred # of words               20 pages        2-3,000
                                   double-spaced
Electronic submissions             Yes             Yes
Send disk copy                     After           With
                                   Accept          Submission
Preferred method of                                E-mail

(1) Since the survey was conducted, several editorships have changed. The editor responding to the survey is indicated in parentheses.

(2) This recommendation has since been changed to a maximum of 30 pages; lengthier manuscripts may be considered at the discretion of the Editor.

REFERENCES

Carter, K., & Swanson, H. (1990). An analysis of the most frequently cited gifted journal articles since the Marland Report: Implications for researchers. Gifted ChiM Quarterly, 34 (3), 116-123.

Hays, T. (1993). An historical content analysis of publications in gifted education journals. Roeper Review, 16 (1), 41-43.

Henson, K. (1997). Writing for publication: Some perennial mistakes. Phi Delta Kappan, 78 (10), 781-784.

Henson, K. (1999). Writing for professional publication: Keys to academic and business success. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Joyce, B., & Joyce, J. (1990). Publication guidelines for special education journals. Teacher Education and Special Education, 13 (1), 40-49.

Rogers, K. (1989). A content analysis of the literature on giftedness. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 13 (1), 78-88.

Wilson, R. (2001, January 5). A higher bar for earning tenure. The Chronicle for Higher Education, A12.

Dr. Frances A. Karnes is a professor in the Department of Curriculum, Instruction, and Special Education at The University of Southern Mississippi and the director of The Frances A. Karnes Center for Gifted Studies. She is widely known for her research, writing, innovative program developments, and service activities in gifted education and leadership training. She is author or co-author of over 200 articles and co-author of 15 books on gifted education and related areas. Stephanie A. Nugent is on faculty at Cochise College and teaches graduate level gifted education courses online for Southeastern Louisiana University. She received her doctoral degree in Curriculum, Instruction, and Special Education with an emphasis in Gifted Studies from the University of Southern Mississippi.

Manuscript submitted February, 2001.

Revision accepted September, 2001.