ASCA JSR Information

THE JOURNAL OF SWIMMING RESEARCH

AUTHOR GUIDELINES

(Revised May, 2000)

The JOURNAL OF SWIMMING RESEARCH is an official publication of the American Swimming Coaches Association. Manuscripts dealing with original investigations, comprehensive reviews, or brief reviews on the science of swimming and closely related topics, will be considered for publication. This journal is a researcher-to-coach publication. Information presented in the manuscript must be receiver-oriented. Authors submitting manuscripts to this journal must verify in writing that its contents represent original unpublished material that is not under consideration for publication elsewhere.

EDITORIAL STYLE. The author should submit three copies of a manuscript, typewritten and double-spaced with 1.5" margins on all edges. A short running title should be repeated at the top right corner of each page followed directly below by the page number. Authors should avoid all information which will identify human subjects. English will be the language of this publication. As a general rule, only standardized abbreviations and symbols should be used. The first time an uncommon abbreviation appears it should be preceded by the full word or name it represents. The author is encouraged to refer to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 3rd edition, for editorial style concerning punctuation and abbreviations, construction of tables and figures, presentation of statistical symbols or mathematical equations, and use of standard units of measurement.

Manuscripts should contain the following elements placed in the following order:

1.TITLE PAGE. The title page should include the manuscript title, names of author(s) and their academic degree(s), name(s) and institution(s) where work was performed, an address and telephone number for editorial correspondence concerning the manuscript.

2. ABSTRACT. The abstract (200 words or less) should summarize the study's purpose, methodology, results and conclusions. It should include a brief summary statement that provides some interpretation of the findings and their implications to the on-deck coaching and training of swimmers.

3. INDEX TERMS. A list of three or more words or short phrases not included in the title should be appended to the abstract.

4. TEXT. The text should contain separate section for the:

a. Introduction. This section should state the purpose, the rationale, and the essential related literature.
b. Methodology. This section should include a clear description of the experimental subjects and their controls. The description of the methodology should provide enough detail for others to duplicate the study. References should be provided for established methods and statistical procedures. Non-established methods and statistical procedures should be supported with rationale.
c. Findings. The findings presented in the text, tables, and figures should follow a logical and parallel sequence. The statistical significance of appropriate results should be acknowledged.
d. Discussion. This section should emphasize the study's important and original aspects while avoiding a repeat of the data presented in the findings section.
e. Applications. The author should provide conclusions and possible applications suggested by their data. This section of the manuscript is of particular importance to the mission of the journal. It should be at least 500 words in length and provide in simple, laymen terms, an interpretation of the findings and implications to the on-deck coaching and training of swimmers. Where appropriate, examples of how the findings may be applied and/or how the findings may lead to further research questions are encouraged.

4. REFERENCES. The list of references should not exceed 20. They should be listed alphabetically by the last name of the author and typed double-spaced. The notation of the references in the body of the paper should be numbered in parentheses, one reference to a number. Journal articles should contain the last name of the first author, followed by initials, initials and last names of each co-author, title of article (first word only capitalized), name of journal (as abbreviated in the INDEX MEDICUS published by the Library of Congress), volume, inclusive pages, and year. An example would be: Karlsson, J., L. Nordesjo, L. Jorfeldt and B. Saltin. Muscle lactate, ATP and CP levels during exercise and after physical training in man. J. Appl. Physiol. 33:199-203, 1972.

5.TABLES AND FIGURES. Each table must be typed double-spaced on a separate sheet and numbered consecutively, beginning with Table 1, and have a title or caption. Tables should not duplicate information in the text or in figures. Figures should be sharp, unmounted glossy photographic prints not larger than 8.5 x 11 inches. They should be numbered consecutively with Arabic numerals. Each figure must have a legend; they shall be grouped in numerical order and typed double-spaced on a separate sheet.

BRIEF REVIEWS. Authors are encouraged to submit manuscripts suitable for Brief Review papers that can be used for educating the non-expert on a particular issue or problem. Brief reviews will also be solicited by the editor or editorial board, however, solicitation is not guarantee for acceptance.

EXCHANGE FORUM. Readers and/or authors can submit a topic for discussion by experts in a particular aspect of swimming science. The question posed must be typewritten, double-spaced and no more than 500 words in length. The question posed must be clearly developed and narrowly defined. A response or responses will be solicited by the editor or editorial board. Both the original question and the response(s) will be published pending approval by the editorial board.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. Letters concerning an article that appeared in a recent issue of the journal must be typewritten, double-spaced, and include an informative title. Three copies should be submitted. They should be short (no more than 500 words). Letters are reviewed by the appropriate associate editor. If a letter is found acceptable, a copy will be sent to the author of the original article, if applicable; and the author will have an opportunity to provide a rebuttal or additional information that will be considered for publication with the letter.

ADDRESS

Address all correspondence to:

Dr. Joel Stager
The Journal of Swimming Research
HPER 032.
Bloomington, IN 47405-4801
Telephone: (812) 855-1637
Fax: (954) 563-9813.

Authors submitting manuscripts which are accepted for publication will receive a one year subscription to THE JOURNAL OF SWIMMING RESEARCH.