Submissions

Author Guidelines

Manuscript Submission

The Journal of Rehabilitation Counseling (JORC) welcomes diverse forms of scholarly contributions that enhance the professional knowledge base in rehabilitation counseling. Examples include research articles introducing innovative theories or models, empirical studies that advance evidence-based practices, dialectical discussions presenting contrasting perspectives on contemporary and contentious issues, clinical case studies, and insightful expositions addressing critical professional concerns.

Authors should prepare two versions of the manuscript: one that includes complete author information as outlined in the formatting guidelines below, and another that omits any author details. Both documents should be submitted to jkim496@calstatela.edu.

Formatting Guidelines

Manuscripts should adhere to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed., 2020).

Title Page. The title page should include: (a) the title of the article; (b) the names of all contributing authors; (c) authors' affiliations, including the full mailing address for the corresponding author and the email addresses of all authors; and (d) any acknowledgments, financial disclosure information, author notes, or other content that may reveal author identities to reviewers.

Document Format. Documents should be 8.5 by 11 inches with 1-inch margins. Text should be double-spaced and left-aligned, using Times New Roman 12-point font. MS Word documents are required for both text and table files; PDFs are not acceptable.

Figures and Tables

All figures and tables must include a descriptive caption and be cited in the text (e.g., "as shown in Figure 1"). Captions should be numbered sequentially (Figure 1, Figure 2; Table 1, Table 2) and formatted following APA 7th edition style.

Tables must be created using Microsoft Word's table tools, not inserted as images, so that their content remains machine-readable and accessible. Each table should begin on a separate page and be formatted with single spacing.

For accessibility, authors must provide alternative text (alt text) for each figure. To ensure the alt text is preserved through the publication process, authors should include it as plain text directly beneath each figure's caption, clearly labeled — for example: "Alt text: A bar chart showing that mean depression scores decreased by 12 points following treatment." Alt text should convey the essential content and purpose of the figure in one to two sentences, rather than repeating the caption. Decorative images that carry no informational content do not require alt text.

Figure File Requirements

Figures should be embedded in the manuscript at the appropriate location. In addition, authors may be asked to submit high-resolution figure files separately. Photographs should be provided in JPG or TIFF format at a minimum resolution of 300 dpi. Line art, charts, and graphs should be provided in PNG or a vector format (EPS, PDF, or SVG) to preserve the sharpness of text and lines.

Permissions

Authors are responsible for obtaining written permission for content such as figures, tables, and extended quotes, whether used directly or adapted from another source, and for covering any associated fees. Because permissions can take significant time to secure, authors are advised to begin the process early. To obtain a Permissions Request form, please contact the JORC Editor.

Guidelines for AI Use

JORC welcomes the limited and ethical use of AI tools in writing academic papers, following the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Authors should verify the accuracy and reliability of any AI-assisted content. Simply copying and pasting AI-generated content is not permitted; however, authors may use AI for tasks such as brainstorming and grammar checking. Authors are required to disclose the use of AI and the methods employed when submitting their manuscripts. The appropriateness and transparency of AI use will be evaluated during peer review.