Manuscripts are subjected to a double blind review by at least two reviewers who are experts in the field. Editorial decisions will be based on the quality, clarity, style, and importance of the submission relative to the goals and objectives of the NSCA and the journal.
A letter must accompany the manuscript stating that the material is original and not previously published, nor is it being considered elsewhere until a decision is made as to its acceptability by the JSCR Editorial Review Board. Also, it should not be available on the Internet.
Authors of manuscripts accepted for publication must transfer copyright to the NSCA. The final revision of a manuscript accepted for publication must be accompanied by a disk, either PC or MAC.
All original investigations using human or animal subjects must present evidence in the paper that institutional approval for the use of human or animal subjects was obtained prior to the study.
Manuscripts
The paper should have the following sections: Title page, Blinded title-only page, Abstract, Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, Practical Applications, References¡ªfollowed by, if there are any¡ªAcknowledgments, figure captions, figures, tables.
All manuscripts must be double-spaced on 8.5 ¨C 11-in. paper with wide margins, and pages numbered in upper right corner. Authors should use terminology in SI units: force in newtons (N), distance in meters (m), time in seconds (s), work in joules (J), power in watts (W), mass in kilograms (kg), torque in newton-meters (N ¡¤ m), and velocity in meters per second (m ¡¤ s21).
Title Page. The title page should include title, brief running head, laboratory where the research was conducted, authors¡¯ full name(s), department(s), institution(s), full mailing address of corresponding author, telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail address.
Blind Title. A second title page should be included that includes only the title to be used for reviewer copies.
Abstract and Key Words. Each manuscript must have abstract of 100 ¨C 150 words, followed by 3 to 6 key words not used in the title.
Text. The text should be divided into Methods, Results, and Discussion. The Methods section should begin with an overview that explains how the study design will address the questions and hypotheses presented in the Introduction.
Practical Applications. Each manuscript must end with a 1- or 2-paragraph Practical Applications section describing how the information can be used in a practical situation. It should be consistent with the limitations of the study and show how the study might contribute to better application for the practitioner.
References. All references must be alphabetized by surname of first author, and numbered. All references listed must be cited in the manuscript and referred to by number therein. Please check references carefully for accuracy. Below are three examples of references (1. journal articles; 2. books; 3. chapters in edited books):
Disk Submissions
To reduce errors and expedite the production process, authors are asked to submit a computer disk along with the hard copy of their manuscript when it is accepted and final revisions are requested. The manuscript must reflect the exact wording of the final revision on the disk.
Acceptable formats/diskettes. Iomega zip disks and 3.5" PC-compatible floppy disks formatted to 1.44 Mb capacity are accepted. Regardless of the computer or software used, please provide one or the other format: 1) saved as rich text files (RTF) if it¡¯s an option in your software; or 2) saved in the word processing software used on your computer.
Preferred file formats. IBM PC-compatible: RTF; MS Word 6.0, 7.0 or 97 for Windows; WordPerfect 5.0, 5.1, 6.0, 7.0, 8.0; Ami Pro 3.0; Works 3.0-4.0 for Windows; Wordstar for Windows 1.0-2.0; or Windows Write. Macintosh: RTF, Microsoft Word 4.0-5.1 and above for Mac (saved on a PC-formatted disk).
Other information. Do not include display equations and tables in the submitted electronic manuscript. Do include display equations and tables in with your hard copy manuscript.
Interface information. Please label your disk clearly and include what file format and operating system is used, main author¡¯s last name, and volume and issue of journal the article is submitted to.
Figures and Tables
All art must be professional in appearance and camera-ready; freehand or typewritten lettering will not be accepted.
PC-generated screens (dot patterns) do not reproduce well during the printing process and should not be used to create shading in figures. Stripe patterns or solids are better choices for shading.
Submit one camera-ready original of each figure and include photocopies with each copy of the manuscript. Identify each figure on the back indicating figure number, author¡¯s name, top side, and abbreviated title of manuscript.
Tables must be double-spaced on separate sheets and include a brief title. Provide generous spacing within tables and use as few line rules as possible. When tables are necessary, the information should not duplicate that in the text.
Do not include tables on electronic disk.
