Author Guidelines

The Journal publishes articles on the broad theme of career development in any context: 

• Career development in the workplace: private and public sector, small, medium, and large organisations, private practitioners.
• Career development in education: schools, colleges, universities, adult education, public career services.
• Career development in the community: third age, voluntary, charity, social organisations, independent contexts, public career services.

Career development is understood here to encompass both discussions of how individuals and groups make their way through life, learning and work and interventions that take place within education, employment, and welfare systems to support human flourishing.

It is designed to be read by individuals who are involved in career development related work in a wide range of settings including information, advice, counselling, guidance, advocacy, coaching, mentoring, psychotherapy, education, teaching, training, scholarship, research, consultancy, human resources, management, or policy. The journal has a national and international readership.

The Journal does not publish articles that address the following areas without including material of explicit relevance to career development:

• Human resources, such as recruitment and selection
• Education
• The psychology or sociology of work

Authors should make the relevance of their topic to the field of career development explicit. 

Use of literature

All submissions are expected to make appropriate use of the published literature on careers, career counselling, and career education.  Authors should consult the Journal archive to familiarise themselves with the Journal style, and the nature of articles previously published on their topic. 

Authors should not assume that readers are familiar with the contexts that they are writing about. This means that all articles should include sufficient background material to make them intelligible to readers who are learning about this area for the first time. The readership is predominantly in the UK and Europe, but becoming increasingly global. Authors should consider the literature that will connect with the readers’ understandings and help to contextualise the article.

Issue format

Issues of the Journal usually contain the articles which have most recently been accepted through the Journal’s review process. Editors have the authority to vary the issue in which an accepted article appears to increase the coherence of the journal.

The journal also features special sections – a group of themed articles within an open call issue. This format is likely to be used more often going forward. 

In the past the Journal regularly published Special issues which focused on articles relating to a theme identified by the editors. Special issues may still be produced in the future, but these are expected to be less common. In addition to a call for papers, authors with specific expertise may be invited by the editor to submit to a special issue.

Deadlines for submission will be published on the Journal website. However, articles may be submitted at any time and may be considered for future issues if a deadline is missed.

Publication schedule

The Journal publishes two issues per year, one in the spring (normally April) and one in the autumn (normally October). In addition to online open access publication of articles at www.nicecjournal.co.uk, full issue pdfs are made available via the NICEC website www.nicec.org and also to CDI members. 

 

 

STYLE GUIDE FOR AUTHORS

Article format

Article length

The journal publishes three types of articles: research articles; conceptual articles and short articles.

Research articles: Articles should be between 4000-8000 words. This figure is inclusive of all elements of the article including the references and text contained within tables. Material submitted over 8000 words will be rejected. These articles will be expected to include strong academic content. Research articles should be based on new empirical work or use an established methodology e.g. in the case of systematic reviews or secondary data analysis.

Conceptual articles: Articles should be between 4000-8000 words. This figure is inclusive of all elements of the article including the references and text contained within tables. Material submitted over 8000 words will be rejected. These articles will be expected to include strong academic content. Conceptual articles should be based on new theoretical work or on detailed and analytical discussion of key issues, existing theories, new policies or other important issues.

Short articles: The target length is 2000 words, and submissions will be accepted in the range 1,200-2,500 words. The guidance on article structures will be interpreted more flexibly for short articles. These are intended to attract diverse submissions such as:

• A rapid update on policy developments
• Reporting an evaluation of a new service
• Reflections on practice
• A ‘point of view’ article

In addition to articles, the Journal also publishes book reviews. Their target length is 600-800 words. All book reviews should be discussed with the editor prior to submission. 

Obituaries may be published in the ‘news’ section of the Journal and the format should be discussed with the editor prior to submission. 

Front page details for all articles

Article title:  For layout purposes, titles need to be brief.  Authors are advised to avoid poetic phrasing and to keep the title simple, functional and closely related to the content – this makes it easier for potential readers using search engines to find the article.

Author details: The Journal has a policy of open reviewing.  Submissions are not anonymous, so include author names on the submission. The front page of the submission should not be separated.

• Author names should not include titles (Dr; Professor etc)
• Where possible include an organisational affiliation. Keep this brief.  The name of an employer is adequate; avoid giving lengthy details of departmental location, or multiple affiliations.  
• Identify one author as the corresponding author and supply their email address.

Abstract: Each article should be prefaced by an abstract of no more than 100 words.

Key words:  Identify a minimum of three and maximum of six key words or phrases.  Where the word ‘career’ is used it should be singular (e.g. ‘career guidance’; NOT ‘careers guidance’).  If the article relates to services in a specific nation, then include that name of the nation as a key word.  Note this requirement specifically includes England. 

Article structure for research articles

This relates to articles reporting research data.  They should normally adopt a conventional structure:  

• Front page including abstract
• Introduction
• Literature review
• Methods
• Results
• Discussion
• Conclusion (which may include recommendations)
• References

 

This approach can be adapted to best communicate the research process and outcomes.  For example, authors reporting qualitative research may choose to merge the results and discussion section. Authors using uncommon research methods may need a bespoke structure.

Where empirical data has been generated from human participants, or concerns living people, the methods section must include a paragraph that addresses research ethics. 

Articles with the prime purpose of presenting a literature review should also include a methods section describing the process that was undertaken to source and select material. 

Article structure for conceptual articles

This relates to articles addressing topics conceptually or theoretically.

• Front page including abstract
• Introduction
• Section headings (typically 2-4)
• Conclusion (which may include recommendations)
• References

 

A clear argument should be presented. 

 

Article structure for short articles

Short articles can be structured in a variety of ways depending on the topic. But they should usually include the following.

• Front page including abstract
• Introduction
• Conclusion (which may include recommendations)
• References

 

Structure for book reviews

Book reviews will normally be in the region of 600-800 words. They should begin by supplying the following information:

Title of book, names of authors/editors, place of publication, publisher, year of publication, number of pages, cost (if known), and the ISBN number, name of reviewer and their organisation/affiliation

The review should:

• Describe the kind of book it is e.g. textbook, monograph, edited collection, general, advanced research, popular.
• Briefly describe the author(s)
• Summarise the key ideas, structure and layout of the book
• Indicate the extent to which it is part of an established genre, or innovating/ground-breaking
• Assess the suitability of the book for its potential users e.g. practitioners, lecturers, researchers, students, general users / readers.
• Outline strengths and weaknesses of the book and provide a brief rationale.
• Allow a reader to be able to decide whether the book is worth buying and/or using.

 

The review can include reference to other literature. In which case, cite and list references using the standard journal guidelines available from the editor.

Book reviews should be submitted to the editor by email. Do not upload them to the Journal web platform. 

Presentation and English

Use UK English spelling and grammar consistently for all articles. Authors familiar with other English styles should note the required UK spelling of common words in this field:  counsellor; counselling; labour; centre; CV (curriculum vitae instead of ‘resume’). Avoid the use of spoken English contractions, for example instead of ‘don’t’ use ‘do not’, except when giving a verbatim quotation. 

Formatting, page layout and typeface:

• Please keep formatting simple i.e. do not use style sheets or heading formatting.
• Left justify headings and text (i.e. align left).
• Use Arial typeface in 12 point size.
• Use 1.5 line-spacing throughout unless text is within tables or figures.
• Use a single space after a full stop, comma and semi-colon.
• Always insert a line space at the end of a paragraph. Do not indent a new paragraph.

Use of headings

A clear hierarchy of headings is required.

• First level subheadings should appear in bold (not underlined) and with one line space above the subheading. Only the first letter in the first word within the subheading should be capitalised unless a proper noun.
• Second level subheadings should not appear in bold. Sub-headings should only be used if there is more than one sub-heading/section. Use sub-headings sparingly and avoid using more than two levels of sub-heading to aid clarity.

Quotations

Quotations from published sources:

Use single quotation marks for quoting within a paragraph, and double marks for quotations within quotations. Quotations of over 40 words in length should be indented from the left margin using the indent function. Do not use word spaces or tabs to indent text. There should be a line space above and below the extract. The source of quotation should be in brackets on right, on the line below – this citation should include a page number where possible. The exact spelling and punctuation of the original must be copied faithfully. When indented, quotation marks should not be applied unless the quotation includes a conversation, in which case, single quotation marks should apply. Your own interpolations into quoted matter should be enclosed in square brackets.  Avoid using quotations from secondary sources. 

Quotations from artistic sources

Direct quotation from poetry, song, film, fictional literature etc. should be avoided as this may require special copyright permissions.

Quotations from research participants:

Use italics for all verbatim quotations. Indent all participants’ comments of more than 6 words. Short phrases may be included in main body text in single quote marks and italicised. 

Punctuation

• Do not put a space in front of a question mark or in front of any other closing punctuation mark. To punctuate et cetera use ‘etc.’ and to punctuate for example use ‘e.g.’.
• Use the 'Oxford comma' in a list to clearly separate the final two elements e.g. 'bananas, figs, apples, and pears'.
• Do not place a comma after ‘e.g.’ or ‘i.e.’.
• Unless it is part of a citation in brackets, do not use an ampersand (&) in the main text.
• Do not use more than six bullet points in a single run. Try to keep use of bullet points to a minimum.

Numerals

Spell out numerals under 10 (e.g. seven). Exceptions to this rule include measurements, percentages and ages (e.g. 9cm; 5%; 7 years old). Use numerals for numbers greater than 10. 

Capital letters  

Keep the use of capitals to a minimum. Use lower case for government, church, state, party, etc. unless a specific one is named (e.g. the Labour Party; the Scottish Government).  Consider if a word is a proper noun (name), and if not favour lower case.

 Footnotes and end notes

Avoid these where possible.  Please keep these to an absolute minimum. Restrict their use to explanatory statements that would be a distraction in the main body text.

Track changes and comments

It is the author’s responsibility to strip out all track changes and comments prior to submission/resubmission. 

Citations and referencing  

Citations and referencing should follow the style guide of the American Psychological Association (APA 7th Edition). Note that this Journal only follows the citation and referencing elements of APA style, NOT the presentational and writing style elements. 

A brief summary of the style is given below.  Prior to contacting the Journal editor with queries, for further referencing details please refer to: American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th edition). American Psychological Association. Use this web resource for quick queries: www.apastyle.org

In-text citations

Citations in the main text should be given as follows: Smith and Brown (1998) or (Smith & Brown, 1998). Where there are three or more authors, give the name of the first author and insert et al., including at first use, unless doing so would create ambiguity (italics not needed): Smith et al. (1997) or (Smith et al. 1997).

For a direct quotation, wherever possible the page number should be given in the citation:  Smith and Brown (1998, p.175) or (Smith & Brown, 1998, p.175).

List of reference

The following examples illustrate how typical sources should be presented in the reference list:

 

Arulmani, G., Bakshi, A. J., Leong, F. T. L., & Watts, A. G. (Eds.). (2014). Handbook of career development: International perspectives. Springer.

Inkson, K. (2004). Images of career: Nine key metaphors, Journal of Vocational Behavior, 65(1), 96-111. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0001-8791(03)00053-8

McCash, P. (2008). Career studies handbook: Career development learning in practice. https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/resource/career-studieshandbook-career-development-learning-practice

Savickas, M. L. (2013). Career construction theory and practice. In S. D. Brown & R. W. Lent (Eds.), Career development and counseling: Putting theory and research to work (2nd ed., pp. 147-183). Wiley.

Arranging the list:  The list should be subtitled ‘References’ in bold with all references arranged alphabetically in a single run i.e. no separation of books and web references.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI) reference:  All journal articles should include a DOI reference where this is available.  Do not insert a full stop following the DOI reference. See Inkson (2004) above. Use the prefix:  https://doi.org/

Italics:  Use italics for journal and book titles.

Please note that the town/city, country/state of publication is no longer required in APA 7th edition.  Also note that date of retrieval of web sources is not required except where one might expect rapid changes, for example an online news media source. 

Diagrams, images, and illustrations

Any diagrams or illustrations must be sent in a separate file (in high quality .jpeg or gif format) with an indication in the text of where they should be placed.  Photographs will not normally be used – consult the editor if this is necessary for your submission.

Colour can be used in diagrams but with restraint, bearing in mind that some readers may print out articles in black and white. Monochrome is perfectly acceptable.  If a single colour is used then consider green (in MS Word the custom colours for the NICEC livery are Hex: 4BA82D or RGB 75, 168, 45).  Colours in diagrams supplied may be edited to fit in with the visual layout of the Journal.

Simple tables in MS Word do not need to be sent as a separate file. 

Submission

Articles should be submitted online at www.nicecjournal.co.uk  using the ‘make a submission’ button.

First draft articles should submitted as MS Word documents.  Files should be named with the first author surname + date of submission (DD.MM.YYYY), for example:  Smith21.03.2023.docx

Additional files should adopt the same convention e.g. Smith21.03.2023.diagram.jpeg

In the event of the named author submitting more than one paper, then distinguish them clearly e.g. by adding the name of an additional author or keyword. 

Subsequent drafts should be distinguished by version numbering. For example, a second draft would be Smith21.03.2023.v2.docx

 

 

JOURNAL POLICIES

Review process

Articles will undergo an initial desk review by the chief editor to check that they are broadly within the scope and expected standard for the Journal. Articles may be rejected at this stage. Those progressing will be allocated an editor and will be subject to an open peer review process.

The open peer review process used by the NICEC Journal means that reviews are not anonymous. Authors are known to reviewers. Reviewers are also known to authors and are accountable for their feedback.

NICEC has an extensive network of independent peer reviewers, drawn from the fellows and members of the learned society and from the wider scientific community. Two reviews are required for each submission with at least one reviewer who neither shares an institutional affiliation to, nor has worked closely with, either the author or the editors. Reviewers are chosen to ensure that they have appropriate scientific expertise in the topic addressed within the article. Editors may also act as reviewers, but not on an article that they are editing.

Reviewers are required to declare to the editor if they have a conflict of interest that may prevent them providing an objective judgement on a submission. They are asked to come to an independent academic judgement without discussion with other reviewers. They may consult the editor in cases where they unsure about which outcome to recommend.

Reviewers will be asked to consider the following criteria:

• The relevance of the topic for the Journal and its readership
• Structure, length and format
• Clarity of communication of ideas, including use of (UK) English
• Effective use of the published literature
• Suitability of methods
• Ethics and academic integrity
• Conformity of the submission to the guidelines for authors
• Conformity of citations and referencing to the APA 7th edition requirements
• The overall contribution of the article to knowledge in the field of career development

Normally a single round of reviews will be adequate, but editors reserve the right to refer re-submissions for review. In the later stages of preparation for publication editors may require some changes to ensure an article meets the Journal standards. Authors will have an opportunity to check and correct article proofs before publication – this must be done promptly to prevent delaying an issue. 

Reviewers’ judgements have the status of a recommendation. In all matters relating to acceptance, rejection, or requirements for re-submission, the decision of the designated editor is final. 

Direct communication between authors and reviewers about articles is discouraged. Communications should be conducted through the journal system with the editor of that article.  

Editorial independence

The Journal has editorial independence from NICEC. Decisions are based on the quality of submissions and the review process. NICEC fellows and members who are not currently in an editorial or reviewer role may not influence the process of decision making about article submissions. 

Journal funding, revenue, and advertising

The Journal is provided through unpaid voluntary activity by NICEC Fellows. There are no charges of any kind to authors for article submission and publication. The Journal does not accept advertising. The Journal is open access, so there is no charge to readers. 

This is possible because of the commitment of NICEC and the sponsorship of the Journal by the Career Development Institute (CDI) the UK professional body for career practitioners. 

Research ethics and academic integrity

Originality, authorship, and plagiarism

Articles must be the author(s)’ own original work.  Text must not be reproduced from other sources including the author’s own publications. Submissions must not be under consideration by other publications. 

All authors must be aware of the submission and agree to being named as authors. Named authors must accurately reflect who contributed to the article. Submitting work written by unnamed authors, or conversely naming individuals who have made no significant contribution to the article is not acceptable. 

The editors reserve the right to use plagiarism detection software and similar methods at their discretion. 

Artificial intelligence

Any use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in the writing of an article must be declared to the editor. The appropriateness will be considered on a case-by-case basis.  When submitting an article add a message to the editor notifying them on the tool used and the purpose it was used for. This message should also be sent by separate email to the editor. 

Ethics in empirical research

Authors who are affiliated with a university or research unit are expected to have undergone a formal ethical approval process for their research. This should be briefly reported in the submission. 

Practitioners in career services may not have access to an ethical approval process. In this case they would be expected to indicate what steps they have taken to protect research participants e.g. providing participant briefing information; ensuring informed consent; anonymity and confidentiality; the right to withdraw; and data protection arrangements. 

Evaluation exercises in career services may be a normal activity for practitioners and not conceptualised as academic research. Articles reporting on these would be most suited to the Journal’s short article format. A paragraph explaining how participants were protected will be adequate.

No ethical approval process is expected for work on pre-existing published/public data sets. Here the expectation is that data will already be fully anonymised and in the public domain. In the case of unpublished but anonymised administrative data sets, please consult the editor. 

Failure to meet the Journal’s standards for research ethics and academic integrity

Submissions will be rejected if they do not conform to the Journal’s expectations in relation to ethics and research integrity.  Concerns are referred to the editor-in-chief, who may initiate an investigation if they are deemed substantive. Articles already published may also be subject to investigation.  See the section on corrections and retractions for more information.