Information For Authors

Interested in submitting to this journal? We recommend that you review the About the Journal page for the journal's section policies, as well as the Author Guidelines. Authors need to register with the journal prior to submitting or, if already registered, can simply log in and begin the five-step process.

Drug Court Review Journal Structure (organized by section)

  1. Research in the Field:
    1. articles organized around the theme
    2. articles regarding treatment courts not related to the theme

  2. Research Spotlight:
    • An overview of an article focusing on treatment courts that was published in another peer-reviewed journal.
    • The focus of all research spotlights will be on the major findings & implications for research, policy, practice, etc.

 

  1. Expert Commentary:
    • An overview of what we know about a specific topic relevant to treatment courts.
    • The focus of expert commentary pieces will be on what we know and what we still need to know, with the hope that readers will take up these research questions in future studies.

 Article Manuscript Submission

Authors should submit manuscripts through the Drug Court Review online submission portal. A call for submissions will be generated annually with guidance on the thematic topic for each volume, due dates, etc. and authors should prepare submissions accordingly. Manuscripts should focus on the applications and implications of research findings and should minimize the use of scientific or technical jargon. Manuscripts for full-length articles, research reviews and case studies are welcome.

The NDCRC regards the submission of a manuscript to the Drug Court Review as a commitment to publish herein; a simultaneous submission to another journal is not permitted.

Authors register and submit manuscripts through the Drug Court Review journal submission portal here.  

Manuscripts must meet the following minimum requirements, or they may be returned to the author(s) without undergoing review:

  • All documents saved as Microsoft Word documents (e.g. doc or docx)
  • APA (7th edition) format
    • Double-spaced
    • 12-point font
    • 1-inch margins at the top, bottom, left and right
  • Title Page Document
    • Manuscript title
    • List of authors and their affiliations
    • Corresponding author’s contact information (email, phone number, mailing address)
    • Brief one-paragraph biographical sketch for each author
  • Manuscript Document (blinded)
    • Pages limits are inclusive of text, tables, charts, figures, and references
      • Maximum of 30 pages for Research in the Field
      • 5-10 pages for Research Spotlight and Expert Commentary
    • All author names and identifying information must be removed
    • Title at top of first page
    • An abstract (maximum of 200 words)
    • List of 4 keywords
    • Any notes should be numbered and presented as footnotes
    • Tables and Figures in a separate document numbered consecutively by type throughout the article (see below). Insert a location note in the appropriate place of the manuscript text.
      • For example: [Table 1 about here]
    • Citations and References: APA format (7th edition)
  • Tables and Figures Document
    • Numbered consecutively by type (Table 1, Table 2, Figure 1, Table 3, Figure 2)
    • Each figure and table (even small ones) should be on a separate page.
  • Attestation Document
    • An explicit statement that the submission reflects the original work of the author(s) and is submitted solely to the Drug Court Review.
    • An explicit statement of IRB approval must accompany any submission involving research with human subjects.

 

Peer-Review Process

Following initial review by the editor, each manuscript will undergo a double-blind peer-review process. The editor will assign manuscripts to two to three subject matter experts highly familiar with the topic and/or methodology. Experts may include practitioners, scientists, policymakers, and/or administrators.

Peer-reviewers are asked to provide written critiques suitable to be communicated directly to the author(s). Peer-reviewers are also asked to make an editorial recommendation:

  • Accept as is
  • Accept with minor revisions
  • Revise and resubmit
  • Reject

Papers may be accepted, rejected, or returned to the authors at any point in the peer-review process. The editor will provide authors with the Editorial Board’s decision and blinded peer reviews. If revisions are requested to a manuscript, they must be received by the editor within 30 days, unless prior approval is granted for an extension.

Please direct all inquiries regarding the manuscripts and the submission and peer-review processes to the National Drug Court Resource Center (NDCRC) at dcrjournal@uncw.edu