Manuscript Guidelines

Subjects Covered

Administration, innovative techniques, new technological developments/applications, success stories, operational procedures, research, and other topics of interest to law enforcement administrators and practitioners.

Manuscript Requirements

Should be written in clear, concise style, suitable for magazine format, with an introduction that demonstrates the topic's practical relevance to law enforcement executives. Manuscripts should contain a minimum number of notes. When notes are necessary, note numbers should appear in brackets within the text and notes with corresponding numbers should be typewritten at the end of the manuscript; authors should not use their word processing programs to create endnotes or footnotes. Bibliographic citations should appear in notes and include (1) author's name, (2) title of work, (3) publication information, and (4) specific page(s) referenced.

Manuscripts should be in the third person; first-person treatments published only at editor's discretion. Articles should be explanatory rather than anecdotal; keep use of quotations to a minimum. Articles addressing products or technology should be generic in nature, and may not promote a specific product or manufacturer.

Articles must be original work, previously unpublished, and not simultaneously submitted to another publisher.

Manuscript Length

2,000 to 4,000 words; exceptions occasionally made at editor's discretion.

Illustrations

Submission of photographs or other illustrations is encouraged. These will be used as space permits. Important: Charts and diagrams must be prepared in Quark Xpress or Photoshop (PC Platform), or scanned to produce a high-resolution graphics file. Black-and-white glossy prints and top-quality color transparencies (slides) or prints desired. Electronic files must be on PC platform. Images should be Grayscale or CMYK, minimum 300 dpi; TIF or JPEG file formats are acceptable. E-mail attachment is acceptable for smaller files; zip disks must be used for files over 3 MB. Illustrations not conforming to these requirements will not be considered for inclusion.

Submission

Two double-spaced printed copies of manuscripts required. Authors are encouraged to submit PC disks in MS Word or WordPerfect (up to 6.1), or by e-mail to keller@theiacp.org. Brief biographical sketch of each author—containing author's name, position title, agency, and complete mailing address—must accompany manuscripts.

Editorial Policy

Manuscripts are subjected to a three-phase editorial review process, including scrutiny by outside experts. Editor reserves the right to edit and revise manuscripts for publication.

Payment

None. Authors receive byline credit and five complimentary copies of the issue in which their work appears.

Copyright

IACP holds exclusive manuscript rights between acceptance and publication. Copyright held by publication.

Disposition

Receipt of manuscript acknowledged. Editorial decision usually made within three to six months. Articles typically published within 18 months after acceptance. Rejected manuscripts returned without criticism. Further questions? Ask Charles Higginbotham, Editor.

To submit your manuscript electronically, click here. Be sure to include your full name and complete mailing address so that we may contact you regarding the evaluation process.

Contact Information:

The Police Chief
Editorial Office
IACP
515 N. Washington Street
Alexandria, VA 22314-2357
1-800-THE-IACP
Fax 703-836-5386
http://www.theiacp.org