Mission Statement (5/6/04)

Family Relations Interdisciplinary Journal of Applied Family Studies publishes basic and applied articles that are original, innovative and interdisciplinary and that focus on diverse family forms and issues. Audiences include educators in academic and community settings, researchers with an applied or evaluation focus, family practitioners, and family policy specialists. Appropriate articles include empirically-based applied research, educational philosophies or practices, critical syntheses of relevant substantive areas, program evaluations, curriculum development and assessment, issues in the discipline, professional development, and basic research with clearly articulated implications for practice and policy.

Manuscript Reviewer Guidelines

1. Family Relations is committed to providing authors with constructive (both positive and negative) and timely feedback. We sent you this manuscript for review because of your expertise in this area of inquiry. If you are unable to complete the review within three to four weeks, please let us know immediately.

2. It is editorial policy to provide clear and comprehensive feedback to authors that will assist them in refining their ideas, whether or not the manuscript is accepted for publication. Therefore, we appreciate your attention to all aspects of the manuscript. In addition, if you number your comments, the editorial staff and the author(s) can respond to each area of concern directly.

3. As an interdisciplinary journal of applied family studies, Family Relations is concerned with the inclusion of explicit implications of research for an applied audience. Your recommendations to the author(s) regarding modifications or additions to this section of the manuscript is essential.

4. The Editor will request a "revise-and-resubmit" only in cases where the manuscript has strong potential but is in need of further development. While it is preferable that reviewer and editorial concerns can be addressed in one revision, in certain circumstances, additional requests for revision may be made by the Editor. Reviewer recommendations for "revise-and-resubmit" imply a commitment on the part of the reviewer to continue with a manuscript until a final disposition is made by the editor (i.e., accept or reject). Hence, if you are sent a revised manuscript, you will be asked to (a) assess whether any remaining problems are minor or fatal flaws, (b) determine whether your original concerns and those of the other reviewers were adequately addressed, and (c) identify any new problems that may have been introduced in the revision. The author(s) will be required to provide a detailed summary of their revisions to assist you in a second review. Except in the rarest of circumstances, it is our policy to not request a third round of reviews.

5. Both the reviewer evaluation form and comments to authors form may be completed electronically on the Manuscript Central website. Please contact the editorial office if you need assistance. Your review will assist the Editor in making a determination about the manuscript (i.e., accept, reject, revise and resubmit.) Please put your recommendation regarding the disposition of the manuscript of the manuscript on the evaluation form. Please do not make substantive comments about the manuscript on the evaluation form that are not reflected adequately in the review form. The author(s) will benefit from all of your feedback, and the Editor's response will be more useful if linked directly to the content of the reviews.

6. Please maintain the confidentiality of this manuscript and destroy it when the review is complete.

7. If you have reviewed this manuscript for another journal previously, let us know immediately and we will select an alternative reviewer.

8. When providing feedback in the form of citation information or other resources, provide the authors with complete information so they can find the material and use it to improve their manuscript.

9. The editorial staff is available to answer any questions you may have. Email the editorial office.