Purpose of the Journal

Readership

Quality of Manuscript

• Plow new ground (or old ground in new ways)
• Contain keen insights
• Display sound judgment
• Reflect careful analysis

• Do responsible research
• Think logically
• Use strong supporting evidence
• Write with:
  • High regard for semantics, syntax, style, grammar and punctuation
  • Active verbs
  • Simplicity, clarity, and readability
  • Scholarly standards
  • Tact and grace
• Ask pertinent questions:
  • Why would the readership be interested in the article?
  • What will they learn?
  • How are they expected to think, believe, feel, or act when they finish the article?

Preferred Topics

• Exposition of scriptures that clarify the missionary task
• Case studies and research reports
• Practical models of mission strategy
• Lessons from the history of mission
• Profiles of outstanding mission personalities
• Missiological principles and practices
• Calls to commitment

Stylistic Guidelines

• Type article on one side of 8 l/2 x 11 sheets of paper
• Use same type pitch or font size throughout the manuscript
• Leave a one inch margin on all four sides of the page
• Make a ragged (unjustified) right margin
• Eliminate all hyphens at the end of lines
• Sequence the article in the following divisions:
  • Cover page
  • Text (explanatory notes are placed immediately after the end of the text)
  • Bibliography
  • Appendices
• Start each division of the article on a separate page
• Stay within the recommended length: 8 pages (including explanatory notes, bibliography, and appendices).
• Employ consistent spacing:
  • Vertical spacing:
    • Single space all lines of headings in the text, tables, and illustrations as well as all lines of blocked, indented quotations, explanatory notes, and bibliography.
    • Double space below first-level headings as well as above and below second and third-level headings, between lines of cover page, text pages, tables, illustrations, and appendices, between the title and first line of explanatory notes, as well as between each explanatory note and bibliography entry.
    • Triple space between title and first line of the text, bibliography, and appendices, above first-level headings and explanatory notes, as well as above and below blocked, indented quotations.
  • Horizontal spacing:
    • No space between a dash and the words preceding and following a dash
    • Single space after words, commas, and semicolons
    • Double space after a colon and between sentences
    • Five space indention to begin a paragraph of regular text and the left margin of a blocked, indented quotation
    • Nine space indention to begin a paragraph of a blocked, indented quotation
• Check spelling in a current American Collegiate dictionary
• Capitalize the headings in the text, tables, and illustrations as well as book and article titles in the text, explanatory notes, bibliography, and appendices by:
  • Capitalizing all nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs
  • Capitalizing all prepositions that contain more than four letters
• Number all pages except the cover page by:
  • Typing a number at the middle of the bottom of the first page of the text

  • Typing a number in the upper right hand corner of each succeeding page (except the first page of the bibliography and appendices which--like the first page of the text--should have a number in the middle of the bottom of the page)

Typing Instructions

• Follow the stylistic guidelines throughout the manuscript
• Use three levels of headings:
  • First-level headings should be centered left-to-right three lines below the last line of text, started by a roman numeral (I, II, III, etc.) With varied capitalization, and no period
  • Second-level headings should be indented five spaces as a paragraph leader, started by an upper case letter (A, B, C, etc.) with varied capitalization, underlined, and ended with a period
  • Third-level headings should be indented nine spaces like a block quote paragraph leader, numbered (1,2,3, etc.) With capitalized first world only, underlined, and ended with a period
• Refer to "Amplification of Turabian 8:1" (supplied by the JOURNAL upon request) for typing in-text references and bibliography as well as Turabian, 5th Edition, for any other typing instructions not mentioned in these guidelines
• Insert a superscript number at the point in the text where reference is made to an explanatory note
• Any explanatory note longer than half a page should be put in an appendix
• Number or letter appendices concurrently, i.e., either I, II, III, etc. or A, B, C, etc.

Submission Requirements

• Proofread the manuscript carefully
• Technical errors--citations and spelling of proper names--are the responsibility of the writer
• Typographical errors must be eliminated from the manuscript
• Send one, clear, complete copy in the proper sequence to the editor of the journal

Editorial Responsibility

• Does the article fill a current gap in missiological knowledge?
• Does it contain needed information?
• Does it state the exact question it is attempting to answer?
• Does the article develop a critical argument?
• Does it state concisely the central conclusion?
• Does it assess the data that contradicts its position?
• Does it give credit for all the ideas of others that were used?
• Does the article list a "verdict" or answer to the research question?
• Does it state in clear, crisp words the new strategy, idea, approach, or attitude the data demands?