SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
Submissions should be written with clarity and grace, and must conform to TIS style guidelines, with references in APA style. Authors should adhere to English (American or British) grammar, spelling, and punctuation. All contributions must be submitted electronically as a Word file (.doc or .docx). For formatting, see below.
GUIDELINES FOR AUTHORS
Submitting an Abstract
Please use the Abstract Submission Form. You may copy and paste the form in a Word document and email the completed form to tis@ncis.org. The filename should include your personal details, according to the following format: NAME_BRIEF TITLE_TIS_ASTRACT. For example: SMITH_THE MEANING OF LIFE_TIS_ABSTRACT.
The abstract is expected to include brief statement of your hypothesis, a discussion of the theoretical background, description of your methodology, summation of the findings or argument to be discussed in the paper, and an explanation of how your work contributes to the field. (Here is a helpful guide for writing an effective abstract.)
Remember that an abstract is not something to be dashed off as a formality. It is the only evidence of your ability to organize your thoughts, state your premise convincingly, and show that you will deliver an interesting paper; an unsatisfactory abstract will most often lead to a summary rejection. Your abstract should therefore reflect the qualities expected in your paper. A concise and precise abstract is more likely to be accepted than a wordy and rambling submission.
Submitting a Full Manuscript
If your abstract is accepted, you will be asked to submit a full manuscript. The manuscript should contain an abstract and keywords on the first page, followed by the full paper, with footnotes and a list of Works Cited.
Your paper must be formatted in accordance with the TIS style guide.
Filename should exclude your personal details, and be presented according to the following format: BRIEF TITLE_TIS_MS. For example: THE MEANING OF LIFE_TIS_MS.
Word Count Submissions are on average 3,000–7,000 words. Although there is no strict word limit, articles of over 10,000 words are unlikely to be focused enough to be accepted.
Formatting Full papers (see below) must be formatted according to the TIS style guide, and submitted as a Word document (.doc or .docx) to tis@ncis.org. References must be formatted in APA style. Please DO NOT USE ANY ADDITIONAL FORMATTING (headings, pre-set tabs etc.).
Translations English translations should be provided for any text, passages, quotations, titles, etc., in another language.
Permissions For articles featuring images, authors must seek reproduction permissions prior to publication. Any images must be high resolution at 300 dpi.
Referencing
Your paper should include a bibliography of “Works Cited.” You may add an additional list of non-cited sources under “Further Reading.”
Referencing must be full and consistent, and formatted in APA style.
Notes should be presented as footnotes, not endnotes.
If you use referencing software, please ensure that your in-text references and/or footnotes, and your list of works cited, are complete, and that you have converted your in-text bibliography to static text before sending.
Permissions
Please ensure that you have secured permissions for images that are integral to your paper and which you would like to include. Do not assume that anything downloaded from the Internet is free of copyright! Images must be fully referenced, with copyright declaration and permissions cited, e.g., “© XXX date. Reproduced with permission.”
Statement of authorship
All authors of manuscripts accepted for publication will be required to sign a Statement of Authorship. In signing this statement, the author asserts that
- the article is entirely the work of the named author(s).
- the article has not been published elsewhere.
- the article has not been submitted for publication elsewhere.
Conflict of Interest
To prevent ambiguity, authors also are required to state whether there is, or is not, a conflict of interest. Conflict of interest exists when an author has financial or personal relationships that could inappropriately bias or compromise their scholarship.
Publication
Publication in TIS does not preclude submission of similar material to a field-specific professional journal. Any work rewritten for a specialist publication will necessarily have a different approach, and the editors expect that the resulting paper will be substantially different from that which will appear in the interdisciplinary medium of TIS.
Deadlines
Please ensure you observe all deadlines, to ensure timely publication. Reviewers are likewise committed to sending their comments on schedule, and it is important that you respond quickly with any revisions.
Acknowledgements: Sources of Funding Any sources of funding awarded to support the research (from NCIS or elsewhere) must be acknowledged.
If you have any queries, do feel free to contact the Editor at tis@ncis.org.
BOOK REVIEW GUIDELINES
The National Coalition of Independent Scholars reviews books by and about or of interest to independent scholars. The Book Review Editor can be contacted on reviews@ncis.org.
We review:
- Books authored by NCIS Members
- Books written by members of NCIS Partner Groups
- Books of particular interest to independent scholars
NCIS Members should ask the Book Review Editor about books they would like to review, or if they think a review by another qualified NCIS Member would be of critical interest to NCIS Members. The Review Editor will then try to obtain a review copy from the publisher. Even though we try to focus on independent scholarship, an NCIS Member may ask the Review Editor for review on any book in any discipline with any focus.
Submitting a Book Review Book reviews should be submitted according to the TIS Book Review style guide and should include title, author, pubication details, ISBN, prices, number of pages, and an image of the book cover as well as a brief biographical note about the reviewer. Examples of past reviews can be found at www.ncis.org/book-reviewsthe-independent-scholar-tis. Queries should be directed to reviews@ncis.org.
Interested in reviewing a book? Contact reviews@ncis.org.
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PEER REVIEW PROCESS for TIS journal articles
Please ensure you observe all deadlines, to ensure timely publication. Reviewers are likewise committed to sending their comments on schedule, and it is important that you respond quickly with any revisions.
If you have any queries, do feel free to contact the Editor at tis@ncis.org.
REVIEW CRITERIA (FOR AUTHORS)
1) Soundness
Clarity of argument The reviewers look for a clear argument, so you should state the aim of the research, outline the seminal issues involved, and offer valid conclusions.
SUGGESTIONS: The writing should be scholarly rather than popular in tone, yet clarity should be achieved without being overly burdened by academic buzzwords and clichés. Many scholars outside of your discipline will be interested in your writing.
Scholarly methodology Your paper should include the theoretical background where relevant, and any ethical considerations in data collection. Researcher reflexivity (the ways in which your own background, ethnicity, etc., may affect your primary data, such as information provided by people you use as research subjects, or your own interpretation of the data) also should be recognized and acknowledged. For papers in disciplines that do not necessarily support this format (e.g., curating) manuscripts will be judged on a case-by-case basis, but it is expected that these will still demonstrate high standards of professionalism.
2) Significance
You will need to show the intellectual significance of your paper, by including a brief overview of the field, or a concise literature review, so that your research can be situated by non-specialists in your field. You should also spell out the contribution made to the field by your paper.
3) Originality
It is expected that your work will be original rather than derivative. It will draw on existing literature and refer to work in the same field, but should make an original contribution to the existing body of scholarship. This original contribution should be made evident.
REVIEW CRITERIA (FOR REVIEWERS)
1) Soundness
- Is the manuscript well organized, with clear aims, argument and conclusions?
- Is the paper well written in terms of the quality of English and academic style?
- Are the sources appropriate?
- Are the conclusions justified?
2) Significance
- Does this manuscript have appeal to a multi-disciplinary audience?
- Does its scope and importance justify its publication in the TIS rather than in a specialized journal?
3) Originality
- How original is the manuscript’s contribution to its field? In what way(s) is it original?
General Instructions:
Reviewers are reminded that their comments should at all times be objective, respectful and polite. Reviews should be submitted promptly. At the end of the review, classify the manuscript under one of the following four categories:
- Accept
- Accept with minor revisions
- Accept with major revisions
- Reject
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EDITORIAL BOARD
General Editor
Shelby Shapiro, Ph.D., M.A. tis@ncis.org
Humanities Editor
Amanda Haste, Ph.D., M.A., LGSM, ALCM, Dip. Trans. IoLET, FISM, MCIL. amanda.haste@ncis.org
STEM Editor
Joan Cunningham, Ph.D.,M.Sc.jcunningham@ncis.org
Editors
- Tula Connell, Ph.D.
- Dorothy Della Noce, J.D., Ph.D.
- Laurence Schiller, Ph.D.
- Patricia Silver, Ph.D.
- Tim R. Woolley, Ph.D.