Articlo
Format a manuscript

University of Windsor

Prepare your manuscript for Critical Social Work.

Review the checklist, choose your article type, and turn your draft into a cleaner submission package.

Checked 2026-07-17
Check readiness freePrepare this manuscript

Article types

Review

Readiness requirements

Review the key details below, or download the complete checklist with every stored source-backed requirement.

Abstract length

  • Important Points: Submitted manuscript should include five major sections: the Title Page (with title only), Abstract, Main Body, and References.
  • Use a page break to separate from abstract.

Keywords

  • Use a page break to separate from main body (after last keyword).

Reference style

  • Articlo formats your supplied references in APA style and checks that citations match the reference list; source validity is not verified.
  • DOIs or URLs must be included for all journal articles (as per APA 7th ed. guidelines).
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  • Length: A minimum of 5 page to a maximum of 25 pages minus references, table, and figures.
  • All references must follow APA Publication Manual (7th ed.) format – i.e. in alphabetical order, with a hanging indent (0.5) format, double-spaced, etc.
  • DOIs or URLs must be included for all journal articles and formatted as per APA (7th ed.) guidelines.
  • Use a page break after final text to add references.

Figure and table rules

  • Keep every figure and table numbered, captioned, and cited in the manuscript.
  • Group figures at the end of the manuscript.
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  • Group tables at the end of the manuscript.
  • Important Points: Tables and figures must be formatted as per APA Publication Manual (7th ed.).
  • All tables should be cited sequentially in text, numbered, and supplied with explanatory captions and headings.
  • All illustrations, figures, and tables must be placed within the body of the text at the appropriate place, rather than at the end.
  • All figures must be cited in the text, numbered, and supplied with a caption.

Ethics statement

  • Add or confirm the author-written Ethics statement; Articlo flags it if author input is still needed.
  • Additionally, as described in the Canadian Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans (TCPS; CHIR, NSERC, & SSHRC, 2014), research contained in manuscripts submitted to CSW should consider three core principles: Respect for Persons: Research participants should be able to act freely and with autonomy.
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  • Additionally, as described in the Canadian Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans (TCPS; CHIR, NSERC, & SSHRC, 2014), research contained in manuscripts submitted to CSW should consider three core principles: Concern for Welfare: Researchers ought to consider the risks of their research, especially those which may affect research participants.
  • Additionally, as described in the Canadian Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans (TCPS; CHIR, NSERC, & SSHRC, 2014), research contained in manuscripts submitted to CSW should consider three core principles: Justice: Researchers should treat research participants fairly and equitably.
  • Cover Page ( MUST be a separate Word document submitted with manuscript): Statement confirming REB/IRB approval.
  • Proof of research ethics approval must accompany submissions and be cited appropriately in manuscripts.
  • Review: As such, all research involving human persons or animals must have undergone research ethics review by an appropriate academic institution or governing body (e.g., a Canadian Research Ethics Board [REB], an American Institutional Review Board for Protection of Human Subjects in Research [IRB], an equivalent international ethics review structure, etc.).
  • Review: Furthermore, CSW may require additional information on the existence or status of ethical review of any submission if there is concern expressed by a member of the journal's editorial board or reviewers.
  • In no case will CSW consider manuscripts which do not adhere to the preceding Publication and Research Ethics requirements.

Title page and author information

  • Cover Page ( MUST be a separate Word document submitted with manuscript): Author name(s).
  • Cover Page ( MUST be a separate Word document submitted with manuscript): Institutional affiliation(s).
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  • Cover Page ( MUST be a separate Word document submitted with manuscript): Corresponding author and associated contact information (especially email address).
  • Full contact information for all authors should be submitted, including full name, affiliation, and ORCID.

Preprints and prior publication

  • Cover Page ( MUST be a separate Word document submitted with manuscript): Statement stating that this original work has not been previously published and is not under consideration at another journal.
  • Review: Manuscripts that do not meet submission requirements, most notably our strict "APA Publication Manual (7th ed.) guidelines" policy will be returned to the author and not welcomed for review.

Other submission requirements

  • The running head font, must match that of the body (i.e., Times New Roman, 12).
  • Important Points: Submitted manuscript must be double-spaced (at 0,0) throughout and typed on standard-sized paper (8.5" x 11") with 1" margins on all sides.
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  • Important Points: Must use 12 pt.
  • Cover page must be submitted as a separate document.
  • Manuscript document must be anonymized (de-identified).
  • Important Points: Manuscripts must be anonymized (de-identified).
  • Important Points: Cover page must be submitted separately (see details regarding Cover Page below).
  • Cover Page ( MUST be a separate Word document submitted with manuscript): Title of manuscript.
  • Cover Page ( MUST be a separate Word document submitted with manuscript): Academic degree(s).
  • Cover Page ( MUST be a separate Word document submitted with manuscript): Professional title(s).
  • Cover Page ( MUST be a separate Word document submitted with manuscript): Authors' mailing address.
  • If the status of a submitted manuscript becomes contradictory to the above tenets, the author(s) should contact the editor of CSW immediately.
  • Review: There should be some way to minimize or mitigate risks if the researcher identifies any throughout the review process.
  • Important Points: Each page of your manuscript must have a properly formatted running head (flushed left) with page numbers flushed right (i.e., top right corner of the page), within the page header.
  • The following are core tenets in this regard: Unique Submission: Manuscripts submitted to CSW should not be submitted to other journals simultaneously.
  • Submission Preparation Checklist As part of the submission process, authors are required to check off their submission's compliance with all of the following items, and submissions may be returned to authors that do not adhere to these guidelines.

Language and text style

  • Submission of Manuscripts Only an electronic copy should be submitted in English in Microsoft Word format.

Author contributions

  • Cover Page ( MUST be a separate Word document submitted with manuscript): Any statement of credit or research support.

Manuscript structure

  • Use appropriate and correctly formatted APA Headings (e.g., Level 1, 2, 3).
  • Main sections: Introduction (do not use this heading, as it is implied with APA), Method, Results, Discussion, and Contribution to Social Work Policy, Practice, and Knowledge. (Format may vary based on study (e.g., qualitative, quantitative, mixed methods, etc.)).
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  • Footnotes and/or endnotes must be avoided.
  • Justice should be considered throughout all aspects of the research process, including but not limited to: methodology, participant recruitment, application of treatments or research activities, and the dissemination of research results.

Authorship and originality

  • Additionally, all authors should be aware of submissions to CSW and should be contributors to the manuscript or project in a manner suitable to warrant authorship.
  • Authorship should be listed in order.
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  • The following are core tenets in this regard: Authorship: All authors should be listed in the initial submission of a manuscript.
  • The following are core tenets in this regard: Submission Integrity: Manuscripts submitted to CSW should be unique and free of any types of plagiarism (including self-plagiarism).
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What your package checks

References: APA
Declarations: Ethics
Format: double spacing

Source transparency

This preparation guide uses published journal-specific author requirements. Journal instructions can change, so authors should complete a final review before submission.

Open official guideline source