Writers' Guidelines

THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER, published quarterly, seeks articles from social work practitioners, educators, and students on topics of interest to social work students and recent graduates. We are especially interested in the following types of articles:

News of interest to social workers and social work students--including news from schools of social work and their student organizations, social work-related agencies, individual social workers. News items should be 100-150 words.     If you are sending a news item, include a photo to illustrate it, if you have one. We also want photos of social workers and social work students “in action” for our cover!

Feature articles--we are especially looking for articles related to specific practice specialties, ethics in social work, student field placement issues, and social work careers. Feature articles should be 1,500-2,000 words. Our style is conversational, practical, and educational. Write as if you are having a conversation with a student or colleague. What do you want him or her to know about the topic? What would you have wanted to know when you were first starting out? Use examples.
    The best articles have a specific focus. If you are writing an ethics article, focus on a particular aspect of ethics. For example, analyze a specific portion of the NASW Code of Ethics (including examples), or talk about ethical issues unique to a particular practice setting. When possible, include one or two resources at the end of your article—books, additional reading materials, and/or Web sites.

Book reviews--If you are interested in reviewing books for us, please see guidelines in the Reviews section.  

Formatting:  Please use a standard font, such as Times Roman or Arial. Use single spacing with .5 inch margins. Please include the article's title, your name, and contact information on the front page of the manuscript.