Style Guide
All of the Association's journals require that authors submit their manuscript in the style specified by the current edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. The "Instructions for Authors" section of each journal includes information on how to order the manual from the American Psychological Association ($26.95, prepaid, plus $6 postage and handling; mail orders to American Psychological Association, Book Order Dept., Dept. KK, P.O. Box 92984, Washington, DC 20090-2984). It is the author's responsibility to submit a manuscript in the required format, and significant deviation in style may be grounds for rejection. Most editors, however, do not reject a manuscript solely on this basis. It is often most expeditious for an editor, upon receipt of the initial submission, to return the manuscript for formatting according to APA guidelines before sending the manuscript out for review. In any case, having manuscripts in the prescribed format makes the final copyediting at the National Office easier.
Nonsexist Language
ASHA has a long-standing policy on gender equality in language. The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association provides examples of nonsexist alternatives to common gender-specific expressions. A statement concerning ASHA's policy on nonsexist language appears in the "Instructions for Authors" section of each journal.
Person-First Language
The Publications Board policy is to actively encourage use of person-first language to refer to individuals with potentially stigmatizing characteristics. Specifically, it is considered appropriate to refer to the individual first, followed by descriptive information (e.g., "person with cerebral palsy") rather than to use an adjectival form (i.e., "cerebral-palsied person") or a nominal form (i.e., "the cerebral palsied"). Such usage is often referred to as person-first language. A statement is included in the "Instructions for Authors" section of each journal encouraging the use of person-first language. The document "Person-First Language" is available.
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