Manuscripts must address subjects of concern to the readership, be of current and ongoing interest, and be written in a readable style. All manuscripts are peer reviewed by experts in the particular field. Occasionally, solicited review papers or special issues will be published. All submissions should be made via email to the appropriate editor. Research articles should be submitted to Dr. Michael Clemons at mclemons@odu.edu in Microsoft Word. Book reviews should be submit to the Book Review Editor. It is assumed that any manuscript submitted for publication has been cleared, if clearance is required, by the author's agency or organization and has not been published previously.

Manuscripts that are accepted for publication will be cut for length and clarity. Authors will have an opportunity to review all editorial changes prior to publication. An important emphasis of the journal is a presentation of a thorough review of the relevant literature in all published research articles. In addition to an extensive treatment of the scholarly literature and relevant theory, all manuscripts should test the stated hypothesis, address the research question(s) raised, and/or provide policy recommendations. Because of space constraints, it is suggested that manuscripts not exceed 25 double-spaced manuscript pages, 12-point Times Roman. This does NOT include graphs, tables, charts, or images, in addition to the text. Exceptions will be made on a case by case basis.

Manuscripts are evaluated at submission to ensure adherence to journal guidelines. Manuscripts may be returned to authors for correction without substantive evaluation. Submitted manuscripts are then reviewed by the Editor or an Associate Editor, who will assign it to an Editorial Review Board member to contact potential referees. From the time the Editor receives a paper, up to the point the Editorial Review Board member assigns referees, an internal editorial review is completed based on priority to limit referee requests to those manuscripts that are likely to be accepted and/or fit the interests of the journal readership. Once agreement is reached to send the manuscript to referees, the Editorial Review Board member will make a recommendation to the Editor based on his or her evaluation and that of the reviewers. The Editor makes a final determination and forwards the final decision to the corresponding author. Every effort is made to return unreviewed manuscripts within 10 days and reviewed manuscripts within 8-10 weeks. Papers submitted by members of the Editorial Review Board are handled separately by the Editor and undergo anonymous peer review

Examples of affiliates include: Editors, Associate Editors, Editorial Review Board Members, and their Institutional Colleagues.

Manuscripts submitted by an Editorial Review Board member, an Editor, or a researcher at the institution of any Editorial Review Board member are reviewed by Editorial Review Board members from outside that institution. The Editorial Office ensures confidentiality and equity in reviewing all manuscripts.

Please note manuscripts will be evaluated for compliance to ethical standards. Any concerns that arise during peer review may require clarification from authors and/or lead up to rejection of the manuscript.

Critical reviews of new and recent scholarly books should be no more than 6 double-spaced manuscript pages. Book reviews that are accepted for publication will be cut for length and clarity. The decision on the acceptability of a manuscript for the feature article category rests with the Book Review editor of The JRP. Book reviews are judged on the basis of importance of the work reviewed, and the content, quality, and readership appeal of the review. Books reviewed should deal with some aspect race and the intersection of policy. Authoritative discussions of policy, philosophy, problems, and significant controversies are appropriate. Comprehensive, timely review articles dealing with research and/or management topics also are pertinent. In the case of book reviews, it is suggested that inquiry about the book to be reviewed and the process be made prior to manuscript submission.

The JRP style is based on the Chicago Manual of Style, 14th edition, but is altered to meet the needs of the Journal. Past issues of The JRP is the best resource on "how to" present items in your manuscript. Copies of the journal can be purchased by contacting the editor at mclemons@odu.edu. The preferred font style is Times Roman. The manuscript should adhere to the following guidelines:

1. Abstract: Make sure your abstract gives a summary of the essential content and conclusions to the research performed. Abstracts should not be more than 200 words using 10-point Times Roman. It should be placed below the manuscript title and author(s) name(s) and institution(s).
2. Authors: Full first names, middle initials, last names, and titles for all authors should be included on the first page, along with contact information (address, phone, fax, email) for all authors.
3. Sections: The Journal manuscripts are organized into sections. Contributors are asked to pay particular attention to the utilization of theory and to show how their research engages extant theory. In addition, the statement of methodology should be detailed and clearly documented. For major sections use ALL CAPITALS; for subsections use Title Case Italics.
4. Tables and Figures: Place figures, captions, tables, references within the body of the manuscript. The source of the information should be indicated at the bottom of the display.
5. Text: In the text, use author(s) last name only, with date, and page number. Use "et al." for three or more authors. For example: (Smith, 2003, 33); 2 authors: (Smith and Jones, 2004, 498-99). When using lengthy quotes they should be indented and single spaced, 10-point Times Roman.
6. Notes and References: The notes and references sections should be placed at the end of the manuscript. The headings "NOTES" and REFERENCES" should be in all caps and both sections in 10-point Times Roman. All references cited must be spelled out, accurately documented, and complete. Please format references as follows:
   • BOOK: Smith, Bill. 2003. Title of Book. Place: Publisher.
   • BOOK WITH more than 2 AUTHORS: Smith, Bill and Mike Jones. 2004. Title of Book. Place: Publisher.
   • EDITED BOOK: Smith, Bill, ed. 2003. "Title of Article." In Title of Book. Place: Publisher.
   • JOURNAL ARTICLE WITH 1 AUTHOR: Smith, Bill. 2006. "The Title of Article." Name of Journal 21 (3): 467-69.
   • JOURNAL ARTICLE WITH MORE THAN 2 AUTHORS: Smith, Bill, Mike Jones, and Mary Jane. 2004. "The Title of Article." Name of Journal 21 (3): 467-69.
   • NEWSPAPERS (Internet source): Smith, Bill. 2005. "Title of Newspaper Article." Title of the Newspaper, January, 28. Retrieved from http://the name/of the website/location.htm.
   • NEWSPAPERS (Hardcopy source): Smith, Bill. 2005. "Title of Newspaper Article." Title of the Newspaper, January, 28, 1-2.

Also, any conferences, meetings, etc., should carry the full name of the conference, the paper title, if it was presented, and/or if it was included in the written proceedings, along with the date (month, day, and year) of the conference or meeting, and the location where it was held. Include page numbers for book citations or meeting proceedings. All Internet references will be checked for access; therefore, please provide a print reference to go along with the URL. If the author cannot provide a print version of the material found at the URL, the URL reference will be found in the text only-the same as a personal communication reference.

Authors are notified of manuscript status within three to four months from the date they are received. If published, we inform authors of the issue in which the manuscript will appear. Accepted manuscripts are published no later than six to nine months from the date of acceptance. Reprints are available at a reasonable price.