The CPA Journal: Guidelines for Authors

Manuscripts of general interest to most readers - generally between 3,000 and 4,500 words.
Manuscripts of specific, technical interest - generally between 500 and 3,000 words.
Manuscripts that express an opinion, perspective, or viewpoint about a matter of importance to CPAs--between 250 and 2,500 words.

Authors should submit manuscripts electronically in Microsoft Word, WordPerfect, or simple text format to CPAJ-Editors@nysscpa.org. Alternatively, authors can send a diskette with their manuscript and a print out to Submissions, The CPA Journal, 530 Fifth Avenue, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10036-5101. Receipt of a manuscript will be acknowledged via e-mail within one week. It is important for authors to include complete contact information (name, affiliation, street address, telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail address) and brief biographical information (including relevant professional certifications and academic degrees) within a cover sheet. To facilitate the impartial review of the manuscript, there should be no personal or identifying information within the body of the manuscript.

Manuscripts reporting research should focus on the results rather than the methodology. The Journal does not publish articles whose major contribution consists of pure research or of research methodology applications. Authors whose manuscripts rely on a research study should address a readership of interested, first-year graduate students with a professional understanding of the topic. Because the Journal's readership consists of members in both public and private practice, with diverse backgrounds and specialties, manuscripts should not presume a certain background or mindset. For technical articles of 2,000 words or longer, a brief summary of 100-125 words is helpful.

Authors writing at the request of NYSSCPA technical committees should submit the manuscript to the designated committee representatives for technical review rather than directly to the editors. Such authors should review and follow these writers guidelines. Members of NYSSCPA technical committees developing manuscripts for The CPA Journal are requested to specify their committee affiliation when submitting manuscripts and confirm the committee's approval of the submission.

The Journal editors manage the review process and make the final decision regarding acceptance, rejection, or revision based on independent, blind reviews by two members of The CPA Journal's editorial board, editorial review board, or ad hoc reviewers. The manuscript is evaluated on the basis of its relevance, timeliness, interest level to Journal readers, readability, practicality, and comprehensiveness. The typical review, from receipt of the manuscript to final decision typically takes six to eight weeks, although this timeframe varies considerably.

The Journal follows The New York Public Library Writer's Guide to Style and Usage. Please refer to this style manual (which is broadly similar to the Chicago Manual of Style) before submitting a manuscript. The Journal's preferred writing style has the following characteristics:

Direct, declarative statements
Active voice
Tight reasoning
Third-person narrative perspective, except in the case of opinion, commentary, or perspective submissions.

Please visit the archives at www.cpajournal.com and read published articles for examples of articles that reflect the Journal's style.

The editors of The Journal schedule articles for publication approximately three months before the issue appears. For example, the editors determine the contents for the January issue of The Journal in the first week of October. The production process for The Journal takes about 45 days after the editors have completed editing for length, style, and clarity of expression, which takes approximately 30 days. The editors fax preliminary page proofs to authors for their review of the final edited text approximately one month before publication.

At the time a manuscript is accepted, the editors will send an author agreement that specifies the terms of publication, including a grant of copyright to The CPA Journal for both print and Internet publication, and for possible awarding of CPE credit to readers of the article upon completion of an examination administered by the publishers.

The CPA Journal is broadly recognized as an outstanding, technical-refereed publication aimed at public practitioners, management, educators, and other accounting professionals. It is edited by CPAs for CPAs. Our goal is to provide CPAs and other accounting professionals with the information and news to enable them to be successful accountants, managers, and executives in today's practice environments.