Forensic specialists, members, and students may contribute to The Forensic Examiner® by submitting articles for consideration. We welcome submissions from all areas of the forensic profession, and are seeking well-written, engaging articles offering original perspectives.

Submission Guidelines

The Examiner will not consider manuscripts that have been submitted to any other publication. All submissions must adhere to the following requirements:

  • Sent in a Microsoft Word document
  • Must be typed and double-spaced, one-sided on 8 ∏ x 11-inch paper, and one-inch margins
  • Include a title page with the article title and the author(s) name, degrees, affiliation, and contact information
  • Submissions containing references must include in-text citations and a reference list, and both must strictly adhere to the style of the American Psychological Association (APA style)
  • Include a one-paragraph biography of the author at the end of the paper
  • Include all authors' résumés or curricula vitae

Continuing Education Submissions

Empirical research manuscripts submitted as continuing education articles must be more than 4,000 words and include the following additional components:

  • An article abstract of no more than 120 words
  • A list of three to five keywords that express the precise content of the manuscript (used for indexing purposes), positioned immediately following the abstract
  • A list of at least three learning objectives covering the main points of the manuscript, positioned immediately following the key words
  • A minimum of six multiple-choice test questions that adequately cover the material highlighted in the learning objectives (used to offer continuing education credit through journal learning)
  • In-text citations and a reference section that both strictly adhere to the style of the American Psychological Association (APA style)

To submit, email your manuscript to editor@acfei.com, or mail the manuscript on CD (labeled with identifying information) to

Editor, The Forensic Examiner
2750 E. Sunshine
Springfield, MO 65804

If necessary, accompanying materials, such as photographs, may be mailed as well.

Check the manuscript for content and style (correct spelling, punctuation and grammar; accuracy and consistency in the citation of figures, tables, and references; stylistic uniformity of entries in the references section; etc.). Ensure that all required sections of the manuscript are completed (abstract, bio, resume, key words, learning objectives, and multiple-choice questions). Manuscripts containing numerous typos or errors or lacking any of the required components will be returned to the author for revision before they are submitted for peer-review.

The Forensic Examiner® reserves the right to edit manuscripts for grammar, length, and clarity. The Forensic Examiner® also reserves the right to complete creative control over the appearance of the final product, e.g. design considerations and selection of accompanying illustrations and photographs.

Illustration, Photos, and Tables

All illustrations and photos (including drawings, diagrams, and charts) must be numbered in one consecutive series of Arabic numerals. Type the captions for illustrations on a separate page. Photographs should be large, glossy prints, showing high contrasts. Identify figures on the back with author’s name and number of the illustration, if applicable.

If emailing photos, please use .jpg format, leave the picture as large as possible, and use at least 300 dpi. Attachments must be lower than 3 megabytes to go through our email system.

Tables must be numbered and referred to by number in the text. Each table should be typed on a separate page. Center the title above the table and type explanatory footnotes (preferably indicated by super-script lowercase letters) below the table.

2011 Submission Deadlines

Fall/Winter Issue

Deadline for Submissions: September 9
Review Process: September 9-October 10
Final Editorial Preparations and Design Finalizations: October 10-November 9
Anticipated In-Hand Date: December 7

2012 Submission Deadlines

Spring Issue

Deadline for Submissions: November 18
Review Process: November 18-December 20
Final Editorial Preparations and Design Finalizations: December 20- January 20
Anticipated In-Hand Date: February 17

Summer Issue

Deadline for Submissions: March 2
Review Process: March 2-April 2
Final Editorial Preparations and Design Finalizations: April 2- May 2
Anticipated In-Hand Date: May 30

Fall Issue

Deadline for Submissions: June 1
Review Process: June 1-July 6
Final Editorial Preparations and Design Finalizations: July 6- August 8
Anticipated In-Hand Date: September 5

Winter Issue

Deadline for Submissions: September 14
Review Process: September 14-October 15
Final Editorial Preparations and Design Finalizations: October 15- November 16
Anticipated In-Hand Date: December 14

Exclusivity Note

By submitting a manuscript to The Forensic Examiner®, an author certifies that the material has not been and will not be submitted to any other publication prior to its appearance in The Forensic Examiner®.

Peer-Review

All articles are reviewed individually by three members of the Examiner’s editorial advisory board who will recommend one of four courses of action: accept, accept with recommended changes, reject, and reject with the option to rewrite. Based on these recommendations, a final decision will be made regarding the manuscript.

The author’s identity always remains unknown to the reviewers throughout the entire peer-review process, which may take several months; once completed, the author will be notified of the decision and sent reviews for the appropriate course of action.

Compensation

Authors will receive two complimentary copies of the journal in which their article appears. Additional copies may be purchased separately.