ISCEBS 18700 W. Bluemound Rd P.O. Box 209 Brookfield, WI 53008-0209 Phone: (262) 786-8771 Fax: (262) 786-8650 iscebs@iscebs.org

Authoring an Article

Manuscript Guidelines for Benefits Quarterly

To prospective authors:
Thank you for your interest in writing for Benefits Quarterly. The following guidelines are intended to make this process easier and more enjoyable for you.

Dr. Jack L. VanDerhei, CEBS
Editor, Benefits Quarterly
Phone (215) 754-4367

1. All material submitted for possible publication should be sent to bq.editor@gmail.com. Unless other arrangements are made, material should be sent as a Microsoft Word document for text and as a Microsoft Excel or PowerPoint document for graphics.
2. Articles should range from 1,500 words to a maximum of 7,500 words. If tables, figures, bar graphs, etc., are included, text should be limited to 6,500 words maximum.
3. Benefits Quarterly articles should be educational in nature, include professional papers representing works of substance or original research and be geared to be useful to the employee benefits practitioner. The articles can follow traditional text or essay formats or appear as a series of "briefs" that touch on several topics. These could be used for the purposes of updates on diverse topics, or to summarize a research study in easily readable form .
4. Article submissions should relate to the employee benefits field and can include subjects applying to retirement, health care, insurance, law, banking, investments, government, consulting, plan management and administration, actuarial matters, labor relations, accounting, claims management, deferred compensation, work/family and other areas of human resource management including compensation.
5. Discussion, opinions and controversial material are desirable for publication. The latter could include a critical analysis of an article previously published. When articles are submitted in this context, the author shall clearly indicate that the subject matter represents original research and his or her own opinion. Authorities and documentation should be included in the context of the article. Reference should be made to contrary views, rebuttal authorities and opposing positions.
6. An executive summary of the article, approximately 200 words, should be included.
7. Attach a brief biographical note for the author(s), including present position, responsibilities and address, as well as educational background, professional affiliations, etc.
8. When a substantial amount of copyrighted material or documentation is included in a contribution, full details should be given as to the source of the research material and provision that permission has been received for inclusion in the article.
9. When data is used, endnotes (not footnotes) should indicate the source of data or concept stated. Be sure each endnote has its matching reference in the text.
10. When research material has been utilized in preparation of the article, a bibliography titled "References" should be attached to the end of the article listing all research sources.
11. The editor will obtain signed copyright agreements from all authors before articles are submitted to the International Society.
12. The editor will review all articles submitted for consideration and may suggest revisions. The editor may refer articles to outside third parties for review prior to publication. A summary of suggested revisions will be submitted to the author with respect to suggested changes.
13. Submissions may not advertise the products or services of the author's employer, or any other entity.