Journal Description
The Stand to End Rape Initiative (STER) Journal is a peer-reviewed publication committed to the dissemination of research and information about innovative programming, policies, and public engagement efforts to prevent and respond to all aspects of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). This journal was developed in line with our organisation’s desire to improve the way in which knowledge is produced, validated and shared among researchers and practitioners working to end SGBV.
The purpose of this journal is to encourage discourse among persons working in various sectors and disciplines, as well as in agencies and other contexts, and among those from diverse origins including ethnocultural identification, gender identity, and victimisation/survival experiences. The thematic focus of the journal is to explore the latest information, challenges, and practical solutions with regard to the SGBV program and policy development and implementation. We welcome articles that are in line with our purpose and thematic focus. Specifically, the STER Journal strongly encourages submissions related to the broad category of SGBV prevention and response from diverse disciplinary perspectives.
We invite individuals (such as legal professionals, healthcare providers, government officers, and media professionals) and institutions (such as NGOs, special interests, and other stakeholder groups) from various disciplines and backgrounds to submit relevant articles for publication in the journal. All articles will go through an editorial review. Articles submitted to this journal must align with our principles of equity, inclusivity, empowerment, and social justice.
Submission Guidelines
Articles should be submitted electronically via email to contactus@standtoendrape.org and legal@standtoendrape.org.
The subject line for the email should state “ATTN EDITOR – JOURNAL ARTICLE SUBMISSION”. If you leave the subject line blank, your email may end up marked as spam or deleted. All submissions should be the original work of the author(s) and all references to work from other sources should be appropriately cited. Articles submitted to this journal should not be published elsewhere or under review at another publication.
Submission Deadline
The submission period begins on December 10, 2022, and articles will be accepted on a rolling deadline.
Publication Policies
Submission to this journal is a representation that the article has not been published previously and is not currently under consideration for publication elsewhere. A statement confirming that the article has not been previously published elsewhere and transferring copyright from the authors (or their employers, if they hold the copyright) to STER Initiative will be required before the article can be accepted for publication.
Article Preparation Guidelines
Articles should be prepared in British English using the APA Style Guide and should be no longer than 5000 words, including references, tables, and figures. The text must be double-spaced in 10-point Open Sans font. Articles must include margins of 1 inch on all sides. All files should be in Word (.docx or .doc).
The article should include six major sections (in this order): (1) Title, (2) Abstract, (3) Keywords (4) Main Text/Body of the paper, (5) References, and (6) Author Biographies. If the article includes tables, figures or appendices, these sections should be included before the Author’s Biographies.
1. Title page – The title page should include the following information:
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- Full article title.
- Acknowledgements and credits.
- Each author’s complete name and institutional affiliation(s), if applicable.
- Corresponding author (name, address, phone, and e-mail), if more than one author.
2. Abstract – The abstract should be no longer than 300 words. If the article reports findings from a research or evaluation work, the abstract must clearly and concisely summarise the study questions, participants, methods, findings, and major implications for policy, practice, and future inquiry.
3. Keywords – 3 – 5 keywords must be included in the article.
4. Main Text – The body of the paper should include an introduction, a statement of the problem, an analysis of the problem, sources of information, a conclusion, and practical recommendations. Headings and subheadings should be used within the article where appropriate. Subheadings should indicate the organisation of the content of the article. Generally, three heading levels are sufficient to organise text.
5. References – Basic rules for the reference list:
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- The reference list should be arranged in alphabetical order according to the authors’ last names.
- If there is more than one work by the same author, order them according to their publication date – oldest to newest (therefore a 2010 publication would appear before a 2011 publication).
- When listing multiple authors of a source use “&” instead of “and.”
- Capitalise only the first word of the title and of the subtitle, if there is one, and any proper names – i.e., only those words that are normally capitalised.
- Italicise the title of the book, the title of the journal/serial and the title of the web document.
- Manuscripts submitted to STER Journal should strictly follow the current APA style guide.
- Every citation in the text must have a detailed reference in the Reference section.
- Every reference listed in the Reference section must be cited in the text.
- Do not use “et al.” in the Reference list at the end; the names of all authors of a publication should be listed there.
6. Biographies – Author(s) are required to send a 40-60 word biography for publication at the end of the article.
7. Tables, Figures and Appendices – If your article includes tables, each table must be structured properly with a clear and concise title. If your article includes figures, each figure must be numbered consecutively in the order in which they appear in the text and must include figure captions. If your article includes appendices, each appendix should be lettered to distinguish from numbered tables and figures. Include a descriptive title for each appendix (e.g., “Appendix A. Variable Names and Definitions”).
IMPORTANT NOTE: To encourage a faster production process of your article, closely adhere to article preparation guidelines. Otherwise, it will entail a long process of solving the editor’s queries and may lead to your article being rejected for publication or directly affecting the publication time of your article. In case of any questions, please contact the journal editor at sterabuja@standtoendrape.org.
