Author Guidelines

The purpose of the Journal is to provide a forum for the sharing of ideas, information, and perspectives on matters of common concern among practitioners and those undertaking research in the field.

The editors welcome submission of papers, including commentaries, research reports, practice-based articles, and brief reports from the Association’s members and applicants, as well as from others outside the Association with interests relevant to the field of counselling. The overriding criteria for selection are that the material is professionally relevant, the presentation is of high quality, and the writer has communicated effectively with readers.

Contributions to the “Perspectives” section will be well-informed and scholarly discussions that concisely share specialist knowledge and insights on recently published articles, research, or other professional activities of immediate interest or concern to the profession.

1. Manuscripts should preferably be submitted to the editors as electronic documents in Microsoft Word format, using the Times New Roman 12-point font, and be double spaced throughout, including the reference list, with reasonably wide margins.

2. Unless special arrangements have been made with the The text should not exceed 6,000 words (excluding notes and references).

3. “Perspectives” articles  will be between 2,000 and 4,000 words in length (including an abstract, main text, references, and figures).

4. The title and abstract (no longer than 150 words) and five keywords should appear on the first page of the article or title page. Keep the title short and descriptive of the article. The abstract should cover the intent, scope, general research procedures, and principal findings of the article. On a separate page, list the name(s), job title(s), and business and email addresses of the author(s). Articles for the “Perspectives” section should include both original research data and personal opinion and should have a concise title, an abstract (50 words or fewer) no more than 35 references, and one or two figures or tables. On a separate page, list the name(s), job title(s), and business and email addresses of the author(s).

5. Authors should consult articles in recent issues of the Journal on general matters of style, g., conventions regarding headings, tables, and graphs, etc. All past issues of the Journal are currently available at https://nzac.org.nz/site/communications/journal/overview

6. The text should not be justified but should be left aligned (i.e., ragged right- hand margin), including Make sure that headings are concise and keep the number of heading levels to a minimum, preferably no more than three, using APA heading formats, which can be found at https://apastyle. apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/paper-format/headings. Keep the layout as simple as possible, and do not add additional formatting styles or use Track Changes. Do not have a heading “Introduction” as it should be self-evident that the first part of the text is an introduction. Insert only one space after a full stop.

7. The location of tables, figures, graphs, drawings, or photographs in the text must be clearly indicated, e.g. [TABLE 2 ABOUT HERE], and they should be attached as separate files (jpeg in the case of drawings or photographs), and/or submitted on separate pages at the end of the article. Make sure each table and figure is numbered correctly and has a Position the heading above the figure or table, and place sources and notes immediately below. Do not embed the heading or caption in a figure. If a table or figure is reproduced or adapted from another publication, be sure you have permission to use it. In the text, always refer to a table by its number (rather than, e.g., “the table below”).

8. Te reo Māori orthographic conventions need to be observed by authors, as established by the Māori Language Briefly, this means macrons are used consistently to mark long vowels. A copy of the document on te reo Māori orthographic conventions can be obtained from: https://www.reomaori.co.nz/orthography

9. Definitions will not be provided for Māori and Pacific words that are in common usage, nor will those words be italicised in the text.

10. Footnotes should be avoided. When endnotes may be necessary, number from one upwards and indicate the location of each in the text by a number in

11. Follow the seventh edition of the APA style guide in general but use New Zealand For help with APA style, see: https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/ general_format.html

12. Citations within the text should include in parentheses the author’s surname and year of publication, consistent with the item in the references at the end of the article. When a quotation has been used, include the page number(s), e.g., (Jones, 2006, p. 30), with a full stop and a space after the “p”. Use double quotation marks around the words quoted, and single for any quote within the quotation itself.

13. Quoted material of more than 40 words should be indented 1.5 cm from the left-hand margin (set as a block quotation). The source of the quotation should be on a new line below the quotation within parentheses, and ranged right (i.e., be on the right-hand margin). No quotation marks should be used around block quotations.

14. Authors alone are responsible for securing, when necessary, permission to use quotations or other illustrations from copyrighted materials. Any charges connected to permissions will be paid by the article’s author(s).

15. The reference list at the end of the article should be arranged alphabetically by authors’ surnames. If a source has been accessed electronically, please ensure that any web address provided will be accessible to readers. Named databases such as ProQuest are not appropriate, as much of our readership is unable to use that information. However, do include a DOI number for journal articles where it is available. The following examples should be used as a guide, paying attention to the sequence of items in the reference and to the capitalisation and punctuation:

Aviram, R. B., Brodsky, B. S., & Stanley, B. (2006). Borderline personality disorder, stigma, and treatment implications. Harvard Review of Psychiatry, 14(5), 249–256.https://doi.org/10.1080/10673220600975121

Hulme, K. (1981). Mauri: An introduction to bicultural poetry in New Zealand. In G. Amirthanayagam & S. C. Harrex (Eds.), Only connect (pp. 290–310). Center for Research in the New Literatures in English, Honolulu, HI.

Ifekwunigwe, J. O. (Ed.). (2004). “Mixed race” studies: A reader. Routledge.

Johnston, M. (2007, April 21). Census planners blasted for “distorted” ethnicity statistics. The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved April 27, 2007, from http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=1043539

Keddell, E. (2006). Pavlova and pineapple pie: Selected identity influences on Samoan-Pākehā people in Aotearoa/New Zealand. Kōtuitui: New Zealand Social Sciences Online, 1, 45–63. https://doi.org/10.1080/1177083X.2006.9522410

Krueger, R. A., & Casey, M. A. (2000). Focus groups: A practical guide for applied research (3rd ed.). Sage.

Kukutai, T. (2005, August 23). White mothers, brown children: Understanding the intergenerational transmission of minority ethnic identity. Paper presented at the Annual American Population Association Meeting, Philadelphia, PA.

16. Use abbreviations sparingly; overuse hinders rather than aids Where an abbreviation or acronym is used, spell out in full at the first reference, with the abbreviation in brackets immediately after, and then use the abbreviation in the rest of the article. With abbreviations i.e., e.g., use no italics but full stops and a comma when used within parentheses or in a table or figure; when used in the text, write out in full. At the beginning of a sentence, write out a number or percentage in full rather than using a numeral.

16. Use bold type sparingly, and do not use bold or underlining in the text for emphasis; instead, use italics, but do so sparingly as

16. It is advisable to submit a manuscript to one or two colleagues for critical comment and proofreading before submitting it for publication.

19. The editors reserve the right to make minor alterations or deletions to articles without consulting the author(s), as long as such changes do not materially affect the substance of the article. Authors will be contacted if clarification is

20. All articles will be reviewed by at least two referees before a decision regarding publication is In the review process, the identities of both the author(s) and the referees will remain anonymous.

21. Authors are asked to avoid the use of sexist language and generalisations about all people from limited Submission does not guarantee publication. Furthermore, publication does not imply that the views expressed in any article represent those of the New Zealand Association of Counsellors.

22. The primary mode of delivery for published articles is now the online version of the If you would like a copy of your own article, you can download it as a PDF from the NZAC website as soon as each issue appears.

23. The typical process to publication will be as follows:
    1. A paper is submitted.
    2. Receipt is acknowledged.
    3. Editors decide if the paper is ready for
    4. The paper is returned with comments or sent on to
    5. Feedback is passed on to author(s) following receipt of referees’ responses regarding

acceptance or changes needed.

6. The paper is resubmitted following author modifications (if required).
7. The paper is copy-edited.
8. Proofs are
9. The Journal is published.

Manuscripts for consideration for the next issue should be emailed to the  editors:

Peter Bray:                 p.bray@bti.ac.nz

Janet May:                  janet.may@auckland.ac.nz

Shanee Barraclough:  shanee.barraclough@canterbury.ac.nz

The postal address for submissions is:

Peter Bray, Janet May, and Shanee Barraclough (Editors)

New Zealand Journal of Counselling

c/o School of Counselling, Human Services & Social Work   

Faculty of Education and Social Work

The University of Auckland   Private Bag 92601 Symonds Street

Auckland 1150 New Zealand