Article Types

Research Articles — Original empirical work employing quantitative, qualitative, participatory, or other appropriate methodologies to examine social work practice, policy, education, or related issues in the Caribbean and its diaspora.

Practice Papers/Reflections — Accounts from practitioners reflecting on frontline experience, intervention strategies, professional practice, or professional development. These submissions are grounded primarily in practice rather than a formal research design.

Commentaries — Critical, analytical, or reflexive contributions engaging with a specific issue, debate, policy, or body of work relevant to Caribbean social work.

Book Reviews — Reviews of recently published books relevant to Caribbean social work scholarship, education, policy, or practice.

Creative and Arts-Based Contributions — Poetry, visual art, and other creative works, often accompanied by scholarly or reflective commentary, reflecting the Journal’s interest in arts-based, narrative, and other creative approaches to knowledge.

Student Contributions — Work by graduate students and emerging scholars, including submissions to the Journal’s dedicated student section.

Special Section/Themed Articles — Submissions responding to a specific special section or thematic call, such as disability, climate change, or disasters. These sections may be coordinated by a Guest Editor or Special Section Editor.

Overview of the Publication and Peer Review Process

The Caribbean Journal of Social Work (CJSW) uses a three-stage review process.

Stage 1: Abstract Review

The Editors or Special Section Editor initially review submitted abstracts to determine their alignment with the Journal’s scope, submission guidelines, and standards for scholarly publication. Authors whose abstracts are approved are invited to submit a full manuscript.

Stage 2: Peer Review

Full manuscripts that meet the Journal’s submission requirements are sent for double-blind peer review. Reviewers assess the manuscript and make recommendations regarding its suitability for publication and any revisions required.

Stage 3: Editorial Decision

The Editors or Special Section Editor consider the reviewers’ reports and determine the manuscript’s publication status. Authors are notified of the decision and, where applicable, provided with guidance for revision.

CJSW draws reviewers from its Editorial Board and Review Panels, as well as academics from related disciplines and experienced, academically qualified practitioners.

The editorial and peer review process generally takes five to six months. Following acceptance, manuscripts proceed to copy-editing, author review, and production. The overall period from abstract submission to publication is estimated at eight to ten months, barring unforeseen circumstances.

Submission Requirements

Manuscript Format

Submissions must be original and must not be under consideration for publication elsewhere. Manuscripts should not exceed 7,000 words, excluding the abstract and references, unless otherwise specified for a particular article type or special call.

All manuscript submissions must include an abstract of no more than 250 words. Manuscripts submitted without an abstract will be returned to the author. A biographical note of 15–30 words must also be provided for each author.

The Caribbean Journal of Social Work follows the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. Authors must adhere to the most recent edition of APA Style when preparing their manuscripts.

Manuscripts must also meet the following requirements:

Spelling: Caribbean/British spelling conventions must be used consistently throughout the manuscript.
Cover page: The cover page must include the title of the manuscript; the full name of each author; the title and institutional affiliation of each author; and the name and contact information of the corresponding author, including mailing address, telephone number, and email address. Where there is more than one author, a corresponding author must be clearly identified. The cover page must be submitted separately from the main manuscript.
Anonymous review: Information that identifies the author or authors must not appear in the main manuscript.
References and endnotes: All sources cited in the manuscript must appear in the reference list. Endnotes should be kept to a minimum and should appear before the reference list. References must be accurate and complete and should include a functioning web link where applicable and a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) where available.
Copyright permissions: Authors must obtain and provide evidence of permission to reproduce any third-party copyrighted material included in the manuscript where such permission is required.

Citation Practice

Long strings of references supporting a single point should be avoided. The reference list should contain only sources cited in the manuscript.

Tables and Figures

Tables and figures must be submitted in publication-ready format and clearly numbered and titled. Their intended placement should be clearly indicated in the manuscript.

All tables and figures must be in black and white. High-quality computer-generated graphics are preferred. Letters, numbers, labels, and other elements in diagrams and charts must remain legible when reduced for publication.

Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence

The CJSW does not accept manuscripts in which generative artificial intelligence has been used substantively to produce the intellectual content of the work. Generative AI must not be used to generate or replace an author’s original analysis, interpretation, argument, findings, or conclusions.

Limited use of generative AI for editorial assistance, such as improving grammar, clarity, or language, must be disclosed at submission. Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, integrity, and ethical standards of all submitted material.

Generative AI tools cannot be listed as authors or co-authors. Authorship requires accountability for the work, including responsibility for its accuracy, integrity, and originality, which cannot be assigned to an AI tool.

Where generative AI has been used for permitted editorial assistance, authors must include a disclosure statement identifying the tool used and the nature of its use.

Undisclosed or substantive use of AI-generated content may result in rejection or, where identified after publication, retraction.

Publication Details

There is no Article Processing Charge (APC). Submission to and publication in CJSW are free of charge to authors.

The estimated timeframe from abstract submission to publication is eight to ten months. This includes editorial and peer review, followed by copy-editing, author review, and production.

Following acceptance, authors are expected to:

respond promptly to editorial and copy-editing queries;
complete any revisions or corrections requested by the Journal;
verify author names, affiliations, references, tables, figures, quotations, data, and other factual information;
provide any outstanding permissions or supplementary files required for publication; and
review and approve the final proof before publication.

Acceptance of a manuscript does not remove the author’s responsibility for ensuring the accuracy and completeness of the published work.

Copyright and Open Access

CJSW is an open access journal. Articles are published under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) licence. This licence permits others to share, reproduce, distribute, adapt, and build upon the work, including for commercial purposes, provided appropriate credit is given to the author or authors and the original source.

Authors grant CJSW the right to publish their work and to identify the Journal as the original publisher.

Authors are responsible for ensuring that any third-party material included in their manuscripts may legally be published under the terms applicable to that material. Where permission is required to reproduce copyrighted material, authors must obtain the necessary permission and provide evidence to the Journal.

An Exploratory Study of Social Workers’ Level of Inter-organizational Contact in Barbados: Indications of Outreach Into Civil Society