Submissions

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Submission Preparation Checklist

As part of the submission process, authors are required to check off their submission's compliance with all of the following items, and submissions may be returned to authors that do not adhere to these guidelines.
  • This submission is original, has not been previously published, and is not under consideration elsewhere.
  • All authors have disclosed any funding sources and potential conflicts of interest.
  • For studies involving human participants, IRB approval (or equivalent ethical review) was obtained and is stated in the manuscript.
  • The main manuscript file is fully de-identified for double-anonymous peer review (no author names, institutions, acknowledgements, or self-identifying references).
  • A separate Title Page file has been uploaded with author names, affiliations, and corresponding author contact information.
  • The manuscript includes a 150–250 word abstract and 4–6 keywords.
  • The manuscript meets word limits for the selected section:
    Research Articles: 6,000–8,000 words
    Practitioner Briefs: 2,000–3,000 words
  • The manuscript follows APA 7th edition formatting, including 12-point Times New Roman, 1-inch margins, and double-spacing.
  • Tables and figures are embedded in the manuscript and placed at the end of the document, with each table beginning on a new page.
  • Any copyrighted material (figures, tables, assessments, or extended quotations) includes written permission for reuse, obtained by the author(s).
  • The manuscript includes clear implications for MTSS research, policy, and/or practice.

Author Guidelines

The Journal of MTSS (JMTSS) publishes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship advancing the science and practice of Multi-tiered Systems of Support (MTSS). Manuscripts must include clear implications for MTSS research, policy, and/or practice.

Manuscript Types

JMTSS accepts submissions in two sections:

1) Scholarly Research Articles
Original research, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, conceptual papers, and field-based analyses.

2) Practitioner Briefs
Evidence-informed descriptions of MTSS implementation, applied leadership practices, and field-based lessons learned.

Length Requirements

  • Research Articles: 6,000–8,000 words (including abstract, references, tables, and figures)

  • Practitioner Briefs: 2,000–3,000 words (including abstract, references, tables, and figures)

All manuscripts must include:

  • A 150–250 word abstract

  • 4–6 keywords

Formatting Requirements

Submitted manuscripts must adhere to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA), 7th edition, including:

  • 8.5 x 11-inch document

  • 1-inch margins

  • Double-spaced

  • 12-point Times New Roman

  • Left aligned

Tables and figures should be embedded in the manuscript but placed at the end of the document, with each table beginning on a new page. Figures must be production-ready.

Blind Review Requirements

JMTSS uses a double-anonymous peer review process. Authors must:

  • Upload a separate Title Page file containing author names, affiliations, and contact information

  • Remove all identifying information from the main manuscript file prior to submission

Submission Screening

All submissions are screened prior to peer review for:

  • Fit with the journal’s mission and scope

  • Compliance with word limits

  • APA formatting requirements

  • Clear implications for MTSS research, policy, and practice

Manuscripts that do not meet these requirements may be rejected without external review.

Ethical Standards

Authors must affirm that:

  • The manuscript is original and not under review elsewhere

  • Appropriate ethical approval was obtained for studies involving human participants

  • All conflicts of interest and funding sources have been disclosed

Plagiarism

All manuscripts are screened using plagiarism detection software. Plagiarism (including self-plagiarism) will result in immediate rejection.

Peer-reviewed Articles

Scholarly Research Articles publish high-quality, peer-reviewed studies that advance MTSS research, implementation science, and systems change. JMTSS welcomes quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods research, as well as systematic reviews and meta-analyses.

All submissions must include clear, explicit implications for MTSS research, policy, and practice.

Scholarly Research Articles: Submission Policy

Purpose & Fit

Research Articles should advance the evidence base for MTSS implementation and outcomes. JMTSS welcomes original research (e.g., randomized trials, quasi-experimental designs, single-case designs, correlational studies, and qualitative research), as well as systematic reviews and conceptual papers with compelling implications.

Length

  • 6,000–8,000 words, including abstract, references, tables, and figures

  • Include a 200 word abstract and 4–6 keywords

Ethical Standards

All original research must clearly indicate:

  • IRB approval (or equivalent human subjects protections)

  • Ethical compliance aligned to APA standards

Review Process

All manuscripts are screened for:

  • Appropriateness of content

  • APA formatting adherence

  • Word limit compliance

  • Clear implications for MTSS research/policy/practice

If criteria are met, manuscripts proceed to double-blind peer review with at least two reviewers. Final decisions are made by the Co-Editors.

Formatting Requirements

  • APA 7th edition required

  • De-identified manuscript for blind review

  • Tables/figures embedded but placed at end

  • Figures must be black and white, production-ready

Copyright Notice

The Journal of MTSS (JMTSS) is an open-access journal. Authors retain copyright of their work and grant JMTSS the right of first publication.

By submitting to JMTSS, authors agree that:

  1. The submitted manuscript is original, has not been previously published, and is not under review by another journal or publisher.

  2. Authors have obtained written permission for any copyrighted material included in the manuscript (e.g., figures, tables, assessments, or extended quotations), and any associated fees are the responsibility of the author(s).

  3. Authors grant JMTSS permission to publish the accepted manuscript online as part of an open-access publication.

  4. Authors acknowledge that JMTSS may archive and distribute published articles to ensure long-term public access.

  5. If the manuscript is accepted, authors agree to comply with all final formatting, publication, and editorial requirements prior to publication.

Privacy Statement

The names and email addresses entered in this journal site will be used exclusively for the stated purposes of this journal and will not be made available for any other purpose or to any other party.