Book Reviews
The Journal of College Student Development (JCSD) seeks to keep its readers apprised of new materials related to professional practice in college student affairs. As a means to that end, publications, including films and videotapes, that are related to student affairs practice, research on college students or higher education environments, and issues and practices in higher education germane to the student affairs profession are accepted for consideration for review. Selection of reviewers and decisions about whether to review a work or to publish a reviewer's manuscript are made solely at the discretion of the editors. Unsolicited reviews generally are not published. A person interested in preparing a book review should contact the Associate Editor in advance of preparing the review. (Psychological instruments and computer programs are not currently being accepted for review.) Three kinds of reviews are published: summary reviews, critical essays, and notices.
Summary Reviews
Summary reviews are intended to inform readers about works of interest to student affairs practitioners, preparation program faculty, and researchers. These 750 to 1000 word reviews briefly and objectively describe the contents and the author's/editor's stated objectives. (If it is an edited work, the authors and the content of each chapter are identified.) The review should also include:
- Evaluations of how well the author/editor accomplished his or her stated purposes.
- References to other works that have treated similar subject matter.
- How this work differs from previous works.
- The relative quality or contribution of the work to the field.
Book Review Essays
Critical essays are intended for major works in the field. Textbooks and comprehensive or extended treatments of subjects of importance to the field--such as student subcultures, organizations, subpopulations, or environments; professional practice issues; intervention strategies and techniques; data based research studies; and theoretical expositions. Critical essays are limited to between 1,200 and 1,800 words. Works of a controversial nature or of major significance to the field may receive more than one review.
Essays should:
- Identify the author(s)/editor(s)' stated purpose(s) of the work.
- Provide an objective description or summary of the contents.
- Place the work in the historical and/or theoretical context of previous works and/or general practices in the field.
- Point out theoretical assumptions, presuppositions, significant factual errors, and evidence of bias.
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Identify strengths and weaknesses in areas such as:
- topic coverage (originality, depth, and sophistication)
- logic
- organizational structure
- theoretical foundations
- research methodology and/or scholarship
- writing style and clarity
- potential uses or practical implications
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Succinctly present the reviewer's evaluation of the work's:
- worth
- potential impact on practice, professional preparation, or research methods
- overall contribution to the field.
Reviewers may also present their evaluation of what is needed in the field that this work failed to provide and make proposals for further research or theoretical exposition.
Book Notices
These are short summaries of the contents of books that are of interest to the field, but that are not directly focused on student affairs. The Associate Editor writes these short descriptions (about 100 words) of the works with an evaluation of their contents.
Review Submission Process
Note that materials submitted for review will not be returned.
