Below are the Practice Brief Guidelines pertaining to final manuscript submission to GrandFamilies: The Contemporary Journal of Research, Practice and Policy.
Practice Brief Guidelines:
Your Voice, Your Impact: Publishing Practice Wisdom in the GrandFamilies Journal
Why Share Your Work?
Every day, practitioners like you are designing, adapting, and delivering services that change the lives of kinship family members. You solve problems. You build trust. You create new models when the old ones don’t work.
By writing a practice brief, you can:
- Celebrate and document your efforts
- Help others replicate what works
- Contribute to a growing body of practice-based knowledge
- Elevate the voices of grandfamilies and the professionals who serve them
- Get the attention of potential funders interested in supporting effective programs
- Assist colleagues in replicating your work and facilitate the implementation of the National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers
You do not need to be a researcher or academic to publish. If you have a story, strategy, or program worth sharing, the GrandFamilies Journal is for you.
The information below is provided as a resource to help you develop a publication for the GrandFamilies journal.
About the GrandFamilies Journal
The GrandFamilies Journal is a peer-reviewed, open-access journal that publishes high-quality articles on topics related to kinship caregiving. While the journal initially focused on grandparents raising grandchildren, it now welcomes content about all types of kinship families—siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, fictive kin, and more.
Learn more: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/grandfamilies/aimsandscope.html
The journal accepts:
- Practice Briefs
- Research articles and briefs
- Policy briefs
- Program evaluations
- Literature reviews
Read Before You Write: Examples of Recent Practice Briefs and Recent Articles on Practice
Here are some examples of recent practice briefs published by kinship programs:
Learning from Experience: What Is Successful Respite During and Post-Pandemic?
Jennifer A. Crittenden, Darlene Sansone, Kristina Brant, Jennifer Odum, Caitlin O'Brien, and Lisa McCormick
Sustaining Critical Support Services for Relative Caregivers Through the Covid-19 Pandemic and BEYOND
Shelly Willis, Lori Latimer, and Rolanda Pyle
Building Blocks for New Kinship Partnerships and Coalitions
Kathy L. Dial, Daniel J. Koltz, Janet Salo, and Erin Beasley
Supportive Programming during a Worldwide Pandemic and Beyond
Rainie B. Jueschke, Charissa Lynch, Anne Stokes, and Tracy Van de Vate
To help you with your work, we suggest that you take a look at existing studies and information about programs designed for kinship families. Understanding what's already out there will give you valuable context. We've compiled a helpful list of recent research articles about kincare family program models: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1yDujv1AVsTP2uuIi_s2e9fsKpdOxORgxFd3phaDAioo/edit?gid=0#gid=0
What is a Practice Brief?
A practice brief is a short, practical article (generally 15 pages or less) written by practitioners for a broad audience. It describes:
- A practice or program you’ve implemented
- What you learned
- What others can take away from your experience
Unlike research articles, practice briefs are meant to be accessible and applied. You don’t need complex data or academic writing, just a clear explanation of your work and why it matters.
Evaluation is a valuable aspect of the process. Please share how you obtain feedback from the caregivers you serve and how you incorporate their input to ensure the program effectively addresses their needs.
Consider the following questions:
- How do you gather feedback from the caregiver families you serve?
- In what ways do you incorporate feedback to modify and improve your service delivery?
- What specific adjustments or changes have you made to your program model based on the feedback received?
Relevant feedback from caregiver families, including quotes, comments, and stories illustrating the impact of the service, is welcomed.
Step-by-Step: How to Write a Practice Brief
Step 1: Pick Your Focus
Choose a topic or program you’re proud of—one that responds to an identified caregiver need and is something others could learn from and replicate.
Step 2: Answer the '5Ws + H'
Why: Why did you decide on this model/approach? Why was this needed?
Who: Who was involved? What organization/program? Did you have partners-who are they and why did you invite them to partner with you? Do you target specific groups or types of families in your work?
What: Describe the practice/program/strategy. What resources are needed such as staffing, training, materials, etc.?
Where: What geographic location did you target and why? Describe the area in which you provided the program-is it rural or urban? Is this a statewide, community, or regional effort?
When: When did this practice/program/strategy start? How long has it been in existence?
How: What is the “recipe” for your approach? You should give enough information for others to assess whether and how they might replicate this work. How often is this program/service/strategy offered? Do you offer variations on the approach? How many sessions and for how long, etc.? Do you solicit feedback? How is the feedback gathered, and how is it utilized?
Step 3: Reflect on Outcomes
Share what changed, feedback received, and lessons learned.
Step 4: Write Your Draft Using a Template
Typical sections:
- A one or two paragraph abstract
- Introduction and Background
- Description of Practice/Program
- Implementation Approach including how diversity is addressed
- Outcomes and Reflections
- Challenges, Lessons Learned and Success Stories
- Evaluation and feedback
- Conclusion and Recommendations
- References
Practice briefs do not need to include a full literature review but should have citations supporting the main points. Practice briefs can be built out of a previous point presentation. A bibliography, using APA style, is needed.
Formatting your Submission
Grandfamilies welcomes submissions in various formats, including:
- Practice Briefs (15-page max, double-spaced)
- Full Research Articles (25-page max, double-spaced)
- Research Briefs (15-page max, double-spaced)
- Policy Briefs (15-page max, double-spaced)
All submissions should follow the electronic publication format found in the APA Style Guide (7th ed) at http://www.apastyle.org/. Please ensure your submitted content has not been published elsewhere in peer-reviewed journals or online open-access sources.
Submitting Your Practice Brief
Steps:
1. Finalize and proofread your brief
- Make sure to use 12-point Times New Roman font
- Include all the headings listed in Step 4 above
- Use APA formatting
- Go to: http://scholarworks.wmich.edu/grandfamilies/
- Create account or log in
- Upload under 'Submit Article’
Need Help or Have Questions?
You can submit your completed manuscripts directly via the journal website: http://scholarworks.wmich.edu/grandfamilies/
If you have any questions about manuscript submissions, please don't hesitate to reach out to Deborah Langosch, Co-Executive Editor of GrandFamilies, at drlangosch@gmail.com.
Final Words of Encouragement
Publishing a practice brief is about honoring your experience and sharing knowledge. Your work is needed. You belong in the journal. We look forward to reading your practice brief!
