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The Institute for Research on Poverty (IRP) at the University of Wisconsin–Madison is a center for interdisciplinary research into the causes and consequences of poverty and inequality and the impact of related policies and programs. As the National Poverty Research Center sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, IRP coordinates the U.S. Collaborative of Poverty Centers in an integrated set of activities with the ultimate goal of improving the effectiveness of public policies to reduce poverty and inequality and their impacts on the well-being of the American people.

IRP Discussion Paper Series Submission Guidelines

To facilitate publication of papers in the Discussion Paper (DP) series, authors, who must be IRP affiliates, are asked to adhere to the guidelines below when preparing and submitting their work.

To submit a discussion paper, attach the file(s) according to the guidelines below in an e-mail to Discussion Paper Series Editor Deborah Johnson (djohnson@ssc.wisc.edu). With your submission, please indicate which of the three copyediting options described below you would like.

Manuscript Formats

Please submit your paper as a Microsoft Word or PDF document. Note that PDF files cannot be edited. Figures should be sent in a separate, Excel file. The text file should begin with a page that includes the title, authors and their institutional affiliations, acknowledgments, and an appropriate recognition of funding sources, including specific language and grant numbers if requested by the funding agency.* The second page of the text file should include an abstract of 150 to 200 words and 4 to 5 keywords.

Tables may be generated in Word or in Excel. Figures should be produced in Excel, so our technical typist can modify the figure files if necessary. Please do not embed figures in the text file of your manuscript. Also, please generate equations directly in the text file.

Manuscript Copyediting Options

With your submission, please indicate which of the following three copyediting options you would like:

1. No editing

The paper is accepted or rejected for the DP series on the basis of a quick editorial reading. Any recommendation for rejection will be reviewed by the IRP Director (rejection is extremely rare, and usually because the paper is deemed not poverty-related). Author provides a usable PDF file of text, tables, and figures, and also provides an abstract and 4 to 5 keywords. The manuscript is posted on the IRP website directly from the PDF file.

This option provides for the quickest possible production of a DP manuscript.

2. Light edit, at author's request

Editor will read for the following:

• consistency in spelling, capitalization, use of numbers;
• correct text references to figures and tables;
• consistency between the text citations and the reference list; and
• grammar.

In the light edit, changes will be tracked and sent to the author for review; either the author or IRP's technical typist prepares the final version (this is the author's choice).

3. A thorough edit, at author's request

Editor will do a thorough edit which includes everything done in a light edit, plus:

• stylistic suggestions, suggestions regarding logical organization and structure, and the use, placement, and uniform treatment of headings;
• spot-check of figures and tables, and careful comparison with text discussions; and
• careful check of references for consistency and correct styling, in whatever format the author requests.

A thorough edit is the most time-consuming option.

*If your funding agency requires a review before publication, please obtain this approval before submitting the manuscript as a potential IRP discussion paper.