Social work students in Canadian universities are invited and encouraged to enter article-length papers in the competition sponsored by the Canadian Social Work Review (maximum one paper per student). Winning papers will be selected for publication in an upcoming issue of the journal through anonymous peer review, completed by the editorial board members. Papers submitted may be in either English or French and should be between 4,500 and 6,000 words in length. Papers must be authored by students currently enrolled in a Canadian social work program or recent graduates (within four months of deadline date of June 30, 2025). Doctoral students are especially encouraged to participate, as well as students enrolled in BSW and MSW programs. Please consult the competition guidelines for additional information.  

We are soliciting papers that meet the mission statement of the CSWR:

• Papers should challenge or enrich existing knowledge and advance social work scholarship, practice, or education. To be considered, topics must include specific implications for social work.
• Papers should be based on original research and/or should develop a critical analysis of the selected topic.
• Submissions must conform to the style and content of an academic article and must be more than excerpts of a thesis or a manuscript prepared for other purposes.
• Winning papers must meet minimum standards for publication, as appropriate for a student paper in a scholarly journal.

 Students submitting papers should:

• Include a cover sheet with identifying information, including permanent address (not a university residence), program level, and word count of  text, excluding references (the author’s name should not appear in the body of the manuscript);
• Ensure the manuscript is anonymized, i.e. that it does not contain information that could lead to identifying the author;
• Include an abstract that does not exceed 200 words;
• Use APA format for references.

Papers will be evaluated on the basis of the following criteria:

• Is the paper based on original research or does it present a critical analysis that enriches or challenges existing knowledge in the subject area?
• Is the paper well written in terms of style, organization, and methodology (where it is appropriate to the study)?
•  Is the theme or subject well reasoned? Are concepts clearly defined and is good use made of existing literature? Are conclusions adequately supported by findings or by the analysis presented in the argument?

Each winner will be required to submit a final revised version of their paper by a specified date in accordance with the production schedule of the journal. Papers submitted elsewhere will not be accepted.