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Author Guidelines

Authors are invited to make a submission to this journal. All submissions will be assessed by an Editor to determine whether they meet the aims and scope of this journal. Those considered to be a good fit will be sent for peer review before determining whether they will be accepted or rejected. As part of the peer review process all manuscripts will be sent to at least two anonymous reviewers (double-anonymised peer review) and the final decision made by the handling editor on the basis of at least two reviews. However, an Editor may reject a submission if it does not meet minimum standards of quality. 

Before making a submission, authors are responsible for obtaining permission to publish any material included with the submission, such as photos, documents and datasets. All authors identified on the submission must consent to be identified as an author. 

 

EMPIRICAL RESEARCH (6,000 to 8,000 max)

The Journal welcomes a range of empirical work including (though not restricted to):

·      Experimental research (quantitative and qualitative)

·      Field investigations

·      Case collections

·      Theoretical contributions

·      Review articles

·      Historical perspectives

TITLE PAGE INFORMATION

TITLE (in capitals): Titles are often used in information-retrieval systems and as such, they should be concise and informative. To facilitate the blind peer review process authors must mask their identities in the manuscript, including the first page, body of the text, and reference section, as well as masking identifying information from the file name and the identifying information for it. 

ABSTRACT: Formatted in 10pt font size, Times Roman, with 1cm indent left and right. A concise and factual abstract is required (250 words maximum). The abstract should state briefly the purpose/rationale of the research, the principal results, and major conclusions. An abstract is often presented separately from the article, so it must be able to stand alone. For this reason, References should be avoided, but if essential, then cite the author(s) and year(s). Also, non-standard or uncommon abbreviations should be avoided.

SECTIONS: Where relevant the submission should contain the following sections, with headings in caps:

INTRODUCTION

The introduction states the topic and the main questions to be explored. The researchers supply background information by discussing past research on the topic. Extensive referencing establishes support for the discussion. The researchers explain how their study will add to past research on the topic. The researchers state their hypotheses.

METHOD

The method provides a clear indication of what was done to whom and precisely how. A good rule of thumb is that someone not familiar with the research should be able to read the method and conceptually replicate the main study. It would generally (though not always) contain the following sub-sections with sub-headings italicised:

·      Pre-registration details

·      Participants

·      Materials

·      Design

·      Procedure

·      Ethics

RESULTS

The results section summarises the data that was collected and the statistical analyses that were performed. The goal of this section is to report the results without any type of subjective interpretation.

Include Effect Sizes

JSPR, consistent with APA recommendations, requires all data from inferential statistical analyses to include effect sizes so that readers can appreciate the importance of your study's findings.

DISCUSSION

The discussion is given over to the interpretation of the results of the experiment, clearly stating whether the findings supported the hypothesis or not. It should also offer possible explanations for the findings and what they might mean in terms of future research on the topic.

 

RESEARCH NOTES (4,000 to 6,000 max)

Research Notes refer to short reports of interesting and important issues and/or relate to specific or current research carried out in the field.  The Journal welcomes research notes on (though not restricted to) any of the following topics:

·      Field investigations

·      Case collections

·      Historical perspectives

TITLE PAGE INFORMATION

TITLE (in capitals): Titles are often used in information-retrieval systems and as such, they should be concise and informative. To facilitate the blind peer review process authors must mask their identities in the manuscript, including the first page, body of the text, and reference section, as well as masking identifying information from the file name and the identifying information for it. 

SECTIONS: Where relevant the submission should contain the following sections, with headings in caps:

INTRODUCTION

The introduction states the topic and the main questions to be explored. The researchers supply background information by discussing past research on the topic. Extensive referencing establishes support for the discussion. The researchers explain how their study will add to past research on the topic. The researchers state their hypotheses.

METHOD

The method provides a clear indication of what was done to whom and precisely how. A good rule of thumb is that someone not familiar with the research should be able to read the method and conceptually replicate the main study. It would generally (though not always) contain the following sub-sections with sub-headings italicised:

·      Materials

·      Procedure

RESULTS

The results section summarises the data that was collected and the statistical analyses that were performed. The goal of this section is to report the results without any type of subjective interpretation.

Include Effect Sizes

JSPR, consistent with APA recommendations, requires all data from inferential statistical analyses to include effect sizes so that readers can appreciate the importance of your study's findings.

DISCUSSION

The discussion is given over to the interpretation of the results of the experiment, clearly stating whether the findings supported the hypothesis or not. It should also offer possible explanations for the findings and what they might mean in terms of future research on the topic.

TABLES

Please submit tables as editable text and not as images. Tables can be placed either next to the relevant text in the article, or on separate page(s) at the end. Number tables consecutively in accordance with their appearance in the text and place any table notes above the table body.  Please ensure all Tables are in APA format.

FIGURES(11pt and only title in italics)

Each Figure needs to be sent as a separate file along with the submitted manuscript. Ensure that each Figure has a clear legend. The legend should comprise a brief title (not on the Figure itself) and a description of the Figure/data portrayed. Both legend and description should be italicised. Keep text to a minimum but explain all symbols and abbreviations used. 

IMAGES

Corresponding Authors are responsible for securing any/all written permission to reproduce any previously published or unpublished material for which copyright is currently held.

If it is necessary to include one or more images in the manuscript each image must be saved in a digital format at a minimum resolution of 300 dpi. Each image then needs to be sent as a separate file along with the submitted manuscript. 

REFERENCES

Please ensure that every reference cited in the text is also present in the reference list (and vice versa). All references in the text should follow the referencing style used by the American Psychological Association and include DOIs. Any references cited in the abstract must be given in full. Unpublished results and personal communications are not recommended in the reference list, but may be mentioned in the text. Citation of a reference as 'in press' implies that the item has been accepted for publication.

 

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR (1,000 words max)

The Journal welcomes letters to the Editor that comment on or otherwise develop ideas introduced by the material published in the Journal. Such letters are usually open post-publication reviews and/or comments relating to a particular paper. Often, though not always, critical of some aspect of the original paper.

Please note: The authors of the original paper may be asked to respond to these with a letter of their own.

Submission Preparation Checklist

All submissions must meet the following requirements.

  • This submission meets the requirements outlined in the Author Guidelines.
  • All information identifying authors has been REMOVED (to facilitate the double-blind review process).
  • This submission is in English, has not been previously published, nor is it before another journal for consideration.
  • All references have been checked for accuracy and completeness according to APA guidelines.
  • All tables and figures have been numbered and labelled.
  • Permission has been obtained to publish all photos, datasets and other material provided with this submission.

Empirical Research Articles

The Journal welcomes a range of empirical work including (though not restricted to):

·      Experimental research (quantitative and qualitative)

·      Field investigations

·      Case collections

·      Theoretical contributions

·      Review articles

·      Historical perspectives

Research Notes

Research Notes refer to short reports of interesting and important issues and/or relate to specific or current research carried out in the field.

Letters to the Editor

The Journal welcomes letters to the Editor that comment on or otherwise develop ideas introduced by the material published in the Journal.

Privacy Statement

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