How To Publish Your Paper In A Journal? 

The journey of Psychological Journaling 

Afriti Moses

The world is on the verge of getting digitalized. We have started going paperless. As psychology aspirants, it is important for us to read as well as comment on research findings by authors. Due to scientific development, research is getting complex. So, a need to report findings that can be easily understood has become paramount. We never know how our writings can create an impact on other psychology researchers as well as on the local masses. One might even pave the way for a new perspective or theory.

 

Therefore it is important for us to express ourselves, especially in Psychology. Journaling is the best way one can express their interpretations and perspectives on research. 

 

 

What is psychological journaling?

A journal is meant to collect your ideas and observations on any number of things and put the happenings of each day into writing. However, a psychological journal publishes empirical research and theoretical articles in applied areas of psychology. 

Here is a list of psychological journals from different fields: 

• The International Journal of Indian Psychology (IJIP)-https://ijip.in
• The Journal of Psychology- https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/vjrl20/current
• British Journal of Psychology- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/20448295
• Journal of Abnormal Psychology- https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/abn
• Journal of Clinical Psychology-https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10974679

 

 

 

Why should we publish a Psychology Journal?

 

• It will help common people to understand the meaning of particular research. 
• It acts as a tool for editors and reviewers to refer to authors whose work requires more research. 
• It gives recognition to work. 
• Competition for academic positions is fierce, and publishing is used to select those students who stand out and separate them from the rest.
• It helps to facilitate quality and reliable research.

 

|Publishing a journal is free of cost. 

 

 

How to publish a Psychology Journal?

 

• Have a focus and vision- It is necessary to have a goal set in your mind. One should be clear about what they want to write about. A plan of action should be made which helps in giving direction about how one should work through the process of writing the journal. 
• Write clearly- Clarification about the topic is important. One must be well versed in the topic in order to provide reliable and accurate information.
• Getting a pre-review- Getting constructive-criticism from an experienced scholar in Psychology or a peer is crucial while writing a journal as this helps to formulate the process on the right track. The scholar can also help in providing other references suitable for the journal.
• Send your manuscript to the right journal- With digitalization, there is a boost in various websites that may or may not be genuine and reliable. One must make sure that the publication website that they are choosing is credible. One must ensure that they are being issued credits for the journal they've written. 
• Do not panic- Writing a journal can be frustrating. There will be times when you would want to give up. A time may also come when you would feel that the journal is not worthy enough to be published. The review may also be negative but one must not panic during such times. Instead, they must strive to work harder in each step in order to publish a journal. 
• Read the reviews carefully- While making others review your work, it is important to read through all the reviews and comments carefully as this will help you know about the errors that your work has. This will help improve the quality of your journal. 
• Don’t put off revisions- Recheck and re-reading your own work will help you understand your own work in a deeper way. It will also help you know about your own style of writing, whether it is simple for others to read or not.

 

The American Psychological Association is the main professional organization of psychiatrists and trainee psychiatrists in the United States, and the largest psychiatric organization in the world. The organization also provides an opportunity for aspirants to publish their journals on their official websites. 

Manuscript Review Process 
 

Two-Tier Review: Two members of the editorial team from the association read each submitted manuscript. One reader is an expert in the relevant research area and offers a specialist’s opinion, whereas the other reader, who may be less knowledgeable in the subject matter, provides a generalist’s perspective. 

Criteria for acceptance for publication: 

 

• General- To warrant publication in this journal a manuscript must be of general interest to psychologists. 
• Theoretical and empirical significance- Research published should be strongly empirically grounded and should make a difference in the way psychologists, scholars, and the general population in related disciplines think about important issues. 
• Methodological/statistical rigor- Replicability is a foundational value of science. 

Here are the guidelines by the American Psychological Association to publish a journal- https://www.apa.org/pubs/authors/new-author-guide.pdf

Publication manual by American Psychological Association (2020)-

https://apastyle.apa.org/products/publication-manual-7th-edition

 

"One can publish a journal even without a Ph.D. degree"
 

Writing a journal in Psychology research can be described as a ride in a roller coaster. There will be times when you will feel that you are doing it well and the path is smooth. But one hurdle comes in and you feel everything is going down. There will be ups and downs at every step but when you complete it, there will be contentment and a sense of achievement due to the hard work and effort you have put in it.