Editorial Policies

1. Editorial Board

  • Composition and Roles:
    • Diverse and Experienced Board: Our editorial board comprises experts from various subfields within psychology and related disciplines, including psychosocial rehabilitation, mental health, clinical psychology, and applied psychology. We strive for diversity in geographic location, gender, and research expertise to ensure a broad perspective on submitted manuscripts.
  • Roles and Responsibilities:
    • Editor-in-Chief: Oversees the entire editorial process, makes final publication decisions, and ensures the journal adheres to its standards and policies.
    • Associate Editors: Manage manuscripts assigned to them, oversee the peer review process, and make recommendations to the Editor-in-Chief.
    • Section Editors: Provide specialized knowledge in specific areas of psychology and related fields, ensuring in-depth expertise is applied to relevant manuscripts.
    • Editorial Board Members: Offer guidance on journal policies, contribute to the peer review process, and promote the journal within the academic community.

2. Peer Review Process

  • Double-Blind Review:

    • Anonymity: Both the authors' and reviewers' identities are concealed to prevent bias, ensuring manuscripts are judged solely on their merits, without influence from reputations.

  • Reviewer Selection:

    • Expert Matching: Reviewers are chosen based on their expertise related to the manuscript's topic. Editors ensure reviewers have no conflicts of interest, such as recent collaborations with the authors.

  • Review Criteria:

    • Key Evaluation Points: Reviewers assess manuscripts based on originality (novel contributions to the field), significance (impact on psychology and mental health), methodological rigor (sound research methods and analysis), ethical considerations (adherence to ethical standards), clarity (well-written and logically structured), and relevance (alignment with the journal's focus).

  • Timeline:

    • Efficiency: Manuscripts undergo initial screening within one week to ensure they fit the journal's scope and comply with submission guidelines. Reviewers are given two weeks to agree to review and four weeks to complete their reviews. Authors receive decisions within six weeks of submission, ensuring a timely review process.

3. Authorship and Contributorship

  • Authorship Criteria:

    • Substantial Contributions: Only those who have made significant contributions to the research design, data collection, analysis, or manuscript drafting should be listed as authors.
    • Final Approval and Accountability: All listed authors must approve the final version of the manuscript and agree to be accountable for its content, ensuring transparency and responsibility.

  • Acknowledgment:

    • Non-Author Contributions: Individuals who contributed to the work but do not meet authorship criteria (e.g., technical support, funding acquisition) should be acknowledged in a separate section, provided they consent to be mentioned.

4. Publication Ethics

  • Adherence to COPE Guidelines:

    • Misconduct Handling: We follow COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) guidelines to address allegations of misconduct such as plagiarism, data fabrication, and ethical breaches. Investigations are thorough and impartial.
    • Correction and Retraction Policies: If errors are discovered post-publication, corrections or retractions will be issued promptly. Statements of concern will be published if investigations are ongoing.

  • Duplicate Submission:

    • Originality Assurance: Manuscripts must not be under consideration elsewhere or previously published, ensuring the originality of content published in the journal.

  • Data Sharing:

    • Open Data Practices: Authors are encouraged to share their data in public repositories to promote transparency and reproducibility of research findings.

5. Manuscript Handling

  • Initial Screening:

    • Scope and Compliance Check: The editorial office screens submissions to ensure they fit the journal's scope and comply with submission guidelines. Non-compliant manuscripts are returned to authors for revision.

  • Plagiarism Check:

    • Originality Verification: Plagiarism detection software is used to ensure submitted manuscripts are original and do not contain plagiarized material.

  • Decision Making:

    • Editorial Discretion: Final decisions on manuscripts are made by the Editor-in-Chief based on recommendations from reviewers and Associate Editors. This ensures that decisions are well-considered and based on expert input.

6. Conflicts of Interest

  • Disclosure:

    • Transparency: Authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest (financial, personal, or professional) that could influence their work. This promotes transparency and trust in the publication process.

  • Management:

    • Conflict Management: When conflicts of interest are identified, manuscripts may be reassigned to other editors or reviewers to ensure an unbiased review process.

7. Appeals and Complaints

  • Appeals Process:

    • Fair Review: Authors can appeal editorial decisions by providing a detailed justification for reconsideration. Appeals are reviewed by an independent editorial board member who was not involved in the initial decision to ensure fairness.

  • Handling Complaints:

    • Ethical Resolution: Complaints about the editorial process or ethical concerns are addressed following COPE’s guidelines. This includes transparent procedures for investigating and resolving issues to maintain high ethical standards.

8. Open Access Policy

  • CC BY 4.0 License:

    • Creative Commons License: All articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, allowing free access and use with appropriate credit to the authors. This promotes the dissemination and utilization of research findings.

  • Article Processing Charges (APC):

    • Transparency and Accessibility: Information about APCs is clearly provided on the journal’s website. Waivers and discounts are available for authors from low-income countries to ensure equitable access to publication opportunities. For more details, please visit our APC page.

9. Editorial Independence

  • Publisher Relationship:

    • Independence Assurance: Editorial decisions are made independently of the publisher (Ninety Nine Publication) to avoid any influence on content, ensuring the integrity and academic freedom of the journal.

  • Advertising and Sponsorship:

    • Clear Separation: A clear distinction is maintained between editorial content and advertisements or sponsored content. Sponsors have no influence over editorial decisions, preserving the integrity of published research.

10. Archiving and Preservation

  • Digital Preservation:
    • Long-Term Access: The journal uses digital archiving services such as CLOCKSS or Portico to ensure the long-term preservation and accessibility of its content. This guarantees that research articles remain available even if the journal ceases publication.

11. Transparency and Best Practices

  • Journal Metrics:

    • Performance Indicators: Regularly updated metrics, including submission-to-decision times, acceptance rates, and citation statistics, are published on the journal’s website to provide transparency about the journal’s performance.

  • Ethical Standards:

    • Adherence to Standards: The journal follows the standards set by COPE to maintain high-quality scholarly publishing practices. This includes adhering to ethical guidelines, promoting transparency, and ensuring the reliability of published research.