Aims and Scope

GSJP is a student-run journal that includes research from all areas of psychology with an emphasis on graduate student scholarship. The following submissions are welcomed: empirical articles,  brief reports, theoretical articles, case studies, systematic reviews of the literature, and qualitative studies. 

Additionally, in an effort to counteract the effect of publication bias toward large effect sizes in psychology research, GSJP now features a Special Section that will give priority to rigorously conducted research reports with null or marginal effects, studies of direct replication, and pre-registration of IRB-approved research proposals. Pre-registered proposals that are accepted to the journal will be given contingent acceptance upon completion, regardless of the significance of research findings.  The registration of IRB-approved research proposals will be determined based on the strength of the research design and the importance of the research question. Our hope is that pre-registration will improve the integrity of the research process in our field.

GSJP also encourages manuscripts written in other languages and will consider their inclusion in the upcoming volumes based on the availability of Peer Reviewers fluent in the respective language.

 

Open Access Policy 

GSJP is committed to the goals of open research. As an open access journal, our published content is free to access. To foster wider access, users are able to download, distribute, print, search, and link to full text articles without permission from the publisher or author. Authors retain their copyright and agree to license the articles with the Creative Commons “Attribution 4.0 International License” (CC-BY 4.0) unless otherwise noted on the article’s landing page. For more information about the Creative Commons License please consult creativecommons.org. 

Submission or acceptance into the GSJP  is without fees or charges. 

 

Policies

Peer Review Policy 

With the mission of furthering and disseminating  graduate research of high methodological quality, the GSJP adheres to a peer review system. Not only with the purpose to objectively assess the accuracy and quality of  scholarship for acceptance into the Journal, the peer review process also lends an opportunity for collaborative development and extension of an author’s research through constructive feedback and recommendations from their peers. 

All incoming manuscripts are peer- reviewed following the procedure outlined below. All manuscripts are subjected to a preliminary review by the journal  editors to ensure submissions fall within the aims and scope of the GSJP and are without any overt methodological flaws.  Following, monitored and mediated by the journal’s editors, suitable submissions enter a formal double- blind peer review in which each masked manuscript is subject to at least two reviews by anonymous peers. When circumstances permit,  peer reviewers are matched to submissions according to their respective expertise within the field of psychology. 

Please consider the following when conducting your review:

• An invitation to review with GSJP should only be accepted if you have the necessary knowledge, experience, and expertise to proficiently and objectively assess the methodological rigor of submissions. 
• Reviewers should refrain from the use of general statements or remarks that are without specification, reasoning, and support. Vague or brief statements often only lead to more questions for both editors and authors alike. 
• Critiques and recommendations should be considerate, constructive, and focused on improvement. All reviews, regardless of the decision,  should serve to help authors improve their research. 
• Reviews should ultimately speak to the manuscript’s originality, validity, methodological quality, and contribution to the field of psychology or promotion of transparency in research. 

• GSJP  proudly receives and accepts submissions penned from by authors from across the globe. Be cognizant that larger linguistic and grammatical issues may be due to language barriers for authors’ whose native tongue is not Eenglish. Issues with language should be phrased in an appropriate and respectful manner.  Inclusion into the GSJP is based on the quality of the research and should not be solely influenced by grammar or writing style. 

• Please refrain from suggesting revisions that are purely stylistic that do not add to the soundness or clarity of the author’s arguments, findings, or conclusions. 

• Reviewers should strive to use and check for language that is free of bias and follow the APA’s inclusive language guidelines. Namely, we ask that any reference to the anonymous author is done so in gender-neutral terms, without the use of gendered pronouns. 

Confidentiality: Every reviewer for the GSJP shares the responsibility of in maintaining and upholding the integrity of the peer review process. Confidentiality should be maintained throughout every stage of the review process.  The sharing or use of the manuscript, its contents, or its ideas is prohibited. If you would like to confer or involve another peer in your review, this should only be done so with permission from GSJP. Upon permission, the names of the individuals assisting with the review must be included to uphold transparency, document their association with the manuscript,  and recognize their contribution to it.

Bias and Competing Interests: Reviewers are responsible for identifying any possible bias or competing interests that may affect or appear to affect the integrity of the GSJP’s peer review process. Reviewers must remain objective and unbiased in their assessment in regards to the personal views, racial and ethnic identity, nationality, gender, religious or political beliefs, or other individual characteristics of the authors  whether perceived, implied, or made explicit. Additionally, the origins of the manuscript, financial interests, professional opportunism, or commercial considerations should not influence a reviewer’s assessment. If you discover a competing interest that may impede you from providing an objective and fair review, please notify the GSJP for guidance. 

Ethical Concerns: Should you have potential ethical concerns or questions, please notify and provide the GSJP with a detailed and cited review for editorial evaluation.  

 

Policy on Diversity and Inclusion 

Diversity refers to the presence of differences among  a collective of people such as race, ethnicity, nationality, gender expression, sexual orientation,  age, socio-economic status, (dis)ability status, and religious or spiritual beliefs. GSJP is committed to publishing research from diverse voices and highlighting research that has inclusive and diverse sampling practices and subject matter. 

 

Conflict of Interest

Any conflicts of interest must be declared by authors, reviewers, and editors. Conflicts of interest are circumstances in which financial or other personal considerations may compromise or appear to compromise the conducting of research, reporting of findings, or the review of research. All authors must declare. If an undisclosed conflict of interest is suspected, the journal editors should be notified at GSJP@tc.columbia.edu for editorial inquiry. If misconduct or a breach of ethical considerations (outlined below) are discovered, GSJP has reserved the right to revoke acceptance into the journal. 

 

Ethical Considerations

APA policy prohibits an author from submitting the same manuscript for concurrent consideration by two or more publications. In addition, it is a violation of APA Ethical Principles to publish "as original data, data that have been previously published" (Standard 8.13). As this journal is a primary journal that publishes original material only, APA policy prohibits the publication of any manuscript that has already been published in whole or substantial part elsewhere. Authors have an obligation to inform journal editors in their cover letter that the manuscript is not under review elsewhere, that the primary data have not been published previously or accepted for publication, and that the appropriate ethical guidelines were followed in the conduct of the research. However, the editors of GSJP will make an exception for Brief Reports submitted regarding empirical research articles that are under review for publication elsewhere. 

In addition, APA Ethical Principles specify that "after research results are published, psychologists do not withhold the data on which their conclusions are based from other competent professionals who seek to verify the substantive claims through reanalysis and who intend to use such data only for that purpose, provided that the confidentiality of the participants can be protected and unless legal rights concerning proprietary data preclude their release" (Standard 8.14). APA expects authors submitting to this journal to adhere to these standards. Specifically, authors are expected to have available their data throughout the editorial review process and for at least 5 years after the date of publication. 

Authors will be required to state in writing that they have complied with APA ethical standards in the treatment of their sample, human or animal, provide proof of IRB approval (if applicable), or to describe the details of treatment. A copy of the APA Ethical Principles may be obtained electronically or by writing the APA Ethics Office, 750 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242. In addition, GSJP requires authors to reveal any possible conflict of interest in the conduct and reporting of research (e.g., financial interests in a test or procedure, funding by pharmaceutical companies for drug research).