BPS journals

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To properly evaluate the potential for success of a new journal, it is essential for the society to examine and discuss numerous topics.

This brief outline shows some of the important information that is required for the evaluation, planning and review process:

• The likely contribution to science, particularly, the scientific mission and rigour of the proposed journal
• The likely market for Open Access funding by way of Article Publication Charges (APCs)
• The likely rate of submissions of papers meeting international levels of excellence
• The fit with other BPS journals
• The enthusiasm of a suitably experienced and qualified editorial team

The proposal should contain the following sections:

1. Introduction

This should provide a general overview of the proposal including the history behind its development, and a summary of the reasons why it would be feasible to launch a new journal.

2. Aims and scope of the journal

This should state briefly what the suggested aims of the journal will be, what types of papers it hopes to publish (e.g. empirical research, theoretical contributions, reviews, commentaries) and the various areas that it would include within its scope. Please include the following:

• Title (note if tentative)
• Expected contents by type (e.g. research papers, reviews, etc.)
• Please describe the intended audience of your journal (researchers, clinicians, early career professionals)
• Brief description for promotional purposes (150-200 words)
• List of 10-15 previously-published papers, with bibliographic information, that would be appropriate to a new journal

3. Editorial Board

The proposing Committee should have in mind (and provide names where possible) likely nominees for the prospective post of Editor of the journal, as well as an Editorial Board, bearing in mind that the composition of the board should take into account the international nature of likely readership, as well as providing coverage of any sub-disciplines of the subject. They should also be confident of being able to attract a pool of suitable reviewers.

4. Competing journals

This should list any competitor journals (split into UK and overseas publications), providing brief information on their scope, any particular strengths or weaknesses, any affiliations to/endorsements by relevant organisations, etc.

It would be helpful to identify the main competitor(s) as well as any titles recently launched in the area. Details of their circulation and publishing model (e.g. subscription/hybrid/open access) are helpful. The proposal should show how the new journal would fit in the market, and highlight any particular strengths that could distinguish the new journal from its competitors. What gap in the literature does it address, and in what ways is research in this field currently expanding?

5. Production

Publication frequency: how many issues will be published each year?

• Year 1: ?
• Year 2: ?
• Year 3: ?
• Year 4: ?
• Year 5: ?

How many articles do you estimate will be published each year?

• What article types will be published, and in what proportion (example)?
• xx%: Commentaries and editorials
• xx%: Original research and review articles
• xx%: Case reports

6. Market

Establishing a new journal carries a substantial risk for the society with a period of up to 10 years to establish financial viability. During this period the society must underwrite the operation. The current publishing environment is in transition from a subscription-based market to a maturing Open Access market and, as such, requires the society to exercise great care. The Editorial Advisory Group (EAG) therefore requests evidence that a new journal will be viable. As a result, the EAG needs preliminary data on the potential market for any new journal:

• How many national and international contributions of a high scientific standard might we expect in the first/subsequent year(s)?
• Is funding available in the field to cover Article Publication Charges (APCs) under an open access publishing model?
• Will you accept referred submissions from other journals within the same discipline?

To summarise, the EAG asks the proposers of a new journal to provide some market survey data with respect to:

• Professional academics and practitioners in the UK and internationally
• How you anticipate the majority of APCs in the UK and internationally will be paid e.g. directly by authors, or by other funding sources (institutions, grants, etc.)
• Academic institutions in the UK that offer relevant programmes that might be reasonably expected to read the journal (relevant information about recent developments in the subject – academic or professional – that might have an effect on the number and popularity of these programmes)
• Categories of specialist libraries that would potentially be interested in the journal
• International academic and professional institutions
• Other areas of potential interest

Any proposal should therefore contain opinions from at least 100 or so leading researchers in the field (both national and international) as to the need for the journal.

7. Promotion - potential authors and readers

Include any information on who would be targeted in initial promotion for the new journal (include members of the relevant British Psychological Society Division/Section).

Suggestions for reciprocal promotion (i.e. with other societies or organisations) are very useful.

8. Expert opinion

Provide the names of at least two people who may be approached for an expert opinion on this proposal (they should not be directly involved in the writing of the proposal themselves).

9. Conclusion

Sum up the main points of your argument supporting the case for launching a new journal.

Please send your completed proposal to [email protected].

If you are a suitably qualified psychologist and would like to be considered as a possible reviewer for research papers submitted to the BPS journals, please download and complete a copy of the form below.

• Becoming a reviewer application form

Once you have completed the form, please email it to the Wiley team. 

Third party use

Where permission is sought for quotation in whole or in part in a third party’s publication, this will be contingent upon that party seeking written consent through RightsLink; permission will not be unreasonably withheld.

Information for authors of papers accepted since November 2010

Authors should consult their Copyright Transfer Agreement, which includes full information about permitted use by contributors.

Information for authors of papers accepted before November 2010

Permitted use

It is the society’s policy to allow authors to re-use their own work as they see fit. Authors do not need to seek permission from the society to photocopy their own work or use it as part of a course pack for teaching purposes. Re-use of part or all of an article by an author in other publications written, edited or compiled by them is also permitted but republication of whole articles is not permitted until 6 months after hard-copy publication in the society’s journal. Such permission is subject to the restrictions stipulated in the author self-archive/open access policy detailed below, and the journal must also be acknowledged as the original published source of the material in the following format:

'Reproduced with permission from [journal name] © The British Psychological Society [year]'.

Author self-archive/open access policy

Authors are encouraged to place a copy of their article on an institutional or other repository 12 months after publication in the journal, subject to the permitted use conditions above. However, it is not permitted for authors to use the final proofed and typeset version of the article for this purpose. They are required instead to use the postprint version of the paper (the final accepted version of the paper after peer review but before proofreading and typesetting). In addition, at least one link must also be provided to the published version of the article on the society’s website from the repository.

To apply for permission to reproduce material published in one of the society’s journals, use the Wiley-Blackwell RightsLink online service.

Simply follow these steps to obtain permission via the RightsLink© system:

1. Locate the content on the Wiley Online Library website

2. Navigate to the abstract page

3. Click on the ‘Request Permissions’ link, to the right of the journal image

4. Follow the online instructions and select your requirements from the drop down options