Publication criteria and recommended areas of improvement within school psychology journals as reported by editors, journal board members, and manuscript authors

School psychology as a research science: Are we headed in the right direction?

“…4. Albers, Floyd, Fuhrmann, andMartinez (2011) Albers et al (2011) provide compelling data regarding the perceptions of the peer-review process and criteria for publication for two key constituencies: journal editorial board members and novice authors. Although limited by a relatively low return rate (25.3%), survey respondents provided consistent, straightforward views toward the peer-review and publication process.…”

“…Survey data from Albers et al (2011) indicated at least two problems with peer review from the perspective of authors. One concern was that publication decisions based on peer review could be biased.…”

A new pathway for Motriz: challenges and commitments

“…A common occurrence amongst journal submissions is that authors submit manuscripts that have been poorly written and that are not properly formatted (Albers, Floyd, Fuhrmann, & Martínez, 2011). Nothing impresses an editor more than a manuscript that is well-written, and well-written manuscripts possess two important qualities (among others): They are written in the active voice, and they are succinct.…”

Strategies and attributes of highly productive scholars and contributors to the school psychology literature: Recommendations for increasing scholarly productivity

“…The questions included on this protocol were either drawn from prior research or developed from a preliminary review of responses from Study 1 or from research results obtained from concurrent studies (see Albers, Floyd, Fuhrmann, & Martinez, 2011). The first question adapted from Mayrath (2008) was "If you had to explain why you are so productive, what would you say?"…”

“…Not only does becoming a reviewer or action editor increase practical knowledge of the peer-review process, but also this role allows researchers to stay current in the literature-via content in the manuscripts reviewed and the comments of other reviewers and action editors in their letters. Furthermore, serving as a reviewer or action editor provides first-hand insider knowledge of journal operations and increases awareness of the characteristics of manuscripts that reviewers and editors most value (see Albers et al, 2011, for more information). For those serving in these editorial roles, we recommend books by Hames (2007) and Sternberg (2005).…”