Chapter VII. Publications and Communications

This is Chapter VII of the Council Policy Manual, which contains the current policies of the American Psychological Association. The organization of the manual follows the same major subject headings and sequence that is used in the agenda books of the Council of Representatives. Council actions are listed in chronological order with the earliest dated policies coming first. The table of contents of the Council Policy Manual, including all the chapter headings and all the items of the Council Policy Manual, can be found here.

1971

Advertising in APA Journals

The publications of APA are published for, and on behalf of, the membership to advance psychology as a science, as a profession, and as a means of promoting human welfare. The Association, therefore, reserves the right to, unilaterally, reject, omit, or cancel advertising which it deems to be not in the best interest of these objectives, or which by its tone, content, or appearance is not in keeping with the essentially scientific or scholarly nature of its publications. Conditions, printed or otherwise, which conflict with this policy will not be binding on the publisher.

1971

Complimentary Subscriptions

(a) A member of the Publications Board (now Publications and Communications Board), shall, during the term of office, be entitled to receive complimentary subscriptions to all journals.

(b) An editor of an APA journal shall be entitled, during the term office, to receive complimentary subscriptions to all APA journals and shall be entitled to receive for life a complimentary subscription to the journal he or she edited.

(c) Associate editors of APA journals shall be entitled, as long as they serve in these capacities, to receive complimentary subscriptions to the journal which they serve and such other journals as are required to serve their purposes for their work on a specific journal.

(d) Consulting editors of APA journals shall be entitled, as long as he or she serves a specific journal, to receive a complimentary subscription to that journal.

1984

Advertising of doctoral programs in APA publications will be restricted to those schools or other institutions fully accredited by regional or other institutional accrediting associations recognized by the US Department of Education.

2000

Freedom of Scientific Inquiry and Presentation of Research Results

The American Psychological Association is committed to fostering a vigorous science of psychology through the open exchange of ideas and data. A productive and healthy science requires freedom of inquiry and freedom of expression. Researchers must be free to pursue their scientific investigations within the constraints of the ethical principles, scientific principles, and guidelines of the discipline. Editors, too, after seeking appropriate peer review, must be free to publish that science in their journals even when findings are surprising, disappointing, or controversial.

The publication of a scientific article by a journal of the American Psychological Association does not constitute its endorsement. The Association will not condone any attempt to censor the reporting or discussion of science within its journals so long as it has been conducted ethically and meets the scientific standards of the profession. Further, the Association will neither retract a published paper nor censure authors or editors for the ethical scientific activities that yield potentially controversial findings. Scientific investigation is an evolving process: The ultimate evaluation of scientific results depends on a continuous exchange of ideas and reexamination of ideas and findings.

2009

Complimentary Subscriptions

(a) A member of the Publications and Communications Board shall, during the term of office, be entitled to receive the electronic Gold Package, delivered by PsycNET. P&C Board members retiring from the board after July, 2009 shall receive the electronic Gold Package, delivered by PsycNET for life.

(b) An editor of an APA journal shall be entitled, during the term office, to receive complimentary electronic Gold Package, delivered by PsycNET, and shall be entitled to receive for life a complimentary print subscription and complimentary electronic access to the journal he or she edited.

(c) Associate editors of APA journals shall be entitled, as long as they serve in these capacities, to receive a complimentary print subscription and complimentary electronic access to the journal which they serve.

(d) Consulting editors of APA journals shall be entitled, as long as he or she serves a specific journal, to receive a complimentary print subscription to that journal.