Prior to submission, please carefully read and follow the submission guidelines detailed below. Manuscripts that do not conform to the submission guidelines may be returned without review.
Submission
Personality Disorders: Theory, Research, and Treatment® (PD:TRT) is now using a software system to screen submitted content for similarity with other published content. The system compares each submitted manuscript against a database of 25+ million scholarly publications, as well as content appearing on the open web.
This allows APA to check submissions for potential overlap with material previously published in scholarly journals (e.g., lifted or republished material). A similarity report will be generated by the system and provided to the PD:TRT Editorial office for review immediately upon submission.
Submit manuscripts electronically through the Manuscript Submission Portal (.rtf, .doc, or .pdf files).
Carl W. Lejuez, PhD
Department of Psychology
1123c Biology/Psychology Building
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742
Email
In addition to addresses and phone numbers, please supply email addresses and fax numbers for use by the editorial office and later by the production office. Most correspondence between the editorial office and authors is handled by email, so a valid email address is important for the timely flow of communication during the editorial process.
Keep a copy of the manuscript to guard against loss.
Masked Review Policy
PD:TRT uses a masked reviewing system for all submissions. Omit the authors' names and affiliations on the first page of the manuscript, but include the title of the manuscript and the submission date.
Please ensure that the final version for production includes a byline and full author note for typesetting.
List five keywords on the title page to facilitate the selection of peer reviewers. Additionally, provide a cover letter indicating the proposed category under which the manuscript was submitted (e.g., Brief Report) and up to four suggestions for potential reviewers.
Types of Manuscripts
Four types of manuscripts will be accepted:
- full-length articles
- brief reports
- target conceptual articles
- practice reviews (jointly written by a researcher and primary clinician)
Additionally, Invited peer commentaries in response to the target conceptual articles will be published online at the PD:TRT homepage. Further, the journal will operate an open-access message board to foster continuing dialogue on the target conceptual article.
Full-Length Articles
Manuscripts presenting empirical findings may be submitted as full-length articles. Full-length articles should not exceed 36 pages total (including cover page, abstract, text, references, tables, and figures), with margins of at least 1 inch on all sides and a standard font (e.g., Times New Roman) of 12 points (no smaller). The entire paper (text, references, tables, etc.) must be double-spaced.
Brief Reports
In addition to full-length manuscripts, PD:TRT will consider brief reports of empirical findings. Brief reports are to be prepared in line with the guidelines for full-length articles, yet they may not exceed 18 pages.
Target Conceptual Articles
Manuscripts that evaluate and synthesize the research literature and/or make important theoretical contributions are sought for target conceptual articles. Four commentaries invited by the journal will be published on the PD:TRT homepage, along with the author's response to the commentaries.
PD:TRT will operate an open access message board for further discussion of the target conceptual articles and the commentaries.
Target conceptual articles are to be prepared in line with the guidelines for full-length articles, yet they may not exceed 40 pages.
Practice Reviews
In line with the journal's commitment to bridging science and practice, practice reviews will present an issue from clinical practice, review relevant research, and provide a practical recommendation informed by the reviewed research.
Practice reviews MUST be coauthored by at least one individual with a primary focus in clinical practice and at least one individual with a primary focus in research. This partnering of individuals with a different professional emphasis is crucial for practice reviews to provide a credible bridge between research and practice.
When submitting a practice review, provide a description of each individual's primary professional focus in the cover letter. Manuscripts not meeting this partnering requirement will be returned without review. New collaborations are especially encouraged.
Practice reviews are to be prepared in line with the guidelines for full-length articles, yet they may not exceed 30 pages.
Manuscript Preparation
Prepare manuscripts according to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6th edition). Manuscripts may be copyedited for bias-free language (see Chapter 3 of the Publication Manual).
Review APA's Checklist for Manuscript Submission before submitting your article.
Double-space all copy. Other formatting instructions, as well as instructions on preparing tables, figures, references, metrics, and abstracts, appear in the Manual.
Below are additional instructions regarding the preparation of display equations and tables.
Display Equations
We strongly encourage you to use MathType (third-party software) or Equation Editor 3.0 (built into pre-2007 versions of Word) to construct your equations, rather than the equation support that is built into Word 2007 and Word 2010. Equations composed with the built-in Word 2007/Word 2010 equation support are converted to low-resolution graphics when they enter the production process and must be rekeyed by the typesetter, which may introduce errors.
To construct your equations with MathType or Equation Editor 3.0:
- Go to the Text section of the Insert tab and select Object.
- Select MathType or Equation Editor 3.0 in the drop-down menu.
If you have an equation that has already been produced using Microsoft Word 2007 or 2010 and you have access to the full version of MathType 6.5 or later, you can convert this equation to MathType by clicking on MathType Insert Equation. Copy the equation from Microsoft Word and paste it into the MathType box. Verify that your equation is correct, click File, and then click Update. Your equation has now been inserted into your Word file as a MathType Equation.
Use Equation Editor 3.0 or MathType only for equations or for formulas that cannot be produced as Word text using the Times or Symbol font.
Tables
Use Word's Insert Table function when you create tables. Using spaces or tabs in your table will create problems when the table is typeset and may result in errors.
Submitting Supplemental Materials
APA can now place supplementary materials online, available via the published article in the PsycARTICLES® database. Please see Supplementing Your Article With Online Material for more details.
Abstract and Keywords
All manuscripts must include an abstract containing a maximum of 250 words typed on a separate page. After the abstract, please supply up to five keywords or brief phrases.
References
List references in alphabetical order. Each listed reference should be cited in text, and each text citation should be listed in the References section.
Examples of basic reference formats:
- Journal Article:
Hughes, G., Desantis, A., & Waszak, F. (2013). Mechanisms of intentional binding and sensory attenuation: The role of temporal prediction, temporal control, identity prediction, and motor prediction. Psychological Bulletin, 139, 133–151. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0028566
- Authored Book:
Rogers, T. T., & McClelland, J. L. (2004). Semantic cognition: A parallel distributed processing approach. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
- Chapter in an Edited Book:
Gill, M. J., & Sypher, B. D. (2009). Workplace incivility and organizational trust. In P. Lutgen-Sandvik & B. D. Sypher (Eds.), Destructive organizational communication: Processes, consequences, and constructive ways of organizing (pp. 53–73). New York, NY: Taylor & Francis.
Figures
Graphics files are welcome if supplied as Tiff, EPS, or PowerPoint files. Multipanel figures (i.e., figures with parts labeled a, b, c, d, etc.) should be assembled into one file.
The minimum line weight for line art is 0.5 point for optimal printing.
For more information about acceptable resolutions, fonts, sizing, and other figure issues, please see the general guidelines.
When possible, please place symbol legends below the figure instead of to the side.
Original color figures can be printed in color at the editor's and publisher's discretion provided the author agrees to pay
- $255 for one figure
- $425 for two figures
- $575 for three figures
- $675 for four figures
- $55 for each additional figure
Permissions
Authors of accepted papers must obtain and provide to the editor on final acceptance all necessary permissions to reproduce in print and electronic form any copyrighted work, including, for example, test materials (or portions thereof) and photographs of people.
Publication Policies
APA policy prohibits an author from submitting the same manuscript for concurrent consideration by two or more publications.
See also APA Journals® Internet Posting Guidelines.
APA 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).
Authors of accepted manuscripts are required to transfer the copyright to APA.
Ethical Principles
It is a violation of APA Ethical Principles to publish "as original data, data that have been previously published" (Standard 8.13).
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 to adhere to these standards. Specifically, APA expects authors to have their data available throughout the editorial review process and for at least 5 years after the date of publication.
Authors are required to state in writing that they have complied with APA ethical standards in the treatment of their sample, human or animal, or to describe the details of treatment.
The APA Ethics Office provides the full Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct electronically on its website in HTML, PDF, and Word format. You may also request a copy by emailing or calling the APA Ethics Office (202-336-5930). You may also read "Ethical Principles," December 1992, American Psychologist, Vol. 47, pp. 1597–1611.
Other Information
