Conversations With the Editors

Su Yeong Kim, PhD, is professor of Human Development and Family Sciences at the University of Texas at Austin and the editor-in-chief of Cultural Diversity & Ethnic Minority Psychology.

In this interview, Kim describes the journal’s commitment to open science and the role these initiatives play in advancing equity within psychology and the publishing field.

Why is Cultural Diversity & Ethnic Minority Psychology important for the field? What are the key questions the journal aims to answer and address?

Cultural Diversity & Ethnic Minority Psychology is one of the leading journals in the field of psychology, publishing cutting-edge research on the psychological processes of racial and ethnic minorities. The journal aims to publish research in three key areas: (a) studies recognizing heterogeneity and nuances in the experiences of racial and ethnic minorities; (b) studies on stressors, microaggressions, and discrimination—as well as strengths, resistance, and resilience—among historically subordinated, underrepresented, or underserved groups; and (c) studies on new, psychometrically sound assessment tools that reflect the contemporary psychological experiences of racial and ethnic minorities.

In your Incoming Editor Spotlight, you discussed the journal’s commitment to diversity through openness and transparency in psychological research. What role does open science play in advancing equity within the field?

Open science can advance equity in psychological science in several ways. For example, authors of published manuscripts with open data and code can share this information. Scholars in the field can advance their science by conducting new analyses or replication studies because they have access to that data and code. Another way is through open access, which allows those not employed at major research institutions to access scientific journals that would otherwise be prohibitively expensive for them. There are also websites dedicated to posting preprints, such as PsyArXiv, which are openly accessible to anyone.

What are the open science initiatives you have implemented or plan to implement?

We now publish registered reports that have gone through a two-step review process. The first step, which involves review of a registered study, is a peer review of the significance and methodological approach of a proposed study. After it goes through this rigorous peer review process, the manuscript is provisionally accepted. When the study is finished, the full manuscript receives expedited review to ensure it adheres to the preregistered study design. The full manuscript is then published, even if there are nonsignificant findings for the proposed study hypothesis.

Who is your target audience? In what ways can the journal’s open science efforts grow readership from these groups?

Researchers and clinicians are the target audience for the journal. Our readers include seasoned researchers, midcareer researchers, and newly minted doctorates and students who are addressing some of the most vexing scientific questions in cultural diversity and ethnic minority psychology. We also aim to appeal to clinicians who seek to translate our study findings and incorporate them into their clinical practice. As open science practices become more widely accepted within the scientific community, the journal is also likely to attract researchers from all areas of psychology and other disciplines adopting these new practices.

What would you say to a potential author who has not yet submitted a manuscript to Cultural Diversity & Ethnic Minority Psychology?

Authors should review papers the journal has recently published to get a sense of the style and scope of what is typically published in the journal. Authors should also ask themselves the following questions: Does my study focus on a racial or ethnic minority population? Does my study include a measure or manipulation of psychological process that is specific to the experiences of racial or ethnic minorities? The latter question is the most important, as the primary reason for desk-rejected manuscripts is that potential authors include a racial or ethnic minority group in their studies but fail to assess or manipulate a construct that captures the lived experiences of racial and ethnic minorities.

What do you look for in a manuscript?

A compelling story is the key to a high-quality manuscript. A sound theoretical rationale for framing the study is important, as well as use of rigorous methods, appropriate data analyses, and strong implications for advancing theory, practice, or policy. Authors should think about the take-home message of their manuscript and ensure that this message resonates clearly in the Introduction, Method, Results, and Discussion sections.

What problems do you see as important for the field to address more broadly, such as replicability, publishing concerns, communicating science to the public, translating psychological findings to policy change?

All of these issues are important for the field of psychological science to address. Replicability is important to ensure that the science is sound and can be disseminated widely and incorporated into interventions or policy change. In order for science to advance, editors and reviewers need to provide a fast turnaround with high-quality reviews for submitted manuscripts. Finally, published research should not simply sit behind a paywall. The public should have access to the science that can be translated to improve policy.

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