Call for reviewers for Psychological Services

Psychological Services, the official journal of APA Division 18opens in new window (Psychologists in Public Service), welcomes applications for peer reviewers.

Psychological Services publishes high-quality data-based articles on the broad range of psychological services delivered in organized care settings. Organized care settings refer to jails, prisons, courts, Indian Health Service, the military, Department of Veterans Affairs, public university clinics, training hospitals, state and community mental health hospitals, and other public service settings. Psychological Services also recently expanded the scope of the journal and we wish to expand our set of reviewers with expertise aligned in these areas.

Consistent with our commitment to promote equity, diversity, and inclusion in the peer review process, we especially welcome members of underrepresented groups and early career professionals. Public service psychologists work directly and/or indirectly with underserved and marginalized communities or specialized populations who may not be best served elsewhere and therefore Psychological Services publishes articles that address the needs of these populations. We seek to engage authors, reviewers, and editorial board members who represent the full range of diverse backgrounds and perspectives in our profession. Please view our full EDI statement under the EDI efforts section of the Psychological Services homepage.

Reviewers are vital to the publication process. The editorial team relies on the assessment of experts in the delivery of psychological services in organized care settings to determine whether manuscripts should be accepted for publication. Participating in the peer review process has several benefits for reviewers as well:

• Gain valuable experience in the peer review and publishing process
• Connect with experts in the field, including Guest Editors leading special issues and sections on important topics
• Improve the quality and integrity of research before it is published
• Stay up to speed on current research
• Provide exposure to ideas to assist with ongoing clinical practice process improvements grounded in the literature
• Improve your own writing and research skills, and gain insight into what Editors and peer reviewers look for in submissions
• Build connections as part of the journal’s community, including opportunities for editorial board membership
• Record and showcase your review history on the Web of Science Reviewer Recognition platformopens in new window
• Advance the journal’s mission to promote equity, diversity, and inclusion in the research and publishing process, in turn promoting equitable and inclusive delivery of psychological services in a diverse array of settings

The editorial team considers the following when selecting reviewers:

• Reviewers should have publishing experience, as authors and/or reviewers for peer-reviewed journals. Publishing experience provides a reviewer with the basis for preparing a thorough, objective review; but reviewers with limited experience are still encouraged to apply and can seek training on preparing high-quality reviews. If you are newer to peer review, visit the APA Reviewer Resource Center.
• Reviewers should be readers of Psychological Services and/or related journals. Current knowledge of recently published research provides a reviewer with the knowledge base to evaluate a new submission within the context of existing research.
• In addition to being knowledgeable of the field, reviewers should be capable of evaluating research on public sector psychology in an equitable fashion. This includes awareness of individual and group biases and the impacts of historical and systemic limitations on full participation in psychological science in order to support the publication of manuscripts with a range of methodologies and types of evidence that serve multiple communities.
• Reviewing a manuscript takes time (1–4 hours per manuscript reviewed). If you are selected to review, please be prepared to invest the necessary time to evaluate the manuscript thoroughly.
• If you are invited to serve as a reviewer, you will be asked to complete a profile identifying your areas of expertise in the journal’s manuscript submission portal. This will help the editorial team match you with papers that best fit your interests and expertise.

If you are interested in reviewing for Psychological Services, please complete the reviewer interest formopens in new window or submit your CV via emailopens in new window for the editorial board’s consideration. At the end of your CV, please share ways you commit to equity, diversity, and inclusion in your profession and/or as a peer reviewer.

For guidance on peer reviewing manuscripts, please visit Psychological Services’s reviewer guidelines.