Submission
Articles that do not meet the minimum format and suitability requirements for the Journal will not be sent for review. The Editorial Team reserves the right to suggest or make modifications to the article to adapt it to the Journal.
Required documents
1. Cover letter
The cover letter will contain the following information:
• Name of the authors with the highest academic degrees and their affiliations. It is assumed that all the people listed as authors have given their authorization and have contributed to the work according to the order of authorship. Please identify the primary contact for editorial correspondence. It must be included the ORCID identifier by each author.
• Certification of originality (certification that the manuscript is unpublished and has not been previously published or is in the process of revision in another journal). Please, do not engage in plagiarism practices through the proper use of references. To avoid self-plagiarism by using excerpts from your own articles in new articles, avoid using verbatim excerpts. If you have any doubts, you can refer to plagiarism checking softwares (ex. Compilatio, Turnitin). The journal reserves the right to use softwares to detect plagiarism.
• For those studies conducted with human subjects, approval of the Institutional Review Board for the Protection of Human Subjects in Research. Please, specify if an Institutional Board approved the study for the Protection of Human Subjects in Research (Institutional Review Board). Indicate the institution and the protocol or approval number: [#_____]. If your institution does not have an Institutional Board, please indicate the alternative process for the protection of human subjects.
• Funding: Indicate in this section if the work was funded and include the funding agency, the funding mechanism and the proposal number (if it applies).
• Conflict of interest: Indicate if there are conflicts of interest from the authors.
2. Manuscript
• Word document file with a maximum of 30 pages (including title, abstract, references, figures, tables, appendices and illustrations), and only for qualitative papers, the maximum of pages may reach 35 pages.
• Authors’ names should NOT be included in the manuscript to guarantee anonymity in the review process.
• The article must follow the guidelines established in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA), seventh edition (2020). Access https://apastyle.apa.org for basic instructions of style and grammar.
> The entire document in double space.
> The document is numbered at the top right.
> Use of standard font (ex. Arial 11 or Times New Roman 12).
> The paper size should be 8 ½ X 11 with 1-inch margins on all sides. (see section 2.22 of the manual).
> References included in the text and in the list of references must be written following the APA style (APA, 7th edition). All references used and cited in the text must be ordered alphabetically at the end of the article.
• References are on a separate page, separated from the text.
• Figures and tables will be included at the end of the manuscript, one on each page, numbered and indicating their location in the text.
• Authors should make sure to indicate in the text the corresponding location of the table or figure as follows:
—————————-
Insert Table 1 here
—————————-
• Authors should make sure not to refer to tables and figures in the text of the article using page numbers (for example, “In Table 1 (p. 5) the results are presented…”). Due to the subsequent layout of the articles, the page numbers of the article may change to fit the format of the Journal.
• Compliance with Research Ethics Standards
As part of the editorial policy of promoting transparency and rigor of scientific research, we require authors to include in the method section the informed consent or assent process with the study participants.
Categories of articles
Below are the categories for submitting an article. The articles must have a clear and coherent structure, including introduction, method and discussion sections, as well as the references. For details, please consult chapter 3 of the APA Manual, seventh edition (pages 71-108) or visit https://apastyle.apa.org/jars
I. Research article/originals/regular
• Presents original results of an investigation, where ideas and observations are clearly presented.
• Includes quantitative, qualitative or mixed methodologies. To know the guidelines for qualitative studies, please visit SRQR.
• Includes ethics protocols and allows reproduction of the experiment or study.
• Contains introduction, method, results, discussion and conclusions.
• Maximum of 30 pages, abstract 200 words. Only for qualitative papers, the maximum of pages may reach 35 pages.
II. Short report/pilot study
• Introduces results of an investigation and/or analysis of a particular topic, discussing the processes.
• It is carried out before the actual study, following the same steps, but on a smaller scale, in order to identify potential problems in the study.
• Includes ethics protocols.
• Narrative synthesis.
• It is concise and shorter in terms of pages/content.
• Contains an introduction and it develops the discussion and conclusions.
• Maximum 15 pages, abstract 150 words.
III. Case study/case series
• Analysis of one or more cases over a certain period of time.
• Includes ethics protocol and allows reproduction of the experiment/study.
• If feasible, it contains introduction, method, results, discussion and conclusions.
• Please visit the CARE guides.
• Maximum of 30 pages, abstract 200 words.
IV. Systematic review/meta analysis
• Review where quantitative and qualitative studies are integrated or compared for a more precise effect on the results, critically evaluating and summarizing.
• Qualitative and narrative synthesis.
• It includes a systematic literature review, the data is analyzed, and an evaluation is made, then the results are interpreted.
• Contains introduction, method, results and discussion.
• Please visit the “PRISMA” guides (“Preferred Reporting Items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis”).
• Maximum of 30 pages, abstract 200 words.
V. Clinical trial
• Introduces an experimental evaluation in humans/patients/participants.
• Follows the approval regulations for recruiting, conducting the study, etc.
• Please consult the CONSORT guides.
• Registered at ClinicalTrials.gov
• Maximum of 30 pages, abstract 200 words.
VI. Article on study methods and protocols
• Introduces the general research or study methodology, including study protocols and statistical analysis plans for randomized controlled trials.
• Contains an introduction, method, and discussion. The results are not presented.
• Maximum of 30 pages, abstract 200 words.
VII. Theoretical Article
• Includes a discussion and/or theoretical debate on a specific topic to establish an innovative position that has a significant contribution to the knowledge of the discipline.
• Must present an up-to-date discussion of the theoretical topic presented.
• Contains introduction, method, discussion and conclusions.
• Maximum of 30 pages, abstract 200 words.
VIII. Critical comments to an article/critical review of a book
• Brief discussion; opinion on an article or book (eg. contributions, alternative positions, areas of limitations or challenges, among others).
• A position on the issue and arguments are presented, where the supporting evidence is discussed.
• Comments or criticism should not be submitted by the authors of the article/book.
• It is reviewed by the Editorial Board, so it is not subject to peer review.
• Maximum of 6 double-spaced pages (approx. 1,700-1,800 words)
Manuscript sections format
• All titles/topics included in the manuscript have to be in bold.
• The following sections have to be in bold and centralized: manuscript title, method, results, discussion and references. The other sections have to be in bold but without being centralized; such as: participants, procedure, limitations, conclusion, etc.
• For reference, see Figure 2.5 on page 49 of the APA Publication Manual, seventh edition (2020).
First page
• Title of the article in Spanish and English.
• Remember that the manuscript cannot have identifying information to ensure a blind peer review. Author information goes in the cover letter.
Abstract (second page)
• Starts on a separate page from the first page
• Double space • Past time
• Maximum of 200 words
• The English version is followed by the Spanish version
• At the bottom of the abstract page, include the keywords; it should include between 3-5 words relevant to the topic of your article in Spanish and English.
Example:
• On a separate page of the abstract, write the title and begin with the introduction. You do not have to write the word introduction.
• The entire manuscript should be in double space.
• References in the text should follow the APA style, seventh edition.
Example:
Reference’s example:
Sample letter to reply to reviewers:
Editorial process
Once the manuscript is submitted, it will follow the following editorial process:
1. Acknowledgment of receipt of the manuscript to the correspondence author.
2. Initial review of the manuscript by a member of the Editorial Team in order to ensure the manuscript complies with format, and journal polices. Once this process is completed, it is assigned to an editor.
3. Manuscript will be send to peer reviewers external to the editorial board and experts in the subject, in order to start the review process.
4. The evaluations are received with one of the following recommendation:
• Accepted: The article is ready to be published in its current format.
• Publishable with minimal modifications: The article may be ready to publish after minor changes. It is important that the authors are provided with a detailed list of the changes to be made.
• Resend for review: The article needs substantial changes (rewrite a section, add more literature, review the data) before it is ready for publication. Authors are recommended to review the manuscript and resubmit it by the deadline, to begin a second round of review process.
• Not publishable: The article is not ready to be published in this Journal due to methodological or substantial content flaws.
5. Once an editorial decision is made, a letter is sent to the corresponding author with the decision and the next steps to follow.
6. If the reviewers and/or Editor give the go-ahead and the article is accepted, it is sent for layout. Otherwise, it goes back to the author with suggestions, repeating this until the reviewers or editor make a final decision on the article.
7. The diagrammed manuscript is sent to the author for final review.
8. The article is published.
Articles must be submitted online through the electronic portal of the Journal: http://www.repsasppr.net/index.php/reps
Copyright
If a work is accepted for publication, the rights of printing and reproduction by any form and means belong to the Puerto Rico Psychology Association (APPR), who will not reject any reasonable request by the authors to obtain permission for reproduction of their contributions. A letter transferring the rights must need to sign. It is understood that the opinions expressed in the articles are the sole responsibility of the authors and do not compromise the scientific opinion and policy of the Journal or APPR. Likewise, the activities described in the published work will be in accordance with ethical criteria, both in regard to work conducted with humans and animal experimentation, as well as in everything related to professional ethics.
Privacy statement
The names and email addresses entered in this journal will be used exclusively for the purposes stated in it and will not be provided to third parties or use for other purposes.
Open Access Policy
This journal provides immediate open access to its content, based on the principle that providing the public with free access to research supports a greater global exchange of knowledge.
This work is under a Creative Commons license.