Contribute

Your publication needs you!
You can shape the content in all parts of the publication - we rely on your submissions.

In return we help you to get your message across to a large and diverse audience. The Psychologist is all about diversity. Write for The Psychologist and you will be reaching a massive audience in comparison with most academic and professional outlets: 50,000 in print and many more online. The readers will be from all corners of the discipline, as well as some journalist and non-member subscribers. It's also about diversity of format: the chances are there will be something to suit what you have to say and how you want to say it.

*Current priorities*

As of January 2013, we are particularly keen to receive New voices articles, Big picture ideas, and potential contributions to an Opinion special on 'austerity psychology'.

What are we looking for?
Topics which will inform our wide audience, written in a style which will engage them. We aim to publish quality, accessible overviews of published research and developments in practice, along with a wide range of more personal formats and all our regular sections ('News', 'Letters', 'Reviews', 'Careers', 'Looking back' etc).

Let's take a closer look at some of those formats.

Articles
We are looking for engaging and informative overviews of published research and developments in practice, suitable for our large and diverse audience of professional psychologists. We are not a 'first port of call' outlet for the publishing of original research: think more journalism than journal, but still clearly evidence-based. Kind of like New Scientist with references!
Articles can be up to 3000 words, plus references (but not over-referenced: we tend to suggest a max of 30).

Viewpoints
We are very interested to hear more about the person in psychological research or practice. If a participant in your research or practice would be willing to share their experience, you could then add your perspective and perhaps that of a third party making use of your work. See this example.

Big picture
If you think your work or that of a colleague could be represented in an interesting and striking visual manner for a pull-out poster, we want to hear from you. Download an example here.

Careers
Sometimes a 'full' article doesn't seem appropriate and you simply want to tell us about your work. What's your typical day like? What are the highs and lows? How did you get into that line of work, and where might it lead? What are the current professional challenges? We consider pieces of up to 1800 words, or if appropriate we can arrange for an interview with our freelance writer.

Reviews
We are now considering reviews of psychology in any form of media: books, films, TV, radio, newspapers, websites and blogs, apps, plays, music, exhibitions, etc etc. If you are interested in contributing, please contact the editor.

New voices
If you have never published in The Psychologist before, and are perhaps in the early stages of your journey in psychology but looking to announce yourself as a genuine 'new voice', then we are here to help.

Looking back
This section covers the history of psychology and the psychology of history. Articles tend to be 1800-3000 words long (with a preference for shorter), and - like all writing in The Psychologist - should attempt to engage as well as inform. See examples here and contact the editor and associate editor to discuss your ideas.

Special issues
For special issues, we are ideally looking for broad, overarching topics which can engage and inform our audience on a personal and professional level. Previous examples have included driving, the senses, and time. Special issues should attempt to make links across the discipline, showcasing a diversity of perspective and format. The first step is to contact the editor to discuss the theme and potential contributors.

Opinion specials
From time to time we publish opinion specials, for example this one on replication. At the moment we are interested in setting up one on 'austerity psychology': has the economic climate had an impact on how you research, teach or practice psychology?

Interviews etc
If you or somebody you know would prefer to feature in an interview or a short 'one on one' questionnaire, giving a mix of professional and personal insight, get in touch to discuss options.

How do I go about writing my piece?
Contact the editor to discuss all of the above options, by email or on +44 (0)116 252 9573.
You can also see the archive and digital sample issues for examples of different formats.
When you are happy with your work, send it as an attachment to psychologist@bps.org.uk, or post three copies to The Psychologist at the Society’s office. To allow anonymous review, authors’ names and full contact details should not appear on the typescript, but should be presented on a separate page.

What happens next?
After an initial assessment of suitability by the editor, our feature articles are blind peer-reviewed to ensure scientific quality. The editor reserves the right to edit all copy accepted for publication. However, this is a collaborative process with the author, aiming for the best possible end product in terms of layout and accessibility.
An author or the editor may feel that an article is suitable for web-only presentation due to considerations of time, length or breadth of interest.
You may also find the policy and procedures of The Psychologist of use.

Still not convinced?

The Psychologist team are there to advise and guide you through the process. It can be a very positive and valuable experience for you. Don't just take our word for it: here's what some past authors have had to say about writing for us:

"I've read this before, but only when I'd experienced it myself did I really believe it…writing for The Psychologist helped me to reach people my usual publications don't reach. Several of them supplied me, spontaneously, with useful sources, information and examples of real-world applications"
Professor Miles Hewstone, University of Oxford

"Articles in The Psychologist reach a larger and more general UK Psychology audience than most scientific journals. Reading articles by others in The Psychologist broadens my perspective"
Professor Jon Driver, University College London

"It's important for psychologists to develop ways of writing that really communicate: not just journal intricacy and not just glossy-magazine chat. The Psychologist offers a fine opportunity for this development. The editors are excellent, in their work with authors and in their production of this wonderful publication."
Keith Oatley, University of Toronto

"Couldn't be happier with the editorial process which was highly professional, very efficient and extremely supportive and responsive"
Professor Martyn Barrett, University of Surrey

"Writing for The Psychologist was a challenge - it made me think beyond the usual student essay style and gain experience in writing for a wide audience"
Alexa Ipsas, University of Edinburgh

"Writers can fear that they have to work alone. In my experience writing for The Psychologist, the process was characterised by clear, supportive, friendly and very helpful editing, which made the whole task manageable and pleasant. The readership meant that ideas were disseminated to a very wide audience"
Professor Irvine Gersch, University of East London

"The motto "be the change you want to see" has driven me through my career and has been the rationale for many of the challenges I have made to the status quo. If you want to see the face of The Psychologist change, why not share your ideas and become a part of it yourself?"
Jeune Guishard-Pine, Consultant Psychologist in the NHS and in private practice

There is an abundance of contemporary topics within psychology that are likely to be of interest to many people. Identify one, share your informed opinion on it by sending it to The Psychologist, get published, and enjoy the reward of receiving feedback and input from many others.
Gaby Pfeifer, University of Sussex