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: 48,000 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.

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, book reviews, careers, looking back etc).

We have also started a 'big picture' pull-out poster format - download an example here. 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.

Contact the editor to discuss all of the above options, by email or on +44 (0)116 252 9573.

How do I go about writing my piece?
You may find it helps to contact the editor for advice on the approach you should take and how long the piece should be. You can also
see the archive and digital sample issues for examples of different formats.
To allow anonymous review, authors’ names and full contact details should not appear on the typescript, but should be presented on a separate page.
Send your work as an attachment to psychologist@bps.org.uk, or post three copies to The Psychologist at the Society’s office.

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.

The main message is that the Psychologist team are there to advise and guide you through the process.

Dr Jon Sutton

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