RPA Dialogue Submission Guidelines
If you have any questions, please contact the Newsletter Editor: Mary L. Flett, Ph.D. (707) 938-5531
Information for prospective authors
The RPA Dialogue is the official publication of the Redwood Psychological Association (RPA), a non-profit professional association of psychologists in California. The RPA Dialogue is published for and on behalf of the members of the RPA to advance psychology as a science and a profession and as a means of promoting the public interest. The goal of the RPA Dialogue is to foster discussion of topics of clinical and professional interest to psychologists in our Chapter. The RPA Dialogue is published six times a year by the Redwood Psychological Association (RPA) and has a circulation of 145. It is read by members of RPA.
Length – Feature articles in the RPA Dialogue are two pages (generally 1400 words) plus four to six APA style references and a very brief bio. Note: length is approximate and subject to formatting and layout constraints. If including any figures or graphs, word count will be proportionately lower.
Content – The Editors invite articles that cover a wide range of topics (i.e., scientific advances, professional practice issues, legislative matters, healthcare climate) that relate to the theme selected for each edition of the RPA Dialogue. Diverse views, critical analyses, theoretical or innovative ideas are also encouraged. Each edition of the RPA Dialogue typically has one, 1,400 word article directly related to the theme along with three to five shorter articles directly related to the interests of one of RPA Chapter’s activities. Articles are generally by invitation. If you are interested in writing for a specific edition, be sure to contact the RPA Dialogue Editor well in advance of deadline to indicate your interest.
Style – RPA Dialogue articles are limited in length and may. Include poetry, or creative writing that is broadly reflective of the practice of psychology, or articles of local interest to members, or opinions or ideas that may have an impact on how members practice psychology, Articles (and references) that are of a professional nature must adhere to the standards outlined in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. Present your ideas in an orderly manner so that there is continuity in use of words, paragraph arrangement, and theme development from the opening paragraph to the end of the article. Be alert to wordiness, use of jargon, redundancy, or other cumbersome expressions. Our readers are mostly psychologists; thus, it is unnecessary to define common psychological terms. However, the RPA Dialogue is read by psychologists in all specialties, so be sure to define terms unique to your specialty.
Cultural Mindfulness – The RPA Board of Directors has adopted a broad approach to defining diversity that includes socio-cultural aspects related to gender, gender identity, age, race, ethnicity, national origin, religion/spirituality, sexual orientation, disability, language and socioeconomic status. All authors are asked to include an analysis/ commentary on how the relevant socio-cultural issues listed above play a role in the article’s subject matter. If the author is not knowledgeable with the interface of the topic and the relevant socio-cultural issues, we request that they direct readers to the literature that addresses those issues. In the rare case that the topic/subject matter is completely unaffected by these socio-cultural issues, please indicate this in the article. An example of the relevancy of socio-cultural issues: An article focused on parenting issues may include information regarding gay/lesbian couples, or refer readers to literature on this area.
References – Where required, all citations must follow APA style guidelines.
Author Identification – We encourage self-disclosure and ask that you write a brief (50 to 75 words) bio-sketch of who you are that should include your name, email address, work setting or affiliation and professional specialty(s).
Resources – If in doubt on the above or on grammar, syntax, or other language use, refer directly to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (current edition).
Editorial Responsibility – The Editor reserves the right to edit publishable articles to RPA Dialogue standards; and to reject any article deemed inappropriate, substandard, biased, inflammatory, or otherwise incompatible with goals of the RPA or the integrity of professional psychology.
How to submit articles
Email Submissions – Email as an electronic attachment the current editor of RPA Dialogue (see top of page for contact info). Please use our checklist before you submit your article.
We can accommodate products of all commonly used word processing programs, but prefer it if you submit using MS Word.
Author Photo – Along with your article submission, please include as an attachment a high resolution (150 dpi or higher) digital photo file (e.g., jpg, bmp or gif). Photos embedded in Word files cannot be used.
Themes and Deadlines –
NOTE: Themes are broadly interpreted and may be changed; deadlines subject to change:
Editorial Policies
The RPA Dialogue reserves the right to unilaterally reject or edit articles that it deems not to be in the best interests of these objectives, or which by their tone, content or appearance are not in keeping with the goals of the publication. RPA welcomes the submission of articles to the RPA Dialogue, however, publication cannot be guaranteed, and the publication of an article does not necessarily imply that it represents the position or policy of RPA. RPA is not responsible for any claims made in any published article.
The RPA Dialogue will not publish any article that is, in the judgment of RPA, discriminatory or disrespectful to any group of people.
Editorial Responsibilities – All submissions to the RPA Dialogue should be professional in nature, tone, and content. Submissions that contain questionable factual veracity and/or that are potentially libel will be edited to maintain the publication’s journalistic standards. The Editors reserve the right to reject or revise submissions for clarity, professionalism, length, and/or libelous potential.
Submissions selected for publication that address or mention a specific person without their consent will be forwarded to the named person for rebuttal, which will be published concurrently with the submission.
Submissions selected for submission that address a previously published article in the RPA Dialogue will be forwarded to the article’s author for rebuttal, which will be published concurrently with the letter.
Space Available – The number of pages devoted to articles will vary depending on advertising space used in each issue.
Correspondence to The Redwood Psychological Association and the RPA Dialogue should be sent to:
Redwood Psychological Association
PO Box 15209
Santa Rosa, CA 95402
Editorial Statement: All articles are reviewed for their professional appropriateness for the newsletter, and to identify any potential problematic and/or unintended misstatements or omissions in the articles and columns.
RPA Dialogue Feature Article Checklist
Basics:
• Is the word count of the article (excluding title, references, and bio) no longer than 1400 words?
• Have you used your Word Processor’s spelling, grammar check and word count programs?
• Have you included?
Bio information no longer than 75 words including either an email address or voicemail;
Color photo – high resolution, attached file; not embedded in a Word file;
2-3 CE questions and answers (multiple choice or True/False) if submitting for CE credit;
• Is the entire manuscript-including quotations, references, author note, content footnotes, and figure captions-double spaced?
Format:
• Is the title no more than 12 words?
• Does the bio reflect the institution or institutions where your work is conducted?
• Are there subheadings to organize the presentation of material? Usually 3-4 subheadings work best!
• Are unnecessary abbreviations eliminated and necessary ones explained?
• Are abbreviations in table and figures explained in the table notes and figure captions or legends?
References:
• Do all references meet the standards of the APA Publication Manual, (current edition)?
• Are all references cited both text and in the reference list?
• Do the text citations and reference list entries agree both in spelling and in date?
• Are journal titles in the reference list spelled out fully?
• Are inclusive page numbers of all articles or chapters in books provided in the reference list?