Attention: Research Mentors for Undergraduate Honors Theses
Merrill-Palmer Quarterly: A Journal of Developmental Psychology is hosting one or more special issues featuring high-quality, empirical honor theses completed by undergraduate students under the mentorship of faculty researchers. The issue’s purpose is to promote and recognize the next generation of developmental scientists.
Eligibility is limited to reports of empirical research and higher priority will be given to submissions that address substantive topics that are consistent with the journal’s mission and focus.
Merrill-Palmer Quarterly's mission is to serve as a primary source of new research studies in child and adolescent development. The purview of Merrill-Palmer Quarterly encompasses theory and research on child and adolescent social/emotional/psychological development and emphasizes the journal's historical commitment to the study of development in context (e.g., relationships, families, schools, neighborhoods, peers, media, etc.).
Students and mentors who wish to have their manuscripts considered for this special issue should upload their submissions to the article portal at digitalcommons.wayne.edu/mpq/. Submissions will be accepted beginning April 15, 2023, and undergo peer review. Submission deadline is September 1, 2023.
Student/scholar authors needing publication within a limited timeline for the purpose of meeting graduation and/or other class requirements: because of the cyclical nature of periodic journals, a specific hastened future publication date cannot be offered nor guaranteed and relying on this is advised against.
Instructions for article submission are attached and can also be found on the article portal at https://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/mpq/. Inquiries about manuscripts should be directed to the editorial office via e-mail (mpq@asu.edu).
Manuscript Submission
To submit a manuscript, use the submit article portal at digitalcommons.wayne.edu/mpq. The editors reserve the right to return or reject manuscripts that deviate substantially from the following requirements:
Manuscript format and style. Follow the instructions and specifications provided in the 7th edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (2020). This manual may be purchased from the APA Order Department, P.O. Box 92984, Washington, DC 20090-2984 (online: www. apa.org/books/). Begin each of the following on a new page: title page, abstract, the first page of text, references, appendix, footnotes, tables, figure captions, and figures. Use margins of 1 inch on all sides of every page (top, bottom, and sides). Double-space everything, including text, tables, and references. Please use 12-point Times font. The text should be left justified, and words should not be divided at the end of lines.
- Figures. Figures should be prepared and submitted in PDF format.
- Title page. A separate title page should be submitted with the manuscript. Place all information about the authors (e.g., institutional affiliations and contact information) on this page only, using the APA three-paragraph format (i.e., affiliation, acknowledgments, and contact information). Blind review requires that information that might identify the authors or their affiliations be removed from all pages of the manuscript except the title page.
- Abstract. Include an abstract that does not exceed 150 words in length.
- Manuscript length. Most reports of empirical investigations that are considered for publication in Merrill-Palmer Quarterly do not exceed 30–40 pages, all-inclusive (i.e., including references, tables, and figures). Additional page space may, at times, be permitted for manuscripts that include multiple studies.
- Written informed consent. Reports of studies in which minors (i.e., children, including adolescents under the age of 18) were participants must include a description of the procedures used to obtain written informed consent from parents or guardians, and an assurance that informed consent was obtained for all participants prior to their involvement in the investigation (see the American Psychological Association’s ethical guidelines). Reports of studies that do not meet established ethical standards (e.g., the ethical standards of the American Psychological Association) cannot be considered for publication.
- Cover letter. In a cover letter, the corresponding author must affirm that (a) the manuscript (including the findings) is not under consideration by another publisher or journal and (b) the study reported in this manuscript has been conducted in accordance with APA ethical guidelines. For studies that are part of a larger project or have aspects in common with previously published articles, please explain how the various parts are related. The cover letter should contain the following forms of contact information for the corresponding author: e-mail address, postal (street) address, and phone number. The corresponding author is responsible for keeping coauthors apprised of all information pertaining to manuscript submission, manuscript review, and editorial decisions.
- Submitting manuscripts for review. To submit a manuscript, use the submit article portal at digitalcommons.wayne.edu/mpq. Submissions (manuscript and cover letter) should be uploaded as MS Word documents.
- Student class/graduation requirements. Student/scholar authors needing publication within a limited timeline for the purpose of meeting graduation and/or other class requirements: because of the cyclical nature of periodic journals, a specific hastened future publication date cannot be offered nor guaranteed and relying on this is advised against.
- Website/Manuscript inquiries and communications. Additional information about this journal can be found online at. digitalcommons.wayne.edu/mpq. Inquiries about manuscripts should be directed to the editorial office via e-mail (mpq@asu.edu). Receipt of manuscripts will be acknowledged via e-mail.
