All submissions need to be in English. Research-based submissions submitted to the JSPR for publication need to be original (i.e., not published/or submitted for publication elsewhere), provide a significant contribution to the field and be underpinned by a highly rigorous methodology.
EMPIRICAL RESEARCH SUBMISSIONS (6,000 to 8,000 max)
The Journal welcomes a range of empirical work including (though not restricted to):
· Experimental research (quantitative and qualitative)
· Field investigations
· Case collections
· Theoretical contributions
· Review articles
· Historical perspectives
Please use the following list to check your submission before you submit it to the Journal for review.
SUBMISSION PROCESS
All submissions need to be in English and saved in Word format and then emailed as an attachment with a covering letter to: The Editor, Journal of the Society for Psychical Research.
Email address: [email protected]
JSPR HOUSE STYLE
All submitted manuscripts need to be Word format, size A4, with a top margin of 3.5cm, sides 3.3cm and bottom of 3.4cm. All text needs to be 12pt font Times Roman.
TITLE PAGE INFORMATION
TITLE (in capitals)
Titles are often used in information-retrieval systems and as such, they should be concise and informative.
Author name(s) and affiliation
In caps size 10pt, e.g., NAME OF AUTHOR. Please clearly indicate the given name(s) and family name(s) of each author. Provide each author’s affiliation address below the names.
Corresponding author
Clearly indicate who will handle all correspondence at all stages of the review process.
ABSTRACT
Formatted in 10pt font size, Times Roman, with 1cm indent left and right. A concise and factual abstract is required (250 words maximum). The abstract should state briefly the purpose/rationale of the research, the principal results, and major conclusions. An abstract is often presented separately from the article, so it must be able to stand alone. For this reason, References should be avoided, but if essential, then cite the author(s) and year(s). Also, non-standard or uncommon abbreviations should be avoided.
SECTIONS
Where relevant the submission should contain the following sections, with headings in caps:
INTRODUCTION
The introduction states the topic and the main questions to be explored. The researchers supply background information by discussing past research on the topic. Extensive referencing establishes support for the discussion. The researchers explain how their study will add to past research on the topic. The researchers state their hypotheses.
METHOD
The method provides a clear indication of what was done to whom and precisely how. A good rule of thumb is that someone not familiar with the research should be able to read the method and conceptually replicate the main study. It would generally (though not always) contain the following sub-sections with sub-headings italicised:
· Pre-registration details
· Participants
· Materials
· Design
· Procedure
· Ethics
RESULTS
The results section summarises the data that was collected and the statistical analyses that were performed. The goal of this section is to report the results without any type of subjective interpretation.
Include Effect Sizes
JSPR, consistent with APA recommendations, requires all data from inferential statistical analyses to include effect sizes so that readers can appreciate the importance of your study's findings.
DISCUSSION
The discussion is given over to the interpretation of the results of the experiment, clearly stating whether the findings supported the hypothesis or not. It should also offer possible explanations for the findings and what they might mean in terms of future research on the topic.
TABLES
Please submit tables as editable text and not as images. Tables can be placed either next to the relevant text in the article, or on separate page(s) at the end. Number tables consecutively in accordance with their appearance in the text and place any table notes above the table body. Be sparing in the use of tables and ensure that the data presented in them do not duplicate results described elsewhere in the article. Please ensure all Tables are in APA format, an example is provided below:
Example
Table 1.
Showing mean (and standard deviation) ESP and Baseline scores for the positive images, negative images and for all images combined.
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FIGURES(11pt and only title in italics)
Each Figure needs to be sent as a separate file along with the submitted manuscript. Ensure that each Figure has a clear legend. The legend should comprise a brief title (not on the Figure itself) and a description of the Figure/data portrayed. Both legend and description should be italicised. Keep text to a minimum but explain all symbols and abbreviations used. An example is provided below:
Example
Figure 1. The main findings of the ESP experiment
(11pt and all italics)
IMAGES
Corresponding Authors are responsible for securing any/all written permission to reproduce any previously published or unpublished material for which copyright is currently held.
If it is necessary to include one or more images in the manuscript each image must be saved in a digital format at a minimum resolution of 300 dpi. Each image then needs to be sent as a separate file along with the submitted manuscript.
CITATIONS AND REFERENCES
Please ensure that every reference cited in the text is also present in the reference list (and vice versa). Any references cited in the abstract must be given in full. Unpublished results and personal communications are not recommended in the reference list, but may be mentioned in the text. If these references are included in the reference list they should follow the standard reference style of the journal (i.e., APA) and should include a substitution of the publication date with either 'Unpublished results' or 'Personal communication'. Citation of a reference as 'in press' implies that the item has been accepted for publication.
All references in the text should follow the referencing style used by the American Psychological Association. You are referred to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Sixth Edition, ISBN 978-1-4338-0561-5, copies of which may be ordered online or from APA Order Dept., P.O.B. 2710, Hyattsville, MD 20784, USA or APA, 3 Henrietta Street, London, WC3E 8LU, UK.
In Text Reference Examples
Example of a single author:
High levels of belief in psi is primarily associated with high levels of intelligence (Clark, 2011).
Or
According to Clark (2011) high levels of belief in psi is primarily associated with high levels of intelligence.
Example of two authors:
Precognition is less likely to emerge when being assessed using a slow explicit based task (Smith & Jones, 2018).
Or
Smith and Jones (2018) found that precognition was less likely to emerge when being assessed using a slow explicit based task.
Example of three to five authors:
Precognition is less likely to emerge when being assessed using a slow explicit based task (Smith, Jones & Brown, 2018).
Or
Smith, Jones and Brown (2018) found that precognition was less likely to emerge when being assessed using a slow explicit based task.
Example of more than five authors:
Precognition is less likely to emerge when being assessed using a slow explicit based task (Smith et al., 2018).
Or
Smith et al. (2018) found that precognition was less likely to emerge when being assessed using a slow explicit based task.
In the reference section all references should be arranged first alphabetically and then further sorted chronologically if necessary. More than one reference from the same author(s) in the same year must be identified by the letters 'a', 'b', 'c', etc., placed after the year of publication. References should be arranged according to the following examples:
Reference Section Examples
Reference to a journal publication:
Van der Geer, J., Hanraads, J. A. J., & Lupton, R. A. (2010). The art of writing a scientific article. Journal of Scientific Communications, 163, 51–59.
Reference to a book:
Strunk, W., & White, E. B. (2000). The elements of style. (4th ed.). New York: Longman, (Chapter 4).
Reference to a chapter in an edited book:
Mettam, G. R., & Adams, L. B. (2009). How to prepare an electronic version of your article. In B. S. Jones, & R. Z. Smith (Eds.), Introduction to the electronic age (pp. 281–304). New York: E-Publishing Inc.
Reference to a website:
Cancer Research UK. Cancer statistics reports for the UK. (2003). http://<insert URL here> Accessed 13 March 2003.
A brief guide to APA referencing style along with frequently asked questions can be found here.