Merrill-Palmer Quarterly: Journal of Developmental Psychology | WSU Press | Wayne State University
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Submission Guidelines

Aims and Scope. The Merrill-Palmer Quarterly publishes empirical, methodological, conceptual, and meta-analytic review papers on peer relations. The journal also publishes research on interpersonal factors that impact socioemotional development, particularly those relevant to peer relations. The Merrill-Palmer Quarterly is a lifespan developmental journal. Submissions concerning any period of life are welcome, provided that they have a developmental focus.

Empirical studies should have a quantitative design; mixed or qualitative methods may supplement, but cannot replace, quantitative results. Longitudinal or experimental studies are strongly preferred, as are studies with multiple methods or informants. Papers whose sole purpose is to replicate well-established findings in different contexts will be returned without review. Submissions from all disciplines are encouraged.

Manuscript format and style. All manuscripts should adhere the style guidelines described in the 7th edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. Use 1-inch margins, with 12-point font. Double-space everything, including text, tables, and references. Running heads should include page numbers. Avoid footnotes and endnotes. Subheads are strongly encouraged. Include the title at the top of the first page of the text. Each of the following should begin on a new page: Title page; abstract; first page of the text; references; appendix; each table; and each figure. All identifying information should be removed from the text of the manuscript.

Please note the following Merrill-Palmer Quarterly style conventions. First person voice is acceptable (except in the abstract and in headings and subheadings). Active voice is strongly preferred. Avoid vague referents (e.g., this, that, these, those, it), particularly at the beginning of a sentence. Do not begin a sentence with “while.” People have relationships, variables have relations. Multiple or string citations are discouraged; typically, one or two will suffice. Avoid acronyms that are not widely understood by readers across disciplines (e.g., ANOVA is OK, CDI is not). Avoid non-statistical abbreviations within tables and figures – do not circumvent this rule by including a key to abbreviations in the Note. Comparative terms (e.g., less, more) need referents (e.g., less than something, more than something else). Investigator names belong in parentheses as citations, unless the author is the subject of the sentence (e.g., Sullivan’s theory…).

Manuscript length. Submitted manuscripts should be 25-35 pages all inclusive. Supplemental material (not included in the page count total) may be submitted in a separate document, immediately after manuscript submission. The journal will host supplemental material online, alongside the text of the article. Convert all supplemental files to pdf format before submitting. Longer manuscripts may be considered; contact the Editor-in-Chief before submitting.

Title and Title Page. The title should describe the main findings. Submit a separate title page with the manuscript. The title page should include (a) author names and contact information, (b) funding and other acknowledgements, (c) conflict of interest statement, and (d) 3-5 keywords.

Abstract. An unstructured abstract of up to 250 words should be included. Avoid first-person voice. The abstract should specify the research topic or question, the participants, the procedure, the main findings, and a substantive conclusion that captures the key narrative point.

Introduction. The opening paragraph of the introduction should identify the research topic and its significance, summarize what is known and what is not known, and how the submission will address this gap. Close the paragraph with a brief overview of the submission (e.g., The present study examines XX and XX as predictors of XX over the course of XX TIME in a sample of XX year-olds from XX). Hypotheses should be forecast in the introduction and stated explicitly in the last paragraph of the introduction.

Method. Recruitment procedures and participation rates must accompany the description of the sample. Most papers require a plan of analysis. Confirmatory (hypothesis driven) analyses should be distinguished from exploratory analyses.

Power and missing data. Empirical submissions must include a statement describing the power available to test each hypothesis. Missing data must be described and modern missing data techniques must be applied.

Human subjects/ethics approval. All empirical submissions require human subjects approval. The approval number should be provided in the text of the method. A statement describing informed consent procedures should accompany the approval.

Preregistration and data availability. Indicate whether the data, analyses, and hypotheses were preregistered and, if so, provide the preregistration number. Note also whether and how the data will be made available for sharing. Preregistration and data sharing are not a requirement for publication.

Results. All statistical results must be accompanied by effect size estimates and confidence intervals. Note that in most circumstances, d is preferable to eta-squared.

Discussion. Begin the discussion with a recap of the main findings, placed in the context of the hypotheses. A paragraph on limitations is necessary. Avoid a generic summary of future directions. Close the discussion with a conclusion that succinctly restates the paper’s take-home message.

Tables and Figures. Tables and figures must be editable (not pasted images or jpegs). Each must be separately referenced in the text. Figures should contain error bars. Table and figure notes should include participant N and other information that facilitates interpretation without reference to manuscript text.

References. Ensure conformity to current APA publication manual guidelines. References should appear in alphabetical order by first author last name. Use a hanging indent. Only proper nouns and the first word of the title and subtitle should be capitalized. Journal names should appear in italicized title case. DOI numbers are required for all journal citations. Citations pasted from Google Scholar can be error prone. Accurate, correctly formatted citations (with DOI numbers) can usually be obtained at https://psycnet.apa.org.

Reviewer Suggestions. Authors are required to submit the names, email addresses, and affiliations of at least 3 suggested reviewers. Current collaborators and recent coauthors should not be listed as suggested reviewers.

Publishing Fees. There are no fees to submit to or publish in the Merrill-Palmer Quarterly. Optional open access publishing is available for a fee. Please contact the journals manager, Julie Warheit (julie.warheit@wayne.edu), for details.

Submitting Manuscripts for Review. To submit a manuscript, use the Submit Article tab at the Merrill-Palmer Quarterly home page (https://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/mpq). Submissions (manuscript and cover letter) should be uploaded as MS Word documents.

Manuscript Inquiries and Communications. Inquiries about manuscripts should be directed to the Editorial Office via e-mail (MPQeditor@gmail.com). Receipt of manuscripts will be acknowledged via e-mail.