JRP Editor’s Report

Richard Lucas

Richard LucasI would like to thank all the members of ARP for contributing to and reviewing for the Journal of Research in Personality over the past year. 2012 was a very good year for the journal. Although submissions have been steadily increasing for many years now (with over a 50% increase from 2007 to 2011), the rate of increase was especially high this past year. Submissions were up almost 20% from 2011. We hope that the increasing number of papers being submitted to JRP reflects both the positive experiences that authors are having and a recognition that the quality of the articles that we are publishing is very high. Indeed, our impact factor for 2011 (the most recent year for which we have data) also improved from the previous year to 1.966. We were particularly happy to see this number increase in a year when the impact factors for most journals that publish personality research declined (so the increase does not just reflect a general trend). Although the large number of high quality papers that come in can sometimes be daunting to the editors who handle those papers, we are encouraged to see these increases and hope that people will continue to submit their best work to the journal in the years to come.

In spite of this increase in submissions, the editorial staff has been able to maintain a very short turnaround time for papers that are submitted. Indeed, even with this dramatic increase in submissions, the overall average time to decision actually decreased from 2011 to just 31 days. Admittedly, the number of papers that we are rejecting without review has increased somewhat, and this is mostly responsible for the faster turnaround time. However, even papers that are sent out for review are returned an average of two months after submission, a number that has held steady over the past few years and declined from a three-month turnaround time in previous years. We are always looking for ways to improve efficiency even further, and our goal is not just to average a two-month turnaround, but to ensure that almost all papers are returned within this short time frame. So over the next year, the editorial team will work hard to accomplish that goal.

Of course, with increasing submissions, there is also increasing competition for journal space. This means that we have had to become increasingly selective about the papers that we accept, and we have had to use desk-rejection decisions even more frequently so as not to overburden the editors and reviewers who comment on the papers that are submitted. Although such decisions can be unpleasant to receive, they are necessary to keep the system running efficiently, and in my experience, authors have generally been grateful for the quick response. It is also important to note that as submissions increase, there are certain types of papers that have become increasingly less likely to be considered at JRP. Specifically, single-study papers that rely entirely on cross-sectional designs and self-report questionnaire methods with convenience samples are less and less likely to be published or even sent out for review at JRP. Of course, these methods and designs are important to Personality Psychology and to the broader field . However, simple questionnaire studies are relatively easy to conduct and have some important limitations. Therefore, we have somewhat higher expectations regarding the size and the novelty of the contribution that such studies can make.  We will soon be revising the guidelines for authors on the JRP website to reflect these changing standards for publication.

In addition, in response to the recent incidents of problematic or even fraudulent research practices within Psychology, the editorial team has begun to consider deeper changes that will improve the quality of JRP articles even further. We will certainly be looking more closely at the power of studies that are submitted to JRP, but we will also be considering ways to encourage replications and data sharing among authors who submit to the journal. These discussions are ongoing, and we will provide more details as they progress.

As is usually the case, there have been some transitions in the editorial team. Both Oliver Schultheiss and Uli Schimmack have decided not to continue as Associate Editors in 2013, and we thank them very much for their excellent service to the journal. We are also excited to announce that Kate McLean from Western Washington University and Colin DeYoung from the University of Minnesota will be joining the editorial team starting in January of 2013. The 2013 editorial team consists of Brent Donnellan as Senior Associate Editor and Phebe Cramer, Colin DeYoung, Kate McLean, Jennifer Tackett, and Simine Vazire as Associate Editors.

On a final note, I again want to remind authors to consider submitting papers to JRP under the streamlined review process. Papers that have previously been submitted to APA or APS journals can be resubmitted to JRP with the original reviews and a response letter. We will consider these reviews and can usually make a decision about the acceptability of the paper for publication without sending the paper out for additional review. This shortens the review process considerably (and has the additional benefit of reducing reviewer burden), and streamlined papers often receive decisions within a few days. This is an innovative and efficient mechanism, and we encourage more authors to take advantage of it.

So thanks again to everyone who has submitted to JRP or reviewed for us. We're all looking forward to another great year in 2013.