Author Guidelines
To facilitate the submission and review process, authors are kindly requested to adhere to the following general principles when preparing manuscripts for submission to the Journal of Clinical Psychology, Semnan University.
General Principles:
Journal Guidelines for Structuring Articles
In Persian: نام و نام خانوادگی، استادیار، گروه روانشناسی، دانشگاه سمنان، سمنان، ایران.
In English: Full name, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Semnan University, Semnan, Iran.
Both the Persian and English abstracts should be structured and placed on two separate pages. The abstract should contain at least 150 and at most 200 words, and it should be organized into five sections: Introduction, Methods, Results, Conclusion, and Keywords. The font size for the Persian abstract and keywords should be 12, and for the English abstract, it should be 11.
The abstract should include the following sections:
- Introduction: Should be stated clearly and without ambiguity, and its content should reflect the research's objective.
- Methods: Should include general information about the study design, population, sample, sampling method, data collection tools, and statistical analysis methods.
- Results: In quantitative studies, the results should be presented in alignment with the study's objectives and accompanied by statistical results. In qualitative studies, the categories, themes, or concepts, or the theoretical explanation of the findings in relation to the studied phenomenon should be clearly stated.
- Conclusion: Should be systematic and discuss the meaning and implications of the findings. It should not repeat the research results (numbers, p-values, etc.), nor should it use statistical or research methods language (e.g., significance, mean, standard deviation, coefficient, control group, experimental group, hypothesis, variable, etc.). It should provide a final summary (key results) along with research and practical suggestions and mention the limitations of the study.
- Keywords: At least 3 and no more than 6 keywords should be provided, selected based on MeSH (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/).
The main text of the article includes: Introduction, Methods, Findings, Discussion, Conclusion, and References.
Note: Please ensure that the entire article, including all its sections, is between 10 and 15 pages (the main text should not exceed 6000 words; the word count for the abstract is considered separately). Articles shorter than 10 pages will be published as short papers.
- Introduction: The introduction should include the formulation of the problem (gap or contradiction in previous research), the necessity and importance (both research and practical), a brief review of previous studies, and the aim and research question/hypothesis. It should be written clearly, concisely, purposefully, and in an organized manner, without section titles. Authors should pay attention to the logical sequence of the information presented in the introduction. It is recommended that the introduction be organized in 8 to 10 progressive paragraphs, each about 5 to 10 lines long, addressing a specific aspect of the research issue. The main goal or question of the research is stated at the end of the introduction.
The structure should begin with the dependent variables and move towards the introduction of other aspects of the study. This includes a general description of the research area; more specific details about the aspect or dimension of the issue focused on in this study (theoretical foundations); a review of findings from other studies related to the issue and topic of research (empirical background); and explaining the existing gap or void in the research problem, justifying the need for the current study. The last paragraph should express the researcher’s goal, question, or expectation from conducting the research.
Important Note: Avoid including subheadings in the introduction and write it as a cohesive paragraph. Throughout the article, when using technical terms or Latin names for the first time, provide footnotes (but do not footnote the authors' names). Do not use English within the text of the article. Minimize the use of abbreviations for diseases, treatments, brain regions, etc., as much as possible. The in-text citation and subsequent reference writing should be formatted using EndNote software in the Vancouver style.
- Methods: The methods section includes clear information about the type of study, research design, population, sample, sampling method, sample size estimation, inclusion and exclusion criteria for participants (if applicable), steps and protocol for interventions (if applicable), tools and their validity/reliability with specific numbers and figures, research process, execution method, and data analysis (including statistical software used), as well as ethical considerations and the ethics committee approval code.
Note: Under the main title Methods, subheadings should not be used. Instead, sections are presented continuously but highlighted at the beginning of each separate paragraph.
- Results: The results represent the achievements of the study. In quantitative research, this section includes the distribution of demographic characteristics of the sample groups, descriptive findings (frequency tables or charts, mean, standard deviation, etc.), and inferential findings (statistical tables of variance analysis, correlation, regression, etc.) related to the studied variables. Qualitative research findings are presented in the form of categories, concepts, or main themes with their subcategories, along with direct quotations from participants or raw data. In this section, it is essential to describe the data and test the hypotheses, make use of tables and charts with complete explanations, and avoid repeating the statistical details of tables in the text.
Note: The number of tables in an article should not exceed five. Tables must be formatted according to the Vancouver style with font size 11. Titles of tables and figures in Persian should also be typed in font size 11.
- Discussion & Conclusion: This section should include the interpretation of findings in comparison with previous studies, an explanation of the clinical/research applications and implications, study limitations, a brief and clear summary of the main results, emphasis on the importance and novelty of the research, and suggestions for future studies. Drawing conceptual conclusions from the research findings in line with the main research questions or hypotheses is essential. Furthermore, it is necessary to address the consistency or inconsistency of the results with previous research, provide explanations for such agreements or disagreements, and present a useful overall conclusion. In effectiveness studies, reporting the degree of improvement (using eta coefficients or statistical significance) is required. At the end of this section, study limitations and the generalizability of findings should also be considered, and ultimately, practical and research suggestions for future studies should be provided.
Note: Any unnecessary repetition of previous sections must be avoided, such as restating the research objectives or hypotheses at the beginning of this section, repeating the statistical significance of findings, reconfirming hypotheses, reiterating the superiority of the experimental group mean over the control group, or restating correlation or regression coefficients. Conclusions should be presented conceptually and, as much as possible, in a non-statistical manner.
- References: References must be formatted according to the Vancouver style using EndNote software. All references should be written in English with font size 10. If a reference is originally in Persian, this should be indicated at the end of the reference by inserting the word [Persian].
Note: When converting Persian references into English, under no circumstances should the titles of studies or the names of authors be translated independently. Instead, the English titles and author names provided in the original source must be used.
Referencing Style: Vancouver
(1) Citing Articles Published in Scientific Journals:
When citing articles published in scientific journals, the required information includes: authors, article title, journal title, year of publication, volume, issue number, and page range.
Format: Authors. Article title. Journal title. Year; Volume(Issue): Pages.
Examples:
Notes:
* The name of an institution or organization may be cited as the author of the article.
* In the English article title, the first letter of the title, the first letters of proper nouns, and all acronyms must be capitalized.
* Abbreviations of journal titles should follow the guidelines provided in *Citing Medicine* (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/citingmedicine), under *Abbreviation rules for journal titles*.
* In cases where only a sequential issue number is provided, the same number is written in parentheses. If the volume or issue includes a supplement, it should be indicated after the issue number by writing “Suppl”.
For example, the end of the citation may appear as:
- 2004;13(6 suppl 2):22-9.
- 1998;14 suppl 4:31-8.
* Citation of a specific part in a journal with sections follows the same format but is indicated with “Pt”.
- Persian articles should also be translated into English in the reference list, with “[Persian]” added at the end.
Example:
پورموحد زهرا، دهقانی خدیجه، یاسینی اردکانی سیدمجتبی. بررسی میزان ناامیدی و اضطراب در نوجوانان مبتلا به بتا تالاسمی ماژور. مجله تحقیقات پزشکی. 1383؛(1)52:2-45.
Pormovahed Z, Dehghani Kh, Yasini-Ardakani SM. The study of hopelessness and anxiety among adolescents suffering from major β-Thalassemia. J Med Res. 2005;2(1):45-52. [Persian]
* The Digital Object Identifier (DOI) of each article should be provided at the end of the corresponding reference.
(2) Citation of Conference Papers:
For citing papers presented at conferences or congresses, in addition to the article title and authors’ names, it is necessary to include the title of the conference, its date and venue (instead of the journal name, year of publication, volume/issue). The final part of the reference should only contain the page numbers of the cited article in the conference proceedings.
Format: Author(s). Article title. In: Conference title; Conference date; Conference venue. Place of publication: Publisher; Year. Pages.
Examples:
(3) Citation of Books:
For citing books, full details of the author, book title, edition, place of publication, publisher, and year of publication must be provided. Authors’ names should be written in the same way as in journal articles. After the author names, the book title is written in the same position as the article title in the previous section.
Format: Author(s). Book title. Edition. Place of publication: Publisher; Year.
Examples:
* If desired, the country of publication may also be added before the city, in the form “Country, City.”
* Indicating page numbers for book references is optional. Citations of Persian-authored books should also be translated into English, as shown below:
- دادستان پریرخ. روانشناسی جنایی. تهران: انتشارات سمت؛ 1382. ص. 56-42.
- Dadsetan P. Criminal psychology. Tehran: Samt; 2004. p. 42-56.
* Citation of a book or report published by an organization should follow this format:
- Royal Adelaide Hospital; University of Adelaide, Department of Clinical Nursing. Compendium of nursing research and practice development, 1999-2000. Adelaide: Adelaide University; 2001.
* For books written under the supervision of an editor or editorial board, after the book title, the name(s) of the editor(s) should be mentioned. After the last editor’s name in English references, the word *editor* or *editors* should be added, followed by a period. For example:
- Andrews FM, Robinson JP. Measures of subjective well-being. Robinson JP, Shaver PR, editors. San Diego: Academic Press; 1991.
* For citing a book chapter, after listing the author(s) and chapter title, include the book details after “In:”, specifying the editors, book title, etc. In this case, page numbers are mandatory. For example:
- Porporino FJ, Robinson D. Programming in cognitive skills. In: Hollin CR, editor. Handbook of offender assessment and treatment. Chichester: Wiley; 2001. p. 179-193.
(4) Citation of Theses or Dissertations:
To cite a thesis or dissertation, the author's name, title, type of thesis, university or institution, year of publication, and its type must be mentioned. A citation to a doctoral thesis is similar to citing a book, except that after the title of the thesis, the word “Dissertation” should be enclosed in brackets, and instead of the publisher’s name, the name of the university is written.
Format: Author. Title of Thesis. [Type of Thesis]. Place of Study: Name of University or Institution; Year of Study.
Examples:
* A thesis or dissertation in Persian should also be translated into English as shown in the example. For instance:
- Homaii Rezvan. بررسی رابطه استرس و سلامت روانی دختران دانشگاه اهواز [Master's Thesis]. Ahvaz: Shahid Chamran University; 2001. P. 4-15.
- Homaii R. The Study of the Relationship between Daughters' Stress and Mental Health at Ahvaz University. [M.A. Dissertation]. Ahvaz: Shahid Chamran University; 2001. p. 4-15.
(5) Citation of Internet Sources:
To cite an online source, the page title, author (if available), publication date, access date, and URL should be provided.
Format: Author. Title of the Page [Internet]. Date of Publication [Date of Access]. URL
Examples:
Citation of informational sources on the web (including websites, online databases, wikis, etc.):
Guidelines for Writing an Extended Abstract
The purpose of writing an extended abstract is to provide the essential information of the study so that, once indexed in English-language databases, researchers can also become familiar with the content of the study. This, in turn, will increase the citation rate of the work. Therefore, you are encouraged to make full use of the 1000-word limit to present the most important details of the study. It is recommended that you extract the requested sections from the final version of your article, since that text has already undergone peer review and is therefore less likely to contain errors. However, you may use new sentences where needed to better connect ideas. Please read the explanations provided in the following sections carefully. The extended abstract should be prepared in both Persian and English, with equivalent content in both languages.
Article Title
The title of the extended abstract must be identical to that of the full article. It should be concise and aligned with the purpose, content, and key findings of the article. Abbreviations or newly coined terms should not be used. Terminology must be applied accurately and appropriately. For instance, in clinical trials and experimental studies, the terms *efficacy*, *effectiveness*, and *efficiency* are considered dependent variables and study outcomes. Therefore, avoid combining these terms with the preposition “on” along with dependent variables.
Introduction (200 words)
No definitions or references are required in the introduction. In this section, clarify the relationships between the study variables, and conclude by stating the objective of the study. The key feature of this section is that the reader should be able to understand, upon reading, what variables are included in your study and how you conceptualize their relationships. In correlational studies, predictive models, and structural equation modeling, after introducing the general research domain, first present the outcome (predicted) variable, followed by the mediating, moderating, and predictor variables. In clinical trials and therapeutic interventions, first identify the dependent (criterion) variable, then describe the intervention (treatment method), and finally state the aim of the study.
Methods (250 words)
In the Methods section, provide details regarding the study design, population, sample, sampling method, research setting and timeframe, inclusion and exclusion criteria, research instruments, and a brief explanation of key implementation procedures (depending on the study type). Also, specify the analytical methods used along with the software and its version.
Findings (350 words)
In the Findings section, it is essential to briefly indicate that the assumptions of statistical analysis have been met. There is no need to report numerical values. In descriptive studies, present the correlations observed in your study in a very concise manner. If subscales exist, it is not necessary to mention them; only report the correlations among the main study variables. In path analysis and structural equation modeling, present your final model in the extended abstract. Reporting the results of the Sobel test, bootstrap test, or any other relevant test used to determine the significance of the existing paths (mediating role of variables) in structural equation modeling, depending on the software applied, is highly important. Model fit indices should also be briefly described in text form. In clinical trials and therapeutic interventions, report the study’s findings along with its main table (for example, the covariance table).
Discussion and Conclusion (200 words)
In the Discussion section, it is only necessary to present your main interpretation of the relationship(s) addressed in the study and the primary and novel message of the research. In clinical trials and therapeutic interventions, provide your main interpretation regarding the effectiveness of the proposed therapeutic method on the dependent variable.
Ethical Considerations
Ethics Code: Report the ethics approval code, if available. Otherwise, indicate the source that granted permission to conduct the study.
Funding: If funding exists, state the source. If not, use the phrase: “This study received no financial support.”
Authors’ Contributions: Clearly state the roles of each author according to the following categories:
Conceptualization, Methodology, Software, Validation, Statistical Analysis, Data Collection, Data Management, Writing—Original Draft, Writing—Review & Editing, Funding Acquisition, Project Administration, Supervision, Visualization. Write the initial of the first name followed by the surname of each author, then list their roles separated by commas.
Example:
Note: A single role may be assigned to more than one author. Not all roles need to be included—only those applicable to your study. For instance, if the study received no financial support, the related role does not need to be assigned.
Conflict of Interest: If none exists, use the phrase: “The authors declare no conflict of interest.”
Acknowledgments: Provide a concise acknowledgment similar to what is mentioned at the end of your study
Peer Review Process
To ensure transparency for authors regarding the evaluation of manuscripts and the criteria applied, the peer review process in the Journal of Clinical Psychology consists of the following stages:
(1) Manuscript Submission
Authors are required to submit their manuscripts through the journal’s online submission system. After submission, the manuscript will be reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief to ensure its relevance to the scope of the journal.
(2) Initial Screening
At this stage, the manuscript is examined by the Editor-in-Chief or members of the editorial team to verify compliance with the journal’s standards in terms of format, structure, and language. Manuscripts that do not meet these basic requirements will be returned to the authors.
(3) Selection of Peer Reviewers
If the manuscript passes the initial screening, it will be sent to expert reviewers specializing in clinical psychology. Reviewers are typically selected from among university faculty members, researchers, and recognized specialists in fields relevant to the manuscript.
(4) Scientific Review
The reviewers assess the manuscript based on its scientific quality, content, and methodology. Particular attention is given to:
* Originality and novelty of the research
* Methodology and study design
* Results and data analysis
* Accuracy and validity of cited references
* Relevance of the manuscript to the existing scientific literature
(5) Reviewer Feedback to Authors
Upon completing the review, the reviewers submit their comments to the Editor-in-Chief. These comments may include suggestions for revisions, questions requiring clarification, or a final recommendation regarding acceptance, rejection, or conditional acceptance. Reviewer feedback is then communicated to the authors for necessary revisions.
(6) Revision and Resubmission
Authors are required to address the reviewers’ comments and submit a revised version of the manuscript. If the revisions are deemed sufficient, the manuscript will proceed toward acceptance.
(7) Final Decision
Based on the reviewers’ recommendations and the revised manuscript, the Editor-in-Chief makes the final decision on acceptance. If accepted, the manuscript enters the preparation phase for publication.
(8) Publication Process
Following acceptance, the manuscript undergoes final editing, typesetting, payment of publication fees, and preparation for inclusion in upcoming issues of the journal. Authors are notified of the final status of their manuscript at this stage.
Additional Notes
* The journal is committed to publishing high-quality manuscripts that meet rigorous scientific standards in the field of clinical psychology.
* All aspects of the peer review process are conducted confidentially and in full compliance with ethical principles.
* Authors may contact the Editor-in-Chief at any stage of the peer review process to request further information or clarification.