Guidelines
Before you start writing, there are some things you should consider:
Firstly, when you start reading, make sure your resources are appropriate: scientific papers, handbooks, and books written by specialists in their domain, with a considerable reference list. After you select a subject and you have found some sound references on the subject, we recommend an active reading process in which you take notes and formulate the ideas which you would like to formulate.
The second very important aspect to take into consideration is the population you are writing for (i.e. parents, teenagers, trainers, recruiters, etc.). Depending on this, the language, the references, and the style in which you write might differ. What is more, depending on the population, there is a different level of attention to the jargon used; in any case, the general expectation should be that most people are not used to the jargon used in psychology. Remember, we want to have an impact so people should easily understand and find relevance in your article; which takes us to…
The third aspect is to try to formulate a practical takeaway (set of) points. What we mean by this is not necessarily that an article should completely revolutionize one’s life, but rather that ideas have the power to challenge and change. In that regard, every article should highlight some practical aspects of the subject which can consist of a different way of thinking about that particular topic, a question, a behavior to practice, or even a ritual to integrate into one’s life, a skill to pursue or a technique to implement in one’s next training session.
With that being said, please keep in mind the following:
The articles should be written with the rigor and skepticism of science
Keep it loose, remember whom you’re writing for, and use simple language
We want to be relevant and promote ways in which psychology can be practical in our day-to-day lives.
The Article Structure
Every article should have the following structure:
The Title
The title should be a catchy one (a metaphor, a rhetorical question, etc.). It should also consider one main idea that can be followed easily while someone’s reading it. Don’t be discouraged to add a subtitle as well if you feel like it’s needed. It is also important to specify between 4 to 6 keywords that will be included under the title.
Introduction
The first paragraph is the most important one. It must contain the main ideas of the article and the reason why the article is relevant. All the other paragraphs should come as arguments to support the ideas in your introduction. This paragraph should be intriguing and catch the attention of your readers for the rest of the article and the scientific approach can be toned down a little.
Main body
You should have at least two, well-documented arguments that are going to support the main idea. Every argument should be a paragraph, but of course, feel free to be flexible with this aspect, as we do not want to restrict one’s style and creativity. Still, attention to the correct references and the use of simple language should not be neglected.
Conclusion
The last paragraph has the objective to summarize the entire article and highlight the main ideas in a non-repetitive way. The concluding paragraph has a heavy-duty, as it also has to highlight the practical takeaway points. The fun part is that, again, for this paragraph, we encourage an authentic voice and creative ways in which to make the ideas stick. But do not worry, this is not necessary, as we know creativity is a lazy muse sometimes.
About the author
At the end of every article on our blog, there is a short note about the author. Please take a moment to share a few sentences describing yourself. We appreciate your contributions and look forward to learning more about your strengths and unique qualities that make you an asset to our group. Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and insights.
Tips and tricks
You can integrate metaphors and analogies so that the reader can be immersed in what you mean, but keep in mind that your language should be an interface one. Make sure that you are using catchy highlights for every main point related to the topic you are covering (in the form of subtitles, bold and italic fonts, etc.
We promote science in a friendly manner but this doesn’t mean distorting it, so make sure you keep your references for every piece of information that you integrate (APA style: https://www.mendeley.com/guides/apa-citation-guide/)
What can you write about?
Research Summer School – This section is where we invite all recent and past participants to share their experiences with the rest of the readers. We want to know your insights and stories to help others understand the practical aspects of the Research Programme and inspire them to join. We encourage you to use concise and straightforward language, avoiding unnecessary jargon, to make your message accessible to a wider audience. Consider breaking down your main arguments into bullet points or numbered lists to improve the overall structure of your message and help readers better understand the key takeaways. Thank you for sharing your experiences with us!
General Psychology Literature Reviews – This section is dedicated to different subjects from general psychology, cognitive psychology, social psychology, developmental psychology, etc. This section is dedicated to presenting general psychological phenomena, theories, and subjects studied in different fields of psychology.
Mental health – This section is dedicated to subjects addressed by clinical psychology, psychotherapy, and health psychology, which regard our growing need for mental health specialists, knowledge, and initiatives. You can also write here about self-care.
Self-development – Let’s say I’m not depressed, but I still want new ways to integrate mindfulness into my life. Or maybe I am a trainer that wants to add a new soft skill to his/her arsenal. This section is where these kinds of ideas dwell.
Reader’s Digest– You can pick one of the pioneering articles that you feel like sharing with others and try to catch the main ideas and present them in a very cohesive and practical manner. Focus on trying to transform the rigid hypothesis that was tested into the practical implications that are useful for anyone. Don’t be afraid to also counter argue the results or to highlight the methodological limitations as well. Pay attention! The aim is not to change the authors’ ideas but to summarise and put them into action for the general public, so keep it professional!
Books/movies review – A book/movie presentation about such a piece of media that was recently published/released and you think that people should read/watch it. Don’t forget to include a summary of the book/movie’s plot; be sure to talk about how it influenced your perspective/life and why you think it is suitable for a specific audience.
Interviews – We all have that professor, researcher, psychotherapist, etc. that we all admire and find inspiring. If you do, prepare an interview and share his/her ideas and work with the world by turning it into an article. Be brave! We’re all people that love to talk about the things we’re passionate about!
Get involved and Open Calls – These sections are fully maintained by us – the Research Programme Team. You will find all the currently ongoing open calls regarding the Research Summer School and The Research Programme in general as well as opportunities for you to join us like webinars, workshops, or conferences.
Almost there…
After submitting
After your wonderful work has arrived at us, you will receive a confirmation (Yay!). After reading the submission and checking if it fits or not with the guidelines, we will reach out to you and give feedback. The approach follows the scientific article publishing canonic protocol (accepted with minor/major revisions/ rejected) – all of these situations will be specified relating to your article. If minor/major revisions are needed, we will specify exactly what needs refining. We deeply believe that feedback is the key and we view this process as a collaborative one in which every input is valuable. Once your article is accepted, it has to go through our EFPSA Content Review. Once we retrieve it, we will inform you of the publication date on our blog.
Additional information
! We know that we can’t separate mental health from other fields. Feel free to integrate your interdisciplinary interests throughout this process.
! We believe in flexibility and openness so if you have any suggestions, feel free to contact us!
! Keep in mind that this is a voluntary act, but you will get the chance to enhance your writing skills and also be part of the pioneering work that we are doing! For every question/ suggestion that comes up in your mind, you can write us here or if your article is ready, submit it here!
! Remember to double-check for grammar and typos!
! If there are any questions you need answering do not hesitate to write to this address:
! Feel free to base on already published articles in each section.
Happy writing!
Here are some more useful tips for scientific writing
https://aslopubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/lol2.10165