psci-submission

Submission Preflight (psci-submission)

The last check before submitting through Manuscript Central (mc.manuscriptcentral.com/psci). Two things sink Psychological Science submissions most often: busting the word format and missing open-science compliance. Verify volatile specifics (format numbers, policy wording, editor) on the official page first.

When to trigger

• "Submitting tomorrow" — last pass before upload
• Unsure what the format and open-science requirements demand
• Confirming the abstract, anonymization, Transparency Statement, and deposits are in order

Process facts (verify volatile items on the official page)

• Owner / publisher: Association for Psychological Science (APS) / SAGE.
• Portal: Manuscript Central, mc.manuscriptcentral.com/psci.
• Review: anonymized — keep author identity out of the manuscript and repository links.
• Word format (Research Article): Introduction + Discussion + Footnotes + Acknowledgments + Appendices ≤ 2,000 words combined; Method + Results excluded (typically ≤ ~2,500); ~40 references.
• Abstract: 150 words, stating sample sizes, participant populations, and design limitations.
• Style: APA 7th edition; tables/figures embedded in the text.
• Open science (since 1 Jan 2024): open data + materials required (justified case-by-case exemptions); Research Transparency Statement between Intro and Methods; DOIs for shared content; preregistration reported and weighed.
• Types: Research Article; Registered Reports (Stage 1/2); RR with Existing Data; Commentary (≤1,000).

Preflight checklist

Format & abstract

• Intro + Discussion (+ footnotes/acks/appendices) ≤ 2,000 words combined
• Method + Results readable (≤ ~2,500 words)
• Abstract 150 words: sample sizes + populations + design limitations
• ~40 references; APA 7th edition; tables/figures embedded near discussion

Anonymization (for review)

• No author names/affiliations in the manuscript
• Repository / preregistration links anonymized (e.g., OSF anonymized view)
• Identifying file metadata stripped

Open science

• Open data deposited + DOI + data dictionary (or justified exemption)
• Open materials deposited + DOI
• Analysis scripts deposited; reproduce in a fresh session
• Research Transparency Statement placed between Intro and Methods
• Preregistration linked; confirmatory/exploratory split consistent

Stats & disclosure

• Effect sizes + confidence intervals for major results
• Sample-size justification (power analysis if appropriate)
• Full disclosure of exclusions, conditions, and measures

Worked micro-example — preflight verdict (illustrative)

Running the two-study attention package through the gate the night before upload:

Format:     Intro 1,180 + Discussion 760 + acks 40 = 1,980 / 2,000 → PASS (margin: 20)
Method+Results: 2,310 words → PASS (readable, < ~2,500)
Abstract:   148 words; states N = 240 and N = 300, undergraduate + online
            adult samples, and the single-culture limitation → PASS
Exhibits:   2 figures (dot + 95% CI), embedded near first mention, APA 7th → PASS
Anonymize:  no names; OSF anonymized-view links; PDF metadata stripped → PASS
Open sci:   data + materials + scripts each have a DOI; Transparency
            Statement sits between Intro and Methods → PASS
Stats:      every primary result carries d and a 95% CI; SESOI-based power → PASS
Verdict:    ready to upload to Manuscript Central.

Last-mile failure modes that trigger a return

Failure	Caught by	Quick fix
Combined Intro+Discussion 2,150 words	word-format check	move a Discussion paragraph to supplement; tighten
Abstract 165 words, no limitation stated	abstract check	cut to 150; add one design-limitation clause
Exhibits collected at end	placement check	embed each near its first discussion
OSF link shows author name	anonymization check	switch to anonymized view before upload
"Data on request" instead of a DOI	open-science check	deposit and mint a persistent identifier

Volatile specifics (exact word counts, abstract length, accepted categories, current editor) change. Re-confirm every number above against the journal's current submission guidelines before relying on it.

Anti-patterns

• Submitting over the 2,000-word combined budget
• Abstract missing sample sizes/populations/limitations or over 150 words
• Tables/figures at the end instead of embedded
• Missing or non-anonymized open-science links during masked review
• No Research Transparency Statement

Output format

【Format】Intro+Discussion ≤ 2,000? Method+Results ≤ ~2,500? [Y/N]
【Abstract】150 words + sample sizes + populations + limitations? [Y/N]
【APA 7th + embedded exhibits】[Y/N]
【Anonymized】manuscript + repo/prereg links + metadata? [Y/N]
【Open science】data + materials + scripts + DOIs + Transparency Statement? [Y/N]
【Stats】effect sizes + CIs + sample-size justification + disclosure? [Y/N]
【Next】await decision → psci-rebuttal on R&R

Supplementary resources

• ../../resources/external_tools.md — repositories, DOIs, papaja, power and effect-size tools
• ../../resources/official-source-map.md — official Psychological Science URLs behind every fact in this pack