JPP Editor Update

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Highlights from the Journal of Pediatric Psychology

 

By Dennis Drotar, PhD

 

The number of JPP submissions for the first half of the year through September 1, was 206. Submissions are up from last year’s pace. During this period, the average time to editorial decision for initial submissions was 26 days. I’m also pleased to report that the number of case study submissions are up from last year (N = 6), but we will have a long way to go to increase the numbers of these important submissions. Please look for an editorial (now available in Advance Access) that will provide guidance for authors in submitting case studies and reviewers in providing critique in Volume 9 (November).

 

Recently published highlights included the special issue on Family Assessment edited by Lamia Barakat and Melissa Alderfer (June #5) and a special section on Rural Health in Pediatric Psychology edited by David Janicke and Ann Davis (July #6). A special section on Research Ethics that I edited will be published in December 2011 (Volume 10). Special issues in progress include Families, Culture, and Health (Beth McQuaid and Lamia Barakat), Training in Pediatric Psychology (Denny Drotar), and Outcomes of CNS Disorders (Denny Drotar, Dean Beebe, and Glen Aylward).

 

In case you haven’t seen it, we would like to call attention to a new feature in JPP: Easy access to recent article collections. To help authors identify and access recent JPP article collections that are relevant to their work, we have developed a new feature on the JPP home page. Authors can go directly to the website. Alternatively, from the JPP home page, and click on “View the Collection.” This allows access to view or download collections of recent articles (2010-2011) in a number of content areas such as: editorial guidance for authors/reviewers, ongoing sections (e.g., prevention, diversity/health care disparities, etc.), and selected content areas (e.g., pediatric pain).

 

The Editorial Board had a lively meeting at the National Conference in Pediatric Psychology in April that included discussion of ways to reduce JPP review burdens for authors and enhance more effective dialogue among authors, reviewers, and managing editors. Look for an editorial on this topic in our most recent issue #8 (September).