About the Journal

Accepted Manuscript Types

We accept the following types of manuscripts:

• Original empirical research articles, including quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods studies.
• Psychometric studies and instrument adaptation studies.
• Systematic literature reviews.
• Meta-analyses.
• Case reports with scientific value.
• Letters to the editor regarding articles published in the journal.

Specific guidelines for preparing manuscripts of each type can be found in the Guidelines for Authors (hyperlink to the “Guidelines for Authors” document).

Unacceptable Types

We do not accept theoretical essays without empirical support, narrative reviews, opinion pieces, routine clinical case studies, unconducted research hypotheses or proposals, or thesis abstracts lacking a scientific article structure.

Reporting Standards by Design

Adoption

We explicitly adopt the international reporting standards corresponding to the design of each study. Adherence to these standards is a condition of publication. Compliance is verified in the pre-submission checklist (hyperlink to the “Cover Letter to the Editor and Declarations” document) and in the peer review rubric, which is differentiated by study design. Authors must explicitly state, in the methods section of the manuscript, which standard they applied and attach the corresponding checklist as supplementary material.

Standards by Research Design

• Quantitative research: Journal Article Reporting Standards-Quantitative (JARS-QUANT) from the American Psychological Association (Appelbaum et al., 2018; https://psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/2018-00750-002.html).
• Qualitative research: Journal Article Reporting Standards-Qualitative (JARS-QUAL; Levitt et al., 2018; https://psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/2018-00750-003.html) and, depending on the specific method, the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ; Tong et al., 2007; https://www.equator-network.org/reporting-guidelines/coreq/) or the Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research (SRQR; O'Brien et al., 2014; https://www.equator-network.org/reporting-guidelines/srqr/).
• Mixed methods research: Journal Article Reporting Standards-Mixed Methods (JARS-MIXED; Levitt et al., 2018; https://psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/2018-00750-003.html) and, as a supplement, the Good Reporting of a Mixed Methods Study (GRAMMS; O’Cathain et al., 2008; https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41841629/).
• Research with considerations of race, ethnicity, or culture: Journal Article Reporting Standards for Race, Ethnicity, and Culture (JARS-REC; Buchanan et al., 2021; https://apastyle.apa.org/jars/race-ethnicity-culture), applicable across quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-methods research when the study involves these dimensions as a study variable, sampling criterion, or relevant contextual consideration.
• Research involving sex and gender considerations: Sex and Gender Equity in Research guidelines (SAGER; Heidari et al., 2016; https://ease.org.uk/communities/gender-policy-committee/the-sager-guidelines/), applicable across quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-methods research when the study involves these dimensions as a study variable, sampling criterion, or relevant contextual consideration.
• Studies on measurement properties and instrument adaptation: Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing from the American Educational Research Association, the American Psychological Association, and the National Council on Measurement in Education (AERA et al., 2014; https://www.testingstandards.net/open-access-files.html). Guidelines from the International Test Commission (ITC, 2017; https://www.intestcom.org/page/14). Consensus-based Standards for the Selection of Health Measurement Instruments (COSMIN; https://www.cosmin.nl/).
• Systematic reviews and meta-analyses: Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses 2020 (PRISMA 2020; Page et al., 2021; https://www.prisma-statement.org/); for scoping reviews, PRISMA-ScR (Tricco et al., 2018); for reviews following the Joanna Briggs Institute approach, the current JBI guidelines (Aromataris et al., 2024; https://jbi.global/); for meta-analyses specifically, the Meta-Analysis Reporting Standards (MARS; APA, 2020; https://files.wmich.edu/s3fs-public/attachments/u58/2015/MARS.pdf) complementary to PRISMA.
• Randomized clinical trials: Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT 2025; Hopewell et al., 2025; https://www.equator-network.org/reporting-guidelines/consort/) and their applicable extensions.
• Evaluations of non-randomized interventions: Transparent Reporting of Evaluations with Nonrandomized Designs (TREND; Des Jarlais et al., 2004; https://www.equator-network.org/reporting-guidelines/improving-the-reporting-quality-of-nonrandomized-evaluations-of-behavioral-and-public-health-interventions-the-trend-statement/).
• Observational studies: Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE; von Elm et al., 2007; https://www.strobe-statement.org/).
• Scientific case reports: CAse REports guidelines (CARE; Gagnier et al., 2013; https://www.care-statement.org/).