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Psychological Science is the flagship journal of the Association for Psychological Science (APS). It publishes twelve issues a year and has its own submission rules on word counts, transparency statements and data sharing. This guide summarizes those rules for authors, explains how to look up the journal’s impact factor, and points to the primary sources.
Journal Overview and Editorial Team
The journal is led by Editor-in-Chief Simine Vazire, with Tom Hardwicke as Senior Editor for Statistics, Transparency, & Rigor. It appears twelve times per year under Print ISSN 0956-7976 and Online ISSN 1467-9280. Researchers new to the field can start with what is psychology for background on the disciplines the journal draws from.
Manuscript Types and Word Count Structure
For standard Research Articles, the APS submission guidelines set these limits:
- Abstract: 150 words, not counted toward the word limit. It must identify sample sizes and participant populations, and any important limitations of the research design.
- Introduction and Discussion: no more than 2,000 words combined, covering the Introduction, Discussion, Footnotes, Acknowledgments, and Appendices. A combined Results and Discussion section also counts.
- Method and Results: not counted toward the total. The guidelines say they should in almost all cases fit in 2,500 words or fewer, with fine-grained detail placed in Supplemental Files. Hybrid Method and Results sections are not allowed.
- References: about 40 citations for Research Articles (a soft limit that editors may relax).
The journal also accepts Registered Reports, reviewed in two stages. Stage 1 covers the research question, hypotheses, methods and analysis plan before data collection, and accepted protocols receive in-principle acceptance. Stage 2 is the completed manuscript, published regardless of the results, pending quality checks. Since January 1, 2024, Preregistered Direct Replications are no longer considered as a separate track; replications can be submitted as Research Articles or Registered Reports.
Open Science and Transparency Requirements
For manuscripts submitted on or after January 1, 2024, the journal no longer offers badges for open data, open materials or preregistration. Instead, open data and materials are required, with exemptions decided case by case.
| Component | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Research Transparency Statement | Required for empirical manuscripts. Placed as a separate section between the end of the Introduction and the start of the Method. Covers preregistration, availability of materials, data and analysis scripts, AI use, conflicts of interest, funding and ethics. |
| Data | Raw or primary data publicly available in a trusted repository unless there are reasonable constraints; include a codebook or data dictionary. |
| Materials | All original study materials publicly available in a trusted repository unless there are reasonable constraints. |
| Analysis scripts | Publicly available in a trusted repository, with a README and documented software dependencies. |
| Constraints and identifiers | Any constraints must be stated and justified in the statement, which must include a persistent identifier such as a DOI for shared items. |
Persistent identifiers such as a CrossRef DOI are how shared items are tracked, and some authors post manuscripts on preprint servers such as PsyArXiv. Check the journal’s current policy before posting a preprint.
Psychological Science Impact Factor
The Journal Impact Factor is published each year by Clarivate in the Journal Citation Reports (JCR), and the value changes from year to year. Because it is a proprietary figure, look up the current and past values directly in JCR (see Sources) and cite the year with any number you report. For background on what the metric measures and its limits, see journal impact factor.
Finding Articles from the Journal
To locate studies published in Psychological Science in subject databases, a dedicated PsycINFO search strategy helps you filter by publication type and peer-reviewed status.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the impact factor of the Psychological Science journal?
The figure is issued by Clarivate in the annual Journal Citation Reports and differs by year. Check the current JCR entry for the journal and note the report year when citing it.
Does Psychological Science still award Open Science Badges?
No. For manuscripts submitted on or after January 1, 2024, badges are no longer offered for open data, open materials or preregistration. Open data and materials are now required, with exemptions decided case by case.
What is the word limit for Research Articles in Psychological Science?
The Introduction, Discussion, Footnotes, Acknowledgments and Appendices share a combined limit of 2,000 words. The Abstract (150 words), Method, Results and reference list are excluded from that limit.
How many issues does Psychological Science publish per year?
Twelve issues per year, under Print ISSN 0956-7976 and Online ISSN 1467-9280.
Sources
All sources checked on 2026-11-07.
- Association for Psychological Science. Psychological Science journal page: https://www.psychologicalscience.org/publications/psychological_science
- Association for Psychological Science. Psychological Science submission guidelines: https://www.psychologicalscience.org/publications/psychological_science/ps-submissions
- Clarivate. Journal Citation Reports (for current impact factor values): https://jcr.clarivate.com/
