Scope and relevance
Confirm that the work has a substantive connection to psychotherapy practice or research. Use the published scope when the fit is uncertain.
Editorial guidance
Editors’ Guidelines
A practical reference for editors assessing psychotherapy practice and research submissions for scope, scholarly quality, ethical information and constructive peer review.
On this pageWorkflowAssessmentConfidentialityParticipantsSafeguards
Assigned manuscripts
A clear editorial sequence
Apply the same scholarly and ethical standards to each manuscript, document material concerns, and communicate decisions clearly and respectfully.
Assess fit
Read the submission against IJPR’s psychotherapy remit and its relevance to clinical practice, research or therapeutic intervention.
Check the record
Consider scientific merit, originality, required documentation, ethics information, reporting guidance and presentation.
Declare a conflict
Do not handle work where a personal, institutional, collaborative or competing interest could affect judgement; seek editorial-office instruction on the next step.
Seek expertise
Select reviewers whose clinical psychology or psychotherapy expertise matches the manuscript’s subject matter.
Communicate clearly
Use reviewer input and the manuscript record to give authors constructive feedback and a clear editorial rationale.
Editorial assessment
Apply the same scholarly standards to every submission
The current IJPR guidance asks editors to assess relevance, scientific quality and ethical requirements. A reviewer recommendation informs the assessment; it does not remove the need for editorial judgement.
Scholarly quality
Consider originality, scientific merit, methodological soundness, clinical relevance and whether the conclusions are supported by the material provided.
Reviewer selection
Invite reviewers with relevant subject expertise. Reviewer comments should be handled as confidential editorial material and weighed alongside the manuscript record.
Revisions and decisions
When revisions are needed, communicate the substantive points authors should address in clear, respectful terms. Reviewer recommendations inform, but do not replace, editorial judgement.
- Keep the decision focused on the manuscript and applicable journal requirements.
- Request clarification when a material concern cannot be resolved from the submission.
- Use respectful, specific language in author-facing communication.
- State the reason for a requested revision or decision clearly in the author-facing communication.
Conflicts and confidentiality
Protect the review process
Editors must keep manuscripts, reviewer reports and editorial discussion confidential, and must step back from work where a competing interest could affect impartiality.
Competing interests
Editors must identify potential conflicts before handling a manuscript, including personal relationships, recent collaboration, institutional connections and financial or professional interests that could affect impartiality.
Confidential material
Treat the manuscript, reviewer reports and editorial discussion as confidential. Do not share or use unpublished material outside the authorised editorial process.
Editor and board submissions
An editor or board member must not take part in assessing a manuscript where that person has a personal or professional interest. The manuscript must be reassigned to an independent editor.
External tools and AI
Do not upload confidential manuscript, review or editorial material to external AI tools or services without written authorisation from the editorial office. Editors remain responsible for the integrity of their editorial work.
Psychotherapy research
Participant protection and research integrity
IJPR’s published materials require appropriate ethical review and documented informed consent for human-participant research. Editors should look for clear documentation and seek guidance where material raises a concern.
Clinical and sensitive material
Do not substitute personal clinical judgement for documented ethics requirements. Therapy notes, session transcripts, recordings, intake forms, signed consent documents and direct identifiers must not appear in a manuscript. Review indirect-identification risks too, including dates, locations, rare events, family details, occupations, quotations and distinctive narrative facts. Written consent is required where material may identify a participant.
Research-integrity concerns
Potential overlap, fabrication, falsification or inappropriate image manipulation must be documented and referred through the editorial process. Preserve the editorial record and handle concerns in line with COPE guidance.
Respectful terminology
Use precise, non-stigmatising language when discussing diagnosis, trauma, abuse, self-harm, culture, identity or treatment outcomes. Reported evidence and ethical documentation remain the basis for assessment.
Editorial safeguards
Apply independent, confidential and evidence-led judgement
These safeguards support fair editorial assessment and the integrity of the published record.
Editorial independence
Article processing charges, waiver requests, services, memberships and other commercial considerations must not influence editorial decisions.
Concerns and appeals
Document concerns, communicate through the editorial office and preserve the decision record. Authors may request reconsideration with a clear scholarly rationale.
AI and data handling
Protect confidential material. AI tools cannot replace editorial judgement, and any permitted use must preserve confidentiality, accountability and the integrity of the record.
Clinical case material
Require appropriate ethical review, de-identification and consent to publish before potentially identifiable clinical or therapeutic material is accepted.
Related journal information
Use the relevant guidance
These pages provide the journal context that editors and reviewers should consult alongside the manuscript record.
Aims & Scope
Check the journal’s psychotherapy remit and boundaries.
Editorial Policies
Review the current journal-level policy record.
Reviewer Guidelines
See the reviewer-facing guidance and responsibilities.
Instructions for Authors
Check the current author requirements and manuscript preparation information.
Editorial Board
View the journal’s listed editorial leadership.
Peer Review
Read the publisher’s current public overview of peer review.
Need clarification before taking an editorial action?
Ask the editorial office for the current journal procedure when a conflict, confidentiality, ethics or research-integrity concern is not addressed by the published guidance.
Contact the editorial officeInternational Journal of Psychotherapy Practice and Research · ISSN 2574-612X