Working Title Undergraduate Journal of Psychology at Western Mission Statement First, to create an environment that will foster a students

writing, creativity, and critical thinking skills. Second, to encourage students to be more daring in their classes, by giving them a realistic goal to aim for. Third, to recognize students who have demonstrated innovation and excellent writing skills. Roles -----------------------------------------------------------------2 General Responsibilities -----------------------------------------------------------------2-3 Selection Process ----------------------------------------------------------------- 3-5 Minimum Qualifications ----------------------------------------------------------------- 5 Submission and Review Process -----------------------------------------------------------------5-7 Discipline ----------------------------------------------------------------- 7 Resignations -----------------------------------------------------------------7 Copyright/Privacy -----------------------------------------------------------------7-8 Amendments -----------------------------------------------------------------8

Note: 1.x General Statements 2.x Regarding chief editor 3.x Regarding executive editors 4.x Regarding main editors. 5.x Regarding regular editors.

Roles 1.1 The editorial board contains one chief editor, 2 executive editors, up to 14 main editors (a maximum of two per-area of Psychology), and an undefined number of regular editors. General Responsibilities 1.1 Responsibilities: When a person is responsible for a particular action, it is their duty to carry out the assigned responsibilities to the best of their abilities. If they cannot do so themselves, they may request help, from external sources or within the editorial board. 1.2 The chief editor, executive editors, and main editors must commit (fulfilling all of their responsibilities listed in this constitution) to the editorial board from September to April. 1.3 The outgoing chief editor and executive editors might be asked to consult during the summer (May to August), to ensure a successful transition. 1.4 The chief and executive editors must attend all editing workshops during their term of office and have attended 2 editing workshops in the previous years. 1.5 Specific guidelines and responsibilities regarding the submission process are listed under the Submission Process section. 2.1 Any responsibilities not specifically listed below are under the control of the chief editor. 2.2 The chief editor is responsible for all recruitment and call for submission announcements. Here are some sample recruitment techniques: A) Announcements in senior level Psychology courses B) Poster advertisements C) Emails through the Western server D) Through the undergraduate club E) Announcements on the department website 2.3 The chief editor is responsible for constructing an effective communication network within the editorial board. 2.4 The chief editor is responsible for deciding the minimum qualification for all manuscript submissions (e.g., page limits). Nonetheless certain guidelines should be followed, which are described under the Submission Process section. 2.5 The chief editor is responsible for securing support from faculty or senior graduate students, 1 minimum per area of psychology, as they will serve to give the final stamp of approval before publication. 2.6 The chief editor is responsible for deciding disciplinary actions for those who fail to fulfill their responsibilities; specific guidelines are listed under the Discipline section. 2.7 The chief editor is responsible for notifying all successful submissions to the corresponding authors. The method of notification (e.g., emails or phone calls) is decided by the incumbent chief editor. 2.8 The chief editor is responsible for finding the necessary resources to publish the journals (e.g., money for paper publication). 3.1 The executive editors are responsible for selecting and assigning main and regular editors. 3.2 The two executive editors decide between them which areas of Psychology they want to be responsible for (all 7 areas must be accounted for).

3.3 The executive editors are responsible for maintaining the integrity of communication between the main and regular editors. 3.4 The executive editors are responsible for organizing a minimum of 2 editing workshops per year, 1 per semester. The workshops should be led by a senior graduate student or a faculty member in Psychology. The purpose of the editing workshops is to teach the newly recruited editors how to properly review and criticize submitted manuscripts. 4.1 Each main editor is assigned to an area of psychology, 2 main editors per area. Their specific responsibilities will be listed in the Submission Process section. 4.2 The assignments of main editors to areas of psychology are rough assignments; they may receive papers outside of the area designated to them depending on the volume and types of papers submitted to the journal. 4.3 The main editors must have attended an editing workshop prior to their term of office; they also must attend another editing workshop during their term of office. 5.1 Each regular editor is also assigned to an area of psychology. Their specific responsibilities will be listed in the Submission Process section. 5.2 Regular editors must commit to the editorial board for a minimum of one academic term. 5.3 The regular editors must have attended or plan to attend one editing workshop. 5.4 The regular editors do not have voting rights on the editorial board. Selection Process 1.1 Both the chief and executive editors are selected on an annual basis near the end of each school year. The exact date is to be decided between the incumbent chief editor and the Psychology department. 1.2 It is recommended that the undergraduate chair or/and the department chair will represent the Psychology department. If they are unavailable, professors who are members of the Psychologys Undergraduate Affairs Committee are preferred. 1.3 Both the chief and executive editors are restricted to one year terms, unless there are no other qualified candidates to replace them. 1.4 The declaration of no other qualified candidates, so that the incumbent chief and executive editors may maintain their position for longer than a one-year term, should be approved by the Psychology department or the current editorial board. 2.1 The new incoming chief editor should be selected near the end of February, which means recruitment announcements should begin in mid-January. 2.2 The chief editor is selected through an application interview process. 2.3 A submitted application will provide the following (additional information can be requested if it is deemed to be appropriate by the chief editor): A) Academic transcript B) Resume C) Personal statement on why he or she is qualified to become the chief editor D) 1 letter of recommendation E) Sample writing piece

2.4 All candidates that have completed the application will be given an interview; with a minimum of 2 judges attending the interview (must include the incumbent chief editor and 1 faculty representative from the Psychology department). 2.5 The basic interview questions are decided by the chief editor. Faculty members are free to ask their own questions during the interview. 2.6 The chosen candidate should have the following characteristics: A) Competitive academic standing (E.g., mostly As in advanced level Psychology courses) B) Demonstrated leadership skills based on other activities (E.g., mentorships) C) Demonstrated perseverance D) Drive for innovation (E.g., making significant or noticeable impacts on the past organizations they have been involved in) E) Effective communication skills (E.g., responding to inquiries in a timely and meaningful fashion regardless of the status of the sender) F) Humility and Intellectual curiosity (E.g., always willing to accept constructive criticisms, and often to seek them during or/and after difficult decisions) G) Effective management skills (E.g., demonstration of people and time managements skills with specific past examples) 2.7 The final selection of the incoming chief editor will be decided by a voting process involving the incumbent chief editor and faculty members that have attended the interviews. 2.8 The final decision must be a unanimous decision between the interviewers. If the interviewers were unable to achieve a unanimous decision, the entire editorial board will vote on the top 2 contenders chosen from the interview process. The person receiving a majority vote will claim the chief editor position. 3.1 The new incoming executive editors should be selected near the end of March, which means recruitment announcements should begin as soon the new chief editor is selected. 3.2 The selection of the executive editors is entirely decided by the new incoming chief editor. However he or she should consult the outgoing chief and executive editors. 3.3 The selection process for the executive editors should be similar to the chief editor selection process (e.g., similar application package listed in 2.3). Whether interviews are necessary is decided by the newly incoming and outgoing chief editor, and outgoing executive editors. 3.4 However, since the executive editors are selected solely by the decision of the chief editor, extra measures should be taken to ensure impartiality. Some sample measures are: A) No names in the applications B) Invite faculty members to review the applications C) Consult with the executives of the undergraduate club 3.5 The chosen candidate should have the following characteristics: A) Competitive academic standing B) Past leadership experience C) Effective team management skills D) Highly reliable

4.1 The selection of main editors can be either conducted at the end of the school year, or during September (the following school term). The exact recruitment date is to be decided by the chief and executive editors. 4.2 The selection of the main editors will be mainly decided by the executive editors. Nonetheless they should consult the previous executive editors or/and the incoming and outgoing chief editor. 4.3 The selection criteria for the main editors will be less stringent than for the executive positions, but nonetheless they should have the following characteristics: A) Reliable (able to finish assigned tasks on time without constant reminders) B) Willing to learn C) Effective communication skills (responding to inquires in a timely fashion) D) Good academic standing 4.4 Once chosen as a main editor, they may remain as a main editor for as long they like, provided that they demonstrate good work, which is decided by the executive editors. 5.1 Anyone may become a regular editor, provided that they do not have any academic problems (e.g., subject of severe disciplinary actions or bad academic standing). 5.2 Regular editors can join at any given time, preferably at the beginning of each school term. 5.3 The executive editors are responsible for the selection process of the regular editors. 6.1 The entire selection process of the executive positions is transparent. That is, if the unsuccessful candidates want to know why they were not selected, the people responsible for the selection must respond in a timely fashion (respond within 72 hours). Minimum Qualifications 1.1 All candidates must be in good academic standing (not in academic probation). 1.2 Although there are no specific restrictions for the editors to be a current undergraduate student at Western, preference will be given to those who are. That is, they may be graduate students from Western, not students from other universities. 2.1 The chief editor must be in (or graduated with) the program leading to an honors specialization in Psychology. 2.2 The chief editor must be going into at least his or her graduating year upon accepting the position (4th year and above). 3.1 The executive editors must be in (or graduated with) the program leading to a major or an honors specialization in Psychology. 3.2 The executive editors must be going into his or her senior years upon accepting the position (3rd year and above). 4.1 The main editors must be in (or graduated with) the program leading to a major or an honors specialization in Psychology. 4.2 Preference will be given to those who are entering their final year. 5.1 There are no specific requirements for becoming a regular editor. Submission and Review Process 1.1 Any submission must have received a minimum of 80% if written for a specific course.

1.2 The submissions are not restricted to students at Western. 1.3 All submissions must be previously unpublished. 1.4 All types of original manuscripts will be allowed, for example: A) Empirical research B) Theoretical essays C) Literature reviews 1.5 Preference will be given to empirical research papers. 1.6 Authors must be willing to make substantive revisions to their manuscripts according to the editors comments, and respond to requested changes within a week. If they fail to do so, their manuscript will be rejected. 1.7 No editors are allowed to make direct substantive changes to the submitted manuscripts, and all minor changes should be tracked and approved by the author. 1.8 All editors are given 2 weeks to process each manuscript. That is, they are given 4 weeks to process 2 manuscripts even if they are assigned at the same time. 2.1 All submissions will be first received by the chief editor. 2.2 The chief editor will try his/her best to assign each manuscript to main editors according to the area of Psychology that the manuscript falls under. 2.3 If particular area(s) of psychology receive higher volume of submission than average, main editors might be assigned papers outside of their designated area. 4.1 The main editors will be asked to process each manuscript in no more than 14 days. If the main editor believes the paper is of good quality or requiring minimum revisions, they will pass the manuscript, along with their comments, to the executive editor responsible for that area of Psychology. 4.2 If the main editors believe the manuscript is of mediocre quality and requires substantive changes, they are to contact the author directly with their concerns. The main editors then pass on the paper to the executive editor responsible for that area of Psychology after the changes are made. If the author does not respond in a timely fashion or refuses to make substantive changes, the manuscript is to be rejected. 4.3 If the main editors believe the quality of the manuscript is such that it does not warrant publication, they are to consult the executive editor responsible for that area of Psychology or the chief editor before rejecting the manuscript. 5.1 Regular editors are to work along with the main editors. They can voice their opinion on the quality of the manuscript to the main editors, but they have no direct decision-making power. 3.1 Once a manuscript is received by the executive editor they are given the same responsibilities as the main editor listed in 4.1 to 4.3; they will pass the manuscript to the chief editor if they deemed it was of good quality. 2.4 Once a manuscript is received by the chief editor from the executive editors he or she will be asked to make comments within 14 days before passing it on to a faculty member or a senior graduate student. 2.5 The specific responsibilities of faculty members or senior graduate students are not clearly delineated because it is unrealistic to set a strict guideline for all faculty members and senior

2.6 2.7

6.1

6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5

graduate students to follow; that is, they all have very different schedules. It is up to the chief editor to make sure the final approval process is finished in a timely manner. The chief editor may override an acceptance decision by consulting the executive editor. The deadline for submissions and release of publication is decided by the chief editor. Nonetheless it is recommended to have the deadline for submissions near the end of January and the release of publication at the end of March. Depending on the volume of submissions, when a manuscript gains the stamp of approval from a faculty member or a senior graduate student, the manuscript might be immediately accepted for publication, or enter the good pile if a large amount of manuscripts receive the stamp of approval; to which at the end of the year the editorial board will gather up and select the top manuscripts from the good pile to be published. All rejections must contain a reasonable and short summary on why the manuscript was rejected. All publication will be online. Whether publications will be available in hardcopies is dependent on the budget. All rejections from the chief editor, faculty members, and senior graduate students are final. Rejections from the lower levels can be appealed through the chief editor.

Discipline 1.1 Editorial staffs who fail to meet their responsibilities as listed in this constitution will be given a warning at first offence. 1.2 The second offence will result in their removal from editorial work. 1.3 All those who are unable to meet their responsibilities, but were able to give a legitimate rationale prior to the assignment due date will be excused. For example: A) Not able to read and make comments on with assigned manuscripts because they have multiple exams within the 2 weeks. B) Severely ill C) Or other personal issues 2.1 If the chief editor fails to live up to his or her responsibilities, the editorial board may move to remove him or her. The vote will require a 2/3 vote within the editorial board. 3.1 If the chief editor is removed, the editorial board must elect a new chief editor immediately, preferably from among the two executive editors. Resignations 1.1 Anyone seriously considering resignation should speak to the chief editor immediately so they may find an appropriate replacement. Copyright/Privacy ID retained the copyright to all volumes and their contents. Publishing in ID does not require a copyright transfer and the author retains full use of their article; this policy applies retroactively to all past issues of ID. In addition, the author must grant the first publication rights of the article to ID and agree to adopt a Creative Commons license for the article in order to facilitate knowledge sharing.

The license specifies that: The author grants the permission for the reader to copy, distribute, and transmit the article. The reader must provide attribution to the author and Totem when reusing the article. The reader may not reuse the article for commercial purposes. The reader may not alter, translate, or build upon the article (e.g., creating an abridged version) without the author's permission. The license ensures the widest dissemination of the article. ID will generate license for the article automatically during the publication process. Should the author decide to re-publish the article elsewhere in the future, the author must acknowledge ID as the source of first publication in the republished version. The author must also grant permission for ID, Western Libraries, and The University of Western Ontario to archive the article online, to make it publicly accessible for download, and to preserve it for perpetual online access. Amendments 1.1 Major amendments to the constitution require a majority vote within the editorial board. 1.2 Minor amendments (e.g., sentence structure, grammar mistakes) to the constitution require a consensus between the chief editor and the executive editors. 1.3 All amendments to the constitution should be documented, that is, the older version should be archived for reviewing purposes.