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Editorial Policies: Principal Objectives The principal objectives for Merrill-Palmer Quarterly are to maintain the standards of excellence established by previous Editors and continue to advance the scope and quality of scholarship that appears in the journal. This aim has been at the forefront of Merrill-Palmer Quarterly for its 50 years of existence (see Ladd, 2004), and as a result the journal's readership, submission rates, and scholarly reputation have grown substantially. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly has been and continues to be one of the most respected journals in the human developmental sciences (Feingold, 1989; Howard & Day, 1995, p. 141; Rushton & Roediger, 1978). Another objective is to expand the scope of the journal's content so as to embrace diverse academic disciplines, research contexts and paradigms, and geopolitical perspectives while also refining the journal's mission by featuring articles in which authors initiate important new areas of inquiry, transcend traditional disciplinary boundaries, and introduce conceptual, methodological, and analytic innovations. Toward this end, the Editors seek to establish a format for the journal that is diverse with respect to contributors' and readers' scientific disciplines, professional status (junior versus senior investigators), ethnicity and cultural backgrounds, and geopolitical contexts or locations. Included in this aim is the goal of publishing contributions from a global community of scholars; the Editors encourage submissions from investigators who reside or work in countries other than the United States and Canada. Substantive Focus Merrill-Palmer Quarterly's mission is to serve as a primary source of new research studies in human development, theoretical papers, critical reviews of literature, and scholarly commentaries. The purview of Merrill-Palmer Quarterly encompasses theory and research on all areas of child and adolescent development and incorporates the journal's historical commitment to the study of development in context (e.g., sociocultural variations, families, schools, neighborhoods, peers, media, etc.). The majority of papers that are considered for Merrill‑Palmer Quarterly are original reports of empirical research that extend knowledge about child and adolescent development. The Editors are primarily interested in submissions that advance developmental theory and generate novel findings from sound developmental methods and designs. Also preferred are empirical investigations that contain provocative aims, multiple studies, and innovative methods. In contrast, articles that are focused on technical issues (e.g., creation and evaluation of measures, methods, statistical analyses, etc.) are of lesser interest unless they also contain an original substantive (developmental) component and contribution. This same restriction applies to investigations that do not include infants, children, or adolescents as participants. Examples would include investigations conducted on undergraduates or adults that do not also contain child data. Creation of Special Sections or Special Issues Devoting journal space to special sections and special issues may at times complement aspects of Merrill-Palmer Quarterly's mission. Proposals for special sections or issues may be submitted for consideration and, if encouraged, developed in collaboration with the Editors. Those interested in developing a special issue or section should contact the Editor for additional information. As illustrations, special sections or issues might be focused on topics or areas of investigation that (a) bring novel perspectives and findings to bear on existing research traditions or literatures; (b) address emergent and/or controversial issues within and/or across disciplines; (c) are of growing international importance; or (d) are of particular interest to specific cultural, ethnic, or national groups.
The Editors of Merrill-Palmer Quarterly aspire to provide authors with high-quality
peer reviews and decisive, constructive decision
letters in a timely manner. Further information about the
manuscript review process is provided in the paragraphs that follow.
Implementation of blind review. The Editors of Merrill‑Palmer Quarterly have changed the journal's peer review policy to that of blind peer review. Thus, only manuscripts that have been prepared for blind peer review can be considered for publication. Role, nature, and number of peer reviews. Peer reviewers play an important advisory role in the evaluation
of manuscript submissions, and the Editors will solicit reviews
from colleagues who possess expertise in areas that are pertinent
to an author's work. Manuscripts that undergo peer review will typically
be sent to two peer reviewers, who will be contacted in advance
and asked if they will complete the review within the Editor's timeline.
Copies of reviews that are returned on time will be included with
the Editor's decision letter. Reviews that arrive after the decision date will also
be forwarded to authors. Portion of submissions that undergo peer review. The majority of manuscripts that address topics that are relevant
to the journal and its readership will undergo peer review. Others,
including manuscripts that are judged by the Editors to contain
substantial scientific, ethical, or formatting problems, or that
fall outside the journal's mission, will be returned to authors
with the Editor's comments. The Editors are committed to the view
that the function of a scientific journal (and the Editors and peer
reviewers who staff it) is not only to select and publish high-quality articles but also to improve the quality of investigation
within our disciplines through scholarly debate, criticism, and
collaboration. New investigators, in particular, are likely to profit
from this process. Length of the review period. Research findings are time‑ sensitive information, and it is of concern that there has been a tendency
for lag times to increase at many journals in recent years (see
Nelson, 1996). Merrill-Palmer Quarterly will continue the policy of processing
manuscripts and communicating initial decisions to authors within
approximately three months of the time
the manuscript is received at the Editorial Office.
Follow the instructions and specifications provided in the 5th edition of the Publication Manual of the American
Psychological Association (2001). It may be purchased from
the APA Order Department, P.O. Box 92984,
Washington, DC 20090-2984 (online: www.apa.org/books/).
Begin each of the following on a new page: title page, abstract,
first page of text, references, appendix, footnotes, tables, figure
captions, figures. Use margins of 1 inch on all sides of every page
(top, bottom, and sides). Double-space everything, including text, tables, and references. Please use
12-point font. Text should be left-justified, and words should not be divided at the end
of lines. A separate title page should be attached to each copy of the manuscript.
Place all information about the authors (e.g., institutional affiliations,
contact information, etc.) on this page only, using the APA
three-paragraph format (i.e., affiliation, acknowledgments, contact
information). Blind review requires that information that might
identify the authors or their affiliations be removed from all pages of
the manuscript except the title page. Include an abstract that does not exceed 150 words in length.
Most reports of empirical investigations that are considered for publication in Merrill-Palmer Quarterly do not exceed 30 to 40 pages, all-inclusive (i.e., including references, tables, and figures). Additional page space may, at times, be permitted for critical reviews of literature, theoretical papers, or manuscripts that contain multiple studies. Reports of
studies in which minors (i.e., children, adolescents under the age
of 18) were participants must include a description of the procedures
used to obtain written informed consent, and an assurance that informed
consent was obtained for all participants prior to their involvement
in the investigation (see APA ethical guidelines). Reports of studies
that do not meet established ethical standards (e.g., the ethical
standards of the American Psychological Association) cannot be considered
for publication. In a cover letter, the corresponding author must affirm that (a) the manuscript (and findings) is not under consideration by another publisher or journal and (b) the study reported in this manuscript has been conducted in accordance with APA ethical guidelines. For studies that are part of a larger project or have aspects in common with previously published articles, please explain how the various parts are related. The cover letter should contain the following forms of contact information for the corresponding author: e-mail address, postal (street) address, phone number, and fax number. The corresponding author is responsible for keeping coauthors apprised of all information pertaining to manuscript submission, manuscript review, and editorial decisions. Submitting Manuscripts for Review: Manuscripts can be submitted either electronically or via surface mail. Send electronic submissions (manuscript and cover letter) in the form of MSWORD documents to mpq@asu.edu. To submit by surface mail, print five high-quality copies of the manuscript (please retain the original) on white paper and send them to the following address: Dr. Gary W. Ladd, Editor E-mail: mpq@asu.edu Manuscript Inquiries and Communication: Inquiries
about manuscripts should be directed to the Editorial Office via
e-mail ( |
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