Commentary

A key task for Journal of the Norwegian Psychological Association is to provide a relevant arena for professional discussion and exchange. The Commentary-section in our journal aims to encourage dialogue between the authors of articles and the readers of Journal of the Norwegian Psychological Association.

If you have any comments, questions or criticisms about anything we have published, you can send us a commentary. We do not set any formal qualification requirements for authors of commentaries. All our readers may send us a commentary, but we assume that they have read the article thoroughly and that they are familiar with the field or the scientific literature that is treated in the text.

Beyond addressing an article published in Journal of the Norwegian Psychological Association, we set no specific requirements regarding content. However, commentaries will often deal with:

• discussing the academic content of a scholarly article

• pointing out errors

• presenting alternative interpretations

• adding information relevant to the manuscript

• adding data

• presenting objections

Avoid personal remarks directed at the author. We want an open and critical exchange without a confrontational tone.

Note: Authors of commentaries must sign a conflict-of-interest declaration if the text is accepted for publication.

The length of the manuscript should be between 5 000 and a maximum of 10 000 characters (approximately 750–1 500 words) including spaces. We will sometimes allow longer commentaries that address complex academic issues. Nonetheless, keep it as short as possible. Although a limit is set on the number of characters, this should not be interpreted as a recommendation. Shorter texts are welcomed.

Keep the number of references to a minimum. In principle, there is no need for references to anything other than the case you are commenting on. However, statements must always be supported by source references.

Comments are published with the full name of the author. When a commentary is published, the author of the article to which the commentary refers will be contacted by the editorial staff and given the opportunity to respond. Both the author of the article and the author of the commentary to the editor are expected to participate in the academic exchange.

You should exercise caution if commenting on patient stories, out of consideration for patients and their next of kin.

If your commentary concerns a specific article, remember:

• Do not provide a summary of the article and assume that the reader has read the article you are commenting on.

• Quote from the article only where necessary.

• Formulate a short heading that provides a clear and concise summary of your main point.

• Make sure that you have presented the main point clearly to the reader.

The editorial staff may edit and shorten submitted contributions. Journal of the Norwegian Psychological Association is responsible for headings, introductions and subheadings. The editorial staff reserve the right to make linguistic changes (proofreading) to a commentary without informing the author.

All contributions may be published online. Entries may also be published on other media platforms with which Journal of the Norwegian Psychological Association enters into an agreement. Submit your manuscript in Word format and format references in line with APA style.

Note: Texts that have been published elsewhere cannot, as a rule, be republished in Journal of the Norwegian Psychological Association. We therefore ask that, when submitting a commentary, you confirm that it has not been submitted elsewhere or published previously, including on social media.

Include your name, workplace affiliation and contact information (e-mail) in the commentary.

Manuscripts should be submitted to redaksjonen@psykologtidsskriftet.no.

Corrections

If the authors of a peer-reviewed article discover an error or omission in their published article, they may apply to Journal of the Norwegian Psychological Association to have it corrected. For us to make a change without conducting a new peer review process, the scope of the correction must not affect the scientific integrity of the article or its original findings.

Journal of the Norwegian Psychological Association distinguishes between major and minor errors that may be corrected:

• Minor errors or omissions are ones that do not affect the reliability or interpretation of the article

• Major errors or omissions are changes that may affect the interpretation of the article. The overall scientific integrity remains intact. Major errors are always accompanied by a correction notice.

Correction notice

• The correction notice provides a clear explanation of the error or omission in question, as well as the changes that were made to the online version.

• The correction notice should always be written and approved by all authors of the article.

In the case of minor errors, Journal of the Norwegian Psychological Association does the following:

• adds a note to the article making the reader aware of what was changed and stating the date on which the change was made.

In the case of major errors, Journal of the Norwegian Psychological Association does the following:

• makes the necessary changes to the published online article.

• publishes a separate correction notice that includes an electronic link to the corrected version.

• adds a footnote to the original article that links to the correction notice.

When correcting, the correct reference becomes the latest version of the article.

In some cases, a problem is so serious that a correction is insufficient, and a retraction is necessary. Read more about retraction of articles here.