The focus & scope of PACJA
The focus of the Psychotherapy and Counselling Journal of Australia is to promote and disseminate research and scholarship in the diverse areas of counselling and psychotherapy. The Journal aims to build the evidence-base for the effectiveness of counselling and psychotherapy and to increase learning and knowledge in these fields. PACJA publishes:
- Empirical studies featuring quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-method approaches
- Theoretical essays
- Literature reviews
- Experiential reports
- Book reviews
Publishing in PACJA
As a site for high quality research in Australasia in the fields of psychotherapy and counselling, submissions published in the Journal undergo a rigorous peer-review and editing process. For this reason, not all articles submitted can be accepted for peer review, and not all articles peer reviewed are guaranteed publication. Frequently, changes will be requested, but the peer review feedback process is intended to be positive and supportive as PACJA aims to support new authors as well as established researchers.
1. Preparation and submission
Submitting an article for publication in PACJA is a relatively simple on-line process though you should first prepare your article in accordance with the Author Guidelines and Submission Requirements. You should also note PACJA’s Copyright Policy under the ‘For authors’ tab. To make a submission, click on the ‘submit‘ menu (also under the ‘For Authors’ tab).
2. Acceptance
The editor will be notified of your submission, which will be assessed for suitability. You will then be notified by email whether your submission has been accepted for peer review, usually within two weeks.
3. Peer Review process
The Editor requests at least two peer reviewers to review your article, and this process can itself take several months. The feedback process aims to be positive and supportive, though changes may be suggested and further feedback may be provided. This may take a few more months before the submission is finalised for publication.
4. Publication
Once your article is ready for publication, it will appear when the next edition of the Journal as a whole is ready for publication.