brycewang-stanford Submission Preflight (psci-submission)
The last check before submitting through Manuscript Central (mc.manuscriptcentral.com/psci).
Two things sink Psychological Science submissions most often: busting the word format and missing
open-science compliance. Verify volatile specifics (format numbers, policy wording, editor) on the
official page first.
When to trigger
- "Submitting tomorrow" — last pass before upload
- Unsure what the format and open-science requirements demand
- Confirming the abstract, anonymization, Transparency Statement, and deposits are in order
Process facts (verify volatile items on the official page)
- Owner / publisher: Association for Psychological Science (APS) / SAGE.
- Portal: Manuscript Central,
mc.manuscriptcentral.com/psci. - Review: anonymized — keep author identity out of the manuscript and repository links.
- Word format (Research Article): Introduction + Discussion + Footnotes + Acknowledgments + Appendices ≤ 2,000 words combined; Method + Results excluded (typically ≤ ~2,500); ~40 references.
- Abstract: 150 words, stating sample sizes, participant populations, and design limitations.
- Style: APA 7th edition; tables/figures embedded in the text.
- Open science (since 1 Jan 2024): open data + materials required (justified case-by-case exemptions); Research Transparency Statement between Intro and Methods; DOIs for shared content; preregistration reported and weighed.
- Types: Research Article; Registered Reports (Stage 1/2); RR with Existing Data; Commentary (≤1,000).
Preflight checklist
Format & abstract
- Intro + Discussion (+ footnotes/acks/appendices) ≤ 2,000 words combined
- Method + Results readable (≤ ~2,500 words)
- Abstract 150 words: sample sizes + populations + design limitations
- ~40 references; APA 7th edition; tables/figures embedded near discussion
Anonymization (for review)
- No author names/affiliations in the manuscript
- Repository / preregistration links anonymized (e.g., OSF anonymized view)
- Identifying file metadata stripped
Open science
- Open data deposited + DOI + data dictionary (or justified exemption)
- Open materials deposited + DOI
- Analysis scripts deposited; reproduce in a fresh session
- Research Transparency Statement placed between Intro and Methods
- Preregistration linked; confirmatory/exploratory split consistent
Stats & disclosure
- Effect sizes + confidence intervals for major results
- Sample-size justification (power analysis if appropriate)
- Full disclosure of exclusions, conditions, and measures
Worked micro-example — preflight verdict (illustrative)
Running the two-study attention package through the gate the night before upload:
Format: Intro 1,180 + Discussion 760 + acks 40 = 1,980 / 2,000 → PASS (margin: 20)
Method+Results: 2,310 words → PASS (readable, < ~2,500)
Abstract: 148 words; states N = 240 and N = 300, undergraduate + online
adult samples, and the single-culture limitation → PASS
Exhibits: 2 figures (dot + 95% CI), embedded near first mention, APA 7th → PASS
Anonymize: no names; OSF anonymized-view links; PDF metadata stripped → PASS
Open sci: data + materials + scripts each have a DOI; Transparency
Statement sits between Intro and Methods → PASS
Stats: every primary result carries d and a 95% CI; SESOI-based power → PASS
Verdict: ready to upload to Manuscript Central.
Last-mile failure modes that trigger a return
| Failure | Caught by | Quick fix |
|---|---|---|
| Combined Intro+Discussion 2,150 words | word-format check | move a Discussion paragraph to supplement; tighten |
| Abstract 165 words, no limitation stated | abstract check | cut to 150; add one design-limitation clause |
| Exhibits collected at end | placement check | embed each near its first discussion |
| OSF link shows author name | anonymization check | switch to anonymized view before upload |
| "Data on request" instead of a DOI | open-science check | deposit and mint a persistent identifier |
Volatile specifics (exact word counts, abstract length, accepted categories, current editor) change. Re-confirm every number above against the journal's current submission guidelines before relying on it.
Anti-patterns
- Submitting over the 2,000-word combined budget
- Abstract missing sample sizes/populations/limitations or over 150 words
- Tables/figures at the end instead of embedded
- Missing or non-anonymized open-science links during masked review
- No Research Transparency Statement
Output format
【Format】Intro+Discussion ≤ 2,000? Method+Results ≤ ~2,500? [Y/N]
【Abstract】150 words + sample sizes + populations + limitations? [Y/N]
【APA 7th + embedded exhibits】[Y/N]
【Anonymized】manuscript + repo/prereg links + metadata? [Y/N]
【Open science】data + materials + scripts + DOIs + Transparency Statement? [Y/N]
【Stats】effect sizes + CIs + sample-size justification + disclosure? [Y/N]
【Next】await decision → psci-rebuttal on R&R
Supplementary resources
../../resources/external_tools.md— repositories, DOIs,papaja, power and effect-size tools../../resources/official-source-map.md— official Psychological Science URLs behind every fact in this pack