Self & Identity, the flagship journal of the International Society for Self and Identity, has published innovative research on an abundance of topics related to the self for over a decade. The journal has been steered by the extremely capable hands of Mark Leary, Carolyn Morf, Mark Alicke, and Rick Hoyle. Shira Gabriel has just begun a term as editor along with associate editors Ken DeMarree, Cami Johnson, Mark Seery, Ericka Slotter, and Virgil Zeigler-Hill.
As incoming editor, Gabriel believes that specialized journals like Self & Identity have an essential role to play in our field, now more than ever before. She believes that some of the issues the field has faced in the last few years stem, in part, from unhealthy levels of competition to publish in just three or four “top” journals where rejection rates can hover around 85 - 90%. The intense pressure to publish in these journals, and these journals alone, has led, she argues, to a creeping and insidious rise in standards for data where manuscripts have had to present only “perfect” data and fit neatly within well-established theoretical frameworks.
Gabriel argues that the pressure has led to a stifling of creativity and innovation because when seriously considering papers for publication, reviewers tend to favor work that makes smaller advances and sticks more to what has already been established as compared to work that is more novel (e.g., Crandall & Schaller, 2002). Of course, it is of the utmost importance that work be theoretically grounded. However, it is currently very difficult to publish work that strays from the status quo and moves research in a new direction. Gabriel hopes that Self & Identity can be a home to both incremental steps and broader and riskier research with the potential of saying something new and exciting.
In addition, Gabriel argues that the focus on only three or four scholarly outlets has contributed to the practice called “p hacking.” As previously mentioned, intense competition for limited slots in just a few journals has allowed the journals and their reviewers to demand “perfect” data before publishing. This is troubling because all of the studies are done on humans -- and humans sometimes do weird things. Anyone who collects experimental data knows that sometimes one cell in a multi-cell experiment may look slightly different from what is expected, or for one contrast may not reach significance. This is the nature of studying complex organisms with multiple, and sometimes unpredictable, motivations. Thus, the goal at Self & Identity will be to understand that not every analysis in a multiple study paper is going to reach .05, not every contrast will be significant, and sometimes one cell in a multiple cell design will look odd without any reasonable, available explanation.
Self & Identity will keep power in mind as one very important factor when evaluating a paper. However, there will be no solid and inflexible rules when it comes to sample size. Although the days are over for publishing studies with tiny sample sizes (as they should be), power estimates are -- like any other statistical estimates -- estimates and they should not be applied as if they contain some kind of magical formula for evaluating research. No one criterion will determine a good paper from a bad one - there are multiple criteria that will be balanced (novelty/innovation, statistical significance, statistical power, etc.). So, rather than using hard and fast rules, an attempt will be made to find a balance that increases the likelihood of both interesting and replicable research.
The goal of the current editorial team is to work with researchers to create the strongest journal possible. The desk reject (i.e. rejection without peer review) will be used in cases in which there is high certainty that a paper will not be a good fit for the journal. Manuscripts will only be sent out for review if they truly have a chance (with appropriate reviews) of being published. The journal will also be generous with the offer to revise and resubmit (R&R). The tendency in the field is to only give R&R on papers that are already close to being ready. Self & Identity will move away from the traditional model and offer R&R on papers that are potentially exciting and wonderful, even if they still have a lot of room for improvement. Of course, this is a risky course for authors. The more an editor asks for, the more chance there is that the paper ultimately won’t be accepted. However, this also provides a real opportunity for both the author and the editor to work as a team with the reviewers to make the best paper possible and make a meaningful contribution to the field.
Finally, for the first time, Self & Identity will accept proposals for special issues. Special issue proposals can focus on any phenomenon or issue related to our understanding of self and/or identity, including, but not limited to, any areas related to the self-concept, self-esteem, self-regulation, behavioral planning, meta-cognition, and stigma. Ideas for proposal and/or questions can be sent to Shira Gabriel at [email protected]
Shira Gabriel will be the new editor of Self & Identity, the flagship journal of the International Society for Self and Identity. The journal will be accepting proposals for special issues (see below) and will host a pre-conference at SPSP in San Diego later this month. Below are some thoughts from Shira Gabriel as she assumes her new position (some portions draw upon her forthcoming editorial at Self & Identity).
Do People Cheat More When They Feel Powerful or Powerless?
