Instructions for authors

ABOUT THE JOURNAL

The Revista de Psicología Clínica con Niños y Adolescentes (RPCNA) is a quarterly publication edited by the AITANA research group of Miguel Hernández University (Elche, Spain). The JCPCA publishes original and unpublished works with scientific rigor, written in Spanish or English, that contribute to basic or applied knowledge in the fields of psychopathology, assessment, and psychological treatment of children and adolescents.

TYPES OF WORKS

The RPCNA publishes empirical articles that meet high methodological standards and make a significant contribution to knowledge in any area of clinical and health psychology applied to the child and adolescent field. Articles must not exceed 6,000 words (including title, abstract, references, figures, tables, and appendices) and should be structured as follows: Introduction, Method (Participants, Instruments, Procedure, Statistical analysis), Results, Discussion, References, and Tables and Figures.

WRITING AND FORMAT

Files to be submitted

Authors must submit three files: 

1. Complete manuscript. This document should include all sections in the order described in the Manuscript structure section.
2. Anonymized manuscript. This document should include only the following sections: Title and Subtitle, Introduction, Method (Participants, Instruments, Procedure, Statistical analysis), Results, Discussion, References, and Tables and Figures. Any information that could identify the authors (e.g., institution, ethics approval number) must be removed.
3. Suggested reviewers. Authors must provide the full name and email of two or three researchers they consider suitable for reviewing their work. The final decision to consider these suggestions will rest with the journal's editors. Recommendations for reviewers: 

• Suggest individuals whose opinions you value regarding your article.
• You do not need to personally know the proposed reviewers; they will not be informed that you suggested them.
• Avoid suggesting colleagues or coauthors.
• Recommend experts familiar with the topic and willing to dedicate time to the review.
• Ensure diversity among the suggested reviewers in terms of gender, career stage, and geographic location.

MANUSCRIPT STRUCTURE

Manuscripts must be double-spaced, in Times New Roman font size 12, with 3 cm margins and left-aligned text. Authors should strictly adhere to APA publication standards (7th edition). Templates for formatting documents are provided below:

Manuscripts should include the following sections, each starting on a new page:

1. Title page (with complete details for the full manuscript and limited details for the anonymized version)*.
2. Highlights in Spanish and English.
3. Abstract. The abstract should be presented in the primary language of the article followed by the secondary language. Keywords should follow each abstract on a separate page.
4. Introduction.
5. Method (Participants, Instruments, Procedure, Statistical analysis).
6. Results.
7. Discussion, including subsections for Strengths and limitations, and Conclusion. These subsections do not need separate pages.
8. Funding and Conflict of interest*.
9. References.
10. Tables.
11. Figures.

* For the anonymized manuscript: The title page should only include the study's title and running title. Section 8 (Funding and Conflict of interest) should not be included.

1. TITLE PAGE

• Title: Informative and concise (maximum of 15 words), in both Spanish and English.
• Running title: No more than 50 characters, including spaces.
• Authors: List all authors and their affiliations. Include the ORCID ID link in parentheses.
• Corresponding author details: Full name and email address.
• Author contributions: Specify each author's contribution using the CRediT taxonomy (https://www.elsevier.com/researcher/author/policies-and-guidelines/credit-author-statement). 
• Article language: Spanish or English.
• Acknowledgments: Acknowledge individuals who significantly contributed to the article in its conception, design, evaluation, data collection, statistical analysis, interpretation, manuscript preparation, and critical review.

2. HIGHLIGHTS / PUNTOS CLAVE

Provide 3 to 5 highlights summarizing the main findings of the article in Spanish (Puntos Clave) and English (Highlights).

3. ABSTRACT / RESUMEN

The abstract must not exceed 250 words and should be presented first in the article's primary language, followed by the secondary language. The abstracts in both languages will be presented in the second and the third pages of the manuscript. 

Palabras clave / Keywords. Include five keywords after each abstract, separated by commas. Keywords should not repeat terms already in the title or abstract.

4. INTRODUCTION

This section identifies the topic of interest, provides specific data on the problem, and contextualizes the study area. It must answer the questions: What is the problem? What is known so far? What gap exists in the topic? What has been done to address this gap? Conclude with a paragraph justifying the study’s importance, objectives, and hypotheses.

5. METHOD

• Participants: Provide detailed information on the study sample, including sociodemographic and other relevant characteristics.
• Instruments: List and describe the assessment tools used, including their psychometric properties (e.g., reliability, validity).
• Procedure: Indicate the type of study, recruitment protocol, data collection details, and, if applicable, intervention session content and implementation.
• Statistical analysis: Describe how data were analyzed to generate the presented results.

6. RESULTS

Present the findings according to the objectives and hypotheses outlined in the introduction. Avoid interpretations or discussions in this section.

Additional instructions:

• Use italics only when strictly necessary, following APA guidelines for reporting statistical results. For more details, refer to the APA Numbers and Statistics Guide.
• Structure data clearly and concisely, including tables and figures when necessary to facilitate understanding of the results.

​7. DISCUSSION

Discuss the results, comparing them with relevant national and international studies, preferably published within the last five years. Highlight strengths, limitations, and conclusions. Provide ideas and suggestions for future studies.

8. FUNDING / CONFLICT OF INTEREST 

• Fuding: Indicate funding sources and grant codes, if applicable.
• Conflict of interest: Explicitly state whether conflicts of interest exist.

9. REFERENCES

Follow APA 7th edition guidelines. Provide accurate and complete references for all works cited in the manuscript.

The following resources are from the APA Style website:

• APA Style: Style and Grammar Guidelines

This section of the APA Style website provides an overview of various guidelines, including the necessity and use of bias-free language.

• APA Style: Quick Reference Guide (PDF)

A brief color-coded pamphlet from APA with three examples: journal article, book, and chapter in an edited book.

Examples of reference styles for the JCPCA

Journal article with DOI (up to 20 authors)

• Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (year). Article title. Publication Title, volume(issue), pp-pp. https://doi.org/xx:xxxxxxxxxx

Servera, M., Sáez, B., & Mir, J. M. G. (2020). Feasibility of a virtual reality program to treat children with fear of darkness with nonexpert therapists. Journal of Clinical Psychology with Children and Adolescents, 7(2), 16-21. https://doi.org/10.21134/rpcna.2020.07.2.2

• Include the Digital Object Identifier (DOI) in the reference whenever available.
• For articles with three or more authors, list the first author followed by "et al."

Journal article with 21 or more authors

For articles with more than 20 authors, cite the first 19, followed by ",…" and the last author. For example:

Ballester, L., Alayo, I., Vilagut, G., Almenara, J., Cebrià, A. I., Echeburúa, E., Gabilondo, A., Gili, M., Lagares, C., Piqueras, J. A., Roca, M., Soto-Sanz, V., Blasco, M. J., Castellví, P., Forero, C. G., Bruffaerts, R., Mortier, P., Auerbach, R. P., Nock, M. K., … Alonso, J. (2019). Accuracy of online survey assessment of mental disorders and suicidal thoughts and behaviors in Spanish university students. Results of the WHO World Mental Health‐International College Student initiative. PLOS One, 14(9), e0221529. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0221529

Journal article without DOI

If the document does not have a DOI, use the URL directly instead of "Retrieved from." For example:

Paredes-Cartes, P., & Moreno-García, I. (2015). Estudio comparativo del lenguaje en niños con sintomatología hiperactiva-atencional y menores con trastorno específico del lenguaje. Revista de Psicología Clínica con Niños y Adolescentes, 2(2), 151-156. https://idus.us.es/handle/11441/29658

Article in press

Fariña, D., Seijo, D., Tomé, D., & Castro, B. (in press). Adaptación española y propiedades psicométricas de la Escala de Parentalidad y Ajuste Familiar (PAFAS). Journal of Clinical Psychology with Children and Adolescents. https://www.revistapcna.com/sites/default/files/2033-1.pdf

Full book

The following formats may be used:

• Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (2015). Title of the work. Publisher.
• Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (2015). Title of the work. Publisher. http://www.xxxxxx
• Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (2015). Title of the work. https://doi.org/xxxxx

Barrett, P. M., & Ollendick, T. H. (2004). Handbook of Interventions that Work with Children and Adolescents: Prevention and Treatment. Wiley Online Library.
Barrett, P. M., & Ollendick, T. H. (2004). Handbook of Interventions that Work with Children and Adolescents: Prevention and Treatment. Wiley Online Library. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/9780470753385.fmatter/summary
Barrett, P. M., & Ollendick, T. H. (2004). Handbook of Interventions that Work with Children and Adolescents: Prevention and Treatment. https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470753385

Barrett, P. M., & Ollendick, T. H. (2004). Handbook of Interventions that Work with Children and Adolescents: Prevention and Treatment. https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470753385

Book chapter or article within an edited book

The following formats may be used:

• Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (2015). Title of the chapter. In A. Editor, B. Editor, & C. Editor (Eds.), Title of the book (pp. xxx-xxx). Publisher.
• Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (2015). Title of the chapter. In A. Editor, B. Editor, & C. Editor (Eds.), Title of the book (pp. xxx-xxx). http://www.xxxxxx
• Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (2015). Title of the chapter. In A. Editor, B. Editor, & C. Editor (Eds.), Title of the book (pp. xxx-xxx). Publisher. https://doi.org/xxxxxx

Dowdney, L., & Bruce, H. (2014). Transiting out of child and adolescent mental health services - influences on continuities and discontinuities in mental health care. In P. Byrne & A. Rosen (Eds.), Early intervention in psychiatry: EI of nearly everything for better mental health (pp. 79-91). Wiley Blackwell.
Dowdney, L., & Bruce, H. (2014). Transiting out of child and adolescent mental health services - influences on continuities and discontinuities in mental health care. In P. Byrne & A. Rosen (Eds.), Early intervention in psychiatry: EI of nearly everything for better mental health (pp. 79-91). http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/9781118557174.ch8/summary
Dowdney, L., & Bruce, H. (2014). Transiting out of child and adolescent mental health services - influences on continuities and discontinuities in mental health care. In P. Byrne & A. Rosen (Eds.), Early intervention in psychiatry: EI of nearly everything for better mental health (pp. 79-91). https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118557174.ch8

Conference presentation

• Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (Year, Month). Title of the presentation. [Type of presentation]. Name of the conference or congress, Location (City, state or province abbreviation, country). URL.

Alan, S., Gllvarry, C., & Essau, C. (2015, November). Conduct disorder and associated antisocial behaviour among adolescents: From frequency to prevention. [Poster presentation]. I International Congress of Clinical and Health Psychology with Children and Adolescents, Madrid, Community of Madrid, Spain. http://www.aitanacongress.com/2015/

Doctoral theses

• Author, A. A. (Year). Title of the thesis [Doctoral thesis]. Institution name. http://xxxxxxx

Murillo-Pérez, V. (2012). Temperament and coping as predictors of depression in adolescents [Doctoral thesis]. Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona. https://www.educacion.gob.es/teseo/mostrarRef.do?ref=952032

In-text citations

• Carefully check that all references cited in the text are included in the References section (and vice versa).
• It is not recommended to cite unpublished works. If included, the work should be cited as a personal communication or unpublished work (see example above).
• If the cited work has been accepted for publication, indicate “in press” instead of the year in parentheses.
• When the author’s name is part of the text, only the year of publication is included in parentheses.
• When there are two or more consecutive references, these should be alphabetically ordered by the authors' names.

• Use “et al.” in all citations of a work with three or more authors, provided there is no ambiguity regarding the source.

• When there is more than one work by the same author(s) during the same year, each work must include a letter (a, b, c, d,…) to identify it.

10. TABLES AND FIGURES

• Figures and tables should be placed at the end of the manuscript, each on a separate page.
• All tables and figures must be mentioned in the text.
• Authors should indicate in the text the approximate location for each table and figure.
• Figures and tables should be in black and white or grayscale.
• The format of tables and figures must adhere to APA (7th ed.) standards.

ETHICS AND LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY

•  The opinions expressed in the works are the sole responsibility of the authors.
•  Published works must follow ethical principles of psychological practice, the ethical standards of the responsible human experimentation committee, and the guidelines of the World Medical Association and the Declaration of Helsinki.
• Authors are responsible for complying with the ethical and legal requirements of the institution where the work was conducted, such as obtaining the corresponding consents and authorizations from affected individuals or institutions.
•  Patient studies must not include real names or initials of patients.
•  Authors are responsible for obtaining permission when reproducing material (images, figures, etc.) from other publications.
• Authors must explicitly indicate compliance with these requirements in their manuscript (e.g., ethics committee approval, informed consents from parents and participants).
• Parties involved in an RPCNA publication—authors, reviewers, and editorial team members—must adhere to our ethics policy and respect the statements based on the Code of Conduct and Best Practices for Journal Editors (COPE; Committee on Publication Ethics, 2011). See the Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement. 

COPYRIGHT

• Manuscripts must be unpublished; partially or fully published works, or those under review or consideration by another journal, will not be accepted.
• Authors must report any related works to the submitted manuscript, whether Partial or full, to assess potential redundancy and data duplication. Related works must be submitted to the journal’s editorial board along with the manuscript and cited in the new manuscript. Presentations at conferences will not be considered redundant publications.
• Authors are responsible for obtaining necessary permissions to use copyrighted material, including material from the internet.
• Submission and publication of a manuscript imply that authors transfer all rights to RPCNA.
• The journal holds printing and reproduction rights by any form or medium for published works. Authors remain responsible for their expressed opinions. 

PUBLICATION COSTS

The editing, composition, and publication of works incur no costs for the authors.

SUBMISSION AND REVIEW PROCESS

Manuscripts should be submitted in Microsoft Word format to rpcna@umh.es. Submissions undergo an anonymous double-blind review by two external expert reviewers in the thematic area of the work. To ensure anonymity, author details appear only on the first page, excluded from the evaluation process. Authors should avoid any identifying information in the text.

Using the evaluation template, reviewers will provide feedback, which may result in: acceptance, acceptance with minor changes, rejection with the possibility of resubmission (major changes), or rejection. In cases of disagreement between reviewers, the editor will decide on the manuscript’s acceptance.

Upon receipt, acknowledgment will be sent to the corresponding author within five days. Manuscripts undergo plagiarism detection (Turnitin) before potential publication. Within one week of submission, authors will be informed if the manuscript proceeds to the review process. A response regarding the evaluation process will be provided within approximately 30 days.

Final acceptance may depend on improvements or modifications suggested by the editorial board. Accepted works will be published immediately in the Online First section until included in the next available issue. The estimated time from initial submission to publication is two months, subject to holiday periods coinciding with the review process.