How to Submit
If you would like to submit a contribution to the Yearbook of Music Psychology/Jahrbuch Musikpsychologie (JBDGM), all the information you need about files and formatting, links to templates, and a submission checklist can be found on this page. You can also find supplementary information on the online submission, as well as a link to start the submission process.
File Formats and Templates
Depending on the type of manuscript, the JBDGM works with a one-tier or two-tier system of submission formats:
- In the case of research reports and short papers, an anonymized version for a double-blind review procedure should be submitted first. Initially, you do not need to submit printable versions of the graphics used in the text. It is only necessary to submit a non-anonymized final version with print-quality graphics after final acceptance of the article.
- Close-ups, spots, reviews, and reports should be submitted in a non-anonymized, final format at the beginning of the process.
All texts must be submitted in Microsoft Word format (docx) (maximum file size: 8 MB). If you are using another program (OpenOffice, Apple Pages, etc.), please convert your text to the docx format. Do not send us any files by e-mail; please only use our online submission system for all file types (texts, images, etc.).
All contributions must meet the requirements of the PsychOpen GOLD Author Guidelines regarding formal elements such as citation style and format of statistical information. These are largely based on the Publication Manual (7th edition) of the American Psychological Association (APA Style). Since the JBDGM publishes non-commercially and does not charge any processing fees, we assume that authors have complied with these guidelines and we require careful proofreading of the manuscripts. Manuscripts that do not meet these requirements may be rejected by the editors. Please also pay attention to the PsychOpen Guidelines on Publication Ethics.
To prepare your manuscript for submission, be sure to use our template files provided for all text formats. These contain detailed information and support for the formal design requirements and make it much easier to comply with the formal style guidelines.
A) Anonymized initial submission (research reports and short papers only)
Please note the following when submitting to the online system:
- For the anonymized initial submission of a research report or short paper, you need TWO template files (choose the appropriate language version, depending on the main language of your manuscript):
- The template for the main text in German or English.
- The template for the required cover letter in German or English.
In this cover letter, you should disclose the names and contact details of the authors to the editors and include explanations e.g. on copyright and data availability.
Important: Please ensure that all references to your identity as an author have been removed from the text (including the file’s meta-information, which you can edit in Word under "File Properties/Author ..."). - Graphic elements can be integrated into the text at a low, screen-optimized resolution (< 100 DPI) in the correct position and do not need to be provided in a printable, high-resolution version as individual files at this point.
- Upload other digital elements of your contribution that the reviewers should note during the review process but that are not part of the main text itself (media files, attachments, etc.) in step 2 of the online submission process (maximum file size: 8 MB).
B) Final manuscripts (accepted research reports, short papers and other manuscript types)
Please note the following when submitting to the online system:
- Prepare your text in final, i.e. non-anonymized manuscript form. Please use one of the following template files:
- The template for the final version of research reports and short papers in German or English
- The template for close-ups in German or English
- The template for spots in German or English
- The template for reviews in German or English
- The template for reports in German or English
- Even in final manuscripts, images can be integrated into the text at a suitable position in a lower, screen-optimized version (< 100 DPI) for better orientation. Nevertheless, each graphic has to be uploaded as a separate, high-resolution (300 DPI), print-ready graphics file (preferred format PNG, maximum size 8 MB each) during Step 2 of the online submission process.
- Other files (media files, attachments, etc.) that you would like to share along with your contribution to PsychOpen. These files can be uploaded during Step 2 of the online submission process (maximum size 8 MB each).
- Please also provide the additional research data belonging to a contribution as well as additional materials, e.g. analysis syntax, R code, questionnaires, etc.
The JBDGM and the German Society for Music Psychology (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Musikpsychologie, DGM) strongly recommend the publication of the research data belonging to a contribution, along with any further materials that are necessary for the traceability of the data collection and analysis. The handling of supplemental research data follows the guidelines of the German Society for Psychology (DGPs) and the German Research Foundation (DFG). The ZPID PsychArchives Repository is available for the publication of research data and materials. If you provide further material, upload it in Step 2 in the most open, non-proprietary format (CSV, text file). The Statement of Data Availability that is required in any case is already provided with the cover letter for the anonymous first submission of a research report.
Submission Checklist
During online submission, authors are asked to confirm that their submission is in accordance with the items on the checklist below. Contributions that do not comply with the guidelines may be returned to the authors. Before starting the submission process, please check that your contribution fulfils all these criteria:
- ☑️ Original Work: The submission has not been previously published, nor is it currently submitted to another journal for consideration (or an explanation has been provided in “Comments to the Editor”).
- ☑️ Acknowledging and Citing Previous Work: Previous or concurrent publications of the author(s) based on the same or closely related research are properly acknowledged and cited. It is made clear in the manuscript in which way(s) it represents a novel contribution to warrant consideration for publication. Note: Replications of previous work are explicitly welcomed if identified as such.
- ☑️ Authorship: All authors of the submitted manuscript are named in the submission/cover letter (and additionally will be named in Step 3 of the submission process). All authors of the submitted manuscript are aware of and approve its submission to the journal. Contributions that fall short of authorship are mentioned in the Acknowledgments section of the submission/cover letter. (For criteria of authorship see the Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct, Standard 8.12, Publication Credit, of the American Psychological Association (APA). Responsibility for authorship decisions lies entirely with the authors.)
- ☑️ Data availability: For empirical contributions, the statement on data availability in the cover letter identifies any data and materials provided and the place of their publication. If data or materials are not made accessible, a justification must be given (e.g. privacy protection, unacceptably high expenditure, etc.), which will be published with the article.
- ☑️ Ensuring a blind review: If submitting the anonymized fist submission of a research report, authors have removed all personal information from the manuscript. The instructions in ensuring a blind review have been followed.
- ☑️ Publisher guidelines: The submission complies with the PsychOpen GOLD author guidelines (largely based on the American Psychological Association's formatting guidelines).
- ☑️ Data anonymization (if applicable): All research data have been fully anonymized.
- ☑️ Use of Copyrighted Materials: No copyrighted material is used unless that material has also been made available under a CC-BY license.
Final notes on the online submission system
In Step 1 of the submission, you must select the main language of the contribution (German/English) and the correct manuscript type. In addition, you must agree to all the items on the checklist above.
In Step 3 of the submission you will need to provide some meta-information about your contribution:
- Title (possibly with subtitles)
- Summary (max. 250 words for Research Reports, 150 words for Spots and Close-Ups)
- 5-10 keywords describing the content and topic of the article
Important: You must enter the title, abstract, and keywords into this web form, even though your main Word manuscript should already contain this information. The simplest way is to copy the information from your main text into this form (if possible without formatting).
Important: Please enter all meta-information in German and English. If you click on one of the input fields, an input box will open for each of the languages.