When does the Call for Papers end?
*The COVID-19 Call for Papers will end January 31, 2021. No new COVID-19 submissions will be accepted after this date. After the Call for Papers ends, the Journal will accept papers that focus on the pandemic as feature articles, research reports, and ICRs. However, submissions received after January 31, 2021 will NOT have rapid review or priority publication. (8/5/20) *

​*It is up to the current Editor and her team as to how long this Call for Papers will last, but we anticipate that this will be for quite some time. Articles accepted for this Call for Papers will span multiple issues of the Journal and will appear alongside regular submissions through the Rapid Review process. (updated 4/10/20)*
 
*I have a research project or submission and I am not sure that it is a good fit for the Call for Papers. Can I contact the Editor/Editorial Office to find out if my research is a good fit? 
No. In keeping with journal policy, we do not comment on the appropriateness of proposals or ideas for this Special Call. Please review the Call for Papers carefully and also this FAQ page  for more information. (updated 4/20/20)*

*What are the primary reasons for a Desk Reject without external review with this Call for Papers?
We are receiving many submissions that are not relevant to the journal's focus on work and employment-related phenomenon. Please do not submit work that is unrelated to the topics listed in the Call for Papers. Authors that are unfamiliar with the journal are STRONGLY ENCOURAGED to examine recently published articles to understand the quality of research we typically publish. If manuscripts are not prepared according to APA style, they will be desk rejected without the option to submit again. Other reasons for desk rejects may include weak or absent theoretical or conceptual rationale for the choice of study variables, lack of methodological rigor (e.g., measures with unknown or weak psychometric properties, small and/or convenience samples, the use of cross-sectional and single source data), not addressing a research question that is unique to COVID-19 (i.e., no COVID-19 related variables), completely exploratory and descriptive accounts of the COVID-19 experience, under-developed ideas, and failure to integrate in existing Industrial-Organizational Psychology research on the topic of interest. (updated 6/8/20)* *Papers will also be desk rejected if they do not adhere to the 17 page guideline. Tables and appendices cannot be used for measures and other key information about the research methods and procedures (updated 10/29/20)*

What topics are relevant?
Any topic that is related to how COVID-19 has affected work or employment are encouraged.

*How is the Call for Papers different from what is typically published in the Journal of Applied Psychology?
The only real difference is that the Call for Papers has maximum page limit of 17 pages (excluding title page, abstract, references, tables, and appendices). In keeping with the mission and tradition of the journal, submissions are expected to be conceptually or theoretically grounded and methodologically rigorous. Purely descriptive accounts of the COVID-19 experience for employees, teams, or organizations are typically not appropriate. If you are unfamiliar with the Journal of Applied Psychology, you are strongly encouraged to examine a few recent issues to ensure that your research is an appropriate fit for the type of research we normally publish. (updated 4/27/20)*
 
Is research using data collected prior to the COVID-19 pandemic appropriate?
Although data collected prior to COVID-19 could be used for comparison or linkage purposes, we are interested in research that directly informs our scientific understanding of the COVID-19 experience.
 
What type of research studies are appropriate?
Quantitative and/or qualitative empirical research, using inductive and/or deductive methods. We are not accepting Integrative Conceptual Reviews or theoretical articles for this Call for Papers. *Review papers are also not being accepted for this call for papers. (updated 4/13/20)* *Commentaries are also not being accepted for this call for papers (4/15/20)*
 
Is it appropriate to submit manuscripts based on data collected using remote methods such as MTurk (Prolific, Qualtrics, and other crowdsourcing platforms), social media sources (e.g., Facebook ads, Twitter posts, Reddit groups), and/or snowball sampling?
The data collection method must be appropriate for the research questions asked. However, we realize that under the current circumstances, remote data collection methods may be much more feasible. All data collection methods are subject to institutional review board approval, as always, and some data collection will be impossible (e.g., in-person experiments). The unique context of data collection during COVID-19 will be considered when evaluating submissions.
 
Are submissions using cross-sectional designs and/or single-source data allowed?
The research design used will be evaluated against the aims of the study, also keeping in mind the practical constraints of research that can be conducted during COVID-19. We will not desk reject submissions based ONLY on the use of cross-sectional designs or single-source data.
 
Are international and cross-national research studies appropriate?
Yes. International perspectives and cross-national projects on work or employment in the context of COVID-19 are welcome.
 
Are there page limits on submissions?
Yes, manuscripts cannot exceed 17 pages of text, excluding title page, abstract, references, tables and appendices.
 
How will the review process be different?
The integrity of the review process is of utmost importance. Many aspects of the review process will be the same. An Associate Editor will be assigned to manage the submission, and the manuscript will be blind reviewed by two reviewers. In addition, submitted papers will be closely examined to ensure fit with the call for papers before being sent out for peer review. *As with regular submissions to the Journal, both Consulting Editors (board members) and ad hoc reviewers will be used for COVID-19 submissions (6/5/20)*
 
What happens if my submitted paper is not a good fit for this Call for Papers?
If a paper is rejected because it is not an appropriate fit for this Call for Papers, it may still be considered as a regular submission. This decision will be handled on a case-by-case basis.
 
Can a rejected paper be submitted again to the Journal as a regular submission?
No. We will follow our current practice. Rejected papers cannot be resubmitted at a later date.
 
Can I submit more than one original paper?
Yes. However, each paper would need to answer a unique question based on unique data. For more details, please refer to the Data and Transparency and Openness section on the submission website.
 
How soon will accepted manuscripts be available on-line?
*Accepted articles will be posted online with a short time frame and also prioritized for publication (depending on volume and timing, we hope within a few weeks) (4/15/20)* 
 
Will accepted articles be open-access?
We are currently discussing this with APA. It is likely that some COVID-19 articles published in the full portfolio of APA journals will be made open-access.

If you have other questions, please contact Jennifer Wood at the Editorial Office (japplied@msu.edu).