About the Journal

Focus, Scope and Objectives

Research in Psychotherapy: Psychopathology, Process and Outcome (RIPPPO) is an online, open-access, peer-reviewed journal published by the Italian Area Group of the Society for Psychotherapy Research (SPR Italy Area Group). Its aim is to promote a fruitful communication between the Italian and International communities, enriching clinicians and researchers mutual collaboration. It welcomes high quality articles from any part of the world, concerning a variety of topics (e.g., psychotherapy process and outcome, diagnosis and assessment, psychopathology, etc.), with different formats (e.g., reviews, empirical studies, methodological works, clinical studies) and from different epistemological, theoretical and methodological perspectives of the contemporary research in psychotherapy.

Particular attention will be paid to works sensitive to the close interconnection between psychotherapy process and psychopathology, as well as theory and clinical practice; the focus on intensive case analysis; the study of the psychotherapies delivered within the different institutional settings and with attention to the interdisciplinary dialogue.

RIPPPO publishes three issues every year and provides immediate Open Access to its contents, on the basis of the principle that making research results freely available to researchers and practitioners supports a better exchange of knowledge.

RIPPPO adopts a two-phase peer-review procedure, to which only papers written in English are allowed and considered. Firstly, the Manuscript is read by the Editors for verifying its consistency with the aims, and the formal and content standards of the journal. Then, if the paper is suitable for publication, Editor submits it to blind peer reviewing phase. The process of reviewing is intended as an opportunity to promote scientific exchange designed to guarantee a high scientific standard for the journal, as well as to provide Authors with the chance to improve the quality of their manuscripts. 

Firstly published in 1997, until 2008 the journal has been published as "Ricerca in Psicoterapia" (ISSN 1592–8543). In 2009 it was transformed in an on line journal with the name "Ricerca in Psicoterapia / Research in Psychotherapy: Psychopathology, Process and Outcome" (ISSN 2038–0046). Since 2011, the Journal's name has been changed in “Research in Psychotherapy: Psychopathology, Process and Outcome" (ISSN 2239–8031), exclusively publishing articles in English, with a new, easy shaped and interesting layout.

RIPPPO has been included for indexing in PubMed, PubMedCentral, Embase, Scopus and PsycINFO.

Peer review process

Introduction

Peer review is applied to all research articles and the majority of other article types published in RIPPPO. This usually entails at least two independent, expert peer reviewers.

Policy

All submissions to RIPPPO are first checked for completeness (criteria for desk reject are available in the Guide for Authors) before being sent to an Editor, who decides whether they are suitable for peer review. If an Editor is on the author list or has a competing interest in a particular manuscript, another member of the Editorial Board will be assigned to oversee peer review. When making a decision, Editors will consider the peer-reviewed reports, but they will not be bound by the opinions or recommendations contained in them. A single peer reviewer's or the Editor's concern may result in the manuscript being rejected. Peer review reports are sent to authors along with the editorial decision on their manuscript.

At Research in Psychotherapy: Psychopathology, Process and Outcome papers undergo a double-blind review process - meaning that reviewers do not know the authors’ names, and the authors do not know who reviewed their manuscript.

Selection

Peer reviewer selection is critical to the publication process. A variety of factors influence it, including expertise, reputation, specific recommendations, conflicts of interest, and previous performance. All of these qualities are highly desirable: speed, thoroughness, sound reasoning, and collegiality.

Before accepting an invitation to review a manuscript, potential peer reviewers should notify the Editor of any potential conflicts of interest. Editors' and peer reviewers' communications contain confidential information that should not be shared with third parties.

RIPPPO is committed to making editorial decisions and publishing them as soon as possible, and we believe that an efficient editorial process benefits both our authors and the research community as a whole. As a result, we ask reviewers to respond within the agreed-upon time frame. If reviewers anticipate a delay, we ask that they notify us so that we can keep the authors updated and, if necessary, find alternative solutions.

Diversity and equity

PAGEPress is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and strives for demographic diversity among peer reviewers. When inviting peer reviewers, editors are bly encouraged to consider geographical regions, gender identities, racial/ethnic groups, and other groups.

Misconduct

False or misleading information, such as identity theft and suggesting fake peer-reviewers, will result in the manuscript being rejected, further investigation in accordance with PAGEPress' misconduct policy (https://www.pagepress.org/site/plagiarism_misconduct), and notification to the authors' institutions/employers. PAGEPress journals follow the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidance about peer reviewer fraud/falsification.

Guidance

The primary goal of peer review is to provide the Editor with the information needed to make a fair, evidence-based decision that adheres to the journal's editorial criteria. Review reports should also assist authors in revising their paper so that it can be accepted for publication. Reports that include a recommendation to reject the paper should explain the major flaws in the research; this will help the authors prepare their manuscript for possible re-submission (if allowed by the Editor) or submission to a different journal.

A quick guide to reviewing is available here

Before submitting a report, reviewers should ask themselves the following questions:

  • How would you react if you received this report?
  • Do you find the tone offensive?
  • Is it polite and professional?
  • Do the authors or their competitors receive any unnecessary personal or antagonistic remarks?

Please keep in mind that any offensive language in your report may be removed by the Editor.

Publication Frequency

All papers are published as soon as they have been accepted, by adding them to the "current" volume's Table of Contents.

Open Access Policy

This journal provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge.

Archiving

This journal utilizes the PKP Preservation Network, the Global LOCKSS Network and Portico to create a distributed archiving system among participating libraries and permits those libraries to create permanent archives of the journal for purposes of preservation and restoration.

Pre- and post-prints

PAGEPress allows and encourages authors to deposit both their pre- and post-prints in Open-Access institutional archives or repositories. The primary benefit of pre- and post-print self-archiving is reaching a larger audience which enhances the visibility and impact of your research.