1. What is the purpose of PsyChinaXiv?
PsyChinaXiv is an academic preprint platform dedicated to psychology and related fields, and the first preprint platform for psychological science in China. Its mission is to accelerate the sharing of emerging research findings, and support the timely disclosure, broad exchange and open dissemination of new knowledge in psychology.
Through an open and accessible model of academic communication, PsyChinaXiv aims to enhance the visibility, accessibility, and impact of psychological research, while contributing to the development of open science in China and beyond.
2. What kind of research content is welcome on PsyChinaXiv?
We welcome theoretical, empirical, and methodological research in psychology and related fields. Suitable submissions should address clearly defined research questions, provide precise conceptual definitions, engage meaningfully with relevant literature, describe the necessary research methods and ethical considerations, and draw conclusions that are appropriately supported by evidence. Authors are expected to have academic training, research experience or relevant expertise in the subject area of their submission.
The platform does not accept the following types of submissions:
Content that does not meet the basic standards of academic preprints in psychology. This includes, but is not limited to, fictional works, news reports, popular science articles, product advertisements, teaching materials, policy statements, brief descriptions of methods or experimental procedures, and non-academic manuscripts primarily based on personal experience, anecdotal observations, or private theoretical systems.
Manuscripts that fail to meet basic academic requirements. This includes submissions that directly replace psychological reasoning with philosophical, religious, spiritual or “mind-body-spirit” frameworks; lack falsifiable theories or verifiable data; present broad conceptual frameworks without objective supporting evidence; or depart from academic discourse by disregarding prior research, using non-standard terminology without clarification, or failing to follow basic norms of academic writing.
Manuscripts containing misleading, unsupported, or potentially risky claims. This includes submissions that present unvalidated concepts, scales, mechanisms or interventions as established scientific facts; draw strong conclusions about effectiveness or mechanisms on the basis of small samples, non-controlled studies, or individual cases; involve serious political, security, or ethical concerns; or may mislead the public in clinical, educational, or other professional decision-making contexts.
Our screening process is intended to determine whether a submission qualifies as an academic preprint suitable for public release and whether it meets basic requirements for format, academic relevance, and risk control. Acceptance for posting on PsyChinaXiv does not constitute peer-review endorsement of the manuscript’s conclusions, methodological quality, academic value, or practical effectiveness. Nor does it imply the platform verifies, approves, or guarantees the accuracy, rigor, or applicability of the research findings.
3. Are PsyChinaXiv preprints peer-reviewed?
No. Manuscripts submitted to PsyChinaXiv have not undergone peer-review, journal-style editorial assessment, copyediting, formatting, or typesetting.
However, all submissions are subject to a basic screening process before public release. The screening is designed to ensure that the manuscript falls within the scope of academic psychological research, meets the platform’s basic submission requirements, and does not contain illegal, dangerous, misleading, or otherwise inappropriate content. Submissions are also checked for plagiarism or substantial text overlap.
The screening process does not evaluate the scientific validity, methodological rigor, originality, academic contribution, or practical effectiveness of the research. Responsibility for the content of a preprint rests with its authors.
4. Is there a fee for submitting to PsyChinaXiv?
No. PsyChinaXiv is free for both authors and readers. Authors are not charged any fees for submitting or posting preprints, and all preprints on the platform are openly accessible and available for free download.
5. Who holds the copyright for PsyChinaXiv preprints?
Authors retain the copyright to their manuscripts posted on PsyChinaXiv. PsyChinaXiv encourages authors to submit their preprints to journals for formal publication. After a manuscript has been published in a journal, authors may update the record on PsyChinaXiv by adding publication information, such as the journal title, volume, issue, pages, and DOI. This may increase the visibility and citation of the final published article.
6. Will journals regard a PsyChinaXiv preprint as prior or duplicate publication?
Most academic journals allow authors to make manuscripts publicly available as preprints before or during journal submission. However, preprint policies may vary across journals and publishers. Authors are advised to check the preprint policy of their target journal on the journal’s official website, in its submission guidelines, or through resources such as SHERPA/RoMEO before posting a preprint. PsyChinaXiv does not assume responsibility for the outcome of subsequent journal submissions.
In 2023, the Suzhou Open Science Initiative in Psychology was jointly issued by the Publishing Work Committee of the Chinese Psychological Society, the editorial boards of 19 Chinese psychology journals, and the Pan Shuh Library of the Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. The initiative explicitly states its support for "the open exchange of manuscripts in the form of preprints before formal journal publication." https://lib.psych.ac.cn/library/notice/Detail/b705b482-a6d4-418d-8e9b-bc9e1723202b
Among Chinese psychology journals, Acta Psychologica Sinica, Advances in Psychological Science, and Applied Psychology have issued statements indicating that manuscripts posted as preprints on PsyChinaXiv will not be regarded as duplicate publication.
Acta Psychologica Sinica preprint policy: https://journal.psych.ac.cn/xlxb/CN/column/column16.shtml
Advances in Psychological Science preprint policy: https://journal.psych.ac.cn/xlkxjz/CN/column/column16.shtml
Applied Psychology preprint policy: http://www.appliedpsy.cn/CN/column/column206.shtml
7. Are there language requirements for PsyChinaXiv?
PsyChinaXiv accepts submissions in both Chinese and English. We welcome contributions from researchers in China and around the world, provided that the manuscript is written in clear, accurate, and academically appropriate language.
8. What file formats does PsyChinaXiv support?
PsyChinaXiv accepts manuscripts in PDF, Word, and LaTeX formats. For public display, authors are advised to upload a PDF version to ensure stable formatting and ease of reading.
9. How do I upload a manuscript to PsyChinaXiv?
To upload a manuscript, log in to the official PsyChinaXiv website and follow the submission steps in sequence. You will be asked to complete your personal information, sign the author commitment statement, upload the manuscript and proof of identity, complete the format validation process, enter the required manuscript metadata, and preview the submission. Once all required information has been completed and confirmed, the manuscript upload is complete.
10. What aspects of a preprint do editors review?
Editors screen submissions for the following aspects:
(1) Whether the manuscript is an academic preprint in psychology or a related field;
(2) Whether the manuscript content and structure are complete, metadata are accurate and complete, and basic standards of academic writing are followed;
(3) Whether the author’s identity and submission information are authentic;
(4) Whether the manuscript contains obvious plagiarism, copyright infringement, ethical violations, illegal content or other inappropriate material;
(5) Whether the manuscript contains clearly misleading statements or claims that go beyond the evidence provided.
Platform screening is not equivalent to peer review. It does not formally certify the novelty, theoretical validity, methodological quality, statistical accuracy, academic merit, or practical effectiveness of the research.
11. Can I assign subject classifications to my preprint?
Yes. Authors can assign subject classifications when entering the manuscript metadata. Manuscripts with Psychology as the primary subject classification will be submitted to PsyChinaXiv for screening. Manuscripts whose primary subject classification is not Psychology will be handled by the appropriate ChinaXiv teams.
12. How long does it take for a preprint to be posted on PsyChinaXiv?
Most manuscripts are posted on the platform by the third working day after submission. The timeline may be extended if additional quality checks are required.
13. How can I speed up the posting of my manuscript?
To help speed up the screening and posting process, please upload accurate researcher identity verification materials. Authors are also encouraged to register and log in using an institutional email address.
14. Does PsyChinaXiv have an Impact Factor?
No. PsyChinaXiv is a preprint server, not an academic journal, and therefore does not have an Impact Factor.
15. Does PsyChinaXiv provide manuscript metrics?
Yes. PsyChinaXiv provides usage metrics, including view and download counts, for manuscripts posted on the platform. Registered users may also comment on manuscripts and provide academic feedback.
16. Can papers posted on PsyChinaXiv be cited?
Yes. PsyChinaXiv provides a recommended citation format for each manuscript. The following examples are for reference:
杨宇翔, 刘媛媛, 胡传鹏, 彭凯平. (2018). 不同道德领域对面孔来源记忆效果的影响. 中国心理学预印本平台. doi: 10.12074/201809.00162.
Liu, C. J., Liao, J. Q., & Peng, K. P. (2018). Locating embodiment effects: Hierarchical access priority model. PsyChinaXiv. doi: 10.12074/201810.00102.
When a manuscript has been formally published in a journal, it is recommended to cite the formally published version. If it is necessary to document the dissemination history or version development of the work, the preprint version may also be cited.
17. Can I withdraw or remove a manuscript already posted on PsyChinaXiv?
In principle, PsyChinaXiv does not accept requests from authors to delete publicly available preprints based solely on personal preference. Manuscripts posted on PsyChinaXiv are assigned unique DOI identifiers, are citable, and form part of the scholarly record. Manuscripts can be indexed by Google Scholar and Baidu Scholar and become independent digital records separate from PsyChinaXiv. Therefore, PsyChinaXiv does not support withdrawal or removal of posted manuscripts. Authors may submit an updated version, which will be screened and posted after approval. The original version will remain accessible as part of the version record.
If a manuscript involves legal issues, ethical concerns, copyright infringement, identity impersonation, major errors, or other circumstances requiring urgent action, the platform will evaluate the case in accordance with relevant regulations and determine whether the content should be retracted, blocked, or removed.
18. How can I correct errors in my preprint?
Authors may submit a revised version of the manuscript. PsyChinaXiv supports version management. The revised version will be linked to previous versions, creating a transparent record of the development and improvement of the work.
19. Which academic journals have partnerships with PsyChinaXiv?
At present, three Chinese psychology journals have established partnerships with PsyChinaXiv: Acta Psychologica Sinica, Advances in Psychological Science, and Applied Psychology. These journals encourage authors to post preprints on PsyChinaXiv and do not regard manuscripts posted on PsyChinaXiv as duplicate publication.
20. In which academic search platforms or databases can PsyChinaXiv papers be found?
Preprints posted on PsyChinaXiv may be discoverable through academic search engines and discovery services such as Google Scholar and Baidu Scholar. The specific indexing timeline and display status depend on the mechanisms of the external platforms.
PsyChinaXiv is actively working to expand partnerships to improve the visibility and discoverability of manuscripts posted on the platform.
For issues regarding platform operation and open interfaces, please refer to the ChinaXiv User Guide (https://www.chinaxiv.org/user/help.htm).
