About the Journal

Aim and scope
The main aims are: the development of theory and research in the field of sociotherapy, supporting the professionalisation of sociotherapy and fostering cooperation between practitioners and scientists.
The Sociotherapy Bulletin publishes articles, case reports, interviews, reviews and polemics from the field of sociotherapy, methods of group work with children and adolescents, clinical psychology of children and adolescents, mental health promotion of children and adolescents, social pedagogy and social rehabilitation. We publish both theoretically oriented texts as well as texts based on empirical research (quantitative and/or qualitative) and case reports from sociotherapeutic practice.

History
The primary version of the journal is the "Bulletin of the Polish Association of Sociotherapists and Trainers" published by the Polish Association of Sociotherapists and Trainers. The first issue of the "Sociotherapy Bulletin" published by the Polish Association of Sociotherapists and Adam Mickiewicz University Press was published in 2023.

Ethics
The editors of the Sociotherapy Bulletin are concerned with the highest ethical standards of the texts published and make every effort to counteract negligence in this area in accordance with the COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) guidelines.
COPE: Committee on Publication Ethics | Promoting integrity in scholarly research and its publication (icourban.com)
The editors consider as ethical violations ghostwriting, a situation in which a person who is an author or co-author of a publication is not included in the publication, as well as guest authorship, which occurs when a person who has not actually contributed to the publication is listed as an author.
The author of the submitted article bears all responsibility for any infringement of copyright and other rights relating to the text under review. If the article has been prepared by several authors, the author submitting the article (corresponding author) declares that he has the consent of the other authors to the above editorial requirements of the "Sociotherapy Bulletin".

Review process
1. The submitted article is assessed by the editor-in-chief in terms of its compatibility with the profile of the journal and its fulfilment of the formal requirements to be met by texts published in the "Sociotherapy Bulletin" (see Guidelines for Authors). The editors reserve the right to reject an article without submitting it for peer review (desk reject).
2. Each article submitted for peer review is evaluated by two independent reviewers affiliated with entities other than the author(s) according to the rule of double-blind review process (authors and reviewers do not know each other's identity).
3. The reviewers provide their opinion in writing (according to the review form). The review contains an unambiguous conclusion (expressed by categorising the text into one of four categories: 1) acceptance without changes/with minor editorial changes, 2) acceptance after taking into account minor remarks of reviewers and/or the editor, 3) acceptance after taking into account major remarks of reviewers and/or the editor - this option involves a repeated review procedure, 4) no acceptance - rejection.
4. The article is accepted or rejected on the basis of the Editor's decision based on the reviewers' opinions. In special cases where the reviews are opposing, a third reviewer is appointed.
5. The author of the article is informed by the Editor of the outcome of the peer review process and any requirements for changes to the text.
6. The rules for qualifying or rejecting a publication and the review form are publicly available on the 'Sociotherapy Bulletin' website.
7. Once a year, the journal publishes a list of reviewers on the website.

Information for authors
Authors are asked to check whether the text meets the following criteria. Texts that do not meet the editorial requirements may be rejected.
Basic rules for drafting and editing an electronic typescript:
Page settings: standard Word - top, bottom, right and left margins 2.5 cm.
Main text: Times New Roman 12 pt. font, spacing 1.5, double-sided alignment (i.e., justified).
Middle titles: basic font size 12 pt., bold, left alignment
Suggested content layout:

  • Abstract
  • Literature review
  • Methodology
  • Results
  • Discussion
  • Conclusions
  • Bibliography

Drawings, illustrations, photos, maps and other graphic materials should be submitted separately in JPEG format. Graphic sizes should not be smaller than 300 x 500 pixels. It is required to label these materials in the text with numbering (e.g., Fig. 1) and citing the source. If the author uses other people's graphic materials, he is obliged to send permission from their authors.
Tables should be sent in a separate file, in DOC or DOCX format. As with illustrations, tables should be labeled and numbered. Their sources and any permissions to use these materials should also be indicated. Please send both graphics and tables in black and white.