Research submissions to JMHC: Perspectives from the Associate Editor

I am extremely pleased to serve as the Journal of Mental Health Counseling (JMHC) associate editor for research, especially as the role affords me the opportunity to work with such fine colleagues as Drs. Jim Rogers, Alex Hall, and Bernie Jesolowski. I also look forward to working with the mental health counselors who submit their work for publication in JMHC; therein lies the true pleasure of editing. The opportunity to work with scholars doing cutting edge research and to read their contributions as they are drafted; fresh from the field, so to speak. I am fortunate, too, in following in Jim Rogers' footsteps, he having previously served in my current role as research editor (2002-2005). His introductory column in the July 2002 issue of JMHC, in which he laid out his vision for strengthening research publications, leaves little to improve upon. Therefore, I will seek only to expand on his chief points in that editorial. In terms of an overarching perspective, I agree with fully and will continue to support Rogers' (2002) idea that research articles in JMHC will reflect an appreciation for different methodologies relevantly serving to address research questions. As well, JMHC will encourage and seek to publish research submissions that are tied to clinical practice and that serve to build and test theory. Finally, although the JMHC editorial staff anticipates fielding submissions that possess a high level of competency with respect to research design, methodology, and statistical analyses, we recognize that research is definitely a "give and take" venture. As Gelso (1979) aptly points out, strengthening certain aspects of experimental design (i.e., increasing internal validity) will inevitably lessen the generalizability or clinical relevance of results (i.e., decrease external validity) and vice versa. Even good research has weaknesses. My goal as an associate editor will be to foster the knowledge and learning of all mental health counselors who submit research-based works to the journal. Offering constructive feedback will be the mainstay provision so as to edify authors' work and strengthen their contributions. In my opinion, the role of editing is not only to serve a gatekeeping function, but also to help all mental health counselors, as a community, move forward together, learning and growing in our collective skill. Rogers (2002) also made specific recommendations to authors of research submissions concerning increasing their attention to the theory that drives their research questions; to making accurate and explicit statements concerning the validity and reliability of instruments employed and constructs assessed; to report relevant sample-specific psychometric indices of reliability as a matter of course; and, to placing the significance of their findings within an appropriate context with respect to normative (e.g., absolute versus relative differences), sample (e.g., statistical power issues), and clinical benchmarks (e.g., clinical significance versus statistical significance). I cannot state any better than Rogers (2002) the importance of these issues. These recommendations will stand during my tenure as associate editor for research exactly as they are laid out in Rogers' remarks. I will also note that Rogers' editorial made reference to a number of fine research and statistical resources (e.g., Pedhauzuer & Smelkin, 1991; Wilkinson et al., 1999). These are certainly recommended reading and reference for any mental health counselor submitting research articles to JMHC. I might also add a few other statistical (Pedhazur, 1997; Tabachnick & Fidell, 2001) and research design (Heppner, Kivlighan, & Wampold, 1999) resources to that list. BUILDING A BETTER MOUSETRAP Moving a manuscript from initial submission to publication is a time-intensive effort for all involved. However, there are ways in which the process can be made easier. I hope that my affirmation of Rogers' (2002) comments will provide a significant "head start" to contributors. …