Welcome to PALS Press: the official student journal of UCL Division of Psychology and Language Sciences.
What is PALS Press?
PALS Press is a platform in affiliation with the Division of Psychology and Language Sciences (PALS), which serves as a student-led academic journal for aspiring psychologists and researchers. PALS Press offers UCL students the unique opportunity to go beyond their coursework and discuss areas within psychology that sparks their curiosity with more detail. Our publications include reviews about recent advancements within the field, the discussion of psychological phenomena (e.g., mental health disorders, cognitive biases), critiques of the representation of mental health in popular media, book reviews, and experimental proposals to address the remaining gaps in the literature. Our aim is to increase the accessibility of consumable, scientific communication within students, helping them practice the skills of academic writing, research, and evaluative reading in the process.
Publication Dates
For the commencing academic year (2023-2024), PALS Press will release 3 issues:
- 1st issue: 30.11.2023 (applications open from 01.11.2023-19.01.2023 | NOW RELEASED)
- 2nd issue: 09.04.2024 (applications open from 15.01.2024-15.02.2024 | NOW RELEASED)
How to apply?
Please contact the Editor-in-Chief Duru Kaya during the submission windows stated above. In order for your submission to be successful, you will first have to state your idea proposal (i.e., the topic you would like to write about). After receiving approval for your topic of choice, you may commence writing, which will be aided with personal feedback from the Editor-in-Chief.
It is essential that you follow APA guidelines throughout your writing and referencing, and refrain from any form of academic misconduct. We encourage writings to have a word count between 800-1000 words, although the upper limit can be slightly exceeded depending on the contents and writing style of the entry.
Editor-in-Chief — Duru Kaya
Duru Kaya, Editor-in-Chief
Hello, my name is Duru Kaya! I am currently a second-year BSc Psychology undergraduate at UCL and the Editor-in-Chief for PALS Press (2023-2024). I am deeply passionate about clinical psychology and cognitive neuroscience, with a special interest in the psychiatric genetics of MDD. I lead a team of researchers in the process of writing a literature review about the behavioural repercussions of MDD genetic testing for at-risk populations (currently under review). I also actively work in a cognitive psychology lab, where I research different memory systems and the cross-cultural variances in mental number lines.
I am very excited to be the Editor-in-Chief of PALS Press, especially because I perceive it to be a very valuable opportunity for aspiring researchers to practice their writing skills and step into the world of scientific literature not only as passive readers, but also as active researchers themselves. I look forward to reading your submissions and wish you all an academic year full of curiosity and passion.
Get in touch
We’re always open to feedback. If you have any suggestions, queries or concerns, please get in touch with us via email: duru.kaya.22@ucl.ac.uk
With love,
PALSPRESS