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What Very Important thing have you lost or found on your Psychology journey?

Our latest Voices In Psychology programme question.

25 September 2020

We’re always listening out for ‘Voices in Psychology’. People who can take often complex ideas and communicate them in a way that will engage and inform our large and diverse audience. Writers with real impact, who are learning to avoid some of the traps of academic writing. Those who can 'tell Psychology's stories of change' [see this collaborative document]. The next generation, with new, solutions-focused ideas. They’re the future of our science, of our Society, of our magazine.

But perhaps you need help to find that voice. Perhaps you’ve got that certain something but you need practice, nurturing. We think we’ve made a real effort with this in recent years, providing opportunities and guidance to many first-time authors. Our 'Voices In Psychology' programme is an attempt to co-create a more formal structure around this process.

For 2018, we set a question: Why do we need psychology? And what does psychology need? 

For 2019, the topic was What makes a psychologist?

For 2020, we asked What are the barriers to our profession, and how can we remove them? We expect to publish winning entries in early 2021.

Rather than wait a year before setting the next question, we thought we would crack on with a bit of an 'interim' scheme. For this one we're putting less emphasis on new writers. And given 'these unprecedented times' we're still giving thought to what it is practical for us to do in terms of supporting winning entrants and providing them with opportunities to expand their repertoire. Also, we're open to more varied and creative entries than a 1000-word essay. But the ethos remains the same – we're looking for psychologists who can engage and inform across the discipline.

So the question we're setting is 'What Very Important thing have you lost or found on your Psychology journey?'

Address that in any way you see fit. You might want to tweet us @psychmag using #PsychLostFound. You could submit a photo or artwork. You might want to write, anything up to 1000 words. 

Deadline Friday 20 November. For email submissions, send to [email protected] and include a bit about yourself – your aspirations, and how you’re looking to engage with the communication of psychology. One submission per person please, and unfortunately we cannot respond to everyone. We hope to publish a selection of the best responses online and in print too. 

Dr Jon Sutton (Managing Editor)
Madeleine Pownall (Associate Editor, VIP Programme)