Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy
By Kevin Lanning (ASAP.editor@gmail.com)
ASAP Editor

Some news of note from ASAP:

First, the editorial board has issued a Call for Papers (CFP) on the legal, psychological, and social significance of recent immigration laws and policies, including but not limited to Arizona’s SB 1070.  Manuscripts should be approximately 10-20 double-spaced pages including references, and should be submitted to ASAP’s online portal at http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/asap. The CFP is available online at http://tinyurl.com/cfp-immigration. This collection has a very early deadline of October 1, 2010; however, it is possible that late papers may be considered.  Inquiries should be sent to ASAP Editor Kevin Lanning of Florida Atlantic University (lanning@fau.edu).

Second, ASAP continues to publish papers online for the 2010 volume in advance of the end-of-the-year print volume.  One recently published paper in ASAP warrants comment – perhaps by you. Military Social Influence in the Global Information Environment: A Civilian Primer, by Sara King of Saint Francis University, is the first paper published under ASAP’s new policy of including peer-reviewed commentary on selected manuscripts.

In her paper, King argues that contemporary information operations by the U.S. Military are "arguably among the largest, most controversial, and most influential social influence campaigns in modern times." As such, it is imperative that social scientists in general and social psychologists in particular are at least aware of this work, the ethical implications of which are complex. The topic is an important and thought-provoking one, and I hope that you will consider submitting a comment.

Commentary will be considered on the manuscript through December of this year, after which the paper will be reprinted together in a virtual issue with accepted comments and the author’s response.  The paper is available online at http://tinyurl.com/ASAPcomment2010; no password or SPSSI login is needed, as Wiley Blackwell has provided open access to the paper through the end of the year.

ASAP’s approach to papers with commentary is, I believe, a new one, and it holds considerable promise.  By publishing the papers twice online, first initially, then again in a virtual issue with comments, we avoid the insularity and time lags that can occur when comments are invited only from selected scholars; we avoid, too, the time lags that can occur when a collection of papers and comments is held up for the weakest or slowest link.  At the same time, we retain the considerable advantages of commentary, which are grounded in both the argument that a dialectic approach is critical to the growth of knowledge and the notion that this approach can be pedagogically valuable, as papers with comments can help students, and all of us, think for ourselves.  Again, I hope that you will read King’s paper and consider submitting a comment.  Inquiries concerning ASAP commentary and other editorial policies may be addressed to me at ASAP.Editor@gmail.com.

Third, an additional virtual issue will be available online by the time you read this. The Social Psychology of the 2008 US Presidential Election includes 17 papers on a number of social psychological topics that impacted the Presidential election.  It is a snapshot of an important moment in American history through a social psychological lens, but it is more than this.  From the standpoint of sexism and particularly racism, the collection includes powerful empirical arguments not merely about how far we have come, but how far we have to go on our progress towards a more perfect union.  And from the standpoint of the role of psychology in democracy, the papers remind us, too, of how voting implicates the self concept, of how voting matters to us, and how voting must matter if our democracy is to prosper.

Fourth, and finally, if you would like to review manuscripts for ASAP, please send me a brief note describing your interests and expertise and I will add you to my database of possible reviewers.  If you would like to review books for the journal, please contact our Book Review Editor, Wendy Williams (williamw@marshall.edu).

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