The Seton Hall Undergraduaduate Journal of Psychology has been long awaited. It is a welcomed addition and one example of the many ways the Psychology Department at Seton Hall University is growing and expanding to meet the needs and demands of its students. Undergraduates, who select Psychology as their main choice of study, discover that there are numerous routes which can be taken and many ways to put theory into practice. The overall objective of the Seton Hall Undergraduate Journal of Psychology is to enable students to further discover and understand the importance of journal articles in the field of Psychology.
Among the many functions of this journal, the most important is to familiarize Psychology students with reading and understanding APA journal articles. The American Psychological Association provides specific guidelines under which research must be presented. Although intimidating at first glance, journal articles are an essential part of the Psychology discipline. They provide a vessel upon which research is expressed and shared. Familiarity with the format and statistical findings provides an opportunity to discover how different theories have come about, to replicate interesting experiments, and even benefit from mistakes that others have made during their research.
Understanding the format and statistics used in journal articles is the first step in learning to use them. Psychology students are required to take certain courses which provide the basic skills necessary for presenting research in APA format. All of the articles in this journal have been written by Seton Hall Psychology Majors as part of the requirements for such classes as Senior Seminar and Independent Study. A proficiency in writing is an ability that is needed throughout one's lifetime--in and out of the classroom setting. Learning how to design and write APA-style journal articles is an important skill that all Psychology Majors should acquire and utilize. This journal will provide students with the opportunity to develop and practice their writing skills and to have their research published and recognized by other students and faculty.
As with most abilities, improvement follows with practice. The same applies to reading journal articles. The Seton Hall Journal of Psychology provides students with journal-style articles written by undergraduates. These articles may be easier to understand because they use more familiar terms and do not bombard the reader with unfamiliar jargon and complicated statistics often found in professional journals. However, it is very important to continue to read and comprehend professional journal articles. They not only provide a way to practice understanding complex studies, but they also provide valuable information on current and past research which will be imperative to know when formulating experiments.
A final purpose of this journal is to provide students with experience outside the classroom. While textbook knowledge is the foundation upon which learning is built, it cannot provide absolute wisdom. Theory and practice must exist hand in hand, because true understanding can only come through experience.
Dawn Marie Graham
Amy Brinkerhoff