Publication productivity of professional psychology internship applicants: An in-depth analysis of APPIC survey data

Participation in scientific research is often considered a valuable part of professional psychology training. The Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC) internship applicant (Match) survey is 1 of the most comprehensive sources for understanding national trends and changes in late-stage psychology trainee's publication productivity, and the current study explores publicly available applicant-reported publication productivity at the time of internship application. Trends by year, degree type, question wording, and final match outcome are also explored. Results indicate that just under half of internship applicants have at least 1 peer reviewed publication by time of application, with only 10% having 5 or more and fewer than 1% having 15 or more. Comparative match rates indicate having publications may put applicants at an advantage for matching and that PhD trainees are far more likely to have publications at the time of internship application. The data also indicate that asking about "publications" without specifying refereed or peer-reviewed journals may inflate reported publication rates. Limitations of these data and further implications for psychology trainees and researchers are also discussed.