Just a heads up. I submitted a paper to the Pacific APA today, but the instructions were weird. After you click on the link to submit a paper you are taken to the submission page. At the top of the page is information about you. Below that information is the following set of instructions.
- Please verify your membership information above.
- Complete the Paper details below.
- Click the “Submit” button.
ONCE YOU CLICK THE SUBMIT BUTTON THIS WILL BE THE FINAL STEP IN THE
PAPER SUBMISSION PROCESS! THIS MEANS YOUR PAPER MUST BE UPLOADED WITH
YOUR SUBMISSION. SO BE SURE YOU ARE READY TO UPLOAD YOUR PAPER. IF YOUR
PAPER IS NOT UPLOADED AT THE TIME YOU SUBMIT, YOU WILL NOT ABLE TO
UPLOAD YOUR PAPER AT A LATER TIME NOR WILL IT BE UPLOADED BY THE APA OFFICE. NO EXCEPTIONS WILL BE MADE!
(This ALL CAPS warning is from the APA…not me) - You will then be prompted to upload your submission documents.
- Locate your document files and click “Upload”
Problem:
The problem comes in at steps 4 and 5. Below this set of instructions, there is an upload field. But steps 4 and 5 imply that you should click the Submit Button at the bottom of the page BEFORE you upload the files. They also imply that you will be taken to a second page where you will then upload your files. None of this is true.
If you followed their instructions and clicked “Submit” before you uploaded anything, then you would have submitted a paper without uploading your files. After you click “Submit” there is no second page where you get to select files and click “Upload” – Technically, there is no option to click “Upload”.
What I did:Ignored the Instructions
Since there was an option to browse to files for uploading just above the submit button, I assumed that the instructions above (particularly steps 4 and 5) must be inaccurate. I browsed to my files in the upload fields, and then clicked Submit. I was not taken to a second page. There never was a button labeled “Upload” to click on. My submission was complete after clicking Submit.
What I did next: Emailed the APA
I suspect most philosophers will figure this out, but given the APA’s uber-scary warning about not getting to redo this if you mess it up, I thought some philosophers might click Submit before they upload files. After all, that’s what it looks like the APA was telling you to do. The APA was quick to follow up. I was told that the instructions are from an old submission system, and that the way I did it worked. They checked my submission number and verified that they had received my files.
That was all a couple of hours ago. They may have fixed the instructions by now, but since I’ve already submitted my paper, I can’t get into the system to see if the instructions have been changed.
I can confirm that the Pacific APA instructions still have not been corrected. Thanks for the head’s up Andrew. You potentially prevented me from making the mistake attached to steps 4 and 5.
Thanks for posting about this! I just submitted a paper and it seemed to work using your method. The instructions have NOT been updated yet, by the way.
No problem.
It’s not fixed yet? Wow. When they emailed me back, I was under the impression that it would be fixed quickly (especially since it was the day before the deadline when I emailed them).
It’s really not a big deal as long as they don’t stick to the if-your-paper-doesn’t-upload-there-is-nothing-we-will-do-to-help-you line.
Hopefully, they’ll let people submit who were tripped up by their instructions.