On writing "little papers."

Journal policies have encouraged the writing of "little papers" and have discouraged longer papers and monographs. "Little paper" refers "to the four- or five-page article dealing with one or two aspects of a larger problem." "Many psychologists are troubled by the proliferation of articles and journals dealing with psychological topics." The "little papers" are likely to be of small consequence and it is unlikely that "a productive science will eventually emerge from the host of trivial and unrelated studies that fill the journals." "Little papers" should be discouraged; editors should induce some authors to forego "one-shot" papers in favor of a series of integrated and planned researches. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)