Social Psychology Network

Maintained by Scott Plous, Wesleyan University

Frequently Asked Questions About SPN Profiles

SPN Frequently Asked Questions  This page contains answers to frequently asked questions about Social Psychology Network Professional Profiles. If you have a question that is not answered on this page, feel free to Contact Us.

How it works:

Getting started:

User names and passwords:

Changing and deleting profiles:

Other questions:


Q: What is an SPN professional profile?

A: Professional profiles are web pages that contain biographical and academic information, including research interests, publications, web links to course syllabi and online studies, and information on how to contact the profiled person. The address of each professional profile is:

http://username.socialpsychology.org/

(The user name is assigned by Social Psychology Network and is usually an individual's last name.)


Q: Why would I want a professional profile?

A: Profiles offer an easy way to post material you want to share with others (you can edit your profile without needing to know how to design web pages). Also, web links in your profile -- for example, to publications, research labs, or course syllabi -- typically appear in SPN search results, thereby publicizing your work. Still another benefit of having a profile is that it allows you to designate yourself as an SPN Mentor (for students from underrepresented groups), Media Contact (e.g., for reporters to interview), professional consultant, public speaker, expert witness, manuscript reviewer, book reviewer, or grant reviewer. Finally, profile holders receive 10 gigabytes of space to upload files of nearly any type (e.g., images, data files, slide presentations), either sharing them publicly or marking them as private.


Q: How much does it cost for this service?

A: Professional profiles are currently being offered free of charge, and there are no plans to charge money for this service in the future. If it becomes necessary to charge a fee in the future, Social Psychology Network will notify all profile holders in advance and give them the option of discontinuing their free use of the system.


Q: Who is eligible for a professional profile?

A: To request a profile, you must have completed a doctorate in psychology or a related discipline and have a professional interest in social or personality psychology (sorry, but we are currently unable to accommodate clinical practitioners, school psychologists, counselors, or other psychologists whose primary professional focus lies outside social or personality psychology). Postdoctoral fellows are welcome to request a profile, but graduate students must wait until after they have officially received their doctorate.


Q: How do I request a professional profile?

A: To request your own profile, go to the profile application page, read the "Terms and Conditions of Use," and if these terms and conditions are acceptable to you, enter the information you would like to appear in your profile. Although the staff of Social Psychology Network reserves the right to refuse this service for any reason it deems important, requests from eligible professionals are rarely rejected.


Q: How long does it take to set up a profile?

A: If you have a computer file open with your academic vita (to facilitate cutting and pasting biographical information and publications), it typically takes about 10 minutes to enter the necessary information. Then, once you have submitted this material, you will normally receive an email approval or disapproval from the SPN Administrator within 72 hours, at which point approved profiles can be viewed and edited.


Q: How do I add a photograph to my profile?

A: To add a photo to your profile, please email a high-quality image at least 100 pixels wide by 120 pixels tall to Photo followed by the @ symbol and the SPN domain name SocialPsychology.org (we will provide free cropping and sizing).


Q: When will my profile appear in SPN searches?

A: New profiles usually appear in SPN search results within 24 hours of being approved, so if 7 days have passed and your profile does not appear when you search SPN for your last name, please contact the SPN Administrator for assistance.


Q: What is a user name?

A: A user name is a unique name that identifies the location of a professional profile. This name is assigned by Social Psychology Network and is usually an individual's last name. For example, if Kurt Lewin were to have a profile, his user name would be "lewin" and his profile would be viewable at:

http://lewin.socialpsychology.org/


Q: How do I obtain a user name and password?

A: If your request for a professional profile is approved, Social Psychology Network will send you an email message with your user name and a temporary password (you can later change the password to whatever you prefer, but the user name will be permanent). At that point your profile will be active, and you will be able to view and edit it.


Q: What if I forget my password or it doesn't work?

A: To verify or be reminded of your password, go to the Login Page and request that your current password be emailed to you. Please note:

  • Passwords are case sensitive, so make sure you are typing upper and lower case letters that match your password.

  • Be sure not to confuse the number "1" with the letter "l," or the number "0" with the letter "O" (tip: try cutting and pasting your password).
If you enter the correct password and are still unable to access your profile, or if your original email address is no longer active, feel free to contact the SPN Administrator for assistance.


Q: Can I change my user name or profile web address?

A: User names and profile web addresses are assigned by the SPN Administrator and normally cannot be modified unless you have had a change in name (e.g., due to marriage). If your name has changed and you would like to alter your user name and web address to match your new name, please email your request to the SPN Administrator.


Q: How do I change the photograph in my profile?

A: To request that a profile photograph be replaced, simply email your request along with the new image to Photo followed by the @ symbol and the SPN domain name SocialPsychology.org.


Q: How do I delete a photograph from my profile?

A: Go to the Login Page, enter your user name and password, and click "Continue" to access the Edit/Delete Page. To delete a photograph from your profile, check the "Do not display photograph" box and click on the "Change Profile" button at the bottom of the screen.


Q: How do I delete my professional profile?

A: Go to the Login Page, enter your user name and password, and click "Continue" to access the Edit/Delete Page. To delete your profile, click on the "Delete Profile" button at the bottom of the screen.


Q: Is there an icon I can use to link to my profile?

A: Yes. You are welcome to display the image below on your home page, laboratory page, web syllabi, or any other web page in which visitors might want to read about your background and research interests.

Click here to visit my profile

If you use Windows and want to download this image to your computer, simply position your mouse over the image, click the right mouse button, and select the option for saving the image or picture (Macintosh users can do the same by positioning their mouse over the image, holding down the mouse button until a pop-up menu appears, and selecting the option for saving or downloading the image). Then save the image in the same folder as your web page, and add the following HTML code inside your page at the place where you want the image to appear (replacing "username" with your own user name):

<a href="http://username.socialpsychology.org/"><img src="profile.gif" align=center width="112" height="40" alt="Click here to visit my profile" border=0></a>


Q: What is the Social Psychology Network privacy policy?

A: Social Psychology Network has the following privacy policy: "SPN will take reasonable measures not to disclose information about you or the contents of your communications, other than Content that is already publicly available or accessible via SPN pages, profiles, or electronic forums, unless it appears that such disclosure is reasonably necessary (a) to comply with the law; (b) to comply with legal process; (c) to enforce these terms and conditions; (d) to respond to claims that any Content violates the rights of third parties; or (e) to protect the interests of SPN or others." Please see the SPN User Policy for further details.


Q: How can I search the SPN profile database?

A: To search for profiles by name, research area, or geographic region, click here. You can also search for profiles using the SPN Advanced Search page.



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