The UJOC is seeking book reviews for upcoming issues. Reviewers who are interested in publishing an academic book review in the UJOC should consider the following guidelines when preparing their submission.

Book Selection

• The book has been published recently (within last three years).
• The subject of book is relevant to the field of comunication.
• The book is relevant to the focus and scope of the UJOC.
• The subject of the book is relevant to your own field of study or practice; you have adequate knowledge or background in the subject.
• Avoid books written by an author you know personally, or for which you may have some real or perceived conflict of interest.
• Avoid subjects about which you feel strong emotion or that you do not believe you can review fairly and professionally.

Length of Review

1,000-2000 words

Heading

Please head your review with the following elements:

• Author, title in full, place, publisher, date, edition statement, number of pages, price.
• Reviewer’s name, institution.

Example:
John Doe, The Big Book of Communication. Cedar City, UT: SUU Library Press, 2023, 206pp, $35.00.
Jane Smith, Northcentral University

Body

• If you quote from the book, please indicate page numbers. If you quote from other sources, cite the sources according to APA 7. Keep all quotations brief, however.
• Your overall evaluation may be favorable or unfavorable, but the review’s tone should be courteous. In all instances the reviewer owes the readers and the author a fair assessment of the book’s contents and conclusions.

What to Include

A strong review contains many of the following elements:

• A description of the topic, scope, and purpose of the book.
• Relevant information about the author or editor.
• The author’s point of view or frame of reference.
• The thesis or message of the book.
• The school of thought or scholarly current that the book arises from.
• Comment on intended audience or readership.
• Evaluation of use of available sources and/or evidence.
• Evaluation of the author’s success in achieving his/her purpose.
• Contribution to knowledge in the field; relationship to a current debate or conversation in the field.

What to Avoid

• Mere summary or description of the content, rather than evaluation of the content. In particular, avoid a chapter-by-chapter summary.
• Criticism of typographical errors or minor errors of fact, unless, in your judgement, these errors are so numerous that they raise questions about the overall quality and reliability of the book.
• Criticism that the author has failed to refer to or discuss some other author’s work, unless, in your judgement, that other work is essential or central to any discussion of the subject.
• Judge the book by its intentions, not yours. Don’t criticize the author for failing to write the book you think that he or she should have written.

Conflict of Interest

Reviewers must declare any conflict of interest to the editors before undertaking the review. Please declare any conflict of interest or connections with the authors, editors, or creators of the book reviewed. The editorial team may decline a proposal if they feel that the connection between the proposed reviewer and the document suggested for review is too close. If the article is published, the declaration will be clearly indicated on the published review with links to details (if necessary).

Please seek advice from the editorial team if you are unsure of what constitutes a conflict of interest.