Utah Journal of Communication
Brief Manuscript Submission Guidelines

Before submitting your manuscript, please read and adhere to all the guidelines and instructions to authors provided below. Manuscripts not conforming to these guidelines may be rejected.

Aim and Scope

The Utah Journal of Communication is a peer-reviewed semiannual journal that publishes academic research in the diverse field of communication. UJOC aims to be a general forum for communication scholarship, and all theoretical approaches and methods of scholarly inquiry are welcome. Submitted manuscripts should make original contributions to academic research in the field of communication studies. Submitted manuscripts should address critical theoretical and empirical questions in the field of communication that are relevant to scholars within and across specializations. UJOC is an open access journal available to all at no cost.

Author Instructions

UJOC publishes academic research of varying lengths. Manuscripts must be submitted as a word doc or .docx file. All submitted manuscripts should include an abstract of 100-200 words and five key words, which should be placed at the end of the abstract. The standard length of published articles is 5000 words in length inclusive of references, tables, figures, and notes. Organization is largely dependent on the methodological traditions used, but all submitted manuscripts should include a title page, an introduction, a literature review, a methodological summary, a report of results and findings, a discussion that explains the impact and analysis of the study, and a conclusion that considers the study’s limitations and implications for future research. UJOC adheres strictly to the 7^th edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA 7).

Original Submission Guidelines

All submitted manuscripts must be prepared in strict accordance with to APA 7. Submitted manuscripts should include:

1. Title Page
   • Full article title.
   • Each author’s complete name and institutional affiliation.
2. Abstract
   • Omit author(s) name for blind review.
   • Abstract of 100-200 words on the first page after the title page.
   • Five keywords located at the end of the abstract.
3. Text
   • Begin article text with introduction.
   • Headings and subheadings should be completed in accordance to APA 7.
   • Each text citation there have a corresponding citation in the reference list and each reference list citation must have a corresponding text citation. Citations and references should be completed in accordance to APA 7.

To encourage a faster production process of this journal, authors are requested to closely adhere to the points above for references. Manuscripts not conforming to these guidelines may be rejected.

Peer Review Process

Manuscripts considered by the UJOC Managing Board to be of sufficient quality and in line with the UJOC mission will be sent to two members of the UJOC Editorial Board. The editorial board editors will serve as the peer reviewers of the double-blind review for those works deemed ready for external review. Publication judgements will be based on reviewer feedback and the Editorial Board’s own reading of the submission materials. All reviewer feedback is then sent to the UJOC Managing Board, which will send a final decision letter to the corresponding author. In most instances, authors can expect decisions on initial submissions within 30 days. Because manuscripts receive expert review, this time may vary. The UJOC Managing Board retains the right to make changes in accepted manuscripts that do not substantially alter meaning, as well as for grammatical, stylistic, and spatial considerations.

Publication Ethics

Authors should observe high standards with respect to publication ethics as set out by the Commission on Publication Ethics. COPE is committed to educating and supporting editors, publishers and those involved in publication ethics with the aim of moving the culture of publishing towards one where ethical practices become a normal part of the publishing culture. Falsification or fabrication of data, plagiarism, including duplicate publication of the authors’ own work without proper citation, and misappropriation of the work are all unacceptable practices. Any cases of ethical misconduct are treated very seriously and will be dealt with in accordance with the COPE guidelines.