We are pleased to issue a call for the next issue of the Utah Journal of Communication.

The 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 communication studies and address critical, theoretical, and empirical questions in communication relevant to scholars within and across specializations.

The UJOC is an open access journal available to all at no cost. While articles by scholars living in Utah, as well as articles covering topics particularly relevant to Utah are especially welcome, we encourage authors from all places to submit their work to this issue of the UJOC. Every paper receives full consideration regardless of any Utah connection. At least one article of each issue will be reserved for a current masters or doctoral candidate.

Original Research

All submitted manuscripts should include an abstract of 100-200 words and five keywords. The standard article length is 3000-4000 words, including references, tables, figures, and notes. The organization is mainly dependent on the methodological tradition used. However, 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. The UJOC adheres strictly to the 7th edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA 7). Submitted manuscripts should include:

• Title page with full article title and each author’s complete name and institutional affiliation.
• Abstract of 100-200 words and five keywords at the end of the abstract.
• 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. The reference list should also be completed in accordance to APA 7.

Book Reviews

Scholars who are interested in publishing an academic book review in the UJOC should give careful consideration when selecting a book and preparing their submission.

Books under review should have been published within last three years. The subject of book must be relevant to the field of comunication, as well as the the focus and scope of the UJOC. The subject of the book should also be relevant to the expertise and field of study or practice of the reviewer; one must possess adequate knowledge or background in the subject. Reviewers should also avoid books written by an author they know personally, or for which there may exists some real or perceived conflict of interest. Reviewers should also avoid subjects about which you feel strong emotion or that you do not believe you can review fairly and professionally.

Completed book reviews should be only 1,000-2000 words in length and contain the following elements:

• Author, title in full, place, publisher, date, edition statement, number of pages, price.
• Reviewer’s name, institution.
• 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 the author’s success in achieving their purpose.
• Contribution to knowledge in the field.

GIFTs

Occasionally, the UJOC will publish “Great Ideas For Teaching” articles that focus on innovative pedagogy. Articles include original teaching ideas, lesson plans, semester-long activities, and classroom assessments.

Original Teaching Ideas
Communication educators in all contexts are invited to submit original teaching activities for classroom implementation. Activities may address any communication course, including research methods, technologies, theory, interpersonal, intercultural, instructional, mass, organizational, public relations, media studies, and public speaking, whether introductory or advanced. Single Class submissions should generally contain no more than 1500 words.

Unit Activities
This may entail an original teaching activity that takes place throughout an entire class unit that spans several days or weeks. A unit activity should follow the same format as the single class activity, and should contain no more than 2000 words.

Semester-long Activities
Original teaching activities that outline a semester-long project or approach to an entire course are also welcome. These manuscripts should follow the same format the single class activity and should generally contain no more than 2500 words.

Assessment Articles
Communication educators in all contexts are invited to submit original assessment research. Assessment involves systematic reflection upon and analysis of instructional practices and challenges communication educators to monitor student learning as well as improve the quality of specific courses or overall programs. Assessment articles should be data driven, qualitative or quantitative. Assessment research provides educators an opportunity to modify their instructional practices based on the results of such studies. Submissions should generally contain no more than 3,500 words.

Brief Reports

The UJOC will occasionally accept and publish brief reports. Brief reports are shorter than traditional submissions and often do not meet the typical rigor expectations of more developed papers. However, any brief report should provide obvious value to scholars in the field of communication. 

Submission Types 

Conceptual Paper: Focuses on developing hypotheses and/or research questions. Often preliminary or incomplete data is used to support concepts the author(s) is developing. 

Case Study: Applies communication theory or conceptual frameworks to interventions, experiences, or events that provide new insight and understanding to the field of communication. 

Viewpoint: Papers that rely heavily on the author(s)’ interpretation of data, artifacts, or events, more so than in traditional research papers. 

Literature Review: These papers should only be submitted if the literature review provides a comprehensive update of literature on a specific communication theory or concept that hasn’t been previously published by any author. 

Technical Report: These reports usually reflect applied work done by the author(s) in practical and professional contexts. 

What to Include

• A brief title,
• Submission type,
• Abstract with up to five key words,
• Main text (headings will vary depending on submission type),
• Include any tables and figures in the main text (tables and figures should be used sparingly in brief reports),
• References.

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. All reviewer feedback is then sent to the UJOC Managing Board, which will send a final decision letter to the corresponding author. 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.

Articles can be submitted here.