Submission Guidelines

SUBMIT

Contents

Click to Toggle Menu

• Focus and Scope
• Article Submission Process
• Submission Preparation Checklist
• Manuscript Requirements
• Manuscript Types
• Peer Review Process
• Online Submission System
• Reviews/Review Essays
• Layout of Submission File
  • Heading Styles
  • Abstracts
  • Author Bio
  • General Formatting
  • Citations in the Text
  • References
  • Use of Notes
• Copyright
• Privacy Statement

Focus and Scope

The objective of the Canadian Journal of Communication (CJC) is to publish Canadian research and scholarship in the field of communication studies. In pursuing this objective, particular attention is paid to research that has a distinctive Canadian flavour by virtue of choice of topic or by drawing on the legacy of Canadian theory and research. The purview of the journal is the entire field of communication studies as practiced in Canada or with relevance to Canada.

The CJC is an online, quarterly publication. Back issues are accessible with a 12-month delay as open access with a subscription. Access to the most recent year's issues, including the current issue, requires a subscription. Subscribers now have access to all issues online from Volume 1, Issue 1 (1974) to the most recently published issue.

Back to top

Article Submission Process

In order to submit an article, you will have to register with the CJC’s online peer-review submission system. You will then be able to upload your final article as a Word file using the online manuscript submission system. The CJC does not accept hard copy submissions through the mail.

All articles must be the author’s original work, previously unpublished, and not be under review for publication with another journal.

After you submit your article, it will be evaluated. Based on this evaluation, you will receive one of the following responses: Accept, Accept with Revisions, Revise and Resubmit, or Reject. If your article is accepted either as is or following revisions, it will be reviewed, copy-edited, proofread and then published online.

Back to top

Submission Preparation Checklist

Please ensure that your manuscript complies with the following guidelines. Manuscripts found to be non-compliant will be returned back to the submitting author.

• The submission has not been previously published nor is it before another journal for consideration; or an explanation has been provided within the document.
• The CJC is a delayed open-access journal and your article, once published, will be available by subscription for one year. After a year, the article will be open access. This means that you are willing to grant CJC exclusive rights to the distribution of your article for the period beginning with the acceptance of your article and ending 12 months after its publication date.
• The submission file is in DOC or DOCX format (i.e., filename ends with .doc or .docx)
• All authors who are to be included in the published version and their institutional affiliations must be listed within the submission system’s “List of Author(s)” section at the time of submission.
• The submission file does not include any spaces in the file name (i.e., My_Article_Name.doc instead of My Article Name.doc).
• All identifying author information has been removed from the main article submission file. This includes all identifying information in the actual text of the manuscript as well as all identifying information saved internally by the software, such as Microsoft Word, as part of the file's attributes and properties. Please note that this is not required for book reviews.
• The text is double-spaced; uses a 12-point font; employs italics, rather than underlining (except for URL addresses).
• The main text of an article (not including references) is no more than 8000 words in length. (Please see below for length requirements for other categories of submissions.)
• Because Titles, Abstracts, and Keywords are critical to machine-based indexing and findability, they should be chosen with care. Authors should expect suggested revisions during editing.
• All URL addresses in the text are activated and clickable.
• The text meets this journal's formatting requirements as outlined below.
• All images, figures, tables, audio, and/or video files are uploaded as separate files using the file formats outlined below.
• You have reviewed and accept the provisions of the copyright and privacy notices found at the end of the document.

Back to top

Manuscript Requirements

Solicited and contributed manuscripts must be double-spaced and submitted online via the submission site. In submitting a manuscript for consideration, authors attest that the paper reports on original research carried out by the authors or by people under their direction and that it adheres to SSHRC ethics policies and policies of the authors’ institutions with respect to research ethics. Furthermore, authors attest that the manuscript represents original work not previously published; that it is not being considered elsewhere for publication; that authors are willing to license copyright to the journal as per a contract that is sent to authors at the acceptance stage via the submission system; and, if accepted for publication, it will not be published elsewhere in the same form, in any language, without the consent of the editor. In the event that previous versions of the submission have been disseminated, authors must provide solid evidence that the manuscript submitted to the CJC is substantially different in style, organization, data, and/or analysis from the previously published version. Authors must take full responsibility for all tables, figures, etc., and present them as high-resolution and print ready. PLEASE NOTE: Copyright and privacy notices are to be found at the conclusion of this document.

The editorial team does not provide pre-submission feedback to authors considering a submission to the journal.

Please review the journal's manuscript types before initiating a submission.

Back to top

Manuscript Types

Type	Description	Requirements
Research Article Peer Reviewed	New research, knowledge, and/or theory advancement	7000-8000 words 100-word abstract in English and French A minimum of 5 keywords
Research in Brief Peer Reviewed	New research and knowledge Not necessarily theory advancement	5000 words max A minimum of 5 keywords
Policy Portal Peer Reviewed	Short analyses of communication and/or cultural policy issues, debates or legislation processes Responds to Policy Portal call for papers	3000-4000 words 100-word abstract in English and French A minimum of 5 keywords
Playlist Non-Peer Reviewed	An introduction to an annotated list of articles previously published in the journal; reviewed by the editor	1000 words
Commentary Peer Reviewed	Engagement with a current issue	3000-4000 words A minimum of 5 keywords
Book Review Non-Peer Reviewed		1200 words max
Review Essay Non-Peer Reviewed		1500–2000 words
Letter to the Editor Non-Peer Reviewed
Editorial / Introduction Non-Peer Reviewed	Introduction to a special section or issue	Editors and guest editors only
Conversation / Roundtable Reviewed by the Editor	A transcribed conversation or roundtable between scholars; reviewed by the editor	A minimum of 5 keywords

Back to top

Peer Review Process

The CJC uses an online manuscript system through which authors, peer reviewers, and book reviewers can submit articles, reviews, and book reviews online. From initial submissions, review, and final decisions, the online manuscript submission system streamlines the publication process to make it easy and effective for authors, reviewers, and editors alike. The CJC uses a double-blind peer review process. When your article is ready for submission, you will submit it through the online manuscript submission system interface.

Each submitted manuscript is evaluated on the following basis:

• the originality of its contribution to the field of communication;
• the soundness of its theory and methodology given the topic;
• the coherence of its analysis;
• its ability to communicate to readers (grammar and style).

The normal turnaround time for evaluation of manuscripts is four to six months from the date of receipt.

Back to top

Online Submission System

Previous Users: The Canadian Journal of Communication has moved to a new submission system platform. Your user ID is the email address associated with your account on the previous manuscript submission system. Please enter your email address as your user ID and you will be prompted to reset your password.

If you are a new contributor to the journal, please visit https://mc04.manuscriptcentral.com/utp_cjc and create a new account. You will then be able to log in at your convenience, using the User ID and Password you created. Please remember to fill in your affiliation as well as your areas of interest.

Once an online account has been created, you will be taken to the Author role automatically or you can click on the Author link. To submit a paper, click on Start New Submission.

When submitting online, please note that you need to click on “Save” or “Save & Continue” at the bottom of each page in order to proceed to the next step in the submission process. There are 7 steps to an online submission.

• In Step 1, please ensure that you:
  • select the correct manuscript type
  • add the title of your article or reviewed book, as well as the abstract (if applicable), and ensure they are within the word limits listed
  • review the “Submission Preparation Checklist”
• In Step 2, please ensure that you:
  • remove all personal, identifying information from all files submitted that are part of content to be peer reviewed. This is not required for book reviews, playlists, and other content that is subject to editorial review only
  • Upload all tables, figures, images, and other supplementary files separately (one file for each item).
    • Tables should be saved and uploaded as separate .DOCX files (i.e., filenames should end with .docx or .docx)
    • All personal, identifying information should be removed from the supplementary files
    • Figures should be saved and uploaded using high-quality image formats: BMP, TIFF, EPS, and JPEG (uncompressed) for photographs/images; not GIF or compressed JPEG
    • Figures and images should be 300dpi (print quality) and no wider than 4.5 inches
    • Audio and video files should be saved and uploaded using the MPEG format (MP3 for audio and MPEG for video)
    • Upload any associated copyright permission forms (if applicable)
  • In Step 3, please ensure that you:
    • select a minimum of 5 keywords pertaining to your topic of submission. A full list is available under “Show Full List”
  • In Step 4, please ensure that you:
    • provide the submitting author’s as well as all co-authors’ personal information (name, email, affiliation, etc.)
  • In Step 5, please ensure that you:
    • suggest a minimum of 2 reviewers (at arm’s length to the authors) to review your article
  • In Step 6, please ensure that you:
    • disclose any funding, whether the manuscript has been previously submitted to another publication, and confirm the originality of the work
    • confirm whether the research meets ethical guidelines
    • ensure identifying information has been removed from the manuscript, figures, tables, and other supplementary material
    • disclose any conflicts of interest
    • list the number of manuscript words
  • In Step 7, finish your submission by reviewing your submission details and viewing the PDF proof to ensure that your submission is complete. Click on “Submit”

Back to top

Reviews / Review Essays

Interested in doing a book or media review? Check CJC's "Books for Review" tab to see currently available titles. CJC is interested in commissioning reviews from a wide variety of scholars and students. Review Essays should cover two or more books.

Book-Review Guidelines

The book's contents should be concisely stated. Most of the review should be dedicated to the assessment of the book's strengths and weaknesses. Rather than listing in detail what is found in each of the book's chapters, the reviewer should emphasize what is most significant in the volume, the adequacy of the methods deployed, and the overall worth of the text. The issues addressed in the review could include some of the following:

• What are the origins of the text? How did it come to be produced?
• What is the book generally about? What is the intent of the author in writing the book (e.g., scholarship, entertainment, political partisanship, etc.)?
• What standpoint is taken (e.g., detached scholar, autobiographical, advocacy, etc.)?
• What is the line of argument, if any?
• What sort of evidence is used?
• How is the material organized and structured?
• To what extent does the author achieve his/her goals?
• Is the standpoint appropriate to the intentions and the subject matter?
• Do the steps in the argument follow logically?
• Are there hidden assumptions?
• Are the claims following from the argument well supported by evidence?
• Is the work generally persuasive? Why or why not?
• Is the work generally consistent (i.e., are there contradictions)?
• Is the work generally coherent (i.e., do the various parts complement one another and go together well)?
• Is the book well written?
• To what extent does the book make a contribution to our understanding of the particular area of communication in question?

The length of the review should be around 1000 words and review essays between 1500–2000 words.  We would like to have the review by three months from the current date.

Back to top

Layout of Submission File

• The text should be double-spaced
• Start each paragraph at the margin (no tabs to indent first line). Place an extra blank line between paragraphs to separate
• Dashes should be keyed in as double-hyphens with no space at either end. For example: word--word or use an open em-dash as per the CJC style

Heading Styles

• First level headings: (Boldface, first word capitalized, justified at left margin, on a separate line)
• Second level headings: (Plain type, first word capitalized, justified at left margin, on a separate line)
• Third level headings: (Italic type, first word capitalized, justified at left margin, on a separate line)

Abstracts

Abstracts should be placed immediately below the article title, author, and institutional affiliation. Each should be indented 2.5 cm (1/2”) and double-spaced. Each article will contain an abstract (maximum 100 words) in the language of the article and a second-language abstract in Canada’s other official language (maximum 100 words). Authors are encouraged to submit abstracts in both languages. For those who require the service, translations of abstracts and keywords can be undertaken by the Journal at a cost to the author of $0.25 cents per word. The format of the abstract is as follows:

ABSTRACT

Background:

Analysis:

Conclusions and implications:

Keywords: Choose five to eight words that a reader might use to find your article. Feel free to repeat words that may be in the title. The CJC may suggest keywords as part of the editorial process.

RÉSUMÉ

Contexte :

Analyse :

Conclusions et implications :

Mots clés :

Author Bio

The author(s) must supply a brief (25-word) bio giving name, rank, institution, and email address. Author information and bio should be entered in the First Look stage of the online submission process after article acceptance, and not as part of the submission file itself. For example, Chris Russill is Editor of the Canadian Journal of Communication and Associate Professor in the School of Journalism and Communication Carleton University. Email: [email protected]

General Formatting

Authors are advised to follow as closely as possible the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA Manual), with necessary variations to suit the field of Communication and Canadian spelling practices. Please see recent CJC issues for current style and formats being followed.

Citations in the Text

• If the work has more than one author, give all the names the first time the work is referred to, then et al. thereafter.
• When titles of journals or books are mentioned, they should be italicized.
• If the citation follows a quotation, place the parentheses after the quotation marks but before the end punctuation. For example: '”for the future of telecommunications” (Smith, 1987, p. 42).

References

• Following the Notes, list only those works actually cited in the text.
• The heading for the references should be bold and left-justified, as References.
• Double-space all entries.
• Begin each entry at the margin and indent the subsequent lines by ½”; i.e., hanging indent.
• Separate the main items in each entry by periods (i.e., name of author. title of book. etc.) Leave one space between a period and next part of the entry.
• Publication date should follow author name. Title of book should be in italics and only the first word and first word after a colon should be capitalized.
• For articles, the title should be in plain text, with only the first word capitalized—the title of the periodical or edited book should be in italics.
• For journals, the volume number of the periodical volume is in italics, with the issue number in plain text and parentheses. Page numbers are given at the end of the reference, and an en dash is used for page ranges. See examples below.
• The formats must be strictly adhered to in terms of punctuation and order of the items within each entry:

Book: Klein, Naomi. 2000. No logo: Taking aim at the brand bullies. New York, NY: Picador.

Article in a book: Garnham, Nicholas. 2004. The information society theory as ideology.  In F. Webster (Ed.), The Information Society Reader (165–183). London, UK: Routledge.

Article in a journal: Aronczyk, Melissa. 2009. How to do things with brands: Uses of national identity. Canadian Journal of Communication, 34(2), 291–296.

Government document: Royal Commission on newspapers. 1981. Report. Ottawa: Minister of Supply and Services Canada.

Website: Gurstein, Michael. 2000. Effective use: A community informatics strategy beyond the digital divide. First Monday, 8(12). URL: http://www.firstmonday.dk/issues/issue8_12/ gurstein/index.html [March 4, 2005].

DOIs: Please use a DOI where available rather than a URL, e.g., Zhang, Ziqi, & Luo, Lei. 2019. Hate speech detection: A solved problem? The challenging case of long tail on Twitter. Semantic Web, 10(5), 925–945. doi:10.3233/SW-180338

Use of Notes

• Notes should be used sparingly (10 maximum)—only where additional explanations are absolutely necessary.
• Only endnotes are used in this format—no footnotes.
• Do not use automatically formatted endnotes. Notes should appear at the end of the text and before the references (typed in a regular text). Endnote numbers in the text should be regular text formatted as eight-point superscript.
• Notes should be listed after the text and before the list of biographical references.
• The heading for the notes should be bold and left-justified, as Notes.

Back to top

Copyright

The CJC is a not-for-profit enterprise focused on the dissemination of research and, thereby, the building and maintaining of a research community. All submitted manuscripts must reflect original research, the results of which have not been previously published, or under consideration elsewhere for publication, and that authors are willing to license exclusive use to the journal for a “consideration and production” period prior to publication and for 12 months after publication. In the contract for publication, authors also agree to cite the journal as the original publisher in all subsequent uses under the author’s control or influence. Articles published in the CJC are released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 Canada Licence.

Privacy Statement

The names and email addresses entered in this journal site will be used exclusively for the stated purposes of this journal and will not be made available for any other purpose or to any other party.

Back to top