Information for Contributors

 1. Submissions. All submissions must start at Sage’s ScholarOne website at http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/jcmo. First, we ask that scholars submit a 5-to-15-page proposal to start the review process. Please do not send us a full manuscript or a completed journal article. This will result in a desk rejection. The proposal document should be uploaded as the “main document” and should be anonymized, such that author’s identification does not appear anywhere in the document or its properties.

2. Proposals. To receive full consideration, a proposal should explain precisely which stage of the research the project is currently in. For example, if the scholar has already conducted the research and is in the writing stage, that should be made clear. So, too, should the scholar explain if they have not yet conducted the research. This helps reviewers to understand what kind of feedback to offer. A successful proposal also must include the following: 1) A detailed description of the topic to be addressed; 2) a statement about the significance of the research; 3) an overview of the methods to be used, 4) a description of the potential audience(s) for this scholarship, 5) a partial reference list (up to 15 items, with emphasis on conceptual and theoretical literature), and 6) a list of supplemental material the author might want to include in the full manuscript (such as images, graphs, etc.). Finally—and crucially—the proposal must also include the following: a) the author’s research questions and preliminary “findings,” or b) the author’s central arguments with some preliminary evidence to support those arguments. Please note that we are open to manuscripts that follow more traditional qualitative social science templates (which might draw upon the “research questions/findings” model) as well as being open to manuscripts that follow more traditional humanities templates (which might draw upon the “argument/evidence” model). Proposals can use any style guide, provided that the full manuscript is submitted in APA. 

3. Abstract, Keywords, and Author Information. An abstract of no more than 100 words should be included as a separate file named and uploaded as the “title page.” The abstract should include all author identification and contact information, institutional affiliation, and any funding sources. Authors should provide five or fewer keywords that identify the content of the submission. When the research involves human subjects, authors should indicate whether they have gotten approval for their research from an ethics committee or institutional review board and provide the name of this body. If ethics approval was not sought, or if an ethics body granted an exemption for the research, authors should explain why. If, in the proposal stage, no research has yet been undertaken, authors should indicate their intention to obtain the approval and consent.

4. Style. Use the latest APA Edition guidelines for manuscripts. Do not use op. cit. or ibid. Spell out whole numbers from one through nine; when spelled numbers cluster in a sentence or paragraph, however, use numerals. Use % symbol instead of spelling out. Include city names in newspaper titles, i.e., Detroit Free Press, New York Daily News. Do not italicize the definite article, i.e., the New York Times, the Chicago Sun-Times. In references, use postal code abbreviations for states; in regular copy, spell out.

5. Heading Styles. First-level headings are typed in bold italic and justified left. Second-level headings are indented and typed in bold italic. Third-level headings are indented and typed in italic. Note this example:

Method
Sample. A random sample…
Sampling Techniques. These techniques are useful when…

6. Tables. When creating tables, use the Word (or similar software) table feature or the “Insert Table” command. Do not duplicate material in text and tables. Tables and figures should be used only when they substantially aid the reader, not merely because computers make tables easy to create.

7. Figures. Submit all photos, graphs, or other figures as separate files in JPG, TIFF, or EPS file formats. Please include a placement note in your manuscript (i.e., “[Insert Figure 1]”). All figures will be converted to grayscale prior to publication. Photos must be submitted with a resolution of 300 dpi minimum, while line art must be submitted with a minimum resolution of 800 dpi.

8. Supplemental Guidelines: For instructions and guidelines on supplemental material, please refer to the gateway here.

Reference Examples:

Gitlin, T. (1985). Inside prime time. New York, NY: Pantheon Books.

Dominick, J. R. (1974). Children’s viewing of crime shows and attitudes on law enforcement. Journalism Quarterly, 51(1), 5-12.

Manoff, R. K., & Schudson, M. (Eds.) (1986). Reading the news. New York, NY: Pantheon Books.

Sigal, L. V. (1986). Sources make the news. In R. K. Manoff & M. Schudson (Eds.), Reading the news (pp. 9-37). New York, NY: Pantheon Books.

Kinzer, S. (1983, December 23). Nicaragua’s bitter harvest: War in coffee fields. New York Times, p. A2.

World Wide Web References:

Citations to websites must include author’s name, title of document, title of complete work or journal (if relevant) in italics, volume/page range if applicable, and URL. Example:

Smolkin, R. (2003). Anonymized by history. American Journalism Review, January/February. Retrieved from http://www.ajr.org/Article.asp?id=2747

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Any inquiries regarding manuscript submissions may be directed to the editor at lindsay.palmer@wisc.edu.

For more information, please refer to the Sage Manuscript Submission Guidelines.