Submissions

Author Guidelines

As a journal that seeks to promote knowledge, commitment to, and action in support of equity, inclusivity, and social justice, TCSJ embraces the principles and policies set forth in the following publications:

• “A Heuristic for Editors, Reviewers, and Authors” https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lZmZqeNNnYfYgmTKSbL2ijYbR4OMovv6A-bDwJRnwx8/edit
• APA Bias-Free Language standards https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/bias-free-language

These sources state ethical standards that guide our editorial and reviewing policies and provide general guidance for prospective authors.  

We accept submissions in five categories:

1. Research Articles (6,000 to 10,000 words, peer-reviewed): Original, previously unpublished research, including pilot or case studies, which is not currently under review by another journal.
2. Experience Reports (up to 4,000 words, peer-reviewed): Reports, investigations, or white papers of social justice practices in projects, methodologies, technologies, or processes occurring in academic, organizational, or community settings.
3. Creative Interventions (editorially-reviewed): Multimodal/multimedia products, extended interviews, pedagogies, or creative projects that are feasibly published on our website and that inspire social justice awareness, dialogue, connection, or action. Creative interventions may be invited or proposed: email these to editors@techcommsocialjustice.org.
4. Reviews (editorially-reviewed): Reviews of important theoretical and/or practical publications, exhibits, and conferences (or featured conference talks), with social justice relevance and implications for this journal’s audiences. Reviews may be invited or proposed: email these to editors@techcommsocialjustice.org. Our book review guidelines (see below) should be consulted before submission.
5. Special Issue Proposals (editorially-reviewed): We are interested in receiving proposals for guest-edited special issues. Proposals should include a draft call for papers (CFP, plan for recruiting peer reviewers, coordinating double-anonymous peer reviews, corresponding with authors, and editing/finalizing manuscripts/multimodal products. With the proposal please include a CV or résumé for each guest editor.

Ethical Standards and Editorial Policies for Reviewers and Authors

TCSJ does more than merely report research. We equip readers to foster change.  Our editorial policy is for reviewers to approach submissions in a spirit of advocacy and mentorship. Reviewers and authors of TCSJ commit to serving the purpose of the journal through socially just, inclusive, and anti-racist publication practices.  The following ethical standards guide our editorial and reviewing policies and provide general guidance for prospective authors:

• Recognize a range of expertise and is inclusive and anti-racist in its consideration of what counts as expertise;
• Seek to balance geography, identity, and representation;
• Strive for timely publication to aid scholars in meeting career objectives while prioritizing humanity over production;
• Foster spaces where scholars can ask questions and request assistance;
• Engage with BIPOC and underrepresented or underserved groups to identify resources and competencies needed for publishing; and
• Promote accountability to each other.

Process for Manuscript Reviewing

TCSJ is committed to de-obstructing the reviewing and publishing process and to encouraging new perspectives and new voices in technical communication and social justice scholarship. This means that reviewers are asked to approach manuscripts as advocates and mentors rather than gate-keepers to the extent that a responsible publication can be achieved.

Manuscripts are reviewed by a double-anonymous process where the manuscript is assigned to two reviewers who have scholarly interest and background in the subject matter of the submission. Reviewers will be asked to complete their review within 30 days. Normally, the editors will notify authors of reviewers’ recommendations. If reviewers recommend revisions, these will be summarized by the editors and the editors will request any revisions be completed within 30 days.

Reviewers are asked to recommend one of four options: 1) accept 2) accept with revisions, 3) revise and resubmit for further review, or 4) reject. If reviewer decisions are for options 2, 3, or 4, they are required to provide detailed explanations for their decisions with the purpose of providing guidance to the author in revising, submitting elsewhere, or encouraging further research.

Style and Formatting

Our style standards are those set forth in the APA Publication Manual, 7^th edition. Please review the APA bias-free language standards. Manuscripts should be submitted as Microsoft Word document file attachments through TCSJ's OJS submission system. Word count should be within a range of 2000 to 10,000 words (not including references), depending on publication type; although the primary consideration will be for the relevance to TCSJ mission, the quality of scholarship, and accessibility for a wide range of readers.

Prior to submission, please ensure your work includes:

• 100-word abstract
• 3-5 keywords
• 1-inch margins and 12 point font, single-spaced
• Pagination in upper, right-hand corner
• Headings and subheadings
• Labeled visuals, media elements, tables, or charts
• IRB permission number and acknowledgement of funding sources, if relevant

When a manuscript is accepted for publication, all authors will be asked to provide the following:

1. Institutional affiliation (if applicable)
2. E-mail address for future correspondence
3. Orcid ID (if not registered, register here: https://orcid.org/)
4. 50-150 word bio
5. Written copyright permissions for visual/media elements
6. Accessibility provisions:
1. Descriptive alternative text for images
2. Tables as text, not images
3. Automated lists, not manual lists
4. Use of “Styles” and “Check Accessibility” tools in MS Word

Book Review Guidelines

Book reviews for TCSJ should aim to accomplish the following:

1. Summarize the book’s primary argument, question, and/or problem to be solved.
2. Explain the most significant ways the author(s) support(s), answer(s), or
   solve(s)/propose(s) a solution for the argument, question, or problem.
3. What do you consider to be the main strengths and limitations of the book?
4. What do you think other technical communicators (scholars, students, practitioners) will
   get from this book? Would you recommend it to any particular subgroups?

Manuscript formatting:

1. Include a full citation for the book, including the number of pages and a link to the
   publisher’s website for the book
2. Include your name, email, and institutional affiliation.
3. Use APA citation style
4. Submit your manuscript as an MS Word document to the submission platform.