Author Guidelines

1. Submission Overview & Logistics

  • File Format: Submit as an A4 Word document (.doc or .docx).
  • Anonymisation: Submissions must be fully anonymised. Do not include your name or identifying features in the article file.
  • Author Biography: Provide a brief biography as a separate file.
  • Language: English (American or British spelling is acceptable if consistent).
  • Word Count:
    • Articles: Strictly 7,000 – 10,000 words (includes abstract, footnotes, and bibliography).
    • Book Reviews: 750 – 1,500 words.
  • Terminology: Refer to your submission as an "article," not a "paper," "essay," or "chapter."

2. Article Structure

Title Page Elements (Included in Word Count)

Place the following at the beginning of the document:

  1. Title: Avoid quotations or quotation marks. Keep poetic phrasing for the subtitle.
  2. Abstract: Maximum 150 words. Single paragraph. No citations or quotations.
  3. Keywords: Up to 6 keywords.

Headings

  • Use section subheadings to structure the argument (bold, not underlined, do not number).
  • Do not use "Introduction" or "Conclusion" as subheadings.

Body Text Conventions

  • Spacing: Double-spaced.
  • Pronouns: Single authors should not use "we." The use of "I" is accepted for describing arguments, but unsupported personal opinions should be avoided.
  • Brackets: Use square brackets for brackets within brackets (e.g., Psycho [1960]).
  • Diacritics: Ensure all accents on names and words are correct.
  • Notes: Do not use endnotes. Footnotes should not be used for referencing sources (use APA in-text citations instead).

3. Writing Style & Language

General Usage

  • Contractions: Do not use informal contractions (e.g., use "do not" instead of "don't").
  • Punctuation: In quotations, punctuation should be inside the final quotation mark.
  • Quotation Marks: Use double (") for primary quotes and single (') for quotes within quotes.
    • Do not use "scare quotes."
    • Use ellipses in square brackets for omitted words: "Example [...] example."
  • Serial Commas: Do not use the Oxford/serial comma (e.g., "Cauliflower, beans and maize").

Words and Phrases to Avoid

Avoid the following terms:

  • Abovementioned / Aforementioned
  • Arguably
  • etc.
  • ibid. (Always give the full reference)
  • In my opinion
  • Indeed
  • Interesting / Interestingly
  • It is to be argued
  • Relatable

4. Referencing & Citations

Style: APA 7th Edition is mandatory for accepted articles.

  • Note: Initial submissions may use any standard style, but authors must reformat to APA 7 upon acceptance. The journal cannot provide editorial assistance for this reformatting.
  • Self-Citation: Avoid excessive or unnecessary self-citation (see COPE guidelines).

In-Text Citations

  • Format: (Author, Year, p. Page) e.g., "Example" (Partridge, 2006, p. 26).
  • Long Quotations: Quotes over 40 words must be indented, single-spaced, and without quotation marks.
  • Original Publication Dates: If citing a translated or reprinted work, provide both years.
    • Citation: (Deleuze, 1983/1986, p. 26)
    • Reference List Entry: Include (Original work published 1983) at the end.
  • Translators: Must be included in the reference.

Reference List Examples

Title the section References (include only works cited).

Capitalisation: Use sentence case for titles.

Publication City: Do not include the city of publication.

No Filmography: Do not include films in the reference list.

  • Journal Article:

    • Grady, J. S., Her, M., Moreno, G., Perez, C., & Yelinek, J. (2019). Emotions in storybooks: A comparison of storybooks that represent ethnic and racial groups in the United States. Psychology of Popular Media Culture, 8(3), 207–217. 
    • (Note: Journal title and volume number are italicised; issue number is not.)

  • Single Authored Book:

    • Jackson, L. M. (2019). The psychology of prejudice: From attitudes to social action (2nd ed.). American Psychological Association.
    • (Note: Book title is italicised; publisher is not.)

  • Translated Book:

    • Deleuze, G. (1986). Cinema 1: The movement-image (H. Tomlinson & B. Habberjam, Trans.). University of Minnesota Press. (Original work published 1983)
    • (Note: Translator credited in parentheses; original date at the end.)

  • Edited Book (Single Editor):

    • Kesharwani, P. (Ed.). (2020). Nanotechnology based approaches for tuberculosis treatment. Academic Press.

  • Edited Book (Multiple Editors):

    • Torino, G. C., Rivera, D. P., Capodilupo, C. M., Nadal, K. L., & Sue, D. W. (Eds.). (2019). Microaggression theory: Influence and implications. John Wiley & Sons.

  • Chapter in an Edited Book:

    • Dillard, J. P. (2020). Currents in the study of persuasion. In M. B. Oliver, A. A. Raney, & J. Bryant (Eds.), Media effects: Advances in theory and research (pp. 115–129). Routledge.
    • (Note: Chapter title is plain text; book title is italicised.)

Non-English Sources

  • Quotations: Do not include non-English quotations unless translation is crucial to the argument.
  • Transliteration: Transliterate all non-Roman characters. Use Pinyin for Chinese. Do not include logographs unless explicitly discussed.

5. Film-Specific Conventions

  • Terminology: Use "film," not "movie."
  • Italics: Film, book, and journal titles must be italicised throughout.
  • First Mention: Italicise the title and include director and release year in brackets.
    • Example: The Grapes of Wrath (John Ford, 1940).
  • Characters: Include the actor's name in brackets on first mention.
    • Example: Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep).
  • Non-English Films: List original title (italicised), director, and year after the English title on first mention.
    • Example: Divided We Fall (Musíme si pomáhat, Jan Hřebejk, 2000).
    • Exception: If the original title is more commonly known (e.g., La Jetée), use that.
  • Repetition: Avoid reproducing book/article titles unnecessarily in the text if they appear in the bibliography.

6. Images (Screen Caps/Stills)

Usage Criteria:

  • Must be used for criticism/review, not purely illustrative purposes.
  • Maximum of 6 images per article.
  • Every image must be explicitly discussed in the text.
  • No composite images (one frame capture per figure).
  • Permission is not required under UK fair dealing copyright exceptions if these criteria are met.

Formatting:

  • Place images in the text at the most appropriate point (not in a list at the end).
  • Images should fill the page from margin to margin.
  • Caption Format: Below the image, number and caption as:
    • Figure 1: Wizard of Oz - Dorothy enters a new world.
  • Referencing: Refer to the image in the text as (Fig. 1).