How to Submit a Manuscript to JPRE

Submit your research article or teaching brief manuscript here within Scholastica. The manuscript should be free of any author identification, including those in the document’s properties. Please note that manuscripts submitted for review must not have been published or be under consideration for publication elsewhere. All submissions should follow the guidelines of the latest edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA). Per APA style, include the DOI for sources in the reference list. If no DOI is available for sources you have accessed online, provide the open and public URL from which the source was retrieved. Do not use university links to paywalled databases. Finally, there is no fee to publish with JPRE, we do not employ any other revenue sources outside of occasional advertising within the final PDF of an issue.

Scholastica’s submission fees have been generously covered by the Arthur W. Page Center for Integrity in Public Communication.

Research Articles

Manuscripts are expected to demonstrate that the pedagogical research is theoretically grounded and offers significant contributions to public relations education. All methods of research are considered. Manuscripts should be a maximum of 7,000 words, including figures, tables, and references, and they should include an abstract with a maximum of 150 words.

Manuscripts based on a top paper from the most recent pedagogy research competition of the Public Relations Division of AEJMC are eligible for expedited review. Authors should notify the editor of this status when submitting.

Teaching Briefs/Great Ideas for Teaching (GIFTs)

Briefs/GIFTs are short articles that are likely to focus on the process of educating students. Topics may deal with teaching approaches, instructional materials, assessment practices, and related topics. Preference will be given to manuscripts that include an assessment, such as empirical evidence of learning outcomes, of the suggested practice and detailed guidelines for implementation. Manuscripts should be a maximum of 4,000 words (excluding figures, tables, and references). Please indicate “Teaching Brief/GIFT” in parentheses after your title.

All submissions will be reviewed by the editors for the formatting listed below. If the submission does not fit the mission of the Journal of Public Relations Education nor conforms to the submission guidelines, the editors may reject a submission without submitting it to reviewers. Before you submit, please review examples of this format as published here: https://journalofpreducation.com/2024/03/05/journal-of-public-relations-education-vol-9-issue-3/

1. Assignment Overview: The assignment overview is a detailed description about the scope, purpose, and outcomes of the classroom assignment/project.

Assignment rationale
Assignment learning objective(s)
Connection to public relations practice and/or theory
How the assignment was class-tested
Demonstrate evidence of learning outcomes such as (but are not limited to): a) qualitative feedback from students, b) pre-/post-assignment testing of learning objective(s), and c) improvement in assignment scores. Qualitative or Quantitative data presentation will be accepted. Tables/Figures must follow APA (7th ed.) formatting.

2. Template Assignment Guide: The template assignment guide should be designed as it would appear to students. Include assignment information such as (but not limited to):

Brief assignment description
Learning outcomes
Assignment requirements

3. Assignment Grading Criteria and/or Rubric: The grading criteria/rubric outlines how instructors should grade the assignment. Include all graded elements of the assignment and how those impact the overall grade. You may indicate either a point value or a percentage of the overall score for each graded element.

4. Teaching Note : The teaching note provides additional guidance for instructors to successfully implement the GIFT in their classes. This narrative discussion might include (but is not limited to):

Public relations classes for which the assignment is best suited
Best practices of implementing the assignment
Recommended resources related to the assignment
Limitations or challenges of implementing the assignment

5. References: In-text citations and reference page should follow APA (7th ed.) format. Please look up the formatting, don’t attempt to “wing it” this only prolongs your time to publication.

Book Reviews

The Journal of Public Relations Education publishes reviews of books and resources, such as software, that may be of interest to our readers. Reviewers will generally be members in good standing within the Public Relations Division of AEJMC and should possess experience through their own research and teaching to offer an insightful evaluation of the work. Individuals who are interested in writing reviews should contact the Associate Editor for Book & Resource Reviews Jiun-Yi (Jenny) Tsai at jiun-yi.tsai@nau.edu for further guidance.

Length: Generally 1,000 -1500 words.

Style: Please use the most recent edition of the Style Manual of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) for writing style and citation of sources.

Book Information: At the top of the review, please place the following information about the book being reviewed: book title, book author’s name and affiliation, publisher, year of publication, ISBN, DOI, number of pages, and any additional contact information/links for further information about the book.

Review content: Authors should discuss each of the main areas below, as the points relate to the work being reviewed. The areas do not need to be subheadings in the review, but for some reviews, the use of subheadings may be helpful to the reader.

Review of the book’s content and scope. Reviewers may organize this by chapter, section or any other logical structure that helps the reader to understand the book’s content.
The contribution the book makes to public relations education.
Identification and discussion of any weaknesses or omissions.
Level of reader expertise and knowledge required to appreciate the book’s content.
Conclusion offering a summary and central thesis of the review.

A full list of items ready for review can be found here. Want to suggest a book for review? Simply email your idea to Jiun-Yi (Jenny) Tsai at JiunYi.Tsai-1@ou.edu. Please note that submissions for Book / Resource Reviews do NOT get submitted to Scholastica; please email them directly to Jiun-Yi Tsai.

Requirements for All Submissions

Review Procedures

All submissions will be reviewed by the editor. If the submission does not fit the mission of the publication or conforms to the submission guidelines, the editor may reject a submission without submitting it to reviewers. Manuscripts that meet the mission and conform to the submission guidelines are reviewed by members of the JPRE Editorial Review Board and by other reviewers chosen by the editor because of their expertise on the subject. Typically, three reviewers assess each research article manuscript, while two reviewers assess the teaching brief manuscripts. The anonymous peer-review process used by JPRE is designed to ensure that neither authors nor reviewers know the identity of the other group. The evaluations and recommendations of the reviewers guide the editor’s decision. JPRE accepts submissions on a rolling basis and publishes at least three times per year (March/April, July/August, November/December) with usually 1-2 additional “special issues” annually. These are usually proposed by a member of the public as a “special call” with deadlines that correspond with the guest editorial team schedule.

Copyright

All accepted materials become the sole property of the Journal of Public Relations Education.

Copyright law prohibits a manuscript from appearing in more than one copyrighted publication. Allowing an article to be published in the Journal of Public Relations Education guarantees that it has not been nor will be published in any other copyrighted publication. Authors are responsible for obtaining permission to use any copyrighted material in their manuscripts. The costs associated with artwork, graphs and other materials not provided by the author will be billed to the author.

Duplication

Individuals and all establishments providing photo duplication services may photocopy articles in the Journal of Public Relations Education without permission – either for personal use or for use or distribution to students for classroom use. Requests to reproduce materials in JPRE for any other purpose should be directed to the Executive Director of AEJMC. Only that office may grant the request after assessing a fee.

Tips for authors

Always make sure you have chosen the correct outlet for your work. Carefully review the description of the journal’s mission and read some articles in recent issues to get a better understanding of the journal. If you’re not sure if the manuscript is appropriate, contact the editor and provide an abstract or brief description.
Carefully review the submission guidelines. The JPRE editor will reject a submission without sending it to reviewers if the manuscript topic does not apply to the journal’s mission or because the author failed to meet the basic requirements for word length, format, etc.
Edit your work carefully. It is often a good practice to have multiple individuals carefully edit the manuscript. JPRE requires that the writing conform to the latest edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA). Verify all the references in the publication and make sure that you work to simplify the writing. You might consider having a colleague review your writing or take advantage of experts at a writing center.
The eventual publication of a manuscript often comes after multiple revisions. Do not be surprised if you receive a request to revise and resubmit. Carefully review the comments of the editor and reviewers. Indicate in your correspondence with the revision how each of the concerns expressed has been addressed. If you cannot address a concern, explain why.
JPRE follows the APA policy on the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in scholarly materials. Please visit this page for the policy: https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/resources/publishing-policies?tab=4

For additional suggestions for authors, you may download SAGE publishing’s tips for authors at www.sagepub.com/upm-data/63382_how_to_get_published.pdf

Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

The Journal of Public Relations Education is committed to practicing proper ethics and preventing malpractice. Our publication ethics and malpractice statement is based on the Code of Conduct and Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors (Committee on Publication Ethics, 2017). Unethical behavior, including plagiarism, is not acceptable.

Editors’ Responsibilities

Publication Decisions

The editors have the right to reject a submitted work if it does not fit the mission of JPRE or meet submission guidelines. All decisions are made without regard to the authors’ demographics, including race, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, or political opinion. Decisions are based on topic importance, originality, validity, and contribution to the field of public relations education.

Review of Manuscripts

The editors will ensure that all manuscripts are blindly peer reviewed to eliminate conflict of interest. They will also ensure that the manuscript is reviewed on the basis of intellectual content without regard to the authors’ demographic characteristics.

Confidentiality

The editors will keep all information regarding manuscripts and authors’ information confidential.

Ad Disclosures and
Conflicts of Interest

As we have limited financial support from AEJMC public relations division (PRD), to support maintenance efforts, we offer advertisement space for trusted partners within the pages of the final PDF of each issue to offset these costs. Ad revenue is used for needs like hosting this website, paying for software to edit or design this journal, and sponsorship of award gifts annually. Neither this editorial review board nor the editorial team is compensated for their time. This is a 100% volunteer-powered journal. In the event of dissolution, a backup of this website, including the journal’s contents, would be housed with AEJMC as an archive. Our advertising solutions are provided to any organization or individual whose mission aligns with this journal and the AEJMC PRD. We entertain any/all proposals and reserve the right to approach organizations for support that align with our values. All decisions are made first by the editorial team for endorsement of the PRD leadership team. These relationships are not related in any way to editorial decision-making.

Generally, we do not use direct marketing activities to solicit manuscripts except for occasional special calls sent through AEJMC PRD listserv subscribers. We use social media for the dissemination of published materials and the celebration of the author’s efforts.

The editors shall not use unpublished materials or manuscripts for their own research without written permission from the author(s).

Authors’ Responsibilities

Publication Guidelines

Authors must follow all submission guidelines set by JPRE.

Original Work & Multiple Submissions

Authors must ensure their work is entirely original and certify that their manuscript has not been previously published nor is currently being considered for publication elsewhere.

Reporting Standards & Authenticity of Data

The manuscript should contain sufficient detail and references for the reader to clearly understand the study. Authors of original work should cite all information received from outside sources. A plagiarism check will be conducted for all accepted manuscripts to ensure the information is authentic. JPRE has adopted the APA policy on the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in scholarly materials, you can find how to enact the policy into your manuscript at this link: https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/resources/publishing-policies?tab=4

Data Access and Retention

Authors may be asked to provide raw data from their study.

Conflict of Interest

Authors must notify the editors of any conflicts of interest.

Fundamental Errors

If authors discover a significant error or inaccuracy in their manuscript, they are responsible for notifying the journal editor-in-chief in order to correct or retract the error.

Research on Human Subjects

When applicable, all authors must cite approval by an institutional review board (IRB) when conducting research on human subjects.

Reviewers’ Responsibilities

Confidentiality

Reviewers must maintain the confidentiality of all information regarding manuscripts. Artificial intelligence (AI) tools, generative or otherwise, may NOT be used to create reviewer feedback under any circumstances. Please email the editor if you have questions related to this statement: jpre@gvsu.edu

Promptness

All manuscripts should be reviewed in a timely manner. Any reviewer who is unable to provide a prompt review should notify the editor or withdraw from the reviewing process.

Acknowledgement of Sources

Reviewers must ensure that the authors cite all data and information received from outside sources. If concerned about plagiarism, the reviewer should notify the editor-in-chief of the specific instances.

Standards of Objectivity

Reviewers should judge the manuscript objectively. The blind copy of the manuscript should ensure that no author’s information is known to the reviewer. If a reviewer believes they recognize the author of the work being reviewed, they must notify the editor-in-chief immediately so that another reviewer may be assigned.

Supporting Argument

When critiquing a manuscript, all reviewers should support their arguments and decisions. They must provide sufficient critique and constructive criticism for the author(s).