ISSN 0122-8285
printed version

INSTRUCTIONS TO AUTHORS

• Scope and policy
• Form and preparation of manuscripts
• Sending of manuscripts

The topics of articles submitt ed to Palabra Clave must be related to research and analysis in the fields of communication and journalism. Articles submitt ed for publication are classifi ed into one of the following categories:

1. Article on scientific and technological research.
   An article off ering a detailed description of the original findings of research projects. The usual structure contains four main sections: introduction, methodology, results and conclusions.

2. Commentary or critical assessment.
   An article introducing the results of research on a particular topic. The author approaches the subject from an analytical, interpretive or critical perspective, using original sources.

3. Review.
   An article on a fi nished research project. The published or unpublished fi ndings of research in a particular fi eld of science or technology are analyzed, methodologically arranged and combined to report on progress or developmental tendencies. An article of this type normally includes an extensive bibliographic review.

4. Short Article.
   A brief text presenting the original, preliminary and partial results of a scientifi c or technological study. Generally, these are results that need to be circulated as quickly as possible.

5. Report on a Case Study.
   An article containing the findings of a study on a particular situation or circumstance. The purpose is to publicize the technical and methodological experiences considered in a specific case. A commented systematic review of literature on similar cases is included.

6. Commentary or critical assessment not derived from research.
   An article on a specific topic (state of the art), with reference to classical and contemporary authors and a considerable amount of conceptual support and evidence. At least 50 bibliographical references are required.

7. Book reviews.
   Reviews of recent publications in the fi eld of communication. Must be at least two pages in length.

Article Evaluation

In submitt ing an article for consideration, the author agrees not to present it to another periodical until being advised of its acceptance or rejection by the Editorial Board. Once the relevance of the articles submitt ed for publication in a particular issue of the magazine has been assessed, the Editorial Board will determine whether or not they comply with these guidelines. If so, the articles are submitt ed to an anonymous arbitration process conducted by experts and peer researchers. Their suggestions or recommendations, if any, will be conveyed to the author suffi ciently in advance, so they can be incorporated into the text.

Important Considerations

Contributing authors must agree to honor the deadlines set by the Editorial Board with respect to time periods for the delivery of original texts and their return, in the event suggestions by the arbiters warrant changes.

Normally, an article should have an introduction a section on methodology, one on conclusions and another listing the references. These sections may be separated by subtitles, if the author considers it appropriate to do so.

Each article is to be submitt ed with an abstract of approximately 50 words, in Spanish and English, containing a brief description of the subject of the article and a list of no more than five key words found in the Unesco Thesaurus.

The magazine is published predominantly in Spanish. However, in special cases, it is possible to publish articles in other languages, in their original version.

Palabra Clave is essentially an academic publication. It is designed as a vehicle to help circulate the work of the academic community in general. It is a non-profi t publication; therefore, contributing authors are not reimbursed for their articles.

Format for Submitting Material

The articles must be unpublished and submitted in the form of a Word document (or in simple text format, if access to Word is not available). They must be no more than ten thousand words, and the abstract must be no more than two thousand words. The text must be in font Times New Roman, letter size 12, with 1.5 line spacing

The articles must have a header that indicates the category to which they pertain and the length (word count).

They must be accompanied by author’s full name, nationality, professional degree(s), area(s) of research or interest, the institution with which the author is currently affi liated, mailing address, e-mail, telephone number and the date.

Citations (within the text) and bibliographic references must adhere to the system used by the American Psychological Association (APA). The following are some examples:

1. Articles in Academic Journals

Surname, first initial (year it appears in the magazine). Title of the article. Title of the magazine in italics, issue number, number of the first page of the article - number of the last page.

Example
Biltereyst, D. (1992). “Language and Culture as Ultimate Barriers? An Analysis of the Circulation, Consumption and Popularity of Fiction in Small European Countries.” European Journal of Communication, 7, 517-540.

2. Articles in Academic Journals on the Internet

Surnames, first initial (year the magazine was published). Title of the article. Title of the magazine in italics, issue number, number of the first page of the article - number of the last page. Available at: URL address.

If the citation ends with an Internet address, it is not followed by a period.

Example
López, J. R. (1997). “Tecnologías de comunicación e identidad: interfaz, metáfora y virtualidad.” Razón y Palabra [electronic magazine], 2 (7). Available at http://www.cem.itesm.mx/dacs/publicaciones/logos/ [Accessed on November 28, 2008].

3. Books

Surname, first initial (year). Title. City: Publisher.

Example
Codina, L. (1996). El Libro digital: una exploración sobre la información electrónica y el futuro de la edición. Barcelona: Generalitat de Catalunya, Centro de Investigación de la Comunicación.

4. Books by Corporate Authors

Name of the institution or organization (year). Title (edition number). City: Publisher.

Example
American Psychological Association (1998). Publication Manual of the APA (4 ed.). Washington: APA.

5. Chapters or Sections in an Edited Book

Surname, first initial (year). Title of the chapter. In: first initial and surname of the editor of the book (ed), Title of the book (pp. number of the first page of the chapter – number of the last page of the chapter). City: Publisher.

Example
Kisch, H. (1986). “De la industria textil en Silesia y Renania: un estudio comparativo de sus procesos de industrialización.” In: P. Kriedte (ed.), Industrialización antes de la industrialización (pp. 266-298). Barcelona: Crítica.

Footnotes are to be used only to provide clarification for the reader. The bibliography is listed at the end of the article, in alphabetical order, by author, and chronological order in relation to the same author.

To submit an article for publication, please contact Palabra Clave at: palabra.clave@unisabana.edu.co