General
The Journal of Science Communication (JCOM) is a diamond-open-access, peer-reviewed journal focused on science communication. The Journal covers a broad range of issues pertinent to science communication and public engagement with STEM, including citizen science as well as environmental and health communication, where these relate to communication of research.
JCOM caters for scholars coming from sociology of science, science and technology studies, media and communication, museum studies and other disciplinary perspectives. By doing so, it seeks to encourage interdisciplinary exchange in the study of today’s complex knowledge societies and the role of public and scientists in the development of new knowledge.
JCOM contributes to forging a common identity for scholars across disciplines by adopting a policy of free circulation of information. JCOM is also a platform where distant and sometimes fragmented communities can meet: academic scholars, journalists, museum operators, and scientists who live and work in fields where theoretical reflection and concrete action are strongly intertwined.
JCOM has been publishing research relevant to both the academic and practitioner communities engaged in science communication since 2002. In addition to research articles, JCOM also publishes invited thematic commentaries, essays, practice insights, research reviews, book/conference reviews and letters. Special Issues are regularly published on specific topics of particular interest to the community. They share the same quality standards as regular articles and are subject to external peer review. Proposals for new commentary sets and Special Issues are welcome and should be addressed to jcom-eo@jcom.sissa.it.
Scope
JCOM covers topics related to science communication, including original research, theoretical reflections, case studies of best practice and evaluations. The Journal is aimed at researchers, educators, trainers and professional and occasional practitioners in science communication. JCOM publishes research that explores a wide range of issues pertinent to the science communication community, including: issues in communication between science and citizens and within the scientific community itself; challenges arising when models for theoretical analysis or practical means to popularize science are used; the changing relation between science and social institutions; and the informative, pedagogical, interpretative and political dimensions of science communication. Contributors should bear in mind the breadth of this target audience in writing papers intended for publication in JCOM.
We take a broad view of science communication, encompassing, for example, popular science publishing, science in information and entertainment forms of media, public demonstrations and discussions of science, mediations between scientific and other social institutions, science museums and centres, science journalism and science information services.
JCOM has a global remit and we invite submissions from all parts of the world, and concerning all parts of the world. We also seek to encourage new scholarship and new perspectives; we welcome submissions from prospective contributors who are at early stages in their careers and seeking to build up a portfolio of published work.
The Journal’s scope is detailed by its keyword list.
The review process
The whole process - from submission to publication - is carried out electronically. All users involved in a manuscript have personal web pages to monitor the process, take action and communicate according to their role.
The JCOM refereeing procedure is based on the traditional double-anonymous peer-review system. An Editor in charge is automatically assigned the newly submitted manuscript and will review research articles, essays, practice insights and research reviews judged to fall within the scope of the Journal and reaching an appropriate standard. If considered potentially suitable for JCOM, they will be reviewed also by at least two reviewers through a double-anonymous peer review. Editorial oversight is handled anonymously. At the end of the process, the Editor in charge either accepts, rejects, considers not suitable for the journal, asks for major or minor revision.
Decisions are made in compliance with the JCOM Editorial policy. Manuscripts are processed as quickly as possible, however JCOM values quality over speed and therefore the necessary time is given to evaluate all manuscripts’ scientific quality. The criteria for acceptance of an article in JCOM, are robust scientific research, originality and relevance to the field of science communication research or practice. The confidentiality of both the identity of the authors and the referees are guaranteed.
Editorial Policy
Original research and theoretical contributions should be substantial and significant in content and we welcome papers that challenge existing theory or practice or seek to move the field forward. Papers must address one or more of the subject areas covered by JCOM. The criteria for acceptance are:
Originality - does the paper provide an original contribution to the field by adding to existing knowledge or providing a different angle or perspective on previous research?
Research Quality - does the paper use appropriate research methods to address the topic at hand and are the claims made appropriate to the data collected? For theoretical papers, is the argument suitably grounded and constructed?
Scope - does the manuscript fall within the remit of the journal?
Length should be appropriate to the information presented.
Application of the above criteria should consider the specificities of the different article types.
Essays should provide a thought provoking exploration of a topic relevant to the subject areas covered by the Journal. They should discuss issues faced by the communities served by the Journal and may be directed at either scholarly debate or science communication practice.
Editors in charge are ultimately responsible for the adjudication of manuscripts whereas reviewers are consulted but do not make decisions. If needed, editors in charge are welcome to consult the Editor in chief at any time for clarifications or assistance in making their decisions. The Editor in chief always steps in in case of controversies or appeals against rejections and is in charge of overviewing the whole review process. The Editorial Board reviews JCOM's publication policies and ensures the scientific quality of accepted papers.
Ethical policy
All corresponding authors are implied to have read and understood this policy when their contributions are submitted to the Journal. All manuscripts are given unbiased consideration regardless of the authors’ race, gender, religion, ethnicity, citizenship, political beliefs, sexual orientation, age or reputation.
JCOM's ethical policy fully adheres and refers to the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines and recommendations.
Misconduct
Manuscripts submitted to JCOM must not have been published or be under consideration for publication in other refereed journals, nor should they be sent to other journals while still being considered for publication in JCOM. Cases of misconduct are seriously considered and investigated and anonimity of whistleblowers is protected. JCOM reserves the right to refuse to publish any content that, in its opinion, could be deemed distasteful or illegal including, but not limited to, libellous, defamatory, offensive or hate speech. To report any concerns relating to potential misconduct, please contact the Editorial Office.
Authorship
All those who have made a significant contribution to a manuscript must be cited as co-authors. According to JCOM policy, authorship is based on the following 4 criteria:
- Substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work; or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data for the work; AND
- Drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content; AND
- Final approval of the version to be published; AND
- Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.
Other contributors to the study should be acknowledged, but not cited as authors. All co-authors are assumed to share full responsibility for all of the paper and are expected to agree on this and on the order in which they appear in the author list. Authorship or acknowledgements must not be used misleadingly to imply a contribution or endorsement by anyone who has not been involved with the work.
Authors take full responsibility for the content they submit for publication which must adhere to the ethical standards at JCOM. In particular, authors have a responsibility to fully acknowledge the work of others, disclosing their sources clearly and thoroughly in their manuscripts. In cases where generative AI or other artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are used during the research and/or the preparation of a manuscript, this has to be declared and referenced properly and clearly in the methods and/or acknowledgments sections. Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies should not be listed as authors or co-authors, or cited as an author. Exceptions may be considered on a case-by-case basis, and in these cases, authors should consult with the JCOM editorial office before submitting a manuscript in order to motivate for the inclusion of Generative AI authorship.
The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that:
- all authors have approved the final version of the article as accepted for publication
- the manuscript is not under consideration by any other journal at the time of submission
- all co-author details and contacts are correct at the time of submission
Any changes to authorship during the publication process must be approved by all the authors, who must all confirm that they give their consent to the requested changes in the author’s list. If an author has sadly passed away before a manuscript is submitted, consent by a family member or legal proxy is requested.
Sharing of log in details or allowing anyone to submit on one’s behalf is considered to be a serious ethical policy breach. Authors must not fabricate, falsify or misrepresent data or results. Should an honest error occur, authors should contact the Editorial Office. Corrections must be approved by all authors of the original article. Should submitted images or photographs be found to be potentially offensive to the journal’s readership or violate copyright, the journal reserves the right to request that authors provide alternative images before the final version is published. All authors are required to declare any funding they received related to their research and ensure they have permission from their funders before submitting their article.
Use of generative AI
In submitting their work authors should be aware of the possible shortcomings of AI generated material, and are thus required to declare and properly reference in detail the use of GenAI in the preparation of their manuscript, either in the methods or acknowledgments section. In particular, they should supply the name, version and manufacturer of the tools they have used as well as their prompts and outputs.
Generative AI technologies cannot be considered as authors and their use and material created or edited through them, whether written or visual, is the authors’ responsibility. Authors are responsible for checking the accuracy of the material produced/edited through generative AI tools and that such material is free from plagiarism.
Reviewers, on the other hand, are requested to refrain from using GenAI to produce their reviews.
Referencing
Authors must fully acknowledge the work of others (be it published or unpublished) used in their research and cite publications that have influenced their study. Information obtained in private correspondence or conversation can only be used with the explicit permission of the persons involved. Information obtained whilst refereeing research articles or grant applications should only be used if permission of the original author is provided. Permission by the original authors is required for any figures or extracts subject to copyright.
Including superfluous references to the authors’ own work or the works of others to promote and inflate citation scores is considered unethical.
Plagiarism and duplicate publication
Plagiarism constitutes unethical scientific behaviour and is never acceptable. Duplicate publication (production of multiple papers with essentially the same content by the same authors) is also considered unacceptable.
Conflict of interest
Any potential conflicts of interest should be declared by the authors when submitting their article, either in the acknowledgments section or in a separate cover letter. Examples of conflicts of interest that must be disclosed are: direct or indirect sources of funding (employment, grants, patents, sponsorships, consulting fees, equipment supplies); unpaid advisory affiliations and memberships of professional organisations which may influence publication, any personal relationships or beliefs representing a conflict (i.e: having a relative who works for a funding organization). Editors and reviewers must remain unbiased during the review process. A conflict of interest is anything that interferes with, or could reasonably be perceived as interfering with an objective peer review. Circumstances that may preclude editors or reviewers to remain unbiased include (but are not limited to) personal competing interests of any kind with any of the authors, being currently employed at the same institution as any of the authors, or having been close collaborators of any of the authors in the last three years. If at any point of the review process, editors or reviewers feel they cannot provide a fair and unbiased review, they should notify the journal immediately and seek advice.
Confidentiality and fair-play
Any manuscripts received for review must always be treated as confidential by both editors and reviewers. Editors may nonetheless contact editors of other journals in cases of suspect misconduct. JCOM adopts a double-anonymous peer review process in order to better guarantee that manuscripts are reviewed regardless of the authors’ race, gender, sexual orientation, religious or political beliefs, ethnic origin or citizenship. Reviewers are expected to bring any ethical issues to the attention of the editor, including substantial overlap or similarity with other published papers.
Post publication corrections and debate
Errors and Misconduct: If authors discover significant errors or inaccuracies in their published work, it is their responsibility to promptly notify the journal. Corrections or retractions will be issued promptly with proper acknowledgment of the nature of the error and the reasons for the correction.
Misconduct Investigations: JCOM takes allegations of research misconduct seriously. In cases of suspected misconduct, we will follow established guidelines and procedures following the recommendations by COPE and other international research integrity hubs to investigate and address the issue.
Post publication debate: JCOM welcomes public debate and comments on published research by means of submission of Letters as described in the Guidelines for Authors section of the journal's website.
Access and copyright
JCOM is a Diamond Open Access journal.
Authors retain the copyright of their work. To improve its open access characteristics, JCOM has adopted a Creative Commons licensing policy, giving the community the opportunity to freely spread published contributions under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) licence. Moreover, authors retain the right to distribute their Author Accepted Manuscript (AAM) via an institutional and/or subject repository under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence, starting from the date of publication.
The Journal's Open Access and Copyright terms are available on this link.
The JCOM web site uses Janeway, an open-source software with some custom code. Everything is licensed under the AGPL. Therefore anyone is free to use and modify the software, so long as they make their changes similarly open.
Indexing and metrics
JCOM is indexed in Web of Science (WoS), Scopus, Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), Dimensions and Scilit.
JCOM's 2023 Impact Factor is 2.0 (Q2). Its Citescore is 3.4.