Media International Australia
The journal is affiliated with the Australian and New Zealand Communications Association Inc (ANZCA). MIA supports Online First publication to make work available as soon as possible and is a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
Media International Australia (MIA) aims to publish a wide variety of articles, that illuminate and critically investigate the central role of media and communications in our world, exploring cultures and industries, governing policies and individual practices, and technology and sociality. While MIA has a particular mission to support the work of scholars researching media and communications in Australia and New Zealand / Aotearoa, the journal also explores interconnections between nations and global concerns, especially in Asia and the Pacific. MIA publishes scholarship in all forms (quantitative and qualitative, applied and abstract, conceptual and creative) selecting contributions based first and foremost on the extent to which authors engage critically with existing scholarly debate, and contribute new ideas, methods, and perspectives. Whether through individual articles or guest-edited feature topics, MIA seeks to define what scholarship of media and communications might mean now and in the future.
| Crystal Abidin | Curtin University, Australia |
| Aljosha Karim Schapals | Queensland University of Technology, Australia |
| Kylie Stevenson | Edith Cowan University, Australia |
| Diana Bossio | Swinburne University of Technology, Australia |
| Bronwyn Carlson | Macquarie University, Australia |
| Stuart Cunningham | Queensland University of Technology, Australia |
| Brett Hutchins | Monash University, Australia |
| Linda Jean Kenix | University of Canterbury, New Zealand |
| David Nolan | University of Canberra, Australia |
| Anna Potter | University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia |
| Kylie J. Stevenson | Edith Cowan University, Australia |
| Haiqing Yu | RMIT University, Australia |
| Kate Ames | Central Queensland University, Australia |
| Heather Anderson | University of South Australia, Australia |
| Adrian Athique | University of Queensland, Australia |
| Susan Bye | Australian Centre for the Moving Image and LaTrobe University, Australia |
| Kim Dalton | Industry & Production Expert and University of Sunshine Coast, Australia |
| Gillian Doyle | University of Glasgow, UK |
| Jacqui Ewart | Griffith University, Australia |
| Terry Flew | Queensland University of Technology, Australia |
| Gerard Goggin | Western Sydney University, Australia |
| Lelia Green | Edith Cowan University, Australia |
| Bridget Griffen-Foley | Macquarie University, Australia |
| Folker Hanusch | University of Vienna, Austria |
| Nick Herd | Ausfilm, Australia |
| Craig Hight | The University of Newcastle, Australia |
| Terence Lee | Murdoch University, Australia |
| Libby Lester | University of Tasmania, Australia |
| Tania Lewis | RMIT University, Australia |
| Amanda Lotz | Queensland University of Technology, Australia |
| Donald Matheson | University of Canterbury, New Zealand |
| Verica Rupar | Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand |
| Christina Spurgeon | Queensland University of Technology, Australia |
| Jeanette Steemers | King’s College London, UK |
| Graeme Turner | University of Queensland, Australia |
| C. Kay Weaver | University of Colorado Boulder, USA |
| Rowan Wilken | RMIT, Australia |
Manuscript Submission Guidelines: Media International Australia
This Journal is a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics.
Please read the guidelines below then visit the Journal’s submission site http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/mia to upload your manuscript. Please note that manuscripts not conforming to these guidelines may be returned.
Only manuscripts of sufficient quality that meet the aims and scope of Media International Australia will be reviewed.
There are no fees payable to submit or publish in this Journal. Open Access options are available - see section 3.3 below.
As part of the submission process you will be required to warrant that you are submitting your original work, that you have the rights in the work, that you are submitting the work for first publication in the Journal and that it is not being considered for publication elsewhere and has not already been published elsewhere, and that you have obtained and can supply all necessary permissions for the reproduction of any copyright works not owned by you.
- What do we publish?
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Aims & Scope
1.3 Article types
1.4 Writing your paper - Editorial policies
2.1 Peer review policy
2.2 Authorship
2.3 Acknowledgements
2.4 Declaration of conflicting interests - Publishing policies
3.1 Publication ethics
3.2 Contributor's publishing agreement
3.3 Open access and author archiving - Preparing your manuscript
4.1 Formatting
4.2 Artwork, figures and other graphics
4.3 Supplementary material
4.4 Reference style
4.5 English language editing services - Book reviews
5.1 Timing
5.2 Content of the review
5.3 Style notes
5.4 Contact - Submitting your manuscript
6.1 ORCID
6.2 Information required for completing your submission
6.3 Permissions - On acceptance and publication
7.1 Sage Production
7.2 Online First publication
7.3 Access to your published article
7.4 Promoting your article - Further information
Media International Australia solicits manuscripts either directly (individual submission) or as part of our regular guest-edited feature topics. Please see the journal’s standing call for papers for more information.
The information below on submission applies regardless of whether you are submitting directly or at the invitation of a guest editor of a feature topic. References to the Editor below may mean either your topic editor, the journal’s chief editor, or both.
Before submitting your manuscript to Media International Australia, please ensure you have read the Aims & Scope. Articles may be rejected without review if they do not fall within the journal’s scope nor contribute to its aims.
Research articles
Manuscripts should be between 5000-8000 words in length (including notes, references, accompanying reference list, and all other inclusions).
Review essays
Review essays are treated as research articles and are not the same as book reviews. They are extensive reviews of relevant scholarly literature which contain a clear argument and make an original contribution to the field. The journal rarely accepts review essays and such proposals should be discussed with the Editor first.
Book reviews
Book reviews must critically analyse the style and major issues dealt with in the book, with a maximum length of 500 words. Please see below for a specific section on the submission of book reviews.
The Sage Author Gateway has some general advice and on how to get published, plus links to further resources. Sage Author Services also offers authors a variety of ways to improve and enhance their article including English language editing, plagiarism detection, and video abstract and infographic preparation.
1.4.1 Make your article discoverable
When writing up your paper, think about how you can make it discoverable. The title, keywords and abstract are key to ensuring readers find your article through search engines such as Google. For information and guidance on how best to title your article, write your abstract and select your keywords, have a look at this page on the Gateway: How to Help Readers Find Your Article Online.
All submissions that are judged by the Editor to be suitable for peer review will be double-anonymised peer reviewed by at least two appropriately qualified and experienced academic reviewers selected by the Editor. The Journal’s Editorial Advisory group may also be involved in reviewing work.
When preparing your manuscript please ensure that strict anonymity is maintained in the way you present your work. If you cite your own work and it can be associated with you from the context of the citation, you must anonymise the reference. An effective method of doing this is to use the phrase ‘(reference 1 redacted)’ in the text and in the reference list. You will be able to edit these details prior to publication.
Reviewers may be asked to assess your work again after revisions. These reviewers may be the same as, or different from, original reviewers at the Editor’s discretion. Please maintain anonymity in your submission until acceptance.
If you are asked to provide suggestions for peer reviewers for your manuscript, please note that reviewers should be experts in their fields and should be able to provide an objective assessment of the manuscript. Please be aware of any conflicts of interest when recommending reviewers. Suggestions to avoid conflicts of interest include (but are not limited to) the below:
- The reviewer should have no prior knowledge of your submission.
- The reviewer should not have recently collaborated with any of the authors.
- The reviewer should not be from the same institution as any of the authors.
Please note that the journal’s editors are not obliged to invite any recommended nor reject any opposed reviewers to assess your manuscript.
All parties who have made a substantive contribution to the article should be listed as authors. Principal authorship, authorship order, and other publication credits should be based on the relative scientific or professional contributions of the individuals involved, regardless of their status. A student is usually listed as principal author on any multiple-authored publication that substantially derives from the student’s dissertation or thesis.
Please note that AI chatbots, for example ChatGPT, should not be listed as authors. For more information see the policy on Use of ChatGPT and generative AI tools.
All contributors who do not meet the criteria for authorship should be listed in an Acknowledgements section. Examples of those who might be acknowledged include a person who provided purely technical help, or a department chair who provided only general support.
Please supply any personal acknowledgements separately to the main text to facilitate anonymous peer review.
2.3.1 Third party submissions
Where an individual who is not listed as an author submits a manuscript on behalf of the author(s), a statement must be included in the Acknowledgements section of the manuscript and in the accompanying cover letter. The statements must:
- Disclose this type of editorial assistance – including the individual’s name, company and level of input
- Identify any entities that paid for this assistance
- Confirm that the listed authors have authorized the submission of their manuscript via third party and approved any statements or declarations, e.g. conflicting interests, funding, etc.
Where appropriate, Sage reserves the right to deny consideration to manuscripts submitted by a third party rather than by the authors themselves.
2.4 Declaration of conflicting interests
Media International Australia encourages authors to include a declaration of any conflicting interests and recommends you review the good practice guidelines on the Sage Journal Author Gateway.
Sage is committed to upholding the integrity of the academic record. We encourage authors to refer to the Committee on Publication Ethics’ International Standards for Authors and view the Publication Ethics page on the Sage Author Gateway.
3.1.1 Plagiarism
Media International Australia and Sage take issues of copyright infringement, plagiarism or other breaches of best practice in publication very seriously. We seek to protect the rights of our authors and we always investigate claims of plagiarism or misuse of published articles. Equally, we seek to protect the reputation of the journal against malpractice. Submitted articles may be checked with duplication-checking software. Where an article, for example, is found to have plagiarised other work or included third-party copyright material without permission or with insufficient acknowledgement, or where the authorship of the article is contested, we reserve the right to take action including, but not limited to: publishing an erratum or corrigendum (correction); retracting the article; taking up the matter with the head of department or dean of the author's institution and/or relevant academic bodies or societies; or taking appropriate legal action.
3.1.2 Prior publication
If material has been previously published it is not generally acceptable for publication in a Sage journal. However, there are certain circumstances where previously published material can be considered for publication. Please refer to the guidance on the Sage Author Gateway or if in doubt, contact the Editor at the address given below. In all cases it is better to cite and refer readers to your prior published work than to republish elements of an existing publication.
3.2 Contributor's publishing agreement
Before publication, Sage requires the author as the rights holder to sign a Journal Contributor’s Publishing Agreement. Sage’s Journal Contributor’s Publishing Agreement is an exclusive licence agreement which means that the author retains copyright in the work but grants Sage the sole and exclusive right and licence to publish for the full legal term of copyright. Exceptions may exist where an assignment of copyright is required or preferred by a proprietor other than Sage. In this case copyright in the work will be assigned from the author to the society. For more information please visit the Sage Author Gateway.
3.3 Open access and author archiving
Media International Australia offers optional open access publishing via the Sage Choice programme and Open Access agreements, where authors can publish open access either discounted or free of charge depending on the agreement with Sage. Find out if your institution is participating by visiting Open Access Agreements at Sage. For more information on Open Access publishing options at Sage please visit Sage Open Access. For information on funding body compliance, and depositing your article in repositories, please visit Sage’s Author Archiving and Re-Use Guidelines and Publishing Policies.
4. Preparing your manuscript for submission
The preferred format for your manuscript is Microsoft Word.
Format your manuscript using:
- Double-spacing
- Left-justification
- 12-point text
- Clear heading levels and clearly defined sections using Word’s in-built heading formatting; unless essential please do not use more than two levels of headings within the manuscript
Include in your main document all tables and figures to assist the reviewers but also upload editable tables and 1200 dpi-quality figures as separate files appropriately named. See 4.2 below for further details.
Include:
- Title
- Abstract (length-250 words)
- Keywords (4-6 in alphabetical order, separated by semi-colons)
- Article body
- Conflict of Interest Statements
- Funding
- Notes
- Reference list
- Appendices
- Images, Figures and Tables in main document and as separate files
The total word count of your submission, with all included material, must be no more than 8,000 words. After revision, and with the approval of the Editor, you may be permitted to exceed 8,000 words to complete changes and additions to meet reviewers’ requirements.
Please anonymise your manuscript as detailed here, and prepare a title page in a separate file that includes:
- Author name/s and affiliation/s
- Acknowledgements
4.2 Artwork, figures and other graphics
For guidance on the preparation of illustrations, pictures and graphs in electronic format, please visit Sage’s Manuscript Submission Guidelines.
Figures supplied in colour will appear in colour online regardless of whether or not these illustrations are reproduced in colour in the printed version. For specifically requested colour reproduction in print, you will receive information regarding the costs from Sage after receipt of your accepted article.
4.2.1 Image descriptions
For graphs and charts: The caption and description of the data in the body of the work are sufficient.
For other images: Provide an image description of 25-75 words after your caption.
This journal is able to host additional materials online (e.g. datasets, podcasts, videos, images etc) alongside the full-text of the article. For more information please refer to our guidelines on submitting supplementary files.
Media International Australia adheres to the Sage Harvard reference style. View the Sage Harvard guidelines to ensure your manuscript conforms to this reference style.
If you use EndNote to manage references, you can download the Sage Harvard EndNote output file.
4.5 English language editing services
Authors seeking assistance with English language editing, translation, or figure and manuscript formatting to fit the journal’s specifications should consider using Sage Language Services. Visit Sage Language Services on our Journal Author Gateway for further information.
MIA readers and the authors and publishers of books prize timely reviews. Reviewers must submit reviews within three months of receiving the book and preferably earlier.
Your review should:
- provide a brief, clear account of the nature, content and purpose of the book;
- summarise its contribution to relevant fields;
- evaluate how well the author has succeeded in their purpose, highlighting particular strengths and weaknesses.
Objective critical appraisal should be the goal. Reviewers should normally:
- confine the review to a discussion of the book and avoid digressive essays;
- not list minor errors unless they significantly impair the value of the book. A reviewer may choose to notify the author about them by email.
Reviewers should generally follow the Style Guide for the journal. Open your book review with the bibliographical details for the book: Author(s), Title, Publisher, Year of publication, ISBN, Number of pages, Price. Follow this example, using commas and italics:
Brock, George, Out of Print: Newspapers, Journalism and the Business of News in the Digital Age, Kogan Page, London, 2013, ISBN 9 7807 4946 6510, xi +242 pp., A$53.95.
Other specific points for book reviews are:
- Use quotations and detailed descriptions of the content of the book sparingly. When a quote is used, include the page number(s) in parentheses at the end of the sentence.
- Other references should generally not be used. If they are, include them at the end of the review under a heading ‘References’ using the style outlined in the Style Guide.
- Use the first-person pronoun ‘I’ instead of, for example, ‘this reviewer’ or ‘the present reviewer’.
- At the end of the review include your name in your preferred style — e.g., A.D. Smith, Annette Smith — your institution, and email address.
The Book Review Editor reserves the right to edit reviews. We will endeavour to contact you with suggested changes before publication.
For more information and/or requests to review books please contact the Book Review Editor, Dr Aljosha Karim Schapals: aljosha.schapals@qut.edu.au
Media International Australia is hosted on Sage Track, a web-based online submission and peer review system powered by ScholarOne™ Manuscripts. Visit Manuscript Central to login and submit your article online.
Please check whether you already have an account in the system before trying to create a new one. If you have reviewed or authored for the journal previously it is likely that you will have had an account created. Note that your login details are tied to your email address. If your email address has changed since your last use of the MIA submission website, you may need to update this detail. For further guidance on submitting your manuscript online please visit ScholarOne Online Help.
As part of our commitment to ensuring an ethical, transparent and fair peer review process Sage is a supporting member of ORCID, the Open Researcher and Contributor ID. ORCID provides a unique and persistent digital identifier that distinguishes researchers from every other researcher, even those who share the same name, and, through integration in key research workflows such as manuscript and grant submission, supports automated linkages between researchers and their professional activities, ensuring that their work is recognized.
The collection of ORCID iDs from corresponding authors is now part of the submission process of this journal. If you already have an ORCID iD you will be asked to associate that to your submission during the online submission process. We also strongly encourage all co-authors to link their ORCID ID to their accounts in our online peer review platforms. It takes seconds to do: click the link when prompted, sign into your ORCID account and our systems are automatically updated. Your ORCID iD will become part of your accepted publication’s metadata, making your work attributable to you and only you. Your ORCID iD is published with your article so that fellow researchers reading your work can link to your ORCID profile and from there link to your other publications.
If you do not already have an ORCID iD please follow this link to create one or visit our ORCID homepage to learn more.
6.2 Information required for completing your submission
As well as your ORCID iD, you will be asked to provide contact details and academic affiliations for all co-authors via the submission system and identify who is to be the corresponding author. These details must match what is listed on your manuscript. Please ensure you have included all the required statements and declarations and uploaded any additional supplementary files (including reporting guidelines where relevant).
Please also ensure that you have obtained any necessary permission from copyright holders for reproducing any illustrations, tables, figures or lengthy quotations previously published elsewhere. For further information including guidance on fair dealing for criticism and review, please see the Copyright and Permissions page on the Sage Author Gateway.
7. On acceptance and publication
Your Sage Production Editor will keep you informed of article’s progress throughout the production process. Proofs will be sent by PDF to the corresponding author and should be returned promptly. Authors are reminded to check their proofs carefully to confirm that all author information, including names, affiliations, sequence and contact details are correct, and that Funding and Conflict of Interest statements, if any, are accurate.
Online First allows final articles (completed and approved articles awaiting assignment to a future issue) to be published online prior to their inclusion in a journal issue, which significantly reduces the lead time between submission and publication. Visit the Sage Journals help page for more details, including how to cite Online First articles. The Journal will publish all articles Online First except where they form part of a coherent special issue where individual publication would be inappropriate.
7.3 Access to your published article
Sage provides authors with online access to their final article.
Publication is not the end of the process! You can help disseminate your paper and ensure it is as widely read and cited as possible. The Sage Author Gateway has numerous resources to help you promote your work. Visit the Promote Your Article page on the Gateway for tips and advice.
In particular we recommend that, if you use Twitter, you always promote your work once it is published Online First and include the journal’s Twitter handle @Media_Int_Aus. We will then re-tweet your announcement.
Any correspondence, queries or additional requests for information on the manuscript submission process should be sent to the Media International Australia Chief Editor:
Professor Crystal Abidin: crystal.abidin@curtin.edu.au
Inquiries about book reviews should be sent to the Media International Australia Reviews Editor:
Dr Aljosha Karim Schapals: aljosha.schapals@qut.edu.au
Should you wish to raise any issue about submissions directly with the Chair of the MIA Editorial Board you may email:
Associate Professor Diana Bossio: dbossio@swin.edu.au