International Journal of Communication and Media Studies (IJCMS) is a peer-reviewed, open-access academic journal published biannually by Universiti Poly-Tech Malaysia (UPTM) and managed by the Faculty of Education, Social Sciences and Humanities.
Established in 2025, IJCMS provides an academic platform for researchers, academicians, practitioners, and postgraduate scholars to disseminate original research findings, theoretical perspectives, and practical insights in communication, media, and related interdisciplinary fields.
The journal aims to advance knowledge and promote scholarly discussions on contemporary communication practices, media development, digital transformation, emerging technologies, and their implications for individuals, organisations, and society.
IJCMS welcomes high-quality theoretical, conceptual, qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-method research that contributes to the advancement of communication and media studies at national, regional, and international levels.
The journal publishes articles in electronic format through an open-access publishing model, allowing readers worldwide to access and download published articles without subscription fees.
Publication frequency: Biannually (two issues per year)
Publication months: June and December (subject to editorial confirmation)
Publisher: Universiti Poly-Tech Malaysia (UPTM)
Managing faculty: Faculty of Education, Social Sciences and Humanities
Website: https://journal.uptm.edu.my/index.php/ijcms/index
The International Journal of Communication and Media Studies aims to promote academic excellence and meaningful knowledge exchange in the fields of communication and media studies.
The objectives of the journal are:
To provide an international platform for the publication and dissemination of original research in communication and media studies.
To encourage theoretical and empirical research addressing contemporary communication and media challenges.
To promote interdisciplinary research connecting communication and media with education, technology, business, culture, and society.
To facilitate the exchange of scholarly ideas and research findings among academicians, researchers, and industry practitioners.
To support ethical research practices, academic integrity, and high-quality scholarly publishing.
IJCMS welcomes original manuscripts addressing the following areas:
Interpersonal and Group Communication – Interpersonal relationships, non-verbal communication, group interaction, and organisational communication.
Mass Media and Journalism – News reporting, journalism practices, media institutions, news consumption, and changing media environments.
Digital Media and Social Media – Social networking platforms, digital communication, online communities, digital culture, and social media behaviour.
Corporate and Strategic Communication – Corporate communication, organisational reputation, public relations, stakeholder engagement, and strategic messaging.
Advertising and Marketing Communication – Advertising strategies, digital marketing communication, consumer engagement, branding, and promotional communication.
Political Communication and Public Discourse – Political messaging, public opinion, political campaigns, civic engagement, and media influence.
Intercultural and Global Communication – Cross-cultural communication, cultural identity, global media, and communication across different societies.
Media Literacy and Communication Education – Digital literacy, media education, communication skills, educational media, and communication in learning environments.
Health and Crisis Communication – Public health campaigns, risk communication, crisis management, emergency communication, and public awareness.
Media Ethics, Policy and Regulation – Media responsibility, communication ethics, freedom of expression, misinformation, media governance, and regulatory frameworks.
Emerging Technologies and Communication – Artificial intelligence, digital transformation, virtual communication, interactive media, and new communication technologies.
Communication, Culture and Society – Media representation, gender and communication, identity, social development, youth communication, and the social impact of media.
Manuscripts must demonstrate a clear contribution to communication and media studies. Interdisciplinary research is welcome where the communication or media dimension is central to the research objectives, theoretical framework, or findings.
IJCMS accepts original research articles and concept papers written in English or Malay.
Submitted manuscripts must be original, academically sound, and relevant to the journal's aims and scope. Manuscripts must not have been published previously or be under consideration for publication in another journal.
The journal accepts the following types of manuscripts:
1. Research articles
Original empirical or theoretical research that contributes new knowledge to communication and media studies.
Word count: 4,500–6,000 words, including references, tables, and appendices.
2. Concept papers
Scholarly papers that critically examine existing theories, develop conceptual frameworks, or propose new perspectives related to communication and media studies.
Word count: 3,000–5,000 words, including references.
All manuscripts must comply with the following requirements:
Paper size: A4
Font: Times New Roman, 12-point
Line spacing: Single
Margins: 2.54 cm (1 inch) on all sides
Maximum length: 25 pages, including references
File format: Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx)
Referencing style: American Psychological Association (APA), 7th edition
Authors must follow the official IJCMS manuscript template available on the journal website.
The editorial board reserves the right to return manuscripts that do not comply with the prescribed guidelines.
All manuscripts must include an abstract of 150–250 words, written in English or Malay according to the language of the manuscript.
The abstract should clearly present the research purpose, methodology, main findings or key arguments, and the implications of the study.
The abstract must be concise, self-contained, and written without citations or undefined abbreviations.
Each manuscript must include three to five keywords that accurately reflect the main themes and research focus of the article.
All authors are required to provide complete and accurate information during manuscript submission, including:
Full name of each author.
Institutional affiliation, including faculty, university or organisation, and country.
Corresponding author's email address.
Author contributions to the manuscript.
ORCID iD, where available.
All listed authors must have made a significant scholarly contribution to the manuscript and approved the final version submitted for publication.
The corresponding author is responsible for communication with the editorial office and ensuring that all co-authors agree with the manuscript submission.
IJCMS adopts a double-blind peer review process, in which the identities of authors and reviewers are concealed during the review process.
All submitted manuscripts undergo an initial editorial screening to evaluate their relevance to the journal's scope, originality, academic quality, language, and compliance with submission requirements.
Manuscripts that meet the initial editorial requirements are assigned to at least two independent reviewers with relevant expertise in the research area.
Reviewers evaluate manuscripts based on the following criteria:
Originality and contribution to knowledge.
Relevance to communication and media studies.
Clarity of research objectives and research questions.
Adequacy of the literature review and theoretical framework.
Appropriateness and rigour of the research methodology.
Quality of findings, analysis, and discussion.
Significance of theoretical and practical implications.
Clarity of academic writing and adherence to publication guidelines.
Following the review process, the editorial decision may include:
Accept
Minor revisions
Major revisions
Reject
Authors receiving revision requests are expected to submit their revised manuscripts within the specified period, normally within 30 days, unless otherwise agreed with the editorial office.
The peer review process generally takes one to three months, depending on manuscript quality, reviewer availability, and the extent of revisions required.
The Editor-in-Chief or assigned editor makes the final publication decision based on reviewer recommendations and editorial assessment.
All manuscripts and reviewer reports are treated confidentially throughout the editorial process.
IJCMS is committed to maintaining high standards of academic integrity, research quality, and ethical scholarly publishing.
The journal follows internationally recognised principles of publication ethics, including the guidelines and best practices promoted by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
Authors, reviewers, and editors are expected to observe ethical standards throughout the publication process.
The journal does not tolerate plagiarism, fabrication or falsification of data, duplicate publication, inappropriate authorship, undisclosed conflicts of interest, or manipulation of the peer review process.
Authors are responsible for ensuring that their research complies with applicable institutional and ethical requirements.
For research involving human participants, authors must provide an appropriate ethics statement and institutional ethical approval details, where required.
Publication ethics: https://journal.uptm.edu.my/index.php/ijcms/publication-ethics
All manuscripts submitted to IJCMS may undergo similarity screening to assess originality and identify potential plagiarism.
Authors must ensure that all sources are properly acknowledged and cited in accordance with APA 7th edition requirements.
Manuscripts containing plagiarism, inappropriate text reuse, or other forms of academic misconduct may be rejected or subjected to further editorial investigation.
The editorial board reserves the right to request corrections, reject manuscripts, or retract published articles when serious ethical concerns are established.
Authors retain copyright of their published articles and grant IJCMS the right of first publication.
All published articles are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.
This licence permits readers to access, download, copy, distribute, reproduce, and adapt published articles for academic and other lawful purposes, provided that appropriate credit is given to the original authors and publication source.
Authors may deposit published articles in institutional repositories, personal websites, or other scholarly platforms, with proper acknowledgement of the original publication in IJCMS.
The journal supports open-access publishing to promote the visibility, accessibility, and dissemination of scholarly research.
Licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
IJCMS operates as an open-access academic journal.
All published articles are made freely available to readers immediately upon publication without subscription or access charges.
The journal believes that providing unrestricted access to academic research encourages global knowledge exchange, enhances research visibility, and supports the wider dissemination of scholarly findings.
Readers may read, download, and share published articles subject to the terms of the journal's copyright and licensing policy.
IJCMS currently does not impose article submission charges (ASC) or article processing charges (APC).
Authors may submit manuscripts for editorial consideration without payment, and accepted articles are published without compulsory publication charges.
Any future changes to the journal's publication charges will be announced through the official journal website.
Authors may include an acknowledgement section before the references to recognise individuals, organisations, or institutions that contributed to the research but do not qualify for authorship.
All sources of research funding must be disclosed, including the names of funding organisations and relevant grant numbers, where applicable.
Authors must also disclose any financial or non-financial relationships that may constitute a conflict of interest.
Authors are required to provide a statement describing their respective contributions to the research and manuscript preparation.
The journal encourages the use of the Contributor Roles Taxonomy (CRediT) to promote transparency and accountability in scholarly authorship.
Where applicable, authors must also include a data availability statement explaining whether research data are publicly available, accessible upon reasonable request, or restricted due to ethical, legal, or confidentiality considerations.
All manuscripts must be submitted through the official IJCMS online submission system using Open Journal Systems (OJS).
Authors are required to register or log in to the journal portal before submitting their manuscripts.
Submissions should include the manuscript in Microsoft Word format, the required author information, and any additional supporting documents specified in the author guidelines.
Authors are responsible for ensuring that all submitted materials comply with the journal's policies and formatting requirements.
Online submission: https://journal.uptm.edu.my/index.php/ijcms/about/submissions
IJCMS welcomes proposals for special issues addressing emerging topics, important developments, and contemporary challenges in communication and media studies.
Special issues may focus on specific research themes, technological developments, industry practices, or interdisciplinary issues that align with the journal's aims and scope.
Academic institutions, research groups, professional organisations, and conference organisers may submit proposals for special issue publication.
All proposals are subject to evaluation and approval by the editorial board.
The journal may appoint Guest Editors to coordinate special issues. However, all manuscripts must undergo the journal's established editorial screening, peer review, and publication procedures.
Acceptance of a special issue proposal does not guarantee acceptance of individual manuscripts.
The views, interpretations, findings, and conclusions expressed in published articles are solely those of the respective authors.
They do not necessarily represent the views or official positions of Universiti Poly-Tech Malaysia, the Faculty of Education, Social Sciences and Humanities, or the IJCMS Editorial Board.
Authors are responsible for the originality, accuracy, and ethical integrity of their published work.
The editorial board reserves the right to make final decisions concerning manuscript acceptance, publication, corrections, and retractions in accordance with the journal's established policies.
Editorial Office
International Journal of Communication and Media Studies (IJCMS)
Faculty of Education, Social Sciences and Humanities
Universiti Poly-Tech Malaysia (UPTM)
Jalan 6/91, Taman Shamelin Perkasa
56100 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
Journal website: https://journal.uptm.edu.my/index.php/ijcms/index
Principal contact: Dr Shahri Abu Seman
Telephone: +60 19-414 3817
Support contact: Nan Zakiah Megat Ibrahim
For manuscript submissions, editorial enquiries, and publication-related matters, authors are encouraged to use the official journal portal.
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