African Edition
URL Address: www.imasa.org

Call for Submissions for Online - Global Media Journal-English Edition
Special Fall 2006 Issue on African Mass Media

Global Media Journal (http://gsuowa.govst.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp? URL=http://www.globalmediajournal.com/  ), an online journal, is inviting submissions for a special issue on African mass media for the Fall 2006 issue of this innovative online journal, which is now published in a variety of languages. The special issue, to be edited by Drs. Arnold S de Beer and Emmanuel C. Alozie, will focus on the role of Africa mass media (print, broadcast, advertising, public relations and telecommunications) on a wide range of issues including in national development, globalization, democracy, international diplomacy, conflict and conflict resolution, and regulations. Considering the lack of scholarly works in international journals about African mass media, the special is an attempt to bridge that gap by offering an in-depth analysis of African mass media, thus other subjects will be entertained.

The managing editor and guest editors welcome a variety of theoretical and methodical approaches. For submission guidelines, please visit http://gsuowa.govst.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?  URL=http://lass.calumet.purdue.edu/cca/gmj/gmj_submission_guidelines.htm .  All submissions must be original and unpublished, although authors are welcome to submit articles presented at conferences. Deadline for submissions is May 31, 2006. Submissions should be sent by email as file attachment. Graduate students should send their submissions to Alozie at alozieec@msn.com or alozieec@sbcglobal.net , while faculty members and professionals should send their submissions to de Beer at asdebeer@sun.ac.za or www.sun.ac.za/ecquidnovi.

Dr. Arnold S de Beer is professor emeritus and editor of Ecquid Novi, Department of Journalism, Stellenbosch University, South Africa. Dr. Emmanuel C. Alozie is university professor of media communications, Governors State University, University Park, Illinois USA.

The Global Media Journal, devoted to exploring the world of communication, was launched online in fall of 2002. Since then, this groundbreaking publication has steadily and firmly established itself as a journal to address diverse interests of students, teachers, scholars, researchers, and institutions engaged in international activities, particularly communication.

 

Spring 2006

(Articles may be submitted in English and French)
All scholarly refereed articles should adhere to the following guidelines:

 1.        Articles and essays must be written according to the Harvard Method – for information see the latest edition of the Chicago Style Manual.

2.        Manuscripts for GMJ-A must be submitted by e-mail in Microsoft Word to the Editor (asdebeer@imasa.org ) or the Co-Editor (hwasserman@imasa.org ).

3.        Articles must include:

a.        Article title (keep to less than 10 words).

b.        Abstract of 200 words (indication of topic, problem statement, methodology and outcome) – only for research peer-reviewed articles.

c.        Author name/s (first, middle and last name/s).

d.        Academic qualification (e.g. PhD).

e.        Current position/affiliation.

f.         Brief personal biography (maximum 25 words).

g.        e-Mail address (also during holiday periods).

h.        Physical mailing addresses.

i.         Telephone and fax numbers.

j.         URL for author/s' personal web page.

k.        The above should be on a separate page.

l.         Page two of peer-reviewed research articles must start with the title only.

m.      Do not overly format the article. The less formatting, the better. But do have a look at the example supplied on the website for the format the article should adhere to.

n.        All sub-headings should be numbered, though it will not be used in the final version.

o.        Submissions must be professionally edited and be proof-read. If not, the articles will not be processed.

p.        Articles must in camera-ready format, including tables, graphs, charts, etc. within the text.

q.        Research articles must between 6000 and 7000 words; all other articles should be between 800 and 1200 words.

r.         Authors should, where relevant, include a list of links to references, web pages, or sites related to their articles, as this is a strong advantage of electronic publications.

s.         Scholarly research articles will go through a blind peer review process, while other submissions (including invited articles and commentaries) will be reviewed by the GMJ-A editor and co-editor.

t.         Where uncertainty emerges re the suitability of a particular article for publication, editorial board members will be consulted.

u.        Authors are responsible for obtaining any necessary permission from copyright holders for reproducing previously published material, including charts, graphs, photos, tables, etc. The publishers could not be hold responsible for any transgression in this instance, or for any other form of plagiarism.

v.        Authors are to tick off the list above, and make sure that all aspects are correctly dealt with.

Global Media Journal – African Edition

Vol 1(1): First issue background

Focus: Information and communication technologies (ICTs) for development in Africa

·          What exactly constitutes development and how ICTs are playing a role in this, is the main focus of the first issue of GMJ-A.

·          As in the case of GJM-India, the focus of the first issue of GMJ-Africa will focus on the rapid increase in the growth of information and communication technologies, in GMJ-A’s case: Africa.

·          Developing nations and continents, such as India and Africa (especially sub-Saharan Africa) have made a giant leap in a few decades from that of being predominantly agricultural societies to that of becoming more and more part of the global information society. The question however is what place in this society Africa occupies, and how global power relations impact upon the use of ICTs in the African context.

·          Although a much-debated issue, neither the concept of development nor that of ICTs has been settled. The dynamic nature of the dissemination and use of technological advancements in day-to-day life is affecting, however the continent to a large extent.

·          The articles for GMJ-A vol 1(1) could be either conceptual or based on fieldwork, and can discuss any of the areas that impact the social, cultural and political life of individuals or organisations. In short, what are the development prospects in Africa, with its growing democracies, but also internal strife, and what role may ICTs play? How is the role of ICTs in Africa related to the continent’s position in the global political economy and processes of unequal globalization?

·        Deadlines:

1. Contributors to the scholarly research section must send a 250-word proposal for their articles before 1 December, 2005. If accepted after the reviewing process, the final articles will have to be submitted before 31 January 2006

2. Contributors to the other sections must send a 25-50-word proposal for their articles before 1 December, 2005. The final articles must be submitted before 1 January 2006.