Author Guidelines

Author Guidelines

Pijar Journal of Communication and Digital Media (PJCDM)

1. General Terms & Template Usage

Before submitting a manuscript, authors are required to read and fully comply with these guidelines. Manuscripts must be written using the Official PJCDM Template. Non-compliance with the formatting requirements may result in the manuscript being returned or immediately rejected (Desk Reject) before proceeding to the peer review process.

???? [Click Here to Download the PJCDM Manuscript Template .Docx]

(Please ensure that you remove all yellow instructional highlights or guide texts inside the template prior to submission).

2. Technical Specifications of the Manuscript

• Paper Size: A4 with standard margins (Top, Bottom, Left, Right = 2.54 cm).
• Manuscript Length: Between 7 – 15 pages (including references).
• Font Type: Times New Roman, Size 12.
• Spacing: Single Spacing (1.0).
• Paragraph Spacing: Spacing before & after = 0 pt.
• Text Color: Black, except for Sub-Headings (Heading) which must use the color Blue as specified in the PJCDM template format.
• Page Numbers: Must use the native word processor feature: Footer Page Number Bottom of Page Style Accent Bar 2.

3. Manuscript Structure

Manuscripts must be organized following the IMRAD structural framework (Introduction, Method, Results and Discussion), tailored to the characteristics of communication studies and digital media research:

1. Title and Author Identity

• Article Title: Times New Roman, 16pt, Bold, Left Aligned (Left Align). Use title case (Capitalize Each Word). The title should be concise, compelling, and accurately reflect the essence of the communication phenomenon or digital media landscape being investigated.
• Author Names: Write full names without academic titles (Times New Roman, 12pt, Bold).
• Affiliation: State the department/institution name, city/region, country, and author email address (Times New Roman, 11pt).
• Corresponding Author: Clearly designate the corresponding author and ensure the provided email address is active.

1. Abstract and Keywords

• Format: Written as a single continuous paragraph (no bullet points or lists), Italicized (Italic), Single Spacing. It must be provided in both Bahasa Indonesia and English.
• Content (Max. 150 words): Must contain the core essence of the research, capturing:
• Background/Context of contemporary media.
• Research/Analytical Objectives.
• Methods/Approaches used (e.g., Qualitative, Quantitative, Textual/Discourse/Content Analysis, Digital Ethnography).
• Main Results/Key communication findings.
• Conclusion.
• Keywords: 3–5 core words or phrases (e.g., communication subfields, specific media platforms, or analytical methods used), separated by commas (,).

1. Introduction

This section presents the concise yet comprehensive background of the research (Max. 25% of the total manuscript).

• Explain the gap analysis (limitations in current communication research) and the state of the art (relevant previous studies from recent peer-reviewed literature).
• Define the urgency, novelty, or specific conceptual challenges being addressed within the context of communication studies and digital media.
• Every in-text citation must use the Body Note technique (Last Name, Year). Example: (Ibrahim, 2023).

1. Method

Provide a detailed explanation of the research procedures, theoretical frameworks, data collection instruments, or selected media corpora to allow other researchers to replicate the study (Max. 10% of the total manuscript).

• Include the type of research approach (e.g., framing analysis, audience survey, focus groups, cyber-ethnography), population/sampling/informant criteria, units of media analysis, and data validation/analysis techniques.
• This section may be divided into sub-headings without numerical numbering.

1. Results and Discussion

This serves as the core of the manuscript (Minimum 40% of the total pages).

• Present the empirical findings, interview transcripts, or media text analyses clearly and concisely (supported by Tables, Figures, Graphs, or Media Screenshots).
• Provide a deep, critical interpretation. Compare your findings with established communication theories, emerging media concepts, or prior benchmarks. Clearly state whether your research strengthens, challenges, or contextualizes contemporary communication principles.

1. Conclusion

• Provide answers to the core research problems or summarize the milestone insights of the communication/media analysis based on the discussion.
• Written in a narrative paragraph format (avoid bullet points).
• Include practical implications for media practitioners/policy formulation, or future work recommendations for subsequent media and communication research.
• Do not duplicate sentences verbatim from the abstract.

1. References

• Quantity: Minimum of 20 references.
• Quality: At least 80% of the references must come from primary sources (indexed Scientific Journals/monographs) in communication studies published within the last 10 years.
• Citation Style: Must strictly follow the APA Style (American Psychological Association).
• Reference Management: Authors are required to use reference manager software such as Mendeley or Zotero to ensure citation accuracy and consistency.

4. Table and Figure Formatting

Visual objects must be presented neatly, in high resolution, and remain clearly legible

.

• Tables:
• The Table Title must be placed ABOVE the table (Centered).
• Use horizontal lines only (Open Table Style); vertical lines are prohibited.
• Table Content: Times New Roman, Size 10, Single Spacing.
• The data source must be placed below the table (Left Aligned, Size 10).

• Figures/Graphs/Media Screenshots:
• Positioned Centered (Center) using the In Line with Text format.
• The Figure Title must be placed BELOW the image (Centered, sequentially numbered).

5. Disclaimer of Responsibility

The content of the published article is entirely the sole responsibility of the authors. PT Pijar Cendekia Nusantara, as the publisher, bears no liability for copyright infringements, breach of confidential informant identities, or inaccuracies in the empirical or media analysis data presented by the authors.

Submission Checklist

As part of the submission process, authors are required to check off their submission's compliance with all of the following items. Manuscripts may be returned or rejected if they do not adhere to these guidelines:

• Formatting and Template: The manuscript has been structured according to the typography, font sizes, spacing, and color formatting detailed in the PJCDM Author Guidelines.
• Originality: This communication and media research manuscript has not been previously published, nor is it currently under review or consideration by any other journal, conference, or publishing platform.
• File Format: The manuscript file is submitted in Microsoft Word format (.docx), not PDF.
• References: All in-text citations are accurately captured in the reference list using the APA Style, and vice versa. The bibliography has been cross-checked and compiled using a reference management tool.
• Tables and Figures: All tables (open style format) and figures (visuals/media illustrations) are embedded appropriately within the text, sequentially numbered, and accompanied by clear titles and source attributes.
• Copyright Permissions: The author has obtained written permission to utilize copyrighted third-party assets (such as commercial advertisements, copyrighted mass media images, or proprietary scales/instruments), if any.
• Blind Review Readiness: To support our Double-Blind Peer Review system, author identities (names, affiliations, emails) and sensitive metadata have been completely stripped from the main manuscript file uploaded.

Privacy Statement

The names and email addresses entered into the Pijar Journal of Communication and Digital Media (PJCDM) site will be used exclusively for purposes related to the editorial workflow, peer review correspondence, and the publication process of this journal. This data is strictly protected, will not be made available for any other commercial purposes, and will not be disclosed to any third party without explicit written consent.