Author Guidelines

SDU Journal of Media Studies is published four times a year (March, June, September, and December).

The submission deadlines are as follows:

For the March edition: Deadline is February 10th.
For the June edition: Deadline is May 10th.
For the September edition: Deadline is August 10th.
For the December edition: Deadline is November 10th.

Each author may publish only one (1) article per issue of the journal. Before submitting a manuscript, authors must ensure that their article meets all the journal’s requirements. Submitted manuscripts must be original research – they should not have been previously published or under consideration for publication in any other scientific journal. Manuscripts that do not comply with the journal’s formatting and submission requirements will be rejected and returned to the authors. Authors are encouraged to submit innovative and significant contributions to their respective fields. Preference will be given to articles addressing recent advancements, underexplored issues, and lesser-studied aspects in journalism, media and communication studies.

Article Structure

On the first page of the manuscript (Appendix 1), the State Rubricator of Scientific and Technical Information (SRSTI) code, article title, author(s) name(s), affiliation, corresponding author’s email address, abstract, and keywords must be provided in Kazakh, English, and Russian. Authors are advised to obtain the SRSTI code from the list provided by the National Center for Science and Technology Evaluation (NCSTE) of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
The abstract should consist of 200-250 words.
Authors must indicate the most important keywords (4-6 words).
The introduction should provide an overview of the research topic, research question(s) or problem statement, hypothesis (if applicable), the article’s objective, relevance, and main argument. Additionally, a brief overview of the following sections should be included: research methodology and methods, theories and concepts, and research findings.
The literature review section should critically evaluate previous studies related to the article’s topic and other relevant scientific sources. Authors should also identify the research gap(s).
The research methodology section should describe how the data was collected, the tools used for data collection, the research method(s) applied, and how the data was analyzed.
The research findings should include recommendations and new conclusions.
The discussion section should summarize the study’s results, justify its novelty and significance, and provide recommendations for the application of the findings.
The conclusion should briefly summarize the research results and suggest new topics or research questions for future studies.
Tables, figures, and charts should be placed in appropriate sections within the text.
If necessary, appendices may be added to the text. If included, they should appear at the end of the article.
The article length should range between 5 000-10 000 words, including the abstract, tables, references, and bibliography (excluding appendices).
In-text citations, references, and the manuscript text should follow the APA (American Psychological Association) 7th edition style (Appendix 2). In-text citations should be formatted in an author-date format within parentheses.
The acknowledgments section (if applicable) should include information about financial support (grants, programs) and expressions of gratitude to individuals or institutions that assisted in the research.
The reference list should be presented as a separate section in APA 7th edition style in the original language of the cited works. Each source must be properly referenced.
Articles in English must be written in either American or British English, and the chosen style should be consistently maintained throughout the manuscript.
For transliteration of Kazakh text from Cyrillic to Latin, it is recommended to use the online converter available at https://qazlat.kz. For transliteration of Russian text from Cyrillic to Latin, the online converter at http://www.translit.ru can be used.
Abbreviations should be spelled out in full upon first use, followed by the abbreviation in parentheses. The abbreviated form should then be used consistently throughout the text.

Text Formatting

The article text must be typed in Times New Roman font, fully justified, with a font size of 12 pt and a line spacing of 1.15. Certain concepts, key ideas, and terms may be written in bold or italic for emphasis.
Section headings should be in Times New Roman, 14 pt, bold, while subsection headings should be in Times New Roman, 12 pt, italic.
A new paragraph should begin with an indentation of 1.27 cm (which can be created by pressing the TAB key).
Tables should be numbered sequentially (e.g., Table 1), with the title placed below the table number and above the table itself, aligned to the left in italic. Any notes regarding the table, including the source, should be provided below the table, preceded by the word Note.
Figures and charts should be numbered sequentially from the beginning of the article (e.g., Figure 1, Chart 1). The title of the figure/chart should be placed below its number and above the figure/chart, aligned to the left in italic. Any relevant notes or source information should be placed below the figure/chart, preceded by the word Note.
Figures, tables, graphs, and charts should not exceed 30% of the total manuscript. Figures, graphs, and charts must be provided in high-quality JPEG format.
All articles must be written in A4 format (210x297 mm).
Margins should be 2 cm on all sides of the page.
Page numbers should be placed in the bottom right corner.
Manuscripts must be submitted electronically in doc or docx format through the journal's manuscript submission portal.

Authors are advised to carefully study the journal’s aims and scope and submit manuscripts that reflect innovation and significant advancements in the field. Additionally, it is important for authors to familiarize themselves with the criteria used in the peer review process for evaluating manuscripts.