Submitting a Manuscript

The IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication welcomes submissions from researchers who wish to extend the body of knowledge in the field of professional communication. Inquiries about potential manuscripts should be directed to the editor-in-chief, Dr. George Hayhoe, at ieee-tpc@ieee.org.

Authors need not be members of IEEE or of the IEEE Professional Communication Society.

Articles

The Transactions publishes five major types of articles:

If human subjects have been used in a study, the manuscript must explicitly indicate that an Institutional Review Board or its equivalent has approved the study or that it was exempt.

Manuscripts should be prepared according to our Guidelines for Formatting Manuscripts. Citations should observe the IEEE style for formatting references; see TPC Citation Style. Manuscripts based on conference presentations are permissible, but they must include a minimum of 50% new material not contained in the published conference paper.

Please send manuscripts to Dr. George Hayhoe, editor-in-chief, at ieee-tpc@ieee.org.

Each manuscript is reviewed by peer reviewers with expertise in the subject matter, using a double-anonymous review process (the reviewers do not know the author’s identity, and the author does not know the reviewers’ identities). The review process typically takes 4 weeks (it may be slightly longer in December and early January, and from mid-May through mid-August).

Book Reviews

The Transactions typically reviews new books in our field—books published within two years from the date of review submission. Our readers comprise an international group of engineers and professional communication specialists, including academic and industry readers in a variety of institutions and organizations. We intend to review books of use and interest to this particular readership of practitioners, teachers, engineers, and communicators. Contact Alan Houser to find out books available for review or to suggest books to review.

The Transactions does not accept unsolicited book reviews. Anyone interested in writing a review should contact Alan Houser.

Book reviews should observe the requirements in our Guidelines for Book Reviews. Manuscripts should be formatted like the manuscript example and will appear in print like the published example.

Policy on Inclusive Language

Language shapes our world. How we use it has consequences for social, economic, and cultural life.

As professional communicators, we promote tolerance, diversity, inclusion, equity, and belonging in the research we publish. We support diverse perspectives, ideas, and language that advance technology for humanity.

Consequently, authors should use inclusive language that respects and acknowledges diverse perspectives, communities, individuals, and ideas. Authors should also avoid bias or discrimination based on race, ethnicity, gender, class, caste, age, or sexual orientation, and against any marginalized groups.

To support these goals, the Transactions on Professional Communication provides these links to resources to learn more about inclusive language:

Policy on Nonwestern/Nontraditional Topics, Genres, Rhetorics, Theories, and Methodologies

IEEE is the world’s largest technical professional organization, with over 400,000 members in more than 160 countries, more than 60 percent of whom are from outside the United States. As a result, the IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication recognizes the value of technical and professional communication and research in that field as they are practiced throughout the world. Thus, the Transactions welcomes manuscripts reporting professional communication research regardless of the topic or genre studied, the rhetorical tradition or theoretical approach used, or the research methodology employed.

Authors are invited to examine topics and genres and to use theories and methods that expand and challenge our ways of knowing. Nonwestern and nontraditional topics, genres, rhetorics, theories, and methodologies include, for example, indigenous, Black feminist, decolonial, or culture-specific methods; nonwestern ethics; counterstories; and others. We commit to assigning reviewers knowledgeable in assessing manuscripts that employ these approaches.

The world at large and the field of technical and professional communication in particular have become increasingly sensitized to the denial of justice on the basis of race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, class, caste, age, sexual orientation, or membership in other marginalized groups. Therefore, the Transactions encourages research that examines professional communication practice by applying social justice frameworks and principles.

Authors should provide information about the topics, genres, rhetorics, theories, and methodologies used in the manuscript in their Background, Literature Review, and Research Methodology sections to ensure that readers have the necessary orientation to understand the manuscript’s content. As with any article, this information is provided to explain, not to justify, the chosen topic, rhetoric, theory, and research methodology.

Cana Uluak Itchuaqiyaq’s MMU Scholar Bibliography links to some examples of articles that employ the diversity of scholarship that we value.

Peer Review

The articles in this journal are peer reviewed in accordance with the requirements set forth in the IEEE Publication Services and Products Board Operations Manual. Each published article is reviewed by a minimum of two independent reviewers using a double-anonymous review process, in which the identities of the reviewers are not known to the authors, and the identities of the authors are not known to the reviewers. Articles are screened for plagiarism before acceptance.

ORCID

In compliance with IEEE policy, the IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication requires an Open Researcher and Contributor ID (ORCID) for all authors and co-authors. ORCID is a persistent unique identifier for researchers and functions similarly to an article’s Digital Object Identifier (DOI). ORCIDs enable accurate attribution and improved discoverability of an author’s published work. The author will need a registered ORCID in order to submit a manuscript or review a proof in this journal. See orcid.org to register.

Open Access

IEEE allows authors to publish their works so that they are accessible at no charge to anyone with an internet connection who wants to read them. This practice is called open access. Open access articles are subject to IEEE’s open access article processing charge, and the IEEE Professional Communication Society’s policy is to pass this charge along to authors.

The open access article processing charge for the IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication is USD $2045 for all articles accepted on or after 1 January 2019.

English Language Editing Services

English language editing services can help refine the language of your article and reduce the risk of rejection without review. IEEE authors are eligible for discounts at several language editing services; visit the IEEE Author Center to learn more. Please note these services are fee-based and do not guarantee acceptance.

Procedure to Resolve Challenges to Editorial or Peer-Review Decisions

If you think that the review of your manuscript was unfair or technically inaccurate, you may take the following steps to address those concerns.

  1. If you have fundamental disagreements with or concerns about the fairness or technical accuracy of review comments and recommendations, explain your concerns in an email to the editor-in-chief.
  2. The editor-in-chief will review your concerns, and if there are grounds to reconsider the decision, the editor-in-chief will ask two associate editors to review the manuscript.
  3. You can ordinarily expect the editor-in-chief to respond with the associate editors’ recommendation in approximately one month. If the two associate editors’ recommendations are different, the editor-in-chief will ask a third associate editor to review the manuscript. This process can require an additional month.
  4. After reviewing the associate editors’ recommendations, the editor-in-chief will communicate the decision by email.
  5. If your concerns are not resolved by this process, you can request that the editor-in-chief direct your appeal to IEEE’s Vice President, Publication Services and Products.

Please note that if a manuscript has received negative comments and recommendations from a majority of reviewers, there are no grounds to take these steps unless there are concerns about the fairness or technical accuracy of the comments or recommendations. Doing so will not change the outcome.