Journal Guide

The IEEE Transactions on Affective Computing is a cross-disciplinary and international archive journal aimed at disseminating results of research on the design of systems that can recognize, interpret, and simulate human emotions and related affective phenomena. The journal publishes original research on the principles and theories explaining why and how affective factors condition interaction between humans and technology, on how affective sensing and simulation techniques can inform our understanding of human affective processes, and on the design, implementation and evaluation of systems that carefully consider affect among the factors that influence their usability. Surveys of existing work are considered for publication when they propose a new viewpoint on the history and the perspective on this domain. The journal covers but is not limited to the following topics::

• Sensing & analysis: Algorithms and features for the recognition of affective state from face and body gestures
• Analysis of text and spoken language for emotion recognition
• Analysis of prosody and voice quality of affective speech
• Recognition of auditory and visual affect bursts
• Recognition of affective state from central (e.g. fMRI, EEG) and peripheral (e.g. GSR) physiological measures
• Methods for multi-modal recognition of affective state
• Recognition of group emotion
• Methods of data collection with respect to psychological issues as mood induction and elicitation or technical methodology as motion capturing
• Tools and methods of annotation for provision of emotional corpora. (Cyber) psychology & behavior: Clarification of concepts related to ‘affective computing’ (e.g., emotion, mood, personality, attitude) in ways that facilitate their use in computing
• Computational models of human emotion processes (e.g., decision-making models that account for the influence of emotion; predictive models of user emotional state)
• Studies on cross-cultural, group and cross-language differences in emotional expression
• Contributions to standards and markup language for affective computing. Behavior Generation & User Interaction: Computational models of visual, acoustic and textual emotional expression for synthetic and robotic agents
• Models of verbal and nonverbal expression of various forms of affect that facilitate machine implementation
• Methods to adapt interaction with technology to the affective state of users
• Computational methods for influencing the emotional state of people
• New methods for defining and evaluating the usability of affective systems and the role of affect in usability
• Methods of emotional profiling and adaptation in mid- to long-term interaction
• Application of affective computing including education, health care, entertainment, customer service, design, vehicle operation, social agents/robotics, affective ambient intelligence, customer experience measurement, multimedia retrieval, surveillance systems, biometrics, music retrieval and generation

The aim of Higher Education Pedagogies is to identify, promote and publish excellence and innovations in the practice and theory of teaching and learning in and across all disciplines in higher education.
The journal will provide an international forum for the sharing, dissemination and discussion of research, experience and perspectives across a wide range of teaching and learning issues.
The journal will prove a valuable resource for individuals in the development and enhancement of their own practice, and for institutions in the promotion of the scholarship of teaching and learning.
Higher Education Pedagogies will focus on disciplinary pedagogies and learning experiences; the higher education curriculum, i.e. what is taught and how it is developed and enhanced including both skills and knowledge; the delivery of the higher education curriculum; how it is taught and how students learn, and academic development; the role of teaching and learning in the development of academic careers and its place within the profession. Higher Education Pedagogies welcomes papers which are accessible to both specialist and generalist readers and are theoretically and empirically rigorous. Through advancing knowledge of, and practice in, teaching and learning, Higher Education Pedagogies will prove essential reading for all those who wish to stay informed of state-of-the-art teaching and learning developments in higher education. Higher Education Pedagogies is sponsored by the Higher Education Academy.

Open Access -Article Publishing Charges 

To cover the cost of Open Access publishing, Higher Education Pedagogies charges an article publishing charge (APC) for all accepted articles. There is no submission charge. The APC for Higher Education Pedagogies is $1200 (£750 / €1000). For members of learned Societies publishing with Taylor & Francis this is reduced to $600 (£375/ €500). Members of the Higher Education Academy are eligible for APC waivers.
 
The APC is paid via an e-commerce transaction and invoicing will take place after acceptance of the article following peer review. Payment can be made via credit card, or an invoice can be requested. Further processing of the article will be deferred pending payment.

It is likely that your research funder, sponsor, or host institution has funding available for Open Access publication fees.

Can the publication fee be discounted or waivered?
In addition to the provision of waivers for members of the Higher Education Academy, Higher Education Pedagogies also provides fee waivers and discounts to support researchers in developing and emerging regions.  Authors are eligible to apply for a waiver if the corresponding author and majority of co-authors are based in countries as specified by the  Research4Life partnership. Other waivers will be granted on a case-by-case basis depending on the authors' circumstances. Authors should request a waiver during the submission process.

The Journal of Ethnopharmacology is dedicated to the exchange of information and understandings about people's use of plants, fungi, animals, microorganisms and minerals and their biological and pharmacological effects based on the principles established through international conventions. Early people confronted with illness and disease, discovered a wealth of useful therapeutic agents in the plant and animal kingdoms. The empirical knowledge of these medicinal substances and their toxic potential was passed on by oral tradition and sometimes recorded in herbals and other texts on materia medica. Many valuable drugs of today (e.g., atropine, ephedrine, tubocurarine, digoxin, reserpine) came into use through the study of indigenous remedies. Chemists continue to use plant-derived drugs (e.g., morphine, taxol, physostigmine, quinidine, emetine) as prototypes in their attempts to develop more effective and less toxic medicinals.In recent years the preservation of local knowledge, the promotion of indigenous medical systems in primary health care, and the conservation of biodiversity have become even more of a concern to all scientists working at the interface of social and natural sciences but especially to ethnopharmacologists. Recognizing the sovereign rights of States over their natural resources, ethnopharmacologists are particularly concerned with local people's rights to further use and develop their autochthonous resources.Accordingly, today's ethnopharmacological research embraces the multidisciplinary effort in the:• documentation of indigenous medical knowledge,• scientific study of indigenous medicines in order to contribute in the long-run to improved health care in the regions of study, as well as• search for pharmacologically unique principles from existing indigenous remedies.The Journal of Ethnopharmacology publishes original articles concerned with the observation and experimental investigation of the biological activities of plant and animal substances used in the traditional medicine of past and present cultures. The journal will particularly welcome interdisciplinary papers with an ethnopharmacological, an ethnobotanical or an ethnochemical approach to the study of indigenous drugs. Reports of anthropological and ethnobotanical field studies fall within the journal's scope. Studies involving pharmacological and toxicological mechanisms of action are especially welcome. Clinical studies on efficacy will be considered if contributing to the understanding of specific ethnopharmacological problems. The journal welcomes review articles in the above mentioned fields especially those highlighting the multi-disciplinary nature of ethnopharmacology. Commentaries are by invitation only.

Congress & the Presidency is an interdisciplinary journal of political science and history that features articles on Congress, the President, the interaction between the two institutions, and national policy-making. Created by the United States Capitol Historical Society, the journal has been published by the Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies for over 25 years. The journal is a leading forum for important research on these two branches of government. Congress & the Presidency features peer-reviewed research articles from all methodological perspectives and is noted for its openness to both quantitative and qualitative approaches. The journal encourages research examining both contemporary and historical aspects of the legislative and executive branches of national government. Congress & the Presidency features reviews of important recent books in the field of congressional and presidential studies; these reviews are often authored by prominent scholars from the discipline. The journal periodically produces special issues that provide analysis of fundamental and timely issues on congressional and presidential topics.

Patient Education and Counseling is an interdisciplinary, international journal for patient education and health promotion researchers, managers, physicians, nurses and other health care providers. The journal seeks to explore and elucidate educational, counseling and communication models in health care. Its aim is to provide a forum for fundamental as well as applied research, and to promote the study of the delivery of patient education, counseling, and health promotion services, including training models and organizational issues in improving communication between providers and patients.The journal welcomes unsolicited manuscripts related to the field of patient education, counseling, clinical health promotion and communication in health care.Electronic usage:An increasing number of readers access the journal online via ScienceDirect, one of the world's most advanced web delivery systems for scientific, technical and medical information.Average monthly article downloads for this journal: 42,615** Figure is an average based on full text articles downloaded monthly via ScienceDirect between August 2008 and March 2009

Free access: Editors ChoiceHistorical Biology provides a vehicle for developments in the sciences concerned with the history of life through geological time and the biology of past organisms, and seeks to encourage a diversity of approaches in this rapidly expanding field. It emphasizes modern and controversial topics. Its range includes paleobiology, paleoethology, paleobiogeography, evolutionary processes and patterns, molecular paleontology, extinction, phenomena, taphonomy, and aspects of geology, geochemistry and geophysics that have a direct bearing on paleobiological questions. The journal will provide an international outlet for high quality papers.---Disclaimer for Scientific, Technical and Social Science PublicationsTaylor & Francis make every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the 8220;Content8221;) contained in its publications. However, Taylor & Francis and its agents and licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness or suitability for any purpose of the Content and disclaim all such representations and warranties whether express or implied to the maximum extent permitted by law. Any views expressed in this publication are the views of the authors and are not the views of Taylor & Francis.

Asian Economic Papers promotes high-quality analyses of the economic issues central to Asian countries and offers creative solutions to the region's current problems by drawing on the work of economists worldwide. The journal comprises selected articles and summaries of discussions from the meetings of the Asian Economic Panel and provides a unique and useful resource to economists and informed non-specialists concerned with specific Asian issues, particular Asian economies, and interactions between Asia and other regions.AEP strives to anticipate developments that will affect Asian economies, encourage discussions of these trends, and explore individual country or regional responses that minimize negative repercussions on neighboring economies.AEP is especially interested in:* promoting discussion of financial and regulatory reform and regional cooperation;* identifying barriers to economic development in individual Asian countries and in the region as a whole, and finding new ways to overcome such obstacles;* analyzing the impacts of economic policies on social welfare to improve and ensure common prosperity and security in the region;* highlighting economic challenges stemming from the globalization of financial and nonfinancial markets, along with the measures needed to meet these challenges.

This journal publishes papers that aid in the development, demonstration, and commercialization of cleaner products and processes as well as effective environmental policy strategies. As its title suggests, the journal has two major thrusts: Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy.  The Clean Technology thrust addresses the science and engineering of clean technologies. Moreover, it examines mathematical and computer-based methods and models for designing, analyzing, and measuring the cleanliness of products and processes. The Environmental Policy thrust covers research advances in scientific, social, behavioral, and economics disciplines that are relevant to complex environmental policy issues.  In addition to research papers, the journal offers policy-oriented commentaries from world renowned leaders in environmental technology and policy research. It also features special issues focusing on topics of international concern.  AWARDS
Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy will present the foll

With an interdisciplinary and international focus, Policy Sciences encourages a diversity of perspectives. The editors especially welcome conceptual and empirical innovation, together with the potential richness and insight of comparative orientation. The journal offers articles that examine the normative aspects of policy sciences; conceptual articles addressing concrete policy issues; articles on particularly controversial pieces of analysis; opposing perspectives, including critiques and rejoinders on articles already published, which open the journal to an exchange of views rather than restricting it to pure presentation; and special issues that analyze specific topics in depth. Policy Sciences favors, but does not publish exclusively, works that either explicitly or implicitly utilize the policy sciences framework. The policy sciences are a distinctive subset within the policy movement in that they embrace the traditions of innovated and elaborated by Harold D. Lasswell and Myers S. McDougal. The policy

Intellectual property law attracts diverse international attention and warrants considered scholarship and analysis. Not only is this an area of detailed practice and study, but also a significant part of each citizen's daily life. From the question of access to products to concerns for the creative and innovative process, this area of law is of considerable interest to scholars and the general public alike. Modern intellectual property practice and scholarship is necessarily interdisciplinary, intersecting not only with other areas of law, but also with cultural and socio-economic approaches to knowledge. Contemporary research considers the operation of intellectual property in the context of human rights, social, political and economic spheres. Engaging the diversity of perspectives on these important issues is essential to comprehensive debate, and it is this richness of debate and interrogation to which QMJIP seeks to participate, by publishing high quality contributions to the field.

As an extension of the Queen Mary Intellectual Property Research Institute's reputation as one of the foremost centres for intellectual property research and education, QMJIP has become an important forum for quality scholarship in this field, publishing full-length articles as well as analysis pieces and case reports, on a quarterly basis.

Slovo is a fully refereed, twice-yearly journal, edited and managed by postgraduates of the UCL School of Slavonic and East European Studies. This journal aims to discuss and interpret Russian, Eurasian, Central and East European affairs, covering the fields of anthropology, economics, film, geography, history, international studies, linguistics, literature, media, politics and sociology. Slovo has presented postgraduates with what has in many cases been their first publishing opportunity. It is a refereed journal in which they have been able to present their ideas and research alongside that of members of staff. Fully managed by the postgraduate community, this has meant that students have from time to time refereed the work of their own teachers! From its humble beginnings (the first edition appeared as a slim volume in May 1988 and included contributions from staff members Julian Graffy, Geoffrey Hosking and George Schöpflin) Slovo has gone from strength to strength culminating in the presentation of a special edition following the first annual postgraduate conference, held biennially at SSEES.

Studies in History and Philosophy of Science is devoted to the integrated study of the history, philosophy and sociology of the sciences. The editors encourage contributions both in the long-established areas of the history of the sciences and the philosophy of the sciences and in the topical areas of historiography of the sciences, the sciences in relation to gender, culture and society and the sciences in relation to arts. The Journal is international in scope and content and publishes papers from a wide range of countries and cultural traditions.Benefits to authorsWe also provide many author benefits, such as free PDFs, a liberal copyright policy, special discounts on Elsevier publications and much more. Please click here for more information on our author services.Please see our Guide for Authors for information on article submission. If you require any further information or help, please visit our support pages: http://support.elsevier.com

Recognised as one of the leading journals in its fieldOne of the longest established immunology journalsImpact factor 3.674Wide trans-continental representation in authors. editors and reviewersRapid publication with thorough peer-reviewNo page charges for authors#r#r#r#r#r Immunologypublishes papers on fundamental aspects of immunology including:#r#r#r#r#rCellular immunologyInnate immunityMolecular immunologyAntigen presentationLymphocyte migrationImmunogeneticsImaging at the molecular. cellular or whole animal levelProtein crystallographyPlasmon resonanceIn silico modelingKnockout and knock-in studies#r#r#r#r#rOriginal articles describing mechanistic insights to the immune system are particularly welcome.The journal also publishes commissioned review articles on subjects of topical interest to immunologists. The editors are also prepared to consider unsolicited review suggestions in the form of submitted Abstracts.Immunologyis essential reading for workers in all areas of immunological research.#r#r#r#r#r #r#r#r#r#rAims and Scope#r#r#r#r#rRecognised as one of the leading journals in its fieldOne of the longest established immunology journalsImpact factor 3.398Wide trans-continental representation in authors. editors and reviewers#r#r#r#r#r Immunologypublishes papers on fundamental aspects of immunology including:#r#r#r#r#rCellular immunologyInnate immunityMolecular immunologyAntigen presentationLymphocyte migrationImmunogeneticsImaging at the molecular. cellular or whole animal levelProtein crystallographyPlasmon resonanceIn silico modelingKnockout and knock-in studies#r#r#r#r#rOriginal articles describing mechanistic insights to the immune system are particularly welcome.#r#r#r#r#rThe journal also publishes commissioned review articles on subjects of topical interest to immunologists. The editors are also prepared to consider unsolicited review suggestions in the form of submitted Abstracts.#r#r#r#r#rImmunologyis essential reading for workers in all areas of immunological research.#r#r#r#r#rFree Access in the Developing World#r#r#r#r#rFree online access to this journal is available within institutions in the developing world through theHINARIinitiative with the World Health Organization (WHO). and theAGORAinitiative with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).#r#r#r#r#rOnlineOpen#r#r#r#r#rAuthors of articles in this journal can now choose to make their articles open access and available free for all readers through the payment of an author fee.Read more.#r#r#r#r#rReadership#r#r#r#r#rImmunologyprovides a sound advertising medium for related laboratory and pharmaceutical products. See Aims and Scope for more details. The readership includes research workers. university and college lecturers and clinical researchers (approx 80%); and laboratory technicians (20%).

Technologies have been changing the world for a long time, at an increasing pace, with ever expanding scope and unprecedented impact. They profoundly affect human life and are radically modifying not only how we interact with, shape, and make sense of our world, but also how we look at ourselves and understand our position and responsibilities in the universe. Technologies have brought enormous benefits and opportunities, but they have also raised new and pressing challenges, whose complexity and global dimensions are rapidly expanding and evolving. Philosophy & Technology addresses such challenges, in order to improve our critical understanding of the conceptual nature and practical consequences of technologies, and hence provide the conceptual foundations for their fruitful and sustainable developments. The journal aims to publish the best research produced in all areas where philosophy and technology meet. It welcomes high-quality submissions, regardless of the tradition, school of thought or disciplinary background from which they derive. The editorial board reflects this approach in its composition and its world-wide membership.All submissions are subjected to double-blind peer review, the average peer review time is 3 months.Philosophy & Technology publishes: research articles, presenting original results (usually no longer than 10,000 words): target articles with invited, short commentaries, directing attention to interesting, new theoretical ideas. Target articles are selected by the editorial board among the research articles accepted for publication. Commentaries may include revised reviews of the original submission: review articles (usually no longer than 10,000 words), which comprehensively synthesise and critically assess recent, original works or a selected collection of thematically related books, in important areas of research in philosophy of technology: , commentaries, brief (maximum 2,000 words) articles that comment on articles published previously: book symposia, in which up to four commentators are invited to debate an influential book with the author, who answers with a concluding reply (total length usually no longer than 10,000 words). A symposium might revisit a book and its impact a decade or more after its appearance: special issues, in which an expert collaborates with the journal as a guest editor, in order to identify an interesting topic in philosophy of technology, and interacts with the selected contributors, being in charge of a whole issue of the journal. The journal strongly encourages submissions of collections of high-quality papers on well-defined topics presented at academic meetings (e.g. a workshop, a conference, or a symposium). It invites potential guest-editors, who might be interested in collecting and editing such special issue, to contact the Assistant Editor as early as possible in order to discuss the feasibility of the project: focused debates, collecting submissions and invited articles around a particular theme, as part of a normal issue of the journal. Authors wishing to submit a reply article, or a proposal for a review article, a book symposium, a special issue or a focused debate, are invited to contact the Assistant Editor for further information.

Digital Signal Processing: a Review Journal is one of the oldest and most established journals in the field of signal processing yet it aims to be the most innovative one. The journal invites top quality research articles at the frontiers of research in all aspects of signal processing. Our objective is to provide a platform for the publication of groundbreaking research in signal processing with both academic and industrial appeal.The journal has a special emphasis on statistical signal processing methodology such as Bayesian signal processing, and encourages articles on emerging areas in signal processing which do not find space in other journals of the field. These include:environmental signal processing,stochastic modelling of biological and chemical processes,seismic signal processing,financial time series analysis,stochastic calculus,geophysical signal processing,systems biology,chemioinformatics,signal processing for human-computer interaction and intelligent user interfaces,signal processing for audio, visual and performance arts,signal processing for disaster management and prevention,signal processing for renewable energy,game theory and group theory for signal processing,information theory articles with a signal processing perspective.Papers in the classical application areas of signal processing such as telecommunications, speech and image processing are welcome only if they contain novel research. Purely application oriented articles in these areas should be submitted to the relevant dedicated journals. Similarly, authors who would like to submit on areas of neural networks or fuzzy sets are invited to submit their work to the appropriate journals.Digital Signal Processing: a Review Journal also aims to publish at least one high quality review article in every issue and to provide focus issues with special emphasis on emerging topics. Discussion articles in which several leading researchers discuss the future of a specific research area are also welcome.

2009 Impact Factor - 0.632.Five Year Impact Factor - 1.054.169;2010 Thomson Reuters, 2009 Journal Citation Reports174;Aims & Scope The Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology publishes the results of scientific research and other information relevant to the discipline of plant pathology as review papers, research articles, notes and disease reports. Papers may be submitted in English or French and are subject to peer review. Research articles and notes include original research that contributes to the science of plant pathology or to the practice of plant pathology, including the diagnosis, estimation, prevention, and control of plant diseases. Notes are generally shorter in length and include more concise research results. Disease reports are brief, previously unpublished accounts of diseases occurring on a new host or geographic region. Review papers include mini-reviews, descriptions of emerging technologies, and full reviews on a topic of interest to readers, including symposium papers. These papers will be highlighted in each issue of the journal and require prior discussion with the Editor-in-Chief prior to submission.All submissions should be made online at the Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology Manuscript Central site. New users should first create an account. Once logged on to the site, submissions should be made via the Author Centre. Online user guides and access to a helpdesk are available on this website.Click here for Aims & Scopes in FrenchDisclaimer The Canadian Phytopathological Society/Revue de la Soci233;t233; Canadienne de Phytopathologie and Taylor & Francis make every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the 8220;Content8221;) contained in its publications. However, the Society and Taylor & Francis and its agents and licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness or suitability for any purpose of the Content and disclaim all such representations and warranties whether express or implied to the maximum extent permitted by law. Any views expressed in this publication are the views of the authors and are not necessarily the views of the Editor, the Society or Taylor & Francis.

The Australian Journal of Forensic Sciences is the official publication of the Australian Academy of Forensic Sciences and helps the Academy meet its Objects.The Academy invites submission of review articles, research papers, commentaries, book reviews and correspondence relevant to Objects of the Academy. The Editorial policy is to attempt to represent the law, medicine and science and to promote active discussions of the relevant issues of the time as they affect the professional practice of the forensic sciences. The Journal is not restricted to contributions only from Australian authors but it will attempt to represent issues of particular relevance to Australia and its region.The meetings of the Academy normally include a plenary presentation and the Journal will seek to publish these presentations where appropriate. Plenaries, commentaries and review articles will normally be subject to a single review. Research papers will normally be subject to a double blind review.The Australian Academy of Forensic Sciences, (founded in 1967 by the late Dr Oscar R Schmalzbach OBE, aims to bring together learned individuals from the broad areas of the law, medicine and science who are interested in the forensic application of their disciplines.The Objects of the Academy are:*to encourage the study, improve the practice, and advance the knowledge of the forensic sciences;*to establish and maintain an Education and Research Fund for the purposes of the Objects;*to hold meetings;*to publish such material as is calculated to further the Objects; and*to generally do all things as may be calculated to widen, improve and develop the education and knowledge both of these actively concerned in the pursuit of the forensic sciences and the public.DisclaimerThe Australian Academy of Forensic Sciences and Taylor & Francis make every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the “Content”) contained in its publications. However, the Society and Taylor & Francis and its agents and licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness or suitability for any purpose of the Content and disclaim all such representations and warranties whether express or implied to the maximum extent permitted by law. Any views expressed in this publication are the views of the authors and are not necessarily the views of the Editor, the Society or Taylor & Francis.

PROTEINS : Structure, Function, and Bioinformatics publishes original reports of significant experimental and analytic research in all areas of protein research: structure, function, computation, genetics, and design. The journal encourages reports that present new experimental or computational approaches for interpreting and understanding data from biophysical chemistry, structural studies of proteins and macromolecular assemblies, alterations of protein structure and function engineered through techniques of molecular biology and genetics, functional analyses under physiologic conditions, as well as the interactions of proteins with receptors, nucleic acids, or other specific ligands or substrates. Research in protein and peptide biochemistry directed toward synthesizing or characterizing molecules that simulate aspects of the activity of proteins, or that act as inhibitors of protein function, is also within the scope of PROTEINS. In addition to full-length reports, short communications (usually not more than 4 printed pages) and prediction reports are welcome. Reviews are typically by invitation; authors are encouraged to submit proposed topics for consideration. Proteins is bringing web-based technology to bear to speed and simplify the entire publication process. Proteins now offers online submission and peer review and encourages electronic submission of manuscripts, which expedites the review process. In addition, individual articles are published online as rapidly as possible after acceptance. Please see the Author Instructions for details. Proteins is pleased to announce that online access to the full-text content of all Structure Notes is freely available to all nonsubscribing users , commencing 2003. Structure Notes, first launched in 1999, are one-to-two-page articles describing a novel protein structure of unknown function and/or those with recurring topology. Structure Notes are published within three months of receipt at the Proteins office by expediting all stages of editorial review and production. Please see the Author Instructions for details.

JCOM will provide the primary forum for advancement and dissemination of scientific knowledge on co-operative organizations and their management. The journal will include up-to-date, high-quality, and original contributions - research papers, reviews, and syntheses as well as book and conference reviews - dealing with questions on how, why and when co-operative organizations occur and succeed, fail and disappear, and what can be done to influence the outcome.

Co-operative organization is broadly defined. It refers not only to co-operatives as an institutional form, but any other organization that follows the principles of co-operation. Examples include consumer, housing, producer, and worker co-operatives, credit unions and mutuals, multiparty alliances as well as different forms of collective, community, and social entrepreneurship. In addition to these types of co-operative entities, a variety of non-profit and voluntary organizations will be covered in the journal. JCOM calls for contributions focused on the following organizational philosophies and the management of organizations operating along one or more of these philosophies:
• Voluntary association of individuals and/or entities (co-operating and networking)
• Freedom with fellow individuals and entities (pursuit of autonomy and independence)
• Accountability of individuals and entities (membership in organizations and environments)
• User-members' collective ownership of and control over the organization's resources (democracy)
• Engagement in action only if rewards/results are greater than costs/efforts (efficiency and beneficiality)
• Transaction- or contribution-based distribution of economic surplus to members and stakeholders (fairness)
• Education and training of members and stakeholders on co-operation and the underlying principles (knowledge of co-operation).

Theory elaboration on the topic co-operative organizations has an interdisciplinary tradition. JCOM will therefore encourage contributions that make rigorous use of variety of theoretical perspectives and methodological approaches. The journal will also welcome critical debate between opposing perspectives.

JCOM will strive to attract and engage an international readership that is primarily academic. University libraries and individual academics are the primary target group for the journal. However, given the scarcity of rigorous and well marketed journals with similar focus, the journal seeks to attract professional audiences as well. This is important given that the ultimate test for theoretical contributions is the application of the new knowledge in the practices of organizations and in the praxis of individuals.