Joc Writing Style

---
name: joc-writing-style
description: Use when drafting or polishing a Journal of Communication (JoC) manuscript so it reads for the whole field, follows APA 7th edition, and fits the limits (main document <= 35 pages including references/tables/figures/endnotes; abstract <= 150 words). Tightens prose and format; it does not invent content.
---

# Writing Style (joc-writing-style)

A JoC paper must be readable by a communication researcher outside its subfield, formatted to **APA
7th edition**, and disciplined to the **35-page** main-document limit and **150-word** abstract. This
skill is about reaching the field and respecting the format — not about generating claims.

## When to trigger

- Drafting the introduction, framing the contribution, or final polish
- Over the page limit and needing to cut without losing the argument
- Writing the **≤ 150-word abstract**
- Aligning citations/headings/format to APA 7th edition before submission

## Reach the whole field

1. **Front-load the contribution.** By the end of the introduction the reader knows the question, the
   argument, the evidence, and why it matters to communication broadly. Don't make a generalist dig for
   the "so what."
2. **Minimize subfield jargon** or define it on first use; a health-comm reader should follow a
   computational-comm paper. Spell out acronyms.
3. **Argument-first prose.** Lead with claims; use evidence to support them. Avoid "the data show…"
   without saying what they show and why it matters.
4. **Signpost.** Clear APA-style headings so a reader can navigate the argument.

## Format to APA 7th edition

- **Citations**: author-date per **APA 7th edition**; keep one consistent style (manage with
  Zotero/BibTeX). References are part of the 35-page count.
- **Manuscript**: **Word (.docx)** (not PDF); **12-pt Times New Roman, double-spaced, 1.0-inch margins**.
- **Anonymize**: JoC is **double-anonymous** — no author names/affiliations/acknowledgments in the main
  document **or supplemental materials**; write **self-citations in the third person**; strip file metadata.
- **Abstract**: **≤ 150 words**, stating question, approach, and finding.

## Fit the page limit (35 pages include abstract, text, references, tables, figures, endnotes)

- Move full specs, robustness grids, and codebooks to the **supplemental materials**.
- Cut throat-clearing and literature dumps; engage the debate, not every paper (see
  `joc-literature-positioning`).
- Tighten endnotes — they count toward the limit.
- Prefer one decisive figure to three redundant tables.
- For a **JoC Forum** piece, hold to **3,000–6,000 words**.

## Anti-patterns

- A subfield-insider intro that never states general significance
- Burying the contribution in the middle of the paper
- An abstract over 150 words or one that hides the finding
- Mixed citation styles; first-person self-references that break anonymity
- Submitting a PDF when JoC requires Word (.docx)

## Output format

```
【Contribution stated by end of intro?】[Y/N]
【Reads past the subfield?】jargon defined / acronyms spelled? [Y/N]
【Abstract】word count (≤150)
【Length】article ≤ 35 pages (incl. refs/tables/figures/endnotes) / Forum 3,000–6,000 words?
【APA 7th + Word .docx + anonymized + third-person self-cites】[Y/N]
【Next】joc-open-science-and-transparency
```

## Supplementary resources

- [`../../resources/official-source-map.md`](../../resources/official-source-map.md) — page/abstract caps, APA 7th edition, Word format, anonymity