Submissions

This page is designed to help you ensure your submission is ready for and fits the scope of the journal.

Before submitting you should read over the guidelines here, then register an account (or login if you have an existing account). 

Article Length and Content
Research articles and case studies typically range between 6,000 and 10,000 words. Abstracts that are submitted along with the article during the submission process should be limited to 250 words.

Language and Grammar

  • JPW publishes multi- and interdisciplinary research. Please explain technical terminology that is discipline-specific.
  • English-language articles are published using standard American English grammar. Articles published in other languages will be considered in collaboration with translators and language consultants, at the discretion of the editors.
  • Some English-language articles are published in translation for our international audience. If you wish for your article to be considered for translation (to or from English), please contact the editors.
  • JPW supports the use of inclusive language for humans and for God. Gendered pronouns should be avoided unless referring to specific individuals who self-identify with those pronouns. “They” and “their” may be used to refer to singular antecedents where necessary. Gender/pronoun and chosen name/gender consistency should be maintained when writing about a trans person.
  • The latest edition of The Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS) is the authority for capitalization, punctuation, grammar, quotations, and all matters of bibliographical style. Authors can choose between CMOS author/date and notes/bibliography according to their preference and disciplinary custom.
  • For grammatical guidance, see “Grammar and Usage” in the latest edition of The Chicago Manual of Style. Writers should refrain from using contractions, passive language, incomplete sentences, and imprecise terminology, as well as wordy phrases and excessive quotations.
  • Authors are expected to proofread and copyedit their own work prior to submission and manuscripts with insufficient editing will be rejected.

Other matters of style

  • Transliteration: In general, a word should be transliterated only if there is no acceptable English equivalent. If no such equivalent is available, authors should follow the ALA-LC romanization tables for the respective language when possible.
  • The word “church”: Capitalize when referring to a specific denomination as a whole (eg. Roman Catholic Church) or as part of an official placename (eg. St. John’s Church). Do not capitalize when referring to christians in general, ecclesiastical government, the christian faith, a building used for worship, or a generic reference to a congregation/body of Christians.
  • Usage of the Bible:
    • References to books of the Bible in running text should be spelled out but references in parentheses and notes should be abbreviated.
    • Abbreviations of biblical books should follow common practice in relevant fields and periodical publications.
    • When citing the Bible, use it only to clarify an embedded reference within a text or quotation, not as standalone proof for normative claims about theology, music, or other arguments. Do not assume the meaning of a passage in your citation.

Formatting Guidelines
You can do either author-date or footnote-bibliography, following the CMS. 

Main Body

  • Use 1.15  line spacing, 12 pt. Times New Roman for the main body of your text.
  • Use 1.0 line spacing, 10 pt. Times New Roman for indented quotes and their annotations.
  • Set off indented quotations from the surrounding text with additional space above and below; double-indent the quotation; do not use quotation marks for indented quotes.
  • Use a single column layout.
  • All margins (left, right, top, and bottom) should be 1 inch (2.5 cm), including your tables and figures.
  • Indent the first line of paragraphs, unless the paragraph begins underneath a ranged-left subheading.
  • Do not include page numbers, headers, or footers.
  • Use footnotes (see “References” section below).
  • Ensure that there are no colored markups or comments in the final version, unless they are meant to be part of the final text (i.e., you may need to “accept all changes” in track changes or set your document to “normal” in final markup).

Headings
Distinguish headings and subheadings from the main body text with spacing above and below. Headings should be centered, while subheadings should be ranged left. Preference for fewer headings/sub-headings where possible.

Tables, Figures, Musical Examples, and Links

  • To the extent possible, position tables, figures, and musical examples near where they are referenced in the text.
  • References to sources from the Bible or other religious texts should include a parenthetical reference to the specific translation source.
  • Put large tables or figures on pages by themselves.
  • Tables should not include overly small text that is difficult to read at 100% magnification
  • All tables and figures must fit within 1-inch margins on all sides (left, right, top, and bottom) in both portrait and landscape view.
  • Tables or figures should be included in the manuscript submission, not as a separate file.
  • Any audio and/or video clips intended to accompany the submission must be described in parentheses where the author wishes them to appear; the initial submission should only contain text, plus any images, tables, and figures. At the time of submission, authors may upload additional files to be displayed on the web page alongside their article (e.g., data sets, video clips, or sound files). Authors are responsible for securing permissions for any illustrative digital media to be included in journal articles.
  • Refer to the latest edition of The Chicago Manual of Style on “Illustrations and Tables” for additional guidance regarding placement, numbering, captions, credit lines, etc.
  • URLs should be provided for sources not easily accessible by their title or other identifying information and should not be provided for journal articles and books that can be easily found. See CMS 13.6.

References

  • Submissions are required to have a full bibliography. Please note: the bibliography is required to support the review process and to ensure quality across disciplinary editorial expectations.
  • All references should be complete and formatted according to the latest edition of The Chicago Manual of Style.
  • Note numbers should begin with “1” and follow consecutively throughout the text.
  • In the body of the text, note numbers are superscripted.
  • Use 10 pt. Times New Roman font, single-spaced, for footnotes.
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Focus and Scope

In addition to the musical forms commonly associated with these terms are the people, networks, and institutions; the multiple practices, materials, and technologies; and the distinct theologies, ideologies, and logics through which Praise & Worship is understood and employed.

The journal publishes research from a variety of methodological and disciplinary approaches, including liturgical studies, religious and theological studies, music studies, media and performance studies, and other related fields.

 

Submission Checklist

Please review the following to ensure your article is ready for submission. If you have any questions, contact our editors (jpweditor@smu.edu)

  • The submission has not been previously published and is not under consideration for publication in another journal.
  • Permission has been obtained for any copyrighted materials, including previously published tables and figures.
  • The submission is a single Microsoft Word file that includes all tables, figures, references, appendices, etc.
  • The submission adheres to all formatting and stylistic requirements outlined in this guide.
  • The submission has complete references formatted in accordance with the latest edition of The Chicago Manual of Style.
  • The submission is free of identifying information for the double-blind peer-review process.

Peer Review

This journal operates a double-blind, peer-review policy.

Licences

The following licences are allowed:

  • Copyright
    © the author(s). All rights reserved.
  • CC BY 4.0
    Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use. No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
  • CC BY-ND 4.0
    Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use. NoDerivatives — If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you may not distribute the modified material. No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
  • CC BY-NC 4.0
    Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use. NonCommercial — You may not use the material for commercial purposes. No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
  • CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
    Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use. NonCommercial — You may not use the material for commercial purposes. NoDerivatives — If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you may not distribute the modified material. No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
  • CC BY-SA 4.0
    Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use. ShareAlike — If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you must distribute your contributions under the same license as the original. No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.

Publication Fees

With gratitude to Bridwell Press and Bridwell Library at Perkins School of Theology (Southern Methodist University) who are generously underwriting this project, JPW is fully open access without APC for authors.  

Publication Cycle

Articles are considered throughout the year and released periodically, leading to a fully compiled annual edition.

Sections

Section or article type Public Submissions Peer Reviewed Indexed
Article Yes Yes Yes