Manuscripts submitted for peer review must be submitted through the journal's Manuscript Central Web site, http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/tcq. Inquiries about potential submissions or questions about the submission process may be addressed to the editor, Amy Koerber (amy.koerber@ttu.edu). After your manuscript has been submitted, you can track its progress through the online review system.

Manuscripts submitted for peer review typically fall into one of three categories: Original Research Article, Methodologies and Approaches, or Perspectives. Your cover letter should indicate the category to which you intend to submit your manuscript. Please adhere to the appropriate guidelines below. Manuscripts that do not meet the stated criteria may be returned to the author without being sent out for review. If you are not sure whether your manuscript fits into one of these categories, please send an inquiry to the editor, amy.koerber@ttu.edu.

Original Research Articles report the results of a formal study based on original research. TCQ publishes research informed by a wide variety of interpretive and empirical methodologies, including but not limited to the following: textual analysis, archival research, usability testing, ethnographic observation, interviews, and surveys. The typical length for manuscripts in this category is 8,000-9,000 words (30-35 double-spaced pages, including notes and references).

Methodologies and Approaches are descriptions of innovative teaching or research techniques. This category provides a forum for reporting on specific techniques or strategies without the structure of a formal, full-scale study. The author should demonstrate familiarity with current relevant scholarship. Preference will be given to submissions that address timely topics and suggest techniques or strategies of interest to TCQ's diverse readership. The typical length for manuscripts in this category is 6,000-7,000 words (25-30 double-spaced pages, including notes and references).

Perspectivesare opinion-based essays about some aspect of the field of technical communication. They may, for example, call attention to an under-examined issue in our current theories about technical communication, argue for the need for more extensive research about a given topic, review theory and research, or use ideas from other disciplines to lead us to rethink how we conceptualize practice and pedagogy in technical communication. The typical length for manuscripts in this category is 6,000-7,000 words (25-30 double-spaced pages, including notes and references).

When you submit a manuscript, it will first be read by the editor and an editorial assistant. If the manuscript is deemed suitable for review, the editor will invite two reviewers who possess the appropriate expertise to offer anonymous evaluations of the manuscript's quality and readiness for publication in TCQ. All reviews are carried out in a double-blind fashion. You can expect to receive notice of the editor's publication decision within three months of submitting your manuscript. Most articles that appear in TCQ have undergone at least one round of revision, and it is not uncommon for manuscripts to undergo more than one round of revision. In most situations, the same two reviewers initially selected will remain with the manuscript throughout the revision process.

When you log in to Manuscript Central, you will first be prompted to enter a title, running head, 75-word abstract, keywords, author information, and cover letter. The cover letter should include the following: (a) a statement indicating which category the manuscript falls into (Original Research Article, Methodologies and Approaches, or Perspectives), (b) a statement that the manuscript has not been published and is not currently under consideration elsewhere. If the data have been published in some form elsewhere, the authors should indicate how the content of the submitted manuscript provides new information not available in previously published articles written by the authors; (c) a 35-word biographic sketch of the author; and (d) the title of the manuscript, the names of the authors, the authors' affiliations, and the complete address, phone number, fax number, and e-mail address of the author who will receive all correspondence. 

Next, you will be prompted to upload the following files:

(1) Manuscript. The manuscript file should contain the entire text of your article, including title, abstract, all text, references, and notes, but it should not include tables and figures (see below). Indicate where each table or figure should appear by placing the words “Insert Table _ about here” at the appropriate place in your manuscript file. Preferred file types for the manuscript are Microsoft Word (.doc), Rich Text Format (.rtf), or Post Script (.ps). (Please consult http://mchelp.manuscriptcentral.com/tutorials/fileconversion.pdf for more information on the types of files that can be uploaded in Manuscript Central.)

Because an anonymous review system is employed, authors' names and affiliations should not appear on the title page or elsewhere in the manuscript file (they will be keyed into the system and placed on a separate page in the cover letter file). If authors' names or other identifying information is included in the manuscript, the editorial staff will either remove this information or ask the author to do so before sending the manuscript to reviewers.

Format the manuscript to comply with the editorial guidelines appearing in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (5th ed.). Although various Web sites offer tutorials and brief information on APA style, the most complete information can be found in the published manual, which costs around $30. (The manual is available from the APA Order Department, P.O. Box 92984, Washington, DC 20090-2984; tel: 800-374-2721; fax: 202-336-5502; e-mail: order@apa.org; online: www.apa.org/books/). Please also consult the TCQ Guide for Authors at http://tcqwiki.pbworks.com.

Color Reproduction. Color illustrations will be considered for publication; however, the author will be required to bear the full cost involved in color art reproduction. Color art can be purchased for online only reproduction or for print + online reproduction. Color reprints can only be ordered if print + online reproduction costs are paid. Rates for color art reproduction are: Online Only Reproduction: $225 for the first page of color; $100 per page for the next three pages of color. A maximum charge of $525 applies. Print + Online Reproduction: $900 for the first page of color; $450 per page for the next three pages of color. Art not supplied at a minimum of 300 dpi will not be considered for print.

Proofs and Reprints. Page proofs are sent to the designated author using Taylor & Francis' Central Article Tracking System (CATS). The corresponding author of each article will receive three complimentary copies of the issue in which the article appears. Reprints of individual articles are available for order at the time authors review page proofs. A discount on reprints is available to authors who order before print publication.