Instructions for Authors

Submissions must adhere to the requirements outlined below in order to be considered.

General Requirements

• Submissions must be in English.

• Essays must be original, not have been previously published, nor simultaneously submitted to another journal for consideration. If parts of the essay have been published elsewhere, the MAST submission must add substantially new material, argumentation, or meaning to the work.

• Essays must be carefully proofread and copyedited before submission.

• Essays must follow Chicago Style, 17th edition, using the footnotes and bibliography system. Footnotes should appear throughout the essay, with a full bibliography included at the end. Footnote numbers should be placed at the end of the sentence, after punctuation. Use full citations on first reference in the footnotes and shortened citations for subsequent references. The bibliography should include all sources cited and should be alphabetized by the author’s last name.

• Essays must be submitted as a Word document file, typed in Times New Roman, 12-point font, double-spaced, with 1-inch margins. Use italics rather than underlining, except for URL addresses. All images must be placed within the text at the appropriate location, rather than at the end, and each image must include a caption with the necessary information according to the journal’s style.

• All submissions must include a title, the author’s information, including name, institutional affiliation, and a valid email address, as well as a short author biography of approximately 100 words. Authors are also encouraged to include their ORCID, if available.

• All aspects of the submission, including the article, abstract, keywords, author biography, contact information, images, captions, and links when applicable, must be included in one Word document file.

• Authors are responsible for obtaining all necessary permissions to publish images, illustrations, sounds, videos, artworks, interviews, and any other copyrighted or sensitive materials included in their submissions. All copyrights for published images, artworks, and media materials must be cleared by the publication date.

• Authors should disclose any potential conflicts of interest and any relevant prior publication, presentation, exhibition, or online circulation of the submitted material.

• All submissions must be sent to the editors at editors@mast-journal.org.

Full Papers

Full paper submissions must be between 5,000 and 6,000 words, including bibliography and footnotes, and must include an abstract (max. 250 words) with 5–8 keywords.

Full papers should present original scholarly research and make a clear contribution to media studies, media art, media theory, visual culture, art and technology, or related fields relevant to MAST’s scope.

All aspects of the submission, including the article, abstract, keywords, author biography, and contact information, must be included in one Word document file.

Practice-Based Studies

Submissions in this category include an original media artwork accompanied by a short essay (1,000–2,000 words) that frames the work in relation to the issue’s theme.

Media artworks for submission may include, but are not limited to, video/sound art, documentation of media installations, virtual/augmented/mixed reality projects, locative/mobile media art, digital art, hybrid media, interactive projects, and web-based projects. Essays may include a short description of the artwork or project, including materials, techniques, processes, and modes of creation/practice, and should also explain how the work theoretically relates to the key theme of the issue.

Submissions in this category are assessed based on originality, relevance, how well the work speaks to the issue’s theme, and how well the written component fits the journal’s scope and focus.

Authors are encouraged to include still images of the artwork (max. 6 images) in the body of their essay with captions. Images should be submitted in JPEG format and must be of adequate quality for online publication and web display.

For online works, including video, sound, and web-based projects, authors should provide a link and include a password if needed for the editors’ review. If the submission is accepted, authors may be asked to send high-quality materials, such as video files, sound clips, or image files, to the editors via Dropbox or Google Drive.

All aspects of the submission, including the essay, images or links to the work, author biography, and contact information, must be included in one Word document file.

Essays in this category must be new and not previously published. However, the artwork may have been previously exhibited or published, either in print or online. If the artwork has been exhibited or published before, authors should provide the relevant details in their submission.

Authors are responsible for obtaining all necessary copyright permissions to publish images, sounds, videos, artworks, and any other copyrighted materials. Authors may be provided with a MAST release form to obtain the necessary signatures from copyright owners. All copyrights for published images and artworks must be cleared before the publication date.

By submitting their work to MAST, authors agree to have their accepted work published on the journal’s website.

Video Essays

Submissions in this category include a video essay and are not accompanied by a written essay. Video essays are assessed as audio-visual equivalents of written essays and should use audio-visual and/or textual materials to develop an argument relevant to the issue’s specific theme.

For video essays, authors should submit a link to the video online, preferably on Vimeo or YouTube, and provide a password for the editors’ review if needed.

If accepted for publication, final versions of video essays should be sent directly to the editors as HD-quality MP4 files, preferably 1920 x 1080, via Dropbox or Google Drive.

Video essays must not have been previously published, nor simultaneously submitted to another journal for consideration.

Interviews and Book/Exhibition Reviews

For interviews and book/exhibition reviews, please contact the editors in advance and submit a short proposal.

The length of interviews and book/exhibition reviews may vary and should be discussed with the editors before submission.

Review Process

MAST uses a blind peer-review process to ensure the quality, originality, and scholarly rigor of research articles. All submissions are first reviewed by the editors, who assess whether the work fits the scope of the journal and the specific theme of the issue. Submissions that fall outside the journal’s scope, do not follow the submission guidelines, or do not meet the requirements of the issue may be declined at this stage.

Submissions that pass the initial editorial review are sent to at least two anonymous reviewers with relevant expertise in the field. Internal reviews are constructed by the members of the MAST editorial team, advisory board members. The external reviewers are identified by the MAST editors in consultation with guest editors and advisory board members when appropriate. All reviewers are contacted by the journal editors, who oversee the review process to ensure consistency, confidentiality, and the avoidance of potential conflicts of interest.

Reviewers evaluate submissions based on originality, methodological and theoretical rigor, significance, relevance to the journal’s scope and audience, clarity of expression, quality of supporting research, critical strength of the argument, and the novelty of the article’s insights and conclusions.

Reviewers provide feedback to the authors and the editorial team, identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the submission and recommending acceptance, revision, or rejection. Based on the reviewers’ comments and the editors’ assessment of the manuscript, the editorial team makes the final decision to accept, reject, or request revisions.

For special issues, guest editors may provide recommendations based on the reviews, but final editorial decisions are confirmed by the journal editors.

If revisions are requested, authors are expected to address the reviewers’ comments and resubmit the revised manuscript by the stated deadline. Major revisions may be returned to the original reviewers for re-evaluation. Minor revisions are assessed by the editors to confirm that reviewer feedback has been adequately addressed.

Incomplete submissions, including submissions that are above or below the required word limit or received after the deadline, may not be considered. Submissions that fall outside the scope of the journal or the specific theme of an issue are also subject to rejection.

MAST is committed to ensuring the integrity of the peer-review process. All submitted materials are treated as strictly confidential until publication.

Notification Emails

Authors will receive a confirmation email acknowledging receipt of their submission. If you do not receive a confirmation email from MAST within one week of the submission deadline, please contact the editors to follow up.

Authors are normally notified of acceptance, rejection, or requests for revision within four weeks of the submission deadline. The average time between article submission and publication is approximately 24–48 weeks, depending on the review process, revision timeline, and production schedule.

All formal decisions and reviewer feedback are communicated to authors by the journal editors through the official editorial email address, including for special issues involving guest editors.

Open Access, Copyright, and Licensing

MAST is a diamond open-access journal. All published content is made freely available to readers immediately upon publication, and no fees are charged to authors or readers.

Authors retain the copyright and full publishing rights to their work. Authors may reuse or republish their article as part of a book or other materials, provided that acknowledgment is given to MAST as the original source and place of publication. Authors may also post a copy of their accepted or published article on their personal websites, institutional repositories, or other appropriate scholarly platforms, with citation to the original publication in MAST.

All articles published in MAST are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).

Plagiarism

MAST has a zero-tolerance policy for plagiarism and is committed to maintaining publication ethics based on original research, responsible authorship, and proper citation of sources. Authors are expected to follow the citation and documentation standards of Chicago Style, 17th edition.

Any identified plagiarism, including unattributed use of another author’s words, ideas, images, or other materials, may result in the rejection of the manuscript. Serious cases may lead to a ban on future submissions to the journal and, when appropriate, notification of the author’s institution or affiliated organization.

Editors and reviewers are expected to remain vigilant in their evaluation of submissions and to notify the journal if they identify possible plagiarism, duplicate publication, or other ethical concerns.

Editorial Ethics and Integrity

MAST is committed to upholding high standards of editorial integrity. The journal follows principles of transparency, fairness, accountability, confidentiality, and respect for scholarly and artistic work.

Editors, reviewers, authors, and guest editors are expected to disclose any potential conflicts of interest that may affect the review, editorial decision-making, or publication process.

Ethical Oversight

Authors are responsible for ensuring that their research complies with relevant ethical standards, including those related to human participants, interviews, images, artworks, community-based research, and the use of personal or sensitive materials. Where institutional review board approval, ethics approval, consent, or permissions are required, authors must obtain them before submission and disclose them as appropriate.

For practice-based and artist-led research, authors are expected to respect the rights, consent, privacy, and dignity of participants, collaborators, artists, and communities represented in the work.

Use of Artificial Intelligence Tools

Authors must disclose any use of generative AI tools in the preparation of submitted work, including uses related to writing, editing, image generation, translation, data analysis, or other research processes. AI tools may not be listed as authors, as authorship requires accountability for the integrity, originality, and accuracy of the work.

Authors remain fully responsible for all submitted content, including any material generated, edited, or assisted by AI tools.

Corrections, Retractions, and Expressions of Concern

MAST is committed to maintaining the integrity of the scholarly record. If a significant error or ethical concern is identified after publication, the editors will review the matter carefully and determine whether any action is necessary.

Minor typographical or formatting errors that do not affect the meaning of the work may not require post-publication correction. Decisions about whether to issue a correction, update, expression of concern, or retraction are made by the journal editors based on the nature and seriousness of the issue, the available evidence, and the integrity of the published record.

When appropriate, MAST may follow guidance from the Committee on Publication Ethics in considering post-publication actions. Any post-publication changes will be handled transparently and with respect for authors, readers, and the journal’s editorial independence.

Complaints and Appeals

Authors, reviewers, and readers may submit complaints or appeals regarding editorial decisions, peer review procedures, publication ethics, or published content by contacting the editors at editors@mast-journal.org.

Appeals should include a clear explanation of the concern and any relevant supporting materials. The editors will review complaints in good faith and, when appropriate, consult guest editors, advisory board members, or external experts. Editorial decisions may be reconsidered when there is evidence of procedural error, conflict of interest, or substantive misunderstanding.

Non-Discrimination

All submissions are reviewed on the basis of content, quality, originality, and contribution to the field, without regard to the author’s gender, sexual orientation, race, nationality, ethnicity, religion, age, disability, institutional affiliation, or career stage.