Accepted audiovisual works will represent current research, new theoretical perspectives, and critical audiovisual strategies that fall outside the limitations of print scholarship. The editors will consider expository, experimental, or artistic works that articulate an argument within or adjacent to the field of ethnomusicology. The work, which can be of any length, should produce new musicological knowledge about its subject through audiovisual form. The web format will allow for supporting text and relevant hyperlinks to the primary work.

We expect that most submissions will come from academics who make films. We also aspire to bridge the gap between academia and commercial documentary film and to provide a vehicle for the distribution of films by non-academic filmmakers whose films constitute an ethnographic point of view on a musical culture, group, or phenomenon. Similarly, works by producers without academic affiliation are welcome, but these will be evaluated according to the same standards of creativity and scholarship as those by academics.

Note that we are accepting films at two different stages of production; (A) “open films,” that will be submitted to peer review with suggestions for completion; and (B) “closed films,” that are complete, and may be under unexclusive distribution elsewhere on video sharing sites. Open films need to be as close to completion as possible, and should not be under consideration for academic peer-reviewed publication elsewhere. Unless agreed upon by the editors, closed films should not be more than five years old. All submissions should indicate whether open or closed.

Upon receipt, within one month, JAVEM editors will watch the work, confer on it, and either: agree, in the first instance, to send the work out for peer review to two expert reviewers (including members of JAVEM’s editorial board); or write to the author to explain why, in our view, the work does not yet merit being sent out for external review. One JAVEM editor will agree to take on the role of liaising with the author and reviewers for each submission.

There are no submission or processing charges – JAVEM will be free to publish, free to read, and made available for educational use.

Peer reviewers will know the name of the person(s) submitting the work (single blind review) and, at the outset of the review process, will be asked to declare any conflict of interest. If there is a conflict, a new reviewer will be sought. Once a reviewer agrees to evaluate the work (comprising video and research statement) they will be asked to make a written recommendation (approximately 300-500-words) to the editors about publication, normally within two months of being sent the work, with several conclusive options: “PUBLISH AS IS,” “PUBLISH WITH MINOR REVISIONS,” “REVISE AND RESUBMIT,” or “REJECT.”

Following the reviewers and editors’ approval of the work for publication (with or without further amendments, on which video authors will work in discussion with one assigned editor, normally within the space of a month), submitted videos will be published alongside the original or amended research statement, as well as edited versions of the peer-reviews (signed by their authors). Further comments from readers/viewers will be encouraged.

Authors will retain the rights to their videos and creator statements, granting JAVEM the right to publish their work. While we allow creators to determine their own copyright stipulations based on their country of residence, we encourage creators to license their work under CreativeCommons.

We look forward to receiving your submissions.

The timescale for the review process is intended to be four to six months from submission.

Thank you.

Benjamin J. Harbert
Frank Gunderson
JAVEM Co-Editors In-Chief