Imago Journal of Visual Discourse and Digital Culture
Imago is an international, peer-reviewed open access journal published biannually in April and October. The journal focuses on critical and interdisciplinary research on visual communication and digital culture, exploring how visual and digital media shape social meaning, power relations, and cultural practices. Key areas include visual discourse, multimodal and critical discourse analysis, mediated communication, representation of identity and power, and visual politics in sociocultural transformation.
Aims, Focus & Scope
Mission & Vision
Peer Review Process
Our Review Model
Imago Journal of Visual Discourse and Digital Culture employs a rigorous double-blind peer review process to ensure the objectivity and quality of published research. Neither authors nor reviewers are aware of each other's identities throughout the review process.
Initial Editorial Screening (1–2 weeks)
The editor-in-chief evaluates the manuscript for scope alignment, language quality, and formatting compliance. Manuscripts that do not meet the minimum standards are desk-rejected.
Assignment to Reviewers (1 week)
Suitable manuscripts are assigned to at least two independent experts in the relevant field. Reviewers are selected based on their expertise, publication record, and absence of conflict of interest.
Peer Review (4–8 weeks)
Each reviewer assesses the manuscript's originality, methodology, clarity, and contribution to the field. Reviewers submit a structured report with a recommendation: Accept, Minor Revision, Major Revision, or Reject.
Editorial Decision
The editor synthesizes reviewer feedback and communicates the decision to authors. Authors are given a specific timeframe to submit revisions. Revised manuscripts may undergo a second review round.
Final Decision & Production
Accepted manuscripts proceed to copyediting, layout, and publication. Authors are notified of the publication date and provided with a DOI and final PDF.
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Publication Ethics
COPE Compliance
This journal follows the ethical guidelines established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) for all aspects of its publishing practices.
Authors' Responsibilities
Authors must ensure that submitted work is original, has not been published previously, and is not under consideration elsewhere. All authors listed must have made a substantial contribution to the work and have approved the final version for submission.
Editors' Responsibilities
Editors evaluate manuscripts based solely on academic merit and without regard to authors' nationality, gender, religion, or institutional affiliation. Editors must maintain the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts.
Reviewers' Responsibilities
Reviewers are expected to treat manuscripts as confidential documents, provide objective and constructive feedback, and disclose any conflicts of interest that might bias their review.
Handling Misconduct
Any suspected research or publication misconduct — including plagiarism, data fabrication, duplicate publication, or undisclosed conflicts of interest — will be investigated according to COPE guidelines. Corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern will be published as appropriate.
Screening for Plagiarism Policy
Similarity Threshold
All submitted manuscripts are screened for plagiarism using automated detection tools. Manuscripts with an overall similarity index exceeding 20% (excluding references and quotations) will be immediately rejected or returned to the author for revision.
Screening Process
Every submission undergoes similarity checking before it enters the peer review stage. The editorial team reviews the detailed similarity report to distinguish between acceptable citation practices and unacceptable copying.
Forms of Plagiarism
The journal considers the following as forms of plagiarism that will result in immediate rejection:
- Verbatim copying of another work without proper attribution
- Paraphrasing without attribution
- Self-plagiarism (reusing substantial portions of one's own prior published work without disclosure)
- Fabrication or falsification of data or results
Post-Publication Discovery
If plagiarism is discovered after publication, the article will be retracted and a formal retraction notice will be published. The author's institution and relevant bodies will be notified.
Open Access Policy
Copyright Notice
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal the right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.
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Privacy Statement
The names and email addresses entered in this journal site will be used exclusively for the stated purposes of this journal and will not be made available for any other purpose or to any other party.