Get your Discourse, Context and Media paper right the first time: a ready-made structure with the right abstract and citations, so editors see your science, not formatting slips.
4.1
Authored by Sumalatha Gangadhar | Published on 10 August, 2026
Submitting to Discourse, Context and Media goes smoothly when your draft already matches the journal's own rules. Editors screen new manuscripts against the Discourse, Context and Media guide for authors before peer review, so formatting, structure, and required statements should be right on the first draft rather than repaired during upload. This template sets that structure up for you.
It is a manuscript shell aligned to Discourse, Context and Media. It covers front matter, the abstract the journal expects, a body organized to the journal's article types, and a reference list in the journal's required style. Confirm current scope and article types on the Discourse, Context and Media journal page before you draft.
Prepare the title, authors, affiliations, and ORCID iDs. Write the abstract to the journal's rule and word limit, organize the body to the article type, and apply the required reference style from the first citation. Complete every declaration (ethics, competing interests, funding, data availability) the Discourse, Context and Media guide for authors lists, and cite figures and tables in order.
The common failure modes are formatting or reference style that does not match the guide for authors, missing required statements, and an incomplete portal checklist. Clear all three against the Discourse, Context and Media guide for authors before you submit.
The shell mirrors what editorial staff check first: article-type fit, the abstract rules, required declarations, and the journal's reference style. For more detail see the author resources. When your draft is ready, upload it through the journal's submission system.
| Element | Discourse Context Media requirement |
|---|---|
| Abstract | Unstructured abstract required, maximum 250 words. The abstract should briefly state the purpose of research, principal results and major conclusions. Must be able to stand alone. Avoid references unless essential (cite author and year if needed). Avoid non-standard abbreviations or define them at first mention |
| Main text | Articles should be between 6,000 - 8,000 words in length (total word count including all sections) |
| Declarations | Ethics approval/consent as applicable; competing interests; funding; data availability |
| Figures/tables | Publication-ready; cited in order |
| Supplemental | Upload separately when used |
| Keywords | 1 to 7 keywords required for indexing purposes. Keywords should be in English. Authors are recommended to avoid keywords consisting of multiple words (using 'and' or 'of'). Use abbreviations in keywords only if firmly established in the field |
| References | Author-date style (Harvard variant). In-text citations: single author (name and year), two authors (both names and year), three or more authors (first author et al. and year). Reference list arranged alphabetically then chronologically if necessary. Any consistent style accepted at submission; journal style applied at proof stage after acceptance |
| Peer review | Double-blind / double-anonymized review process. Author identities are concealed from reviewers and vice versa. Submission initially assessed by editors for suitability, then typically sent to minimum of two reviewers for independent expert assessment |
| Submission | submit.elsevier.com/DCM |
Read the Discourse, Context and Media guide for authors once before drafting and once before upload. Draft the abstract after results are stable. Set the reference style before adding citations. Keep a cover letter that states your contribution and fit to Discourse, Context and Media in under a page.
Skim two or three recent Discourse Context Media papers to calibrate depth and figure style. Make the novelty clear in the first two pages. Deposit data and code when the policy on the Discourse, Context and Media journal page requires it. Disclose any preprint or conference version with identifiers in the cover letter.
Do one focused pass against the Discourse, Context and Media guide for authors: scope, length, reference style, required declarations, and figure quality. Then submit through the journal's submission system.