Written and maintained by CASRAI Editorial Board
Last updated
The Journal of Advertising (JA) is the premier peer-reviewed research journal dedicated to advancing advertising theory and its relationship with commercial and societal practice. Founded in 1972 under the sponsorship of the American Academy of Advertising (AAA), the journal serves as a primary international forum for theoretical, empirical, and methodological research in marketing communication, consumer psychology, and promotional ethics.
Published on behalf of the AAA by Routledge (Taylor & Francis), the journal operates under a hybrid model. Authors can publish without submission fees or Article Processing Charges (APCs) through standard subscription distribution, or choose Gold Open Access through Taylor & Francis Open Select. This guide explains the journal’s governance, scope, indexing status, submission steps, and comparative positioning.
What it is
The Journal of Advertising is a quarterly serial (NLM Unique ID 101481595; Medline abbreviation J Advert) publishing scholarship across all facets of advertising. The journal carries print ISSN 0091-3367 and online ISSN 1557-7805. Continuous publication since 1972 has produced a digital archive exceeding 2,210 registered DOIs managed through Crossref by Informa UK / Taylor & Francis.
Accepted manuscripts must provide a clear conceptual contribution to advertising theory. Papers must ground empirical observations in models of communication, cognition, persuasion, or behavioral decision-making. Accepted methodologies include experiments, surveys, econometric modeling, content analysis, qualitative inquiry, and meta-analyses.
All research papers undergo double-anonymized peer review, concealing author and reviewer identities throughout evaluation. In addition, the journal sponsors the Student and Junior Faculty Reviewer Training Program, mentoring early-career scholars in review ethics.
Who runs it and what it covers
The Journal of Advertising is owned and sponsored by the American Academy of Advertising (AAA). AAA members receive subscription access as a member benefit. Editorial leadership is directed by Editor-in-Chief Dr. Jisu Huh (Raymond O. Mithun Chair in Advertising at the Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Minnesota), supported by an international editorial board.
Core Editorial Scope
The journal’s editorial policy covers six main research areas:
- Advertising Theory: Models explaining how advertising influences decision-making, brand relationships, and societal beliefs.
- Consumer Psychology: Processing of messaging appeals, creative styles, and disclosure cues.
- Emerging Media and Algorithms: Theoretical implications of programmatic ads, computational communication, influencer marketing, AI, and algorithmic targeting.
- Ethics and Public Policy: Deceptive advertising, native ad disclosures, child protections, data privacy, and regulation.
- Global Research: International advertising governance, cultural framing, and cross-national campaign strategies.
- Methodological Advances: Development and validation of psychometric scales and computational methods for advertising.
Indexing and Evaluation Metrics
The journal is indexed across major international citation databases:
- Clarivate Web of Science Core Collection (Social Sciences Citation Index — SSCI)
- Scopus (Elsevier, Source Record ID 28180)
- PsycINFO (American Psychological Association)
- Communication & Mass Media Complete (EBSCOhost)
- ProQuest Central and ABI/INFORM
Because the journal operates on a subscription basis with an optional open-access track rather than a fully open model, it is not indexed in the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), which lists only pure open-access journals.
How to search or use it
Researchers interact with the Journal of Advertising as readers exploring literature or as authors submitting manuscripts. Submissions are processed through ScholarOne Manuscripts under established Taylor & Francis peer review standards. The eight steps below outline the author submission workflow.
Step 1: Check Scope and Theoretical Fit
Review recent issues on Taylor & Francis Online to ensure your paper addresses advertising theory. Descriptive studies or general management articles lacking a clear advertising mechanism face immediate desk rejection. Authors may email an abstract query to the Editor-in-Chief to confirm suitability.
Step 2: Format to APA 7th Edition
Format the manuscript according to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th edition). Align in-text citations, reference lists, headings, and statistical reporting conventions to APA guidelines.
Step 3: Prepare Blinded and Unblinded Files
To adhere to double-blind versus single-blind peer review rules, prepare two separate file sets:
- Title Page: Contains title, author names, affiliations, corresponding author contact, ORCID identifiers, funding acknowledgments, and conflict declarations.
- Blinded Manuscript: Contains the complete manuscript, abstract, tables, figures, and references. Remove author names, institutional mentions, and identifying self-citations. Sanitize file metadata properties.
Step 4: Access the ScholarOne Submission Portal
Go to the journal’s official ScholarOne portal (journal code ujoa at https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/ujoa). Create an account using your institutional email and link your ORCID profile.
Step 5: Upload Files and Designate File Types
Upload your files and assign appropriate system designations: “Main Document”, “Title Page”, “Table”, “Figure”, or “Supplementary File”. The system merges these into a single proof for review.
Step 6: Enter Metadata and Disclosures
Input the article title, abstract (up to 150 words), and 3 to 6 keywords. Complete declarations concerning human subjects research approvals (such as Institutional Review Board clearance), originality, and non-simultaneous submission.
Step 7: Undergo Editorial Screening and Peer Review
The Editor-in-Chief conducts an initial desk screen for methodological soundness and theoretical relevance. Passing papers are assigned to an Associate Editor, who invites independent external referees. Authors monitor progress in the portal dashboard.
Step 8: Choose Licensing Upon Acceptance
Upon acceptance, Taylor & Francis issues proofing tasks and the publishing agreement. Authors choose between traditional copyright assignment ($0 cost) or open access under the hybrid open access model. Authors selecting Gold OA can check eligibility for institutional agreements or article processing charge waiver policies.
Strengths and limits
Authors should consider both the academic advantages and operational constraints of the Journal of Advertising.
Strengths
- Disciplinary Prestige: The leading international venue dedicated specifically to advertising theory and persuasive communication.
- Rigorous Review: Detailed double-blind peer review supported by trained ad-hoc reviewers and experienced associate editors.
- Zero-Cost Option: Authors can publish without fees under standard subscription distribution.
- Global Discovery: Complete indexing in SSCI and Scopus ensures broad visibility across business, media, and social science faculties.
Limits
- Selective Desk Screening: Papers relying solely on convenience student or MTurk samples without robust replication or conceptual depth face high desk-rejection rates.
- Review Duration: Comprehensive double-blind peer review and revision cycles commonly require several months.
- Open Access Fees: Gold Open Access requires paying an APC unless covered by institutional transformative agreements or country-based waivers.
- Focused Scope: General marketing or logistics research lacking an explicit advertising communication focus falls outside the journal’s scope.
Alternatives
The table below summarizes key differences between the Journal of Advertising and related academic journals in advertising and communication.
| Journal | Publisher & Sponsoring Body | Indexing Tier | Publishing Model | Primary Editorial Focus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Journal of Advertising (JA) | Taylor & Francis / American Academy of Advertising | SSCI, Scopus (Q1) | Hybrid ($0 subscription / Gold OA option) | Core advertising theory, consumer response models, ethics, and methodology. |
| Journal of Advertising Research (JAR) | Cambridge University Press / Advertising Research Foundation | SSCI, Scopus | Hybrid ($0 subscription / Gold OA option) | Bridge between academic research and commercial advertising practice. |
| International Journal of Advertising (IJA) | Taylor & Francis / Advertising Association | SSCI, Scopus (Q1) | Hybrid ($0 subscription / Gold OA option) | Global marketing communications, branding, and international regulatory issues. |
| Journal of Interactive Advertising (JIA) | Taylor & Francis / American Academy of Advertising | ESCI, Scopus | Hybrid ($0 subscription / Gold OA option) | Digital advertising, social media platforms, interactive tech, and artificial intelligence. |
FAQ
Is the Journal of Advertising peer-reviewed?
Yes. All original research articles published in the Journal of Advertising undergo double-blind peer review by independent expert reviewers following an initial desk review by the Editor-in-Chief.
Does the Journal of Advertising charge a submission fee?
No. There are no fees to submit a manuscript. Accepted papers can be published free of charge through the standard subscription route.
Is the Journal of Advertising an open-access journal?
The journal operates as a hybrid journal under Taylor & Francis Open Select. Authors choose between free subscription-based publication or Gold Open Access with an Article Processing Charge.
Who publishes the Journal of Advertising?
The journal is owned by the American Academy of Advertising (AAA) and published on its behalf by Routledge / Taylor & Francis Group.
What citation style does the Journal of Advertising use?
The journal requires the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA 7th edition) for formatting, references, and statistical notation.
Sources
- American Academy of Advertising: Journal of Advertising Portal — Official journal scope, ownership, subscription benefits, and reviewer training details (verified 2026-11-09).
- Crossref Official DOI Registry: Journal of Advertising — Publisher record (Informa UK / Taylor & Francis), archive size (2,210 registered DOIs), and continuous publication history since 1972 (verified 2026-11-09).
- National Library of Medicine Catalog: Journal of Advertising — Serial catalog record, NLM ID 101481595, ISO title abbreviation J Advert (verified 2026-11-09).
- Taylor & Francis Author Services: Making Your Submission — Manuscript submission procedures, ScholarOne platform requirements, and formatting rules (verified 2026-11-09).
- Taylor & Francis Author Services: Understanding Peer Review — Double-blind peer review procedures and anonymization instructions (verified 2026-11-09).
- Taylor & Francis Author Services: Open Access Options — Hybrid publishing model, Open Select framework, and APC waiver policies (verified 2026-11-09).
- Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) — Official database check confirming hybrid status rather than pure open-access registration (verified 2026-11-09).
