JCSD&CB Guidelines

The Journal of Consumer Satisfaction, Dissatisfaction and Complaining Behavior is published annually to present articles central to the theme of the journal. Conceptual pieces and research conducted in the contexts of B-to-B, Services, and B-to-C are of equal interest.

Authors are solely responsible for all statements and facts in their articles. The Journal is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts.

REVIEW PROCEDURE: The receipt of a manuscript is acknowledged by e-mail, fax, or letter. Three to four reviewers are used in a double blind review process. Upon return of the reviews the accept/reject/revise decision is made by the editor and the contact author is notified. Reviewers' comments are provided to the author(s).

DOUBLE PUBLICATION: To protect JCS/D&CB, any and each author who allows a manuscript to be published in JCS/D&CB guarantees that the paper accepted for publication in JCS/D&CB is not copyrighted elsewhere or that all copyright clearances have been obtained and delivered to JCS/D&CB and also guarantees to pay any and all damages and legal expenses resulting from any copyright problem existing at the time of publication in JCS/D&CB. As the authors are the only ones who have full knowledge in this matter they are the ones who bear full responsibility and liability for full disclosure to JCS/D&CB.

TIMING OF SUBMISSION: Papers can be submitted at any time and will be reviewed and accepted/rejected in as timely a fashion as possible.

LENGTH: Any length manuscript will be considered for publication. However, manuscripts over 45 double-spaced printed pages including all tables and appendices will be looked at very carefully to see if the contribution warrants that much space.

ABSTRACT: Manuscripts must be accompanied by an abstract of at least 100 words, preferably around 150 words, and not exceeding 200 words. Key words, methodologies, and findings must be clearly articulated in the abstract.

E-MAIL REQUIRED: We strongly prefer that manuscripts and all other correspondence come to us by e-mail. Articles to be considered for publication should be submitted using Microsoft Word, be double spaced, and use a 12 pt. font. Be sure to get confirmation that the file was received.

PRINTED MANUSCRIPTS: If you send your manuscript by e-mail there is no need for you to also send it in printed form. Do not send manuscripts by fax.

AUTHOR IDENTIFICATION: Because JCS/D&CB uses a double blind, peer-review process it is inappropriate for authors to identify themselves or provide clues to their identity in their manuscripts. The contact author's full name, mailing address, telephone number, FAX number, and e-mail address, along with the title of the paper, should appear on the first page. When there are additional authors, provide only names and professional affiliation for those co-authors.

REFERENCES: Reference citations in the text of the manuscript should be in parentheses, by author's last name and year of publication, for example (Day 1977). If the author's name appears in a sentence the name should be followed by the year, for example, "...Day (1977)..." If a page is cited it should be noted as follows: (Day 1977, p.26). If a citation has only two authors always use both authors' names (Day and Hunt 1978). If a citation has three or more authors, include all the authors' names the first time the citation appears. After the first appearance use only the name of the first author, for example, an article by Hunt, Day and Someone would be (Hunt, et al. 1978). In a series of citations in the same location, separate the citations with a semicolon, for example, (Day 1977; Hunt et al. 1978). Works published in the same year by the same author(s) should be differentiated by letters after the date, for example, Day 1977a; 1977b).

All references cited in the article and ONLY references cited in the article are to be fully listed in alphabetical order at the end of the article, with the first author surname first and other authors' names surname last. Standard reference punctuation is expected. Recent JCS/D&CB articles may be used for examples. First names as well as last names are required except where an author is known by their initial or initials, for example, H. Keith Hunt, not H. K. Hunt, or Ralph L. Day, not R. L. Day.

FOOTNOTES AND ENDNOTES: JCS/D&CB does not permit the use of footnotes. However, endnotes are often warranted and are therefore considered acceptable. Contact the Editor if you have questions about this matter.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Acknowledgements are discouraged but may be used if required and will be placed at the end of the paper following the references section.

SUBMISSION OF FINAL COPY: After a manuscript is accepted and all suggested revisions made, the final manuscript must be submitted as an e-mail attachment in Microsoft Word format. Specific formatting instructions will be provided to the contact author for each accepted article. It is important that these instructions be carefully followed.

CAMERA-READY COPY: Camera-ready art work for any graphics may be requested from the authors after the manuscript is accepted for publication. JCS/D&CB prints with black ink on white paper. No colors other than black ink are allowed. Tables and figures must have a white background. What may be an attractive color figure in your manuscript could end up as uneven shading in the printed journal. Figures using shading sometimes do not print well.

PRINTED JOURNAL: JCS/D&CB is a print journal. We print annually at the end of our fiscal year which next will begin January 1, 2011 and end December 31, 2011 . The Journal will be mailed to subscribers as close to January 1 as possible in the following year.

ELECTRONIC AVAILABILITY: Our Web Site is currently undergoing reconstruction. Once completed, JCS/D&CB will be available on-line. Eventually, all volumes of JCS/D&CB will be available for downloading. All conference proceedings volumes from the 1977 through 1985

PERMISSION TO COPY OR REPRODUCE: Granted to everyone, no fee. All we ask is that you write us a note letting us know which article(s) you copied and what the use was.

SUBSCRIPTIONS: Due the rising cost of postage and printing, prices might increase from time to time. Currently, the price per volume is $18 if mailed to a U.S. address or $28 if mailed to a non-U.S. address (Air Mail is now the only option available and accounts for this higher price to non-U.S. addresses). These prices are inclusive of postage and handling.

PAYMENTS: Payment can be by check drawn in U.S. dollars on a U.S. bank location. It can also be made by MasterCard or Visa charge card, which is encouraged for international transactions.

STANDING ORDERS: You are encouraged to enter a standing order for future volumes of the Journal. Each new volume is shipped, with an invoice, to all Standing Orders as soon as it is printed. If, after you receive a volume, you decide you don't want it, return the undamaged volume and the invoice will be cancelled. You are responsible for the return postage. A standing order is the easiest way to be sure you receive new volumes as soon as they are printed.

CS/D&CB PUBLICATION LIST: Hard copies of most of the conference proceedings published from 1977 through 1985 and all back issues of the Journal are available at current Journal prices.

ADDRESS: Manuscripts, subscriptions, and all correspondence should be sent to:

In communicating with the Editor or either of the Associate Editors (Steven A. Taylor, Professor of Marketing at Illinois State University and Kevin G. Celuch, Blair Chair of Business Science and Professor of Marketing at the University of Southern Indiana), e-mail is the preferred approach. However, we welcome phone calls, faxes, and/or letters.

COMMUNICATIONS FROM JCS/D&CB: We prefer to communicate by e-mail; 2^nd choice is fax.

FINANCIAL/LEGAL: Consumer Satisfaction, Dissatisfaction and Complaining Behavior, Inc., owner & publisher of JCS/D&CB, is incorporated in Illinois.

ILLINOIS STATE UNIVERSITY and UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN INDIANA : Neither University of Southern Indiana nor Illinois State University has ownership involvement of any kind with JCS/D&CB and is in no way liable for anything to do with JCS/D&CB. Professor Goodwin’s ILSTU e-mail address is to his faculty office and is used for JCS/D&CB solely as a convenience to him in his role as Editor. The same is true for the ILSTU e-mail address of Associate Editor Taylor and the USI e-mail address of Associate Editor Celuch.

COPYRIGHT: Each volume is copyrighted by Consumer Satisfaction, Dissatisfaction and Complaining Behavior, Inc.

CS/D&CB CONFERENCES: Since the late 1980’s, CS/D&CB conferences had, with a few exceptions, been held in odd-numbered years. Since 2003, however, the conferences have been held in June ’06, June ‘08 and June ’10, and the next conference is scheduled to be held in June, 2012. Papers and presentations of all kinds are welcome, as long as they are focused on consumer satisfaction, dissatisfaction and/or complaining behavior, or related topics. Beginning in 2008, copyrighted conference proceedings containing double-blind, peer-reviewed papers are published on a CD. Any paper excellent enough to be accepted for publication in JCS/D&CB or having been published in either of the two most recent annual volumes is welcome for presentation at the conference. In such cases an “Extended Abstract” would typic- ally be published in the Proceedings. The paper submission deadline is usually in late March. Contact Stephen Goodwin for more conference information.