Submission guidelines, Style Guide & Submission Procedure

[IMPORTANT]

The Submission Guidelines, Style Guide, Submission Procedure and Submission Template
have been revised and are effective as of March 31, 2023

Please also note that:

  • Authors newly submitting manuscripts will be required to submit a ‘Submission Checklist/Pledge.’ This is not required for manuscripts already undergoing review.
  • The URL of the ‘Electronic Submission System’ has changed to https://iap-jp.org/jass/journal/

Before submitting a paper, please read the ‘Submission Guidelines’, ‘Style Guide’, ‘Submission Procedure’ and ‘Notes on Writing’ carefully. If you have any questions, please contact the Editorial Office on the Japanese Journal of Language in Society (jass-edit@bunken.co.jp).

Submission Guidelines

Revised and effective March 31, 2023

1. Submission qualification

Submissions are limited to members of the Japanese Association of Sociolinguistic Sciences. When there is more than one author, the first author must be a member of the Association. Exceptions may be made if the editorial committee requests a manuscript. Authors must be members of the Japanese Association of Sociolinguistic Sciences from the time of submission until the acceptance or rejection of the manuscript. If an author cancels membership, the author’s right to submit will be suspended and any review in progress will also be suspended.

2. Manuscripts

Manuscripts for submission should be prepared in accordance with research ethics and should comply with the following guidelines.

2.1 Manuscript types

  • Manuscript may be research papers, research overviews, research material or short notes.
    1. Research papers – should be original, verifiable/empirical and theoretical.
    2. Research overviews – should include extensive examination of both Japanese and international research and provide insightful and comprehensive overviews of important issues.
    3. Materials – reports detailing things such as linguistic material, and experiment and survey results, with the purpose of contributing to rigorous review of conventional theory and the development of future research.
    4. Short notes – includes reports that contain content that leads to high standard research such as reports on new issues, interesting observations and reports involving a small number of case studies, as well as notes and suggestions regarding research devices and methods.
  • The author should designate the manuscript type at the time of submission. However, while undergoing their review, the editorial committee may make a decision and request the author to change the manuscript type.
  • The editorial committee may request members of the Association to write manuscripts other than the types outlined above, such as prefatory notes, special contributions, book reviews, or reports.

2.2 Manuscript content

  • Submissions are limited to manuscripts of unpublished content. Submission of a manuscript that contains significant overlap in content with previously published work of the author and does not include new revelations will not be accepted.
  • Manuscripts that have been published or have been submitted for publishing in this journal or other journals will not be accepted. However, manuscripts deriving from oral presentations or which have been included in a collection of oral presentations of a conference, papers which have been published as part of a research fund report, an unpublished Master’s thesis or parts of a Doctoral thesis, may be submitted. Doctoral theses published on institutional repositories and other such forms on the Internet are considered as unpublished.
  • An author may submit another manuscript while a previous manuscript is under review. In this case, it may take longer than usual for the review of the manuscript submitted later.
  • Authors must not fabricate, falsify, plagiarize, or use inappropriately collected data. Please refer to the ‘Notes on Writing.’
  • Manuscripts should not contain slander, defamation, or advertising of any specific organization, educational material, product, or service.
  • The author is responsible for obtaining permission to reproduce any diagrams, illustrations, or photographs for which they do not own the copyright.

3. Submission and review

  • Manuscripts may be submitted at any time. However, deadlines may be set for special issues.
  • When preparing a manuscript, please refer to the ‘Style-Guide’ and ‘Notes on Writing.’
  • When submitting manuscripts, authors are required to submit a ‘Pledge’ that they have followed the latest version of the ‘Submission Guidelines,’ ‘Style Guide,’ ‘Submission Procedure,’ and the ‘Submission Checklist,’ as published on the website of the Japanese Association of Sociolinguistic Sciences. Strict measures may be taken for violations of the ‘Submission Guidelines.’
  • All manuscripts, including requested manuscripts, will be reviewed and edited by the editorial committee who will decide whether or not the manuscript will be accepted. If there is any objection to the editorial committee’s decision, the author may appeal to the committee.
  • We request authors to refrain from making oral presentations of the same content of a manuscript that has been submitted and is under review.

4. Handling of accepted manuscripts

  • Authors will receive no payment for accepted manuscripts.
  • 20 complimentary offprints of each paper will be supplied to the author.
  • The Association is responsible for publication expenses. If special expenses are required for special typesetting or illustrations, the author will be responsible for these expenses.
  • The Association retains the copyright of accepted papers. The Association retains the right to copy and reproduce accepted papers in both electronic and hard copy form.
  • The author(s) of the manuscript may publish the manuscript on an institutional repository, the author’s website, or as a book. However, the original source of the manuscript should be clearly indicated on the publication. Authors wishing to publish in this manner should contact the Journal’s editorial office (jass-edit@bunken.co.jp) and submit a ‘Request for Permission to Reproduce.’

Style Guide

Revised and effective March 31, 2023

1. Submission format

  • Manuscripts may be submitted in either Japanese or English. The title, the abstract and the keywords must be written in both English and Japanese.
  • Regardless of whether the manuscript has been written in the author’s native language or not, we recommend that the manuscript be thoroughly refined by the author and others prior to submission.
  • Manuscripts written by non-native speakers should be corrected and edited by a qualified native speaker with expertise in the relevant area.
  • Manuscripts written in Japanese must be written horizontally and from left to right. The symbols ‘.’ and ‘,’ are to be used for punctuation.
  • In principle, authors should prepare the manuscript in accordance with the manuscript template (Word file for Japanese, Word file for English, or LaTex file for Japanese).
  • The maximum length of the final version of a research paper written within the manuscript template (23 characters x 2 columns x 40 lines), including the main text, title, author(s) and affiliation(s), Japanese abstract, English abstract, references, notes, tables and figures, is 16 pages. The maximum length of a research overview is also 16 pages, while the maximum length of a short note is 8 pages. Other types of manuscripts should be concise, and not exceed the length of a research paper. The Japanese abstract should be no more than 600 characters, while the English abstract should be no more than 200 words.
  • Should corrections need to be made following peer review, these need to be made within the above maximum manuscript lengths. Authors are advised to allow for this when writing the initial manuscript.
  • As publication is in black and white, manuscripts, including any figures or tables, should be comprehensible in black and white. In special circumstances, printing in color may be permitted at the cost of the author.
  • Figure and tables should be inserted within the main text. Letters used in figures and tables must be at least 8 point.
  • If chapters and sections within the paper are to be numbered, use 1., 2., etc. for chapters and 1.1, 1.2, etc. for sections. The same numbering is to be used when referring to chapters or sections within the text.
  • Non-Japanese proper nouns, including names, cited within the main text are to be written in their original form or in English. If an official name exists in katakana, that name may be used.
  • Notes should be kept to a minimum. Any notes should be placed at the end of the main text and not as footnotes.

2. Notation of foreign language

  • Special letters or characters other than Latin letters, simplified or traditional Chinese characters, Hangul or Cyrillic used in the text or in examples, should be written in Roman alphabet. In such cases, the customary romanization for the language should be used. In some cases, romanization may be used in addition to simplified or traditional Chinese, Hangul or Cyrillic script.
  • Japanese included in the text or as examples in papers written in English should be notated using either Kunrei-shiki romanization or Hepburn romanization. For example, either a horizontal bar above the vowel (a macron) or two consecutive vowels may be used to indicate a long vowel (e.g., kenkyū, kenkyuu). Whichever system of romanization is used, it must be used consistently throughout the paper. When writing the names of people and publishers, the customary romanization or the person’s preferred spelling should be used (e.g., Takesi Sibata (柴田武),Hituzi Syobo (ひつじ書房),Tokyo(東京)).

3. In-text citation

When including a citation within the text, the following guidelines should be adopted.

  • When citing work by a single author, include the author’s last name and the year of publication as below:
    • According to Sibata (1978) …; According to Holmes (2017)…
      … (Sibata, 1978); …(Holmes, 2017)
      agliamonte (2012) investigated…; …was examined (Tsujimura, 2013)
  • When citing work by two authors, both names must be included. When citing work by three of more authors, only the first author needs to be given followed by 「ほか」when writing in Japanese or ‘et al.’ when writing in English. The names of all authors must be included in the reference list.
    • According to Yasuda & Umino (1977)
    • According to Okamoto & Shibamoto-Smith (2016) …
    • Okamoto & Shibamoto-Smith (2016) conducted…
  • The page number should be given for direct quotations. It is not required for indirect quotations.
    • Yasuda & Umino (1977:35) state that “…”
      It is said that “…” (Spitzberg & Cupach, 1984:22-23)
  • When multiple works are referred to in a single citation, they should be noted in order of year of publication starting with the oldest year of publication.
    • …was suggested (Sibata, 1952; Shibuya, 2006; Nakamura, 2014).
  • When a translated work is cited, the year of original publication should be followed by the year of translation publication.
    • …was suggested (Trudgill, 1972/1975)
  • When citing from works of second or later editions, the year of reprint publication should be followed by the year of original publication.
    • …was pointed out (Tokieda, 2008 [1941])
  • When citing different works by the same author published in the same year, add a lower-case letter (a,b,c) to the year of publications in order of entry in the text.
    • Suzuki (1997a) Suzuki (1997b)

4. Reference list

In principle, references should be listed as follows. References should be listed in alphabetical order of the name of the first author, without separating Japanese, European or other foreign language references. However, references in Chinese, Korean or any other non-European languages, may be listed in their language group and arranged in accordance with the custom of that language. References in European or other languages should be listed as they are and do not need to be translated into Japanese. Multiple references of the same author should be listed in chronological order, from earliest to most recent. When there are both single-authored and co-authored references by the same author, the single-authored reference should be listed first. When there are numerous authors, the reference may be listed under the name of the supervising author.

  1. Books in Japanese (single author, multiple authors, edited books):
    • Sibata, Takeshi (1978). Shakai Gengogaku no Kadai. Tokyo: Sanseido.
    • Yasuda, Saburo, & Umino, Michio (1977). Shakai Tōkeigaku. 2nd edition. Tokyo: Maruzen.
    • Hashimoto, Yoshiaki (Ed.) (2005). Kōza Shakai Gengo Kagaku 2 Media. Tokyo: Hituzi Syobo.
  2. Papers in books edited in Japanese:
    • Takeuchi, Ikuo (1982). Juyō Katei no Kenkyū. In Takeuchi, Ikuo, & Kojima, Kazuto (Eds.) Gendai Masukomyunikēshonron, pp. 44-79. Tokyo: Yuhikaku.
  3. Periodicals in Japanese:
    • When only the volume or the issue number is given:
      • Haga, Jun (1963). Nihonjin Gakusei no Gakushūshita Eigo Meishi no Imi Kōzō no Hikaku Kenkyū. Kyōiku Shinrigaku Kenkyū, 11, 33-42.
    • When both the volume and issue number are given:
      • Shibuya, Katsumi (2000). Tokugawagaku no Nagare ― Hōgengaku kara Shakai Gengogaku e ―. Shakai Gengo Kagaku, 2(2), 2-10.
  4. Books in European languages (single author, multiple authors, edited books):
    • Norrick, Neal R. (2000). Conversational narrative: Storytelling in everyday talk. Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company.
    • Spitzberg, Brian H., & Cupach, William R. (1984). Interpersonal communication competence. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
    • Dorian, Nancy C. (Ed.) (1989). Investigating obsolescence. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  5. Papers in books edited in European languages:
    • Atlas, Jay D. (2004). Presupposition. In Horn, Laurence R., & Ward, Gregory (Eds.), The handbook of pragmatics, pp.29-52. Malden, MA: Blackwell.
    • Hymes, Dell (1972). Models of the interaction of language and social life. In Gumperz, John, & Hymes, Dell (Eds.), Directions in sociolinguistics, pp.35-71. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.
  6. Periodicals in European languages:
    • When only the volume or the issue number is given:
      • Zajonc, Robert B. (1980). Feeling and thinking: Preferences need no inferences. American Psychologist, 35, 151-175.
    • When both the volume and issue number are given:
      • Sacks, Harvey, Schegloff, Emanuel, & Jefferson, Gail (1974). A simplest systematic for the organization of turn-taking for conversation. Language, 50(4), 696-735.
  7. Books published in language scripts other than Japanese and Latin alphabet:
    • 陈原 (1983). 社会语言学. 学林出版社.
      刘月华・潘文娱・故韡 (2001). 实用现代汉语语法. 商务印书馆.
      이익섭(1994). 사회언어학. 민음사.
      박경래・곽충구・정인호・한성우・위진 (2012). 재중 동포 언어 실태 조사.국립국어원 .
  8. Papers in books edited in language scripts other than Japanese and Latin alphabet:
    • 孙宏开 (1998). 20世纪的中国少数民族语言文字研究. 刘坚 (主编) 20世纪的中国语言学, pp.641-682. 北京大学出版社.
    • 정성희 (1998; 2017). 산재지구 조선족의 이중언어사용 실태 ―심양시 소가툰구 성광촌의 현황―.지광철 (編) 규범화, 이중언어연구, pp.456-461. 민족출판사.
  9. Periodicals in language scripts other than Japanese and Latin alphabet:
    • When only the volume or the issue number is given:
      • 李宇明 (2016).语言服务与语言产业 东方翻译, 4, 4-8.
      • 김희숙 (2007). 사회언어학과 ‘과잉교정’의 문제. 언어학연구, 11, 49–65.
    • When both the volume and issue number are given:
      • 徐大明 (2004). 语言社区理论 中国社会语言学 2(1), 18–28 .
      • 아라이 야스히로 (2012). 휴대전화에 있어서의 행위선택의 한일 대조 연구―대우법의 새로운 형태―.사회언어학, 19(2), 237–259.
  10. Translated works:
    • Lave, Jean, & Wenger, Etienne (1991). Situated learning: Legitimate peripheral participation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. (trans. Saeki, Yutaka (1993). Jōkyō ni Umekomareta Gakushū. Tokyo: Sangyotosho)
  11. Conference presentations (papers included in conference collections):
    • Yamada, Hiroshi (2007). Gammen Hyōjō Ninshiki ni Okeru Jōhōshori Katei. Shakai Gengo Kagakukai 19 Kai Taikai Happyō Ronbunshū, pp. 346-349.
  12. Online references (include date of access in brackets):
    • Shakai Gengo Kagakukai (2004). Genkōboshū no Oshirase. Shakai Gengo Kagakukai 2004-nen 11-gatsu 8-nichi. <https://www.jass.ne.jp/ed/gakkaisi.html> (June 20, 2007)
  13. Doctoral dissertations:
    • Kita, Sotaro (1993). Language and thought interface: A study of spontaneous gestures and Japanese mimetics. Doctoral Dissertation, Department of Psychology and Department of Linguistics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois.
  14. Other
    For any issues not included in this Style Guide, please refer to the latest version of the APA (American Psychological Association) Publication Manual (7th edition, January 2022)

Submission Procedure

(Revised and effective March 31, 2023)

1. Submitting a manuscript

  • Manuscripts should be submitted using the journal’s electronic submission system.
    https://iap-jp.org/jass/journal/
    The journal’s submission system will move to a new system from April 1, 2022.
  • Below is an outline of the web submission flow:
    電子投稿システム(select web submission)→論文情報入力(input manuscript data)→著者情報入力(input author information)→原稿アップロード(upload paper)→入力確認(confirm input)→投稿完了(submission complete)
  • When the manuscript has been successfully submitted via the electronic submission system, the author will receive an email notification that the manuscript has been successfully submitted. This will include the date of submission and a manuscript submission number.
  • For any inquiries regarding the submission of a manuscript, please contact the Journal’s editorial office by email.
    The Editorial Office,
    The Japanese Journal of Language in Society
    c/o Kokusai Bunken-sha
    332-6 Yamabuki-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-0801 Japan
    TEL: (+81) 03-6824-9363 FAX: 03-5206-5332
    Email: jass-edit@bunken.co.jp

2. Submission procedure

  • Authors should prepare the manuscript in accordance with the manuscript template (Word file for Japanese, Word file for English, or LaTex file for Japanese). Any reference to the author(s) or the author’s affiliation(s) in the main text, notes, references, or acknowledgements should be removed from the manuscript or indicated in a manner that maintains anonymity.
  • Manuscripts should be submitted in PDF format via the submission page of the web site. Manuscripts can be converted into PDF format by using the PDF conversion function provided on the web page. If the author creates the PDF prior to login, ensure that any information about the author is removed from the file properties before the file is uploaded.
  • The author will be required to input the following information:
    1. the title of the paper in English and Japanese;
    2. the manuscript type (research paper, research overview, etc.);
    3. the submission type (ordinary issue or special issue);
    4. the title of the special issue (if applicable); and
    5. an abstract in English (no more than 200 words) and Japanese (no more than 600 characters).
  • The author will also be required to provide his/her name (in kanji, kana, and English), affiliation (in kanji and English), and membership ID.
  • The author must fill in and submit the ‘Submission checklist’ and ‘Pledge.’ If any part of the manuscript is similar to a paper that one of the contributing authors has submitted or published (or is planning to submit or in the process of submitting) to this or any other association, the author must provide bibliographic information and an explanation of how the content is different via the ‘Declaration of similar self-authored paper’ section. A copy of the other paper must also be submitted as a PDF file.

3. Peer review and publication schedule

  • The manuscript will be reviewed by the editor-in-charge and two referees. The editor-in-charge will summarize these reviews and propose a final decision to the editorial committee. After the committee’s confirmation, the author will be notified by email of the decision within three months of receipt of the manuscript. Notification will be in the form of, A (manuscript accepted), B (manuscript accepted after some corrections), C (manuscript to undergo peer review again after corrections), or D (not accepted).
  • Depending on the decision, the editor-in-charge may ask a third referee for additional judgment. In that case, the author will also be notified of the process.
  • If the result of the review is B or C, the author will need to make the necessary corrections based on comments from the peer review and resubmit the manuscript within the specified time (one month for B or three months for C).
  • The Journal is published biannually, in late September and late March. Submissions may be made at any time, however if publication has not been decided at least three months prior to the publication date, publication of the manuscript will be extended to the following edition. The same applies for special editions.

4. Following acceptance

  • After a manuscript has been accepted, the author will be requested to prepare the final draft. Except for revisions in response to peer review comments, no additions or deletions may be made to the manuscript. The final manuscript should include the name(s) and affiliation(s) of the author(s) in both Japanese and English, and author-related information that was removed to maintain anonymity. If any acknowledgements are to be included in the manuscript, they should be added after the manuscript has been accepted for publication.
  • Both a hard copy and an electronic copy of the final manuscript must be prepared. Please send a hard copy to the postal address of the editorial office (see above), and an electronic copy to the email address of the editorial office <jass-edit@bunken.co.jp>.
  • The hard copy of the final manuscript should be the same in form and content as the electronic manuscript. However, figures and tables should be printed out separately from the main text (that is the text including the title, author(s) name(s), abstracts in Japanese and English, and keywords). The positioning of figures and tables should be clearly indicated in the text of the hard copy.
  • Figures and tables should each be on a separate page. They should be numbered consecutively and titled (a brief explanation or caption).
  • Clear hard copies of figures and tables need to be supplied as they may be reproduced in publication. The final size of figures and tables and will be decided by the editorial committee.
  • The electronic copy of the manuscript should be a file using the manuscript template (Word file for Japanese, Word file for English, or LaTex file for Japanese). Figures and tables may be in either Microsoft Word format or PDF format.
  • The author may proofread up to the second proof for corrections. No additions or deletions can be made to the manuscript after the final proof stage.