Frequently Asked Questions

What is the size and style of articles?
Please see our Guidelines for Submissions and Style Sheet.

Do you consider essays in only certain disciplines?
We consider submissions in all disciplines of the social sciences, humanities, and history.

What is the review process for essays submitted for consideration for publication?
Usually a submission is sent first to the member(s) of our Editorial Board whose research interests most closely match the subject of the submission.  The editors identify possible referees, we ask two or three to read the essay, and the editors decide on the suitability of the manuscript for JJS based on the referees’ reports and their own reading.  The refereeing process is double-blind:  the author of the work is not identified to the referees, and the names of the referees are not revealed to the author.

How long are articles in the pipeline before publication?
Most manuscripts are published within 12 months of their acceptance.  The time between acceptance of a manuscript and its publication is influenced by how many other manuscripts are already in the pipeline and the timeliness of their subject matter.

Does my essay have to speak to more than my discipline?
Essays submitted to JJS should be of interest to specialists of Japan outside your discipline; that is, your essay should not be so narrowly focused that it will be of interest to only a handful of scholars.  If your analysis crosses disciplines (if, for example, you are a medieval historian discussing economic issues or a modern literature scholar discussing the political context of a particular work or genre), you can assume we will seek referees in both disciplines.

Will you print images?
Yes.  We will print images, provided you can obtain copyright permission to reprint them in JJS, and provided you can supply either electronic files for the images or a professional-quality black-and-white printed image.

How long is the turnaround for evaluation of submitted manuscripts?
We strive to reach decisions on all submissions within three months.  Sometimes this is impossible if it is difficult to find referees, if referees are slow to report back to us, if a key Editor is unavailable when the referees’ reports come in, and/or if the initial reports carry vastly different recommendations.

Is it hard to get published in JJS?
Many submissions we receive simply don’t meet our general criteria (too short, no research in Japanese-language materials, too narrowly focused) and these significantly lower the general ratio of acceptances.  For manuscripts based on original research in Japanese materials, of the length and format specified in our guidelines, and offering new insights and analysis (more than pure description), this ratio is much higher.  Very few manuscripts are accepted as originally submitted; referees and editors frequently ask authors to revise and resubmit, often in order to strengthen analysis or provide better context for our interdisciplinary readership.  It is not easy to get published in JJS—or any other refereed journal.

Can I simultaneously submit an essay to JJS and other journals?
No.  JJS and most scholarly journals will consider a submission only if the author attests that the manuscript is not currently being considered elsewhere and has not previously been published.

May graduate students submit essays to JJS?
Anyone may submit an essay to JJS, provided it meets the suggested guidelines.  We have published several articles by graduate students.

Will you print characters?
We can and have printed Japanese characters in JJS.  However, we limit these to instances where they are absolutely necessary to convey the correct meaning.

How are books selected for review, and how are reviewers selected?
Many publishers send us all of their books on Japan or send us those we request.  The editors also help in identifying new books for review.  We cannot review all new books on Japan, nor can we always find suitable and willing reviewers for all of the books we would like to review.  We generally will not ask someone who has been thanked by an author or quoted on the dust jacket to review that particular book.  Potential reviewers are identified by our editors and advisors.  We seek reviewers who are published scholars who have done research in the area of the book.  If you would like to see your own book reviewed in JJS, ask your publisher to send us a review copy.

How do I get on your list of reviewers?
If you are interested in being considered as a reviewer for books in your field, please send us a copy of your current CV.  Be sure to include a list of your publications.  The editors generally consider only published scholars as reviewers for new books.

How many people read JJS?
We currently have about 1,300 subscribers.  Approximately half of these are libraries and other institutions where, we hope, more than one individual has access to and reads JJS.

How can I get a copy of an article in JJS?
For one copy of a single article:  We do not distribute single copies of articles from JJS.  You may purchase the back issue in which the article appeared (see our Subscriptions Information).  You may obtain the article through JSTOR if the article was published at least five years ago.  If your institution does not have a JSTOR membership, you may purchase individual articles on this JSTOR website.  Or you may contact a document delivery service to have the article faxed to you; your librarian can recommend a company for this service.
For permission to reproduce multiple copies for classroom use:  Send us a letter or email message identifying the article you wish to copy, the name of the course, instructor, and institution, the term the article will be assigned, and how many copies will be made.  In most cases, permission is gratis and granted upon request.

Can I pay for my subscription by credit card?
We accept credit card payment only from subscribers who live outside the United States.  The paperwork for credit card transactions is time-consuming, and fees are imposed on each transaction.  We regret we do not have the staff resources to process credit card payments from all our subscribers and provide this option as a convenience only for those subscribers who would otherwise pay exorbitant bank fees to remit payment in U.S. dollars.

Do you print announcements of general interest to Japan scholars?
We do not publish an announcements or notes section, although we are happy to accept advertising (see our Advertising Information) from organizations that wish to reach our subscribers.

Do you sell or rent your mailing list?
We do not sell or rent our mailing list or subscriber database.