HJAS uses Editorial Manager (EM), an online manuscript-managing system, to invite, submit, track, and review manuscripts. You must have an EM account in order to submit to HJAS. To create or access your account, follow the instructions on the HJAS EM home page at https://www.editorialmanager.com/hjas/default1.aspx.
Geographic Coverage
HJAS publishes original scholarly articles about East Asia as well as about the Tibetan- and the Altaic-speaking peoples of Inner Asia. We publish about the Turkic-speaking peoples of Central Asia only when and where they were under Mongol, Manchu, or Chinese rule. We do not publish on other regions, including Vietnam and Southeast Asia, except as part of the Sinitic Cosmopolis. We do not publish about West Asia or South Asia. Please review recent issues to see our current coverage.
Disciplinary Coverage and Audience
HJAS publishes the highest-quality scholarship in a multidisciplinary forum that includes premodern and modern literature, art history, and religious studies; digital humanities; premodern history and social science; and modern history and humanistic social science through the mid-twentieth century. We do not publish contemporary security issues or most contemporary social sciences (such as linguistics).
We seek analytically rigorous articles that place specialized research findings in a broader context for scholars working across East and Inner Asia. Articles must make an argument for an original point about new research that is engaging both to specialists and to non-specialists in East and Inner Asian studies. When selecting articles for publication, the editors consider the strength of the scholarship, the quality of the argument, and the clarity of the methodology. Even the most narrowly focused contribution must speak in some way to an academic audience beyond a small community of specialists. The presentation of new factual information alone is not sufficient grounds for publication.
Citation Practice
Citational diversity is a priority for HJAS. Studies show endemic undercitation of the scholarship of women and people of color (see, for example, this Inside Higher Ed op-ed and this annotated bibliography of gender bias in academia from LSE scholars). In that spirit, HJAS asks reviewers to consider whether authors have engaged with all relevant scholarship, including work by women and in Asian languages.
Length
For new article manuscripts, the main text and notes combined should not exceed 10,000 words, and notes should not exceed 25 percent of this manuscript file. HJAS will no longer consider manuscripts longer than 10,000 words.
Do not include figures, tables, or appendices in the main manuscript file; they must be in separate files. See the HJAS Style Sheet for detailed instructions. Note that submitting an appendix requires approval from the Journal office prior to submission.
The word limit for revised article manuscripts is specified in the invitation to resubmit.
Double-Blind Review
Your manuscript will be reviewed anonymously. Authors should make sure that—for the purposes of review only—the manuscript does not refer to their published work as “my work.” Our goal is that reviewers not know who wrote the manuscript. In small fields, reviewers may surmise the likely author, but we do not reveal the name of the author(s).
Figures, Tables & Appendices
HJAS publishes figures—including art illustrations, genealogies, maps, and the like—and tables that facilitate understanding an author’s argument, but authors should be aware that we publish color figures only in the online version of HJAS; our print version allows black-and-white or grayscale figures.
Collect all figures together in a single MS Word file; each figure must have a number, title, caption, and source. Collect all tables together in a single MS Word file; each table must have a number, title, and source. There should be a callout to each figure and table (by number) in the main text.
For the purposes of review, figures do not have to meet our publication specifications. During the copyediting stage of production, authors of accepted manuscripts are responsible for submitting figure files that meet all our specifications, including documentation of permissions.
Submitting an appendix requires approval; consult the Journal office before submission.
For more information on submitting figures, tables, and appendices,
- for the review process, see the HJAS Style Sheet;
- for publication, see the HJAS Requirements for Publication of Figures and Tables.
Style & Formatting
Please review our Style Sheet closely before submitting your manuscript to ensure it is formatted properly. The style sheet explains our standards for grammar and style; formatting of texts, notes, figures, and tables; romanization of Asian languages; use of Asian characters; and citation of sources. We will not consider manuscripts that do not adhere to our Style Sheet.
Authors are responsible for providing complete citations for all works referenced and quoted. Citation information should allow an interested nonspecialist reader, such as a beginning graduate student, to locate the work online and to order the work through interlibrary loan or to visit the location to view the work. Our Style Sheet provides sixty-five sample citations, including sources in English, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and several other Asian languages.
Manuscript Submission
You must submit your manuscript using Editorial Manager at the HJAS EM home page: https://www.editorialmanager.com/hjas/default1.aspx.
For a new article manuscript submission, authors are required to upload from two to six files:
- a required MS Word file with the main text and notes (with citations) in HJAS style (and a maximum of 10,000 words),
- a required MS Word file with the title and an English abstract of 100–150 words,
- an optional MS Word file with all figures and their captions,
- an optional MS Word file with all tables and their notes,
- an optional MS Word file with any appendices,
- an optional cover letter.
For revised article manuscript submissions, which are by invitation only, authors are required to upload from three to seven files:
- a required MS Word file with the main text and notes in HJAS style,
- a required MS Word file with the title and an English abstract of 100–150 words,
- a required MS Word file with an anonymized explanation of the revisions made in response to reviewer and editor comments.
- an optional MS Word file with all figures and their captions,
- an optional MS Word file with all tables and their notes,
- an optional MS Word file with any appendices,
- an optional cover letter.
If you have any questions, please consult the Frequently Asked Questions below. If you still have questions, please contact the Managing Editor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does HJAS accept previously published article manuscripts?
No. If you are considering substantially reworking an article previously published in a language other than English, please consult with the Managing Editor.
Can I submit my manuscript to HJAS and to another journal simultaneously?
No. HJAS does not consider manuscripts that are under consideration for publication somewhere else.
Can article manuscripts be submitted for consideration at any time?
Yes. HJAS welcomes submissions of article manuscripts at any time. Within a week or so, you will receive an acknowledgment of your submission and notification that the double-blind peer-review process has begun.
Does HJAS publish articles about South Asia or the Middle East?
We publish original scholarship about East and Inner Asia. We publish about Tibetan-speaking peoples, but not about any other peoples or cultures of South Asia. We publish about Turkic-speaking peoples only when and where they were under Mongol, Manchu, or Chinese rule; we do not publish about the Middle East (West Asia).
Does HJAS publish articles on contemporary social science?
We publish a wide range of disciplinary topics—premodern and modern literature, art history, and religious studies; digital humanities; premodern history and social science; and modern history and humanistic social science through the mid-twentieth century. We do not publish works about contemporary security issues or most contemporary social sciences (such as linguistics). If you are uncertain whether we will consider your manuscript topic for review, please consult the Managing Editor.
How long should article manuscripts be?
Authors should be as concise as possible in making their argument. We find that most authors require at least 5,000 words of main text and notes to make the kind of scholarly analysis we expect. The main text and notes may not exceed a total of 10,000 words
Will HJAS consider article manuscripts longer than 10,000 words?
No. HJAS will no longer consider article manuscripts where the main text and notes combined exceed 10,000 words.
Does HJAS publish illustrations?
Yes. We publish figures—including art illustrations, genealogies, maps, and the like—that are crucial to understanding an author’s argument if they are of suitable quality. Authors should be aware that we publish color figures only in the online version of HJAS; our print version allows black-and-white or grayscale figures.
Obtaining copyright permissions for illustrations is the author’s responsibility; authors must provide proof of permission during the copyediting stage of production.
For the purposes of review, figures do not have to meet our publication specifications. During the copyediting stage of production, authors of accepted manuscripts are responsible for submitting figure files that meet all our specifications, including documentation of permissions.
For more information, see the HJAS Requirements for Publication of Figures and Tables.
Does HJAS publish translations or book reviews about translated works?
We do not publish translations of literature or scholarly works. We very occasionally publish book reviews of translated works, but only when the original work is seminal to one or more scholarly fields.
What is a double-blind review process?
We do not reveal the name of the author(s) to reviewers, and we do not reveal the names of reviewers to authors.
How long does it take for a manuscript to go through the peer-review process?
All manuscripts go through an internal review by our editorial team, which includes our Editorial and Advisory Boards. This internal peer-review process often takes 4–6 weeks for new manuscripts. All new manuscripts are either declined after internal review or approved for review by external readers. Revised manuscripts may be accepted after internal review or may be recommended for further external review.
We solicit external reviewers who are scholars with publications related to the topic of the manuscript. Securing external readers and receiving their reports can take an additional 2–3 months. We do our best to get manuscripts through the entire two-tier peer-review process in three months, but it can require six months. Under pandemic conditions, the process has been taking longer, sometimes nine months.
What are the review criteria?
When selecting articles for publication, we consider the strength of the scholarship, the quality of the argument, and the clarity of the methodology. Even the most narrowly focused contribution must speak in some way to an academic audience beyond a small community of specialists. The presentation of new factual information alone is not sufficient grounds for publication.
Citational diversity is a priority for HJAS. Studies show endemic undercitation of the scholarship of women and people of color (see, for example, this Inside Higher Ed op-ed and this annotated bibliography of gender bias in academia from LSE scholars). In that spirit, HJAS asks reviewers to consider whether authors have engaged with all relevant scholarship, including work by women and in Asian languages.
Whom should I contact to request permission to reprint (or translate) an HJAS article?
If you want to reprint (or translate) an article or book review that dates prior to March 1, 1989, or if you want to reprint any other HJAS excerpt or an entire HJAS issue of any date, then contact the managing editor to receive permission. If you want to reprint (or translate) an article, book review, or other HJAS excerpt that dates on or after March 1, 1989, then contact the author of the article or book review directly to receive permission. (From March 1, 1989, our authors hold copyright of their individual contribution, though HJAS retains copyright to each issue as a whole.)
Do authors of HJAS articles and book reviews published on or after March 1, 1989, need to get permission from HJAS to post, reprint, excerpt, or republish their HJAS publication?
It depends on the timing of the posting or publication. Authors hold the copyright (since the article or book review was published on or after March 1, 1989), but our contract agreement gives HJAS the exclusive right of publication for 365 days from the date of publication for the journal issue in which the work appears. If authors want to post or publish their work (in any language) during the one-year exclusivity period, then authors need written permission from HJAS. After the exclusivity period has expired, authors do not need HJAS permission.
Do authors of HJAS articles and book reviews need to acknowledge HJAS in any reprints or excerpts?
Yes. Even if you hold the copyright (if the article or book review was published on or after March 1, 1989), our contract agreement requires authors to cite the original publication in HJAS whenever authors republish material from HJAS.
What if I have another question?
Please contact hjas@fas.harvard.edu.