“The Journal of South China Studies”

 Paper Submission Rules

The Japan Association for South China Studies publishes one issue of its journal, The Journal of South China Studies, annually. The journal accepts a wide range of manuscripts concerning the South China region, including: (1) “Articles”, (2) “Notes”, (3) “Book Reviews”, (4) “Historical Source Introductions”, (5) “Field Reports / Personal Experiences”, and (6) “Conference Reports”. All submissions first undergo a preliminary review to determine acceptance for peer review and then go through formal peer review before publication. Manuscripts requested by the Editorial Committee are exempt from this rule.

I. General Submissions

1. Manuscripts are welcomed from both members and non-members of the Association. Non-members whose manuscripts are accepted must join the Association after acceptance.

2. For co-authored papers, only the first author needs to be a member of the Association; subsequent authors are not required to join.

II. Manuscript Guidelines

1. Submissions must be unpublished.

2. Manuscripts may be written in Japanese, Chinese, English, or Portuguese. Translations into Japanese of articles already published in another language are not eligible.

3. Manuscripts based on content presented orally but written down for the first time are considered unpublished.

4. Word limits for manuscripts in English or Portuguese are as follows. Manuscripts solicited by the Editorial Committee are exempt from these limits:

(1) “Articles”: up to 12,000 words.

(2) “Notes”: up to 12,000 words.

(3) “Book Reviews”: up to 4,000 words.

(4) “Historical Source Introductions”: up to 20,000 words.

(5) “Field Reports / Personal Experiences”: up to 4,000 words.

(6) “Conference Reports”: up to 4,000 words.

5. Please refer to the paper submission rules for manuscripts written in Japanese or Chinese (Simplified or Traditional) regarding the word count requirements.

6. Character counts include figures, tables, footnotes, and references. Table text is included in the count. Each figure counts as 400 words regardless of size. Please ensure that permissions regarding portrait and copyright for figures are obtained before submission.

7. Graduate students should have their manuscripts reviewed by their advisor or an equivalent faculty member for guidance before submission.

8. Manuscripts written in a non-native language must undergo native-level proofreading prior to submission.

III. Preliminary Review and Peer Review

1. Submitted manuscripts first undergo a preliminary review by the Editorial Committee. The preliminary review mainly checks:

(1) Compliance with word or character limits.

(2) Accuracy of language and expression.

2. Manuscripts accepted in the preliminary review are then sent to editorial members or external experts commissioned by the Committee for formal peer review. Manuscripts may be rejected based on peer review results.

IV. Submission Deadline

1. The submission deadline for manuscripts is June 30 each year.

2. Manuscripts should be submitted in Microsoft Word or plain text format.

3. Submissions should be sent to the editorial email address: journal.jascs@gmail.com.

4. In addition to the manuscript, a completed “The Journal of South China Studies Submission Form” must be submitted. The form can be downloaded from the Association’s website.

V. Copyright

1. Copyright belongs to the author, but if accepted, the rights to the journal layout belong to the Association.

2. For one year after publication, manuscripts should not be republished in other journals. Authors may include accepted manuscripts in their own single-author publications after notifying the Editorial Committee.

3. Six months after publication, the journal will be made freely available on the Association website and on J-STAGE (operated by the Japan Science and Technology Agency). Authors who do not wish to have their manuscript publicly available should contact the Editorial Committee.

VI. Revision of Submission Rules

Revisions to the submission rules and manuscript preparation guidelines are drafted by the Editorial Committee and approved by the Board of Directors.