​FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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Who manages the journal?
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The Journal is managed by graduate students, members of the IAJS Grads network and by IAJS scholars.
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Who are the members of the editorial board?
The editorial board is composed of leading experts in their respective fields.
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How often does the journal get published?
The IAJS Grads Journal of Innovative Research in Japanese Studies will be published once a year in late fall.
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Who is eligible to submit an entry?
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We encourage submissions from graduate students who specialize in Japan in any discipline, from all over the world.
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What is considered an entry for submission?
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We accept submissions with the understanding that they are the original work of the author and that they have not been submitted for publication elsewhere. For further clarification please send queries to iajapanstudies@gmail.com.
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What is the submission process?
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A submitted article goes through a first round of screening by the journal's management and the journal's chief editor.
If selected, the Journal management appoints reviewers from the editorial board. In special cases a guest reviewer will be appointed.
The final decision to publish an article or refuse publication is taken after these two screening rounds. If accepted for publication, authors may be asked to revise their work according to the reviewer's guidelines and resubmit it by a deadline set by the journal management.
Throughout the process, the journal management will handle all communication with the contributors.
We promise to maintain a fast and responsive review process and a step-by-step guidance for contributors.
What determines selection and publication?
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Each piece of work is evaluated by the following criteria:
• Originality of work
• Assertion of a clear and significant argument
• Quality of the empirical evidence provided to support claims
• Organization of ideas in guiding readers' understanding
How many pieces can I submit?
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Authors may submit an unlimited number of articles, provided that all submissions are compatible with the guidelines for submission and the deadlines.
What and how to submit?
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1. We accept submissions in English.
2. To submit your work, e-mail your submission as a Word document (doc-format, not docx-format) to iajapanstudies@gmail.com. All other inquiries should be directed to iajapanstudies+inquiries@gmail.com.
3. Your subject line should fit the following format: [author name] [paper title]
(e.g. [Joe Cohen] [Portable Gaming in Japan])
4. You will need to include a short abstract (250 words) on the first page of your article briefly summarizing the key points and findings of your paper. Abstracts of published articles will be published in English and in Japanese.
5. Include up to five keywords after the abstract.
6. Together with your Word document, attach the following cover sheet. Please rename the cover sheet from "coversheet.doc" to "ARTICLE_NAMEcoversheet.doc" (e.g PORTABLE_GAMING_IN_JAPANcoversheet.doc).
7. Figures and pictures must be supplied by the author as separate files in the highest resolution obtainable (in order to obtain the best quality). Once accepted for publication, authors are responsible for obtaining copyrights for using all visuals.
8. Priority will be given to submissions accompanied by a letter of recommendation from an academic advisor.
9. Allow two weeks to receive confirmation of receipt.
What are the guidelines and requirements for submission?
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1. A quality article should make a clear and persuasive argument, convey the topic’s significance within the broad context of its field, provide a balanced analysis, demonstrate knowledge of the subject area, and be written in a coherent and engaging manner.
2. Authors should avoid technical jargon as much as possible.
3. Please use the Chicago Manual of Style (The University of Chicago Press) Author-Date format for references and endnotes. The Manual should also be consulted for questions of style, grammar, punctuation, and form. (for your reference please see: http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html)
4. Submissions must be at least 4500 words and should be less than 8000 words (counting the article's body without the abstract, subheadings, captions, block quotes, and references) on double-spaced pages.
5. The paper format of a submission should be "A4". For text, use Times New Roman, 12pt, double spaced.
6. Please ensure that the title is clearly marked on each page.
7. Submissions will be evaluated on an anonymous basis. To avoid potential conflicts of interest, information identifying the author should only be included on the cover sheet and must not appear in the Word document.
8. The final decision to publish an article or refuse publication rests solely with the Editorial Board.
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We look forward to receiving your submission!