Journal of Appalachian Studies
The Journal of Appalachian Studies (JAS) is a refereed, multidisciplinary publication which seeks to provide a written forum for quality scholarship on Appalachian history, culture, and society. The official journal of the Appalachian Studies Association (ASA), the JAS is published twice per year by the University of Illinois Press for the ASA with support from Marshall University. The Journal of Appalachian Studies supersedes earlier publications of the Appalachian Studies Association, including Proceedings and the Journal of the Appalachian Studies Association (JASA).
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Proceedings was the first publication of the Appalachian Studies Conference and included collections of papers presented at the annual conferences. In 1989, the name was changed to the Journal of the Appalachian Studies Association, and the journal began publishing articles, studies, and book reviews in addition to conference papers. The name was again changed to the Journal of Appalachian Studies in the early 1990s when the ASA office relocated to the campus of West Virginia University in Morgantown, West Virginia. The current headquarters has been managing publication of the JAS since 2001 when the ASA relocated to Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia.
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By providing a venue for pieces regarding all aspects of Appalachia, the JAS is one way in which the ASA fulfills its mission. Membership in the association includes a subscription to the journal. Articles, essays, and studies included in the JAS come from a wide array of disciplines. Anyone can submit work to the JAS for publication consideration, but all submissions must follow the journal’s submissions guidelines.
Members wishing to access the electronic versions of the Journal of Appalachian Studies should:
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Enter the email address associated with your ASA membership and click 'submit.'
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Click the 'current content' link to view current issues on the Scholarly Publishing Collective (2011-current) or click the 'back content' link to view older issues on JSTOR.
Submissions
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The Journal of Appalachian Studies seeks articles based on original empirical research, including applied research, as well as literary criticism and reflections on conceptual, theoretical, and methodological issues in Appalachian studies. Given the journal’s broad readership, we encourage consideration of the wider implications of each study. Submissions must be written in a style that can be understood by non-specialists.
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We will consider rigorous scholarship from scholars, teachers, activists, and others whose work focuses on the Appalachian region. The current editor invites scholarship which compares the Appalachian region to other regions in the world and places the region in a critical, global context. All submissions are expected to demonstrate an understanding of relevant Appalachian Studies literature.
Manuscripts must be submitted to our online submission and review portal. Please note that file submissions must adhere to the JAS author guidelines before being uploaded.
Call for Proposals for Themed Issues of the Journal of Appalachian Studies
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The editorial board of the Journal of Appalachian Studies would like to invite submissions of proposed themed issues for the journal. A proposal for a themed issue should include:
1) an abstract of no more than 300 words describing the
theme
2) a list of editors for the issue including their
qualifications
3) a list of participants and their proposed topics/titles,
and indicating whether they have agreed to
participate
Email this submission to Rebecca Scott.
Previous themed journals and proposed themes have included economic development in Appalachia, social justice in Appalachia, Black Appalachia, and queer Appalachia. Possible future themes include but are not limited to environmental stewardship in Appalachia, material culture in Appalachia, innovations in Appalachian politics, etc. Proposed themed issues will be considered for approval by the editorial board at the next editorial board meeting after they are received.
Library/Institutional Subscriptions
The University of Illinois Press now handles subscriptions to the Journal of Appalachian Studies. Libraries and other institutions wishing to subscribe to the journal should visit this website.
Rebecca R. Scott,
Journal Editor
Rebecca R. Scott is associate professor of sociology at the University of Missouri, where she teaches classes on environmental justice, gender, and social theory. She is the author of Removing Mountains: Extracting Nature and Identity in the Appalachian Coalfields (University of Minnesota Press 2010), and Land of Extraction: Property, Fracking and Settler Colonialism (forthcoming from NYU Press).
Previous Editors of JAS
1995-1997: Ronald L. Lewis
1998-1999: Sally Ward Maggard
2000-2001: Richard A. Couto
2001-2005: Dwight B. Billings
2006-2007: Sandra Hayslette
2008: Edwina Pendarvis
2009-2012: Ted Olsen
2013-2020: Shaunna L. Scott
2020-Current: Rebecca R. Scott
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