The Journal of Asian Studies

AAS members receive print and online copies of The Journal of Asian Studies as a benefit of membership.

Published in February, May, August, and November by Duke University Press for the AAS, The Journal of Asian Studies has long been recognized as the most authoritative and prestigious publication in the field of Asian studies. This quarterly has been published regularly since 1941, offering Asianists a wealth of information unavailable elsewhere.

The Journal of Asian Studies publishes the very best empirical and multidisciplinary work on Asia, spanning the arts, history, literature, the social sciences, and cultural studies. Experts around the world turn to this quarterly journal for the latest in-depth scholarship on Asia’s past and present, for its extensive book reviews, and for its state-of-the-field essays on established and emerging topics.

With coverage reaching from South and Southeast Asia to East, Inner Asia, and Northeast Asia, The Journal of Asian Studies welcomes broad comparative and transnational studies as well as essays emanating from fine-grained historical, cultural, political, or literary research and interpretation. The Journal of Asian Studies also publishes clusters of papers representing new and vibrant discussions on specific themes and issues.

Available in print and online, there are many advantages inherent to the online version of The Journal of Asian Studies—fully searchable tables of contents and abstracts, ease of downloading and printing of articles and citations, etc. The online version also allows access to multimedia supplements; video, music, and digital images can easily be uploaded and linked to relevant articles.

For general inquiries to The Journal of Asian Studies Editorial Office, please contact journalofasianstudies@pitt.edu.

Publishing a Special Issue of The Journal of Asian Studies

The Journal of Asian Studies occasionally publishes special issues on innovative research topics or critical problems of broad interest. A Special Issue is comprised of an introductory essay providing a conceptual overview of the research articles, and five or six articles that relate closely and directly to each other in some explicit way. Each essay should be no longer than 9,000 words. Special Issues often develop out of specialized conferences, and conference organizers are encouraged to:

  1. Contact the editor directly at jsalter@pitt.edu to initiate a discussion to determine if your idea is appropriate for The Journal of Asian Studies.
  2. Prepare a proposal including 1) a title and précis for the Special Issueas a whole; 2) a title, abstract, and author information for each proposed essay. The précis should be approximately 500 – 750 words and provide a conceptual overview of the issue. 
  3. Prepare a timeline for completion and submission.

Articles in a Special Issue are peer reviewed following the journal’s standard procedure. Very often authors are invited to revise and resubmit essays before the Special Issue is accepted for publication. The timeline for review is approximately the same as for research articles. The timeline for publication will be coordinated with the production schedule for each volume.   

Publishing a Forum in The Journal of Asian Studies

A Forum is a special section of The Journal of Asian Studies dedicated to the examination of major issues, questions, and innovative theoretical, methodological, and analytical approaches. A Forum is comprised of a set of four to six conceptual essays, each less than 5,000 words. Typically, the lead essay in a Forum introduces key questions, and a final essay provides either a comparative perspective from a scholar with expertise beyond Asian Studies or a critical overview of the essays and reflections on the trajectory of future research and inquiry. Recent examples are available in 80.4 Global Asias and 81.1 South Korean Candlelight Protest Movement. 

Forums often develop from panels organized for conferences, and panel organizers are encouraged to coordinate this effort. If you are interested in publishing a collection of essays as a Forum, please take the following steps.

  1. Contact the editor directly at jsalter@pitt.edu to initiate a discussion to determine if your idea is appropriate for The Journal of Asian Studies.
  2. Prepare a proposal including 1) a title and abstract for the Forum as a whole; 2) a title, abstract, and author information for each proposed essay. The abstract for the Forum as a whole should be approximately 500 words. 
  3. Prepare a timeline for completion and submission.

Forum essays are peer reviewed following the journal’s standard procedure. Very often authors are invited to revise and resubmit essays before the Forum is accepted for publication. The timeline for review and publication is the same as for research articles. 

Subscriptions and Back Issues

Individuals wishing to receive The Journal of Asian Studies must become a member of the Association for Asian Studies. AAS Members who do not wish to receive the print version may opt out by selecting “Digital Only” on their profile page.

Institutions, please contact libraryrelations@dukeupress.edu for more information. 

Online back issues of The Journal of Asian Studies from the first issue in 1941 to present are available via the Duke University Press website.

Claims for Missing or Damaged Issues: AAS Members should contact the AAS Membership Manager. Claims must be made within four months of the journal’s mailing date.