Aims & Scope
The Aims of Studies in Scottish Literature
The original aims of the journal were outlined by Ross Roy in his preface to the first number (SSL I:1, July 1963, p. 3): "Studies in Scottish Literature was founded with the idea of creating a common meeting ground for work embracing all aspects of the great Scottish literary heritage. It is not the organ of any school or faction; it welcomes all shades of opinion. . . . As a journal devoted to a vigorous living literature it will carry articles on contemporary authors."
Scope of Articles Considered
The journal accepts high-quality submissions on a full range of Scottish literary topics and periods, including scholarship on the relations between Scottish and other literatures and on interdisciplinary topics substantially involving literature. In addition to full articles, most regular issues open with a substantial cluster of articles on a special issue or topic in the field, crossing the usual period boundaries. The journal also considers shorter articles or notes making available significant manuscripts or documents. Each regular volume normally includes review-essays, reviews, and brief notices of books received.
Suggested Article Length
The suggested length for a regular article is 4,000-7,000 words (including footnotes), and for notes or documents 1500-2500 words. Articles and notes can only be considered when a completed text has been submitted in a form suitable for specialist review (i.e. with references in a recognized scholarly format). Contributors who have questions about the eligibility of a topic or approach, or the length of their proposed article, are invited to contact the editors ahead of formal submission. Symposium contributions and review articles are normally by invitation.
Anyone submitting an article for publication in the journal must own the copyright to the work being submitted or be authorized by the copyright owner or owners to submit the article. Copyright in an unpublished article belongs to the author (though exceptions might exist if an author is working as part of a grant-funded project).
Submitted articles cannot have been previously published, nor be forthcoming in a journal or book (print or electronic). Please note: "publication" in a working-paper series does not constitute prior publication. In addition, by submitting material to Studies in Scottish Literature, the author is stipulating that the material is not currently under review at another journal (electronic or print) and that he or she will not submit the material to another journal (electronic or print) until the completion of the editorial decision process at Studies in Scottish Literature. If you have concerns about the submission terms for Studies in Scottish Literature, please contact the editors.
Format/Citation Style
References and citations in Studies in Scottish Literature are given in a modified footnote form, i.e. with a full footnote for the first reference to a source and parenthetical references in the text for repeated citations from a single text where that will be clear to a reader. Shorter quotations given in the text should be in double quote marks (U.S. style), rather than single quotes. Longer quotations should be given as indented single-spaced blocks. In footnote references, the name of the publisher should be given, as well as place of publication. As a general guide, refer to the Chicago Manual of Style. Articles may be submitted and considered for publication in any standard scholarly format (Chicago, MLA, MHRA etc), but on acceptance the author will be responsible for adapting it to SSL's format before final copy-editing can begin. Note that SSL uses only footnote references, without adding a bibliography. but this short on-line guide to Chicago style should answer most questions: : https://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide/citation-guide-1.html .
Please note that the journal's reference style is likely to change beginning with vol. 51.1, spring 2025.