Journal of Japan Society of Library and Information Science
Manuscript Submission Policy
Last Revised: July 8, 2018
The Editorial Committee, The Japan Society of Library and Information Science
1) Eligibility
Full members and student members of the Japan Society of Library and Information Science (the Society) may submit manuscripts to the “Journal of Japan Society of Library and Information Science” (the Journal). For manuscripts with more than one author, the first author must be either a full member or a student member. Any change or addition of authors, including co-authors, is not permitted once the manuscript is submitted.
2) Types of Manuscripts
Manuscripts should fit within one of the following categories: 1) research articles, 2) research notes, 3) literature outlook, 4) book reviews, 5) description of literature, 6) description of primary material, or 7) members’ voices.
(1) Research Articles
“Research articles” contain results of research. These should meet such standards as originality, credibility, and accuracy, and should contribute to the development of library and information science research.
(2) Research Notes
“Research Notes” include future direction for and brief analysis of preliminary research; reports on preliminary research; introduction of research trends or research methods either domestic or overseas; or viewpoints about specific themes, supported by literature, cases, or data. They should demonstrate significance such as the novelty of research.
(3) Literature Outlook
“Literature outlook” summarizes previous research results on a specific theme and contributes to the development of new research.
(4) Book Reviews
“Book reviews” introduce recent professional and research books published domestically or overseas (within the last two years). Reviews will critically discuss the academic merits of the text. For reviews of translated work, it is desirable to refer to the original work and reviews of it.
(5) Description of Literature
“Description of literature” provides a description of research literature that may provide a useful reference for other researchers.
(6) Description of Primary Material
A “description of primary material” reviews and discusses the academic value of material, partial research results, or research data that may be difficult to discover or obtain.
(7) Members’ Voices
Members’ voices includes commentary, questions, opinions, and reviews about such topics as the status of the library and information science profession and research; the editorial process of the Journal; articles published in the Journal; and conference presentations and symposia.
3) Manuscripts
Manuscripts must be written in Japanese or English, and they must be unpublished. Articles that have already been published or are under review for publication in other periodicals (such as academic journals, commercial journals, university or research institute journals) or books should not be submitted. In general, the following articles will be treated as unpublished: articles that have appeared in the Society’s “Annual Conference Proceedings” or “Proceedings of Spring Research Meetings”; articles based on research that has already appeared in equivalent conference proceedings of other societies; and articles based on a bachelor’s thesis, master’s thesis, or doctoral dissertation. However, these sources should be acknowledged at the end of the manuscript.
4) Manuscript Length
Manuscripts must be prepared in A4 size paper with 22 characters per line x 43 lines. Length limits, including tables and figures, are: 30 pages for research articles; 20 pages for research notes and literature outlook; 3 pages for book reviews, description of literature, and description of primary materials; 1.5–3 pages for members’ voices. When published, the text will be under 17 pages for research papers; 11 pages for research notes and literature outlook; approximately 2 pages for reviews and description of literature and primary materials; and 1–2 pages for members’ voices. Details are provided in “Author Guidelines” in the Journal. For manuscripts in English, one page in the published format is approximately 600 words.
5) Acceptance
The Editorial Committee of the Society determines the acceptance of submitted papers and informs the author of the decision. The Editorial Committee may request revision or resubmission regarding manuscripts’ content and format. The review process is set forth in “Rules for Paper Acceptance and Review Process” for the Journal.
6) Proofreading
Authors are expected to proofread the first draft only. Authors are responsible for all of the content in the published paper.
7) Reprints
For published papers, 30 free copies of reprints will be given to authors.
8) Copyright
Copyright of all published papers belongs to the Japan Society of Library and Information Science. However, authors may reproduce, translate, or adapt their own paper post publication. When using a substantial part of the published paper in a subsequent paper (including publication on the Internet), the Society must be notified in advance and the original source cited.
9) Revision and Abolition
Any changes to this policy must be reviewed by the Editorial Committee and approved by the Executive Committee of the Society.