Journal of American Studies of Turkey

The Journal of American Studies of Turkey (JAST) is an open access and international publication of the American Studies Association of Turkey (ASAT). The journal follows a double-blind peer review process and publishes research in English related to American Studies. The journal publishes two issues each year in June and December. 

Since its inception in 1995, JAST has been the sole academic journal for American Studies in Turkey. As part of its mission, the journal supports the work of both Turkish and international scholars engaged in American Culture and Literature and it aims to aims to foster interdisciplinary dialogue by encouraging contributions that offer fresh insights into American culture, society, and institutions.

Articles that explore the intersections of literature, history, art, music, film, politics, economics, popular culture, institutions, politics, economics, geography and related subjects are welcomed to have a comprehensive understanding of the complexities of American experience. JAST is also interested in comparative studies that place American culture in a broader international context, examining its relations with other cultures. Such comparative work enriches our understanding of cross-cultural exchanges and influences, highlighting the interconnectedness of global societies. The journal does not assume responsibility for the views or statements expressed by contributors in the journal. JAST’s target group include academics, researchers, graduate students.

By including a variety of content, the journal seeks to engage a wide readership and promote a dynamic exchange of ideas across disciplines and borders. JAST accepts the following types of articles for publication:

1) Original research/review articles

2) Interviews with prominent figures in American Studies

3) Critical reviews of books, films and performances that reflect on contemporary cultural and academic debates in/about the United States.

JAST does not accept the following types of articles for publication:

1) Manuscripts that are currently being considered for publication elsewhere.

2) Manuscripts that do not address the scope of the journal.

3) Manuscripts that are not written in English.

4) Manuscripts with similarity index is more than 15%.

5) Manuscripts that are generated by artificial intelligence.

Manuscripts that do not adhere to the “Author Guidelines” will be desk rejected or returned by the editors. 

Articles should be consistent with the aims and scope of the journal. Manuscripts that do not comply with the journal’s scope, author guidelines, citation and referencing format are returned to the author.

All accepted submissions are subject to stylistic editing prior to publication.

Please use the following DERGİPARK link for submissions: https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/pub/jast

Submission Types

JAST publishes the following article types:
1) Research Articles

2) Review Articles

3) Book/Film/Performance Reviews

Submission Guidelines
1) All manuscripts must adhere to the most recent MLA manual style 9th Edition (MLA 9th Edition).
2) Manuscript should be written in 1.5 space (including Abstracts, Notes and Works Cited), using Calibri font in 11-point size. Margins should be 2.5 cm from right, left, bottom and top. All texts should be full justified. For indented paragraphs, tab key should be used.
3) Manuscripts should be approximately 6,000 to 8,000 words length (including the Abstracts, Notes and the Works Cited list), and should be prepared in Microsoft Word.
4) Manuscripts should be submitted as two separate documents:
Title page: The submission’s title, subtitle (if any), the author’s name, affiliation, ORCID, full postal address, telephone number, e-mail address, and acknowledgements (if any).
Anonymous manuscript: It should be arranged in the following order of presentation: Title, abstracts (150-180 words) both in English and in Turkish, keywords (4 to 6 words), the main body of the text, endnotes (if any), works cited, and appendices (if any).
5) The text should be organized under appropriate subheadings whenever possible.
6) Abstract and Keywords: All articles should include both an English and a Turkish abstract, with the English abstract appearing first. Abstracts should be between 150 and 180 words, including keywords. Each abstract should include 4–6 keywords.
7) Notes: JAST prefers endnotes with Arabic numerals (i.e. 1, 2, 3).  All notes should be 1,5 spaced, using Calibri font in 11-point size. All notes should appear before the Works Cited list.
8) References: Works Cited list should be prepared according to MLA manual style 9th Edition (MLA 9th Edition). The list should be alphabetical, and all works given in the Works Cited list should be used either in the manuscript or notes.
9) Authorship: JAST defines the contributers according to the standards given by ICMJE Defining the Role of Authors and contributers. See ICMJE for details. In multi-authored works, all authors are expected to have contributed in accordance with the authorship criteria.
10) Book and film reviews: Standard book and film reviews should be no longer than 1500 words although depending on the work being reviewed. Book reviews should include a brief description of the subjects covered in the book; an evaluation of the book’s strength and weaknesses; and the kind(s) of audience(s) to whom the book might appeal. The heading of the review should include: the book’s title, author(s) or editor(s), publisher, publication date, and number of pages. Film reviews should provide a concise summary of the film’s plot, themes, and major elements such as direction, cinematography, and performances. The review should also offer a critical evaluation of the film’s strengths and weaknesses, as well as its cultural or artistic significance. Additionally, the review should indicate the type(s) of audience(s) that may find the film particularly appealing or relevant. The heading of the review should include: the film’s title, director, production company, release year, and runtime. Book/film reviewers should discuss the length of the review with the editors before writing.
11) No material will be considered for publication if it is currently under consideration by another journal or press or if it has been published, or is soon to be published, elsewhere.
12) Only revised and developed versions of unpublished theses will be considered for submission.
13) JAST utilizes Turnitin software for plagiarism detection and academic integrity. Submissions with a similarity report exceeding 15% will be returned to the author for revision. Manuscripts that are generated by artificial intelligence will be desk rejected.
14) The copyright of all material published will be vested in the Journal of American Studies of Turkey unless otherwise specifically agreed. This copyright covers exclusive rights of publication of printed or electronic media. Contributors are responsible for obtaining permission to reproduce any material to which they do not own copyright (see the Ethical Guidelines for Authors Publishing in JAST).

JAST - DECLARATION AND COPYRIGHT FORM TO BE SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR(S)

In case of technical issues concerning submission, please send a message to the Managing Editor

Dr. Cem Kılıçarslan (cemkilicarslan@yahoo.com).

Ethical Guidelines for Authors Publishing in JAST

JAST follows the recommendations of the ICMJE (International Committee of Medical Journal Editors) and the COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) for Editors and Authors. For details please visit the following websites: COPE and ICMJE.

1-All submissions must be original and contribute in a significant way to their field(s) of study. Manuscripts should provide new insights or interpretations that could further academic understanding.

2-Authors are required to properly attribute the works and ideas of others, in accordance with the latest MLA style (9th edition), even when paraphrasing. All forms of plagiarism, including self-plagiarism (reusing one’s own published work without citation), are unacceptable and any violation will result in the automatic rejection of the manuscript. Please see the submission guidelines.

3-Authors are responsible for securing permissions for any copyrighted material (including images, figures, tables, or lengthy text excerpts) used in their submission. Evidence of permission must be provided before publication. Please see the submission guidelines to download the “Declaration and Copyrights Form.”

4-Manuscripts submitted to JAST must not be under review by another journal or publisher, nor previously published, in whole or in part. If the manuscript is accepted, the Editorial Board expects that its appearance in JAST will precede publication of the article, or any significant part thereof, in another work.

5-Authors must fully comply with JAST’s double-blind peer review process. All feedback provided by reviewers and editors, including suggested revisions, must be addressed in a thorough and timely manner. Authors are encouraged to view the review process as a collaborative effort to enhance the quality and impact of their work.

6-Authors must ensure the integrity of the research presented in their manuscripts. Any fabricated or falsified data will result in rejection.

7-Authors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest that could influence the research or its interpretation, including funding sources, institutional affiliations, or personal relationships.

8-Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made significant intellectual contributions to the research. All co-authors must approve the final manuscript and be accountable for its content. Any changes in authorship (additions, removals, or order changes) must be approved by all co-authors and explained to the Editorial Board.

9-Authors are expected to promptly inform the Editorial Board of any errors discovered in their published work. JAST will issue corrections, retractions, or other amendments as necessary to maintain academic accuracy and integrity.


Ethical Guidelines for the Peer Reviewers

As the Committee on Publication Ethics noted (COPE), peer reviewers are integral to maintaining the integrity of the scholarly record. The peer review process relies heavily on the trust and voluntary participation, necessitating responsible behavior from all involved. Journals must provide transparent peer review policies, and reviewers must conduct their reviews ethically and accountably. See, Ethical Guidelines for Peer Reviewers, 2017 (COPE).

Reviewers are kindly asked to follow the ethical guidelines covering such issues as objective evaluation, conflict of interest, confidentiality, constructive feedback, and timely submissions when reviewing for JAST articles. In this context:

1-Reviewers must consider each manuscript on its merits, irrespective of the topics, regions, or social groups covered. They may disagree with the author’s opinions but should allow them to present their case if supported by evidence.

2-Reviewers must declare any conflicts of interest before agreeing to review a manuscript, including any previous familiarity with the submitted work.

3-Reviewers must keep the peer review process confidential, refraining from sharing information or correspondence about a manuscript with anyone outside the review process. They must not use information obtained during the peer review for personal or others’ advantage or to discredit others.

4-Reviewers should provide a constructive, comprehensive, and evidence-based peer review report, justifying their final decisions. They should make constructive suggestions, seek clarification on unclear points, and ask for further elaboration where necessary. If recommending shortening, reviewers should specify the areas. Artificial intelligence tools to generate a “general” review report with no specific mentions would not be helpful. Reviewers should distinguish between essential additional investigations to support the manuscript’s claims and the ones which will just extend the work.

5-Reviewers must avoid making statements that could be interpreted as questioning anyone’s reputation. Confidential comments to the editor should not include denigration or false accusations, even if the authors will not see these comments.

6-Reviewers should make every effort to submit their report and recommendation on time. If unable to meet the deadline, they should inform the editor. If they cannot review, it is helpful to make suggestions for alternative reviewers if relevant, based on their expertise and without any influence of personal considerations or any intention of the manuscript receiving a specific outcome (either positive or negative).

7-While it is not the reviewer’s job to edit for spelling and grammar, noting specific points where the technical meaning is unclear is helpful. Reviewers should be sensitive to language issues, particularly when authors write in a non-native language, and provide respectful and appropriate feedback.


Steps in the JAST Peer Review Process

The author(s) submits the paper to the journal through DERGİPARK.

In the initial editorial check, the editors first ensure that the manuscript adheres to the journal’s instructions for authors, verifying the inclusion of all required sections and proper formatting and style. JAST utilizes Turnitin to check the originality of manuscripts. Editors then assess whether the paper aligns with the journal’s aims and scope and determine if it is sufficiently original and interesting for the journal’s audience. Papers that do not meet these criteria may be rejected without further review.

If the manuscript fits within the journal’s scope and is deemed original and interesting, invitations along with the abstract are sent to potential reviewers identified as appropriate for the paper. Each manuscript is reviewed by at least two reviewers from different institutions. Upon receiving the invitation, reviewers are responsible for understanding and following the ethical guidelines for peer review. Once the invitation is accepted, the manuscript is sent to the reviewer for assessment.

During the review process, the reviewers allocate time to read the manuscript multiple times to develop a detailed, point-by-point review. The review is then submitted to the journal, including a recommendation to accept or reject the manuscript, or a request for revision. Revisions are classified as major or minor, depending on the extent of work required on the manuscript. Editors consider all returned reviews before making an overall decision. If the reviews are significantly divergent, the editor may invite an additional reviewer to provide another opinion before making a decision.

At the editorial decision stage, the editors communicate the decision to the author(s), which may be to accept, reject, or request revisions. This communication includes the reviewer reports and additional editorial guidance if revisions are requested. If the manuscript is sent back for revision, reviewers should expect to receive a revised version unless they have opted out of further participation. In cases where only minor changes are requested, the follow-up review may be conducted by the editor.

At every stage, it is crucial for the editors, authors and reviewers to adhere to the time allocations specified in the Dergipark system to ensure a smooth production process.

JAST does not charge any publication, document handling or referee services fee from the authors for the papers to be published.

Other Indexes

	MLA
	Index Islamicus
	JUFO Portal