Author Guidelines

Authorship and Contributor Roles

Asian Ethnology follows the definition of authorship established by the ICMJE, which outlines four criteria:

Substantial contributions to conception or design of the work, or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data.
Drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content.
Final approval of the version to be published.
Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work, ensuring integrity and accuracy.

Acknowledgments

Individuals who contributed to the research or writing but do not meet authorship criteria should be listed in “Acknowledgments.” See the CRediT taxonomy for contributor roles.

Author Identification and ORCID ID

Asian Ethnology endorses ORCID — Open Researcher and Contributor ID as a persistent digital identifier that distinguishes researchers and improves metadata accuracy. Authors are encouraged to provide ORCID iDs for all contributors at the time of submission. ORCID iDs will be required for all authors of accepted manuscripts prior to publication. If you do not have an ID, register here (free).

Ethical Considerations

Authors must ensure adherence to ethical research standards and avoid plagiarism, fabrication, or improper citation. AI-generated content must be disclosed, and AI cannot be listed as an author. Manuscripts must not be under consideration elsewhere at the time of submission. Manuscripts previously posted as preprints (e.g., on institutional repositories or recognized preprint servers) may be submitted, provided this is disclosed in the cover letter. If accepted, authors may be asked to update the preprint record to link to the published version. See our Journal Policies for more information.

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Submission Interval Policy

Authors whose manuscripts have been rejected following external peer review are ordinarily expected to wait at least one year before resubmitting the same or substantially similar work to the journal. This policy does not apply to desk rejections or to clearly distinct new submissions. The editors reserve discretion in exceptional circumstances.

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Fees and Waivers

Asian Ethnology does not charge article-processing or publication fees.

Submission Fees

Scholastica charges a US$10 submission fee per manuscript. This fee is paid directly to Scholastica and is not retained by the journal.

Editing Fees

The journal covers copyediting and proofreading. In rare cases where a manuscript substantially exceeds word limits or requires extensive additional editing beyond normal copyediting, the editors may consult with the author regarding possible editing costs prior to acceptance. See Levels of Editing for details.

Waivers

Authors from low- and middle-income countries listed by Research4Life are automatically exempt from submission fees.

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Licensing

Authors retain copyright and publish under the Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 License. See the About page for more details.

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Editorial Process

Submission

All manuscripts are screened for scope and adherence to style. Submissions that do not conform will be declined. Authors whose first language is not English are encouraged (but not required) to have their manuscripts reviewed by a native speaker before submission.

Book and Film Reviews

Reviews should discuss the scope, strengths, and weaknesses of recent works and provide balanced evaluation. Include publisher details, ISBN, and price, and ensure diacritics follow journal conventions.

Peer Review

Asian Ethnology uses a double-blind peer review process. For details, see the For Reviewers page.

Reviewer Feedback Policy

Asian Ethnology shares reviewer feedback for manuscripts that have undergone external peer review, including those receiving a decision of “revise and resubmit” and, at the editors’ discretion, some manuscripts rejected after review when comments are considered helpful to the author. For submissions declined without external review (desk rejections), feedback is not provided.

Purpose: Maintain a fair and consistent process, protect reviewer confidentiality, and reflect the practical limits of the journal’s editorial workload.
How feedback is shared: Authors invited to revise and resubmit receive anonymized reviewer comments. For rejections after review, editors may share selected anonymized remarks when helpful.
Discretion: Editors determine what to share and how to summarize or anonymize comments to uphold confidentiality and policy.

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Revisions

Authors have four weeks to revise manuscripts and must include a response letter detailing changes. Revised manuscripts may undergo additional review.

Acceptance

Upon acceptance, authors provide a brief biography (5–6 lines). All accepted manuscripts are copyedited with author approval prior to publication. Authors must secure image permissions.

Editorial Decisions and Misconduct

Editorial decisions are final. Appeals may be submitted in writing and will be considered at the editors’ discretion. To report misconduct, contact benjamindorman@asianethnology.org.

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Submission Guide and Checklist

Manuscript Requirements

	Word Limit includes notes and references	Abstract	Keywords	Notes max.	Figures & Tables max.
Research Articles	10 000	150 words	5–6	25	10
Research & Field Notes	8 000	150 words	5–6	25	8
Book & Film Reviews	1 000	—	—	3	1
Note. Manuscripts exceeding the stated word limits may be returned for shortening. In exceptional cases where substantial additional copyediting is required due to excessive length, the journal reserves the right to discuss associated editing costs with the author prior to acceptance.

Cover letter
Title page
Times New Roman 12 pt, double spaced
Bold for main headings; italics for subheadings
List of figures and tables
Full text manuscript. Include images, tables, and captions embedded in file
Figures
Tables

Figures and Tables

Figures and tables must be embedded in the main manuscript file and referenced consecutively in the text (e.g., Figure 1, Figure 2; Table 1, Table 2). Each figure and table must include a caption. Captions should begin with the label and number followed by a period (e.g., Figure 1. Title of figure; Table 1. Title of table). Figures and tables should be placed as close as possible to their first mention in the text. In addition to embedding figures and tables in the manuscript:

Upload each figure as a separate high-resolution file (.eps at 600 dpi for line drawings; .jpg, .tif, or .png at 300 dpi for grayscale or color images).
Submit a separate “List of Figures and Tables” document that includes all captions, numbering, and required permissions or acknowledgments.

Tables do not need to be uploaded separately unless specifically requested.

Manuscript Style

Asian Ethnology follows the Chicago Manual of Style (18th edition, 2024).

Spelling and Terms

Use US spelling. Italicize and define non-English terms on first use, with diacritics according to the ALA-LC Romanization Tables.

Non-Roman Scripts

Asian Ethnology normally requires standard romanization rather than non-Roman scripts. Manuscripts containing non-Roman scripts will be considered only where their inclusion is essential to the scholarly argument and explicitly justified (for example, in linguistic or philological analysis).

References

Use Chicago Author-Date format (18th edition, 2024). Examples: (Jones 1979, 379); (Suzuki 2001, 289–93). Include DOIs where available.

Submission Checklist

Cover letter with contact details, affiliations, ORCID iDs
Conflict-of-interest and ethical-compliance statements
Title page with abstract and keywords
List of figures and tables with captions and permissions
Main text in .docx or .odt, double spaced 12 pt. Include images, tables, and captions embedded in file
US spelling and correct diacritics
Non-English terms italicized & defined
Non-Roman scripts: None, unless essential
Reference list cross-checked with citations
Chicago Author-Date (18th edition, 2024)
DOIs included where available

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Levels of Editing

(Adapted from the Institute of Professional Editors IPEd Standards for Editing Practice, 3rd edition)

Editing Services Provided by Asian Ethnology

Manuscript assessment: feedback on argument, structure, and scope (no tracked changes).
Copyediting: grammar, clarity, and consistency following Chicago Manual of Style (18th ed.) and the Asian Ethnology Style Guide.
Proofreading: final check of typeset proofs for typographical or layout errors.

Editing Services Not Provided

Substantive editing: structural reorganization or argument refinement — authors should engage a professional editor before submission.
Developmental editing: early-stage conceptual and content development — outside the journal’s scope.

Editing for Sensitivity, Authenticity, Inclusivity, and Accessibility

Respect cultural contexts and communities described.
Use inclusive and unbiased language.
Ensure clarity and accessibility for diverse readers.

Summary Table

Type of Editing	Description	Provided by AE	Responsibility
Manuscript assessment	Evaluation of clarity and structure	Yes	Editors / Reviewers
Copyediting	Grammar, style, references, consistency	Yes	Copyeditors
Proofreading	Final check after layout	Yes	Editors & Authors
Substantive editing	Restructuring, improving flow and logic	No	Author / Professional editor
Developmental editing	Conceptual guidance from early draft	No	Author / Professional editor

Asian Ethnology provides manuscript assessment, copyediting, and proofreading as part of its editorial process. Manuscripts requiring substantive or developmental editing must be revised before acceptance. The journal can recommend qualified editors on request.

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Guidelines for Guest Editors of Special Issues

Asian Ethnology welcomes proposals for special issues. Send inquiries to benjamindorman[at mark]asianethnology.org and korom[at mark]bu.edu. Do not contact these addresses for individual article submissions.

Proposal: 3–4 pages summarizing topic, significance, and proposed articles (about eight). List each article’s status (e.g., conference paper, in progress).
Evaluation: Coeditors review proposals; accepted projects receive a timeline. A two-year lead time is standard.
Coordination: Guest Editors collect essays and manage revisions. Final manuscripts due 8–9 months before publication.
Pre-submission Editing: Guest Editors standardize terminology and style per the AE Style Guide. Authors may be asked to hire copyeditors (see recommendations).
Permissions & Figures: Ensure authors secure image permissions. Figures must be high-resolution (.eps, .tif, .jpg at 300 dpi).
Contributor Info: Provide abstracts, 5–6 keywords, 5–6-line bios, and contributor contact information (email and mailing address) for all authors.
Guest Editors’ Introduction: Prepare an introduction that frames the topic, reviews the state of research, explains the issue’s significance, and briefly summarizes each article. A short bibliography of key sources may be included.

Last updated February 2026

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On this page

Author Guidelines

Authorship and Contributor Roles

Acknowledgments

Author Identification and ORCID ID

Ethical Considerations

Submission Interval Policy

Fees and Waivers

Submission Fees

Editing Fees

Waivers

Licensing

Editorial Process

Submission

Book and Film Reviews

Peer Review

Reviewer Feedback Policy

Revisions

Acceptance

Editorial Decisions and Misconduct

Submission Guide and Checklist

Manuscript Requirements

Figures and Tables

Manuscript Style

Spelling and Terms

Non-Roman Scripts

References

Submission Checklist

Levels of Editing

Editing Services Provided by Asian Ethnology

Editing Services Not Provided

Editing for Sensitivity, Authenticity, Inclusivity, and Accessibility

Summary Table

Guidelines for Guest Editors of Special Issues

Negotiating Rural Land Ownership in Southwest China: State, Village, Family (Yi Wu)