Journal of Language Evolution

Scope & Guideline

Exploring the Frontiers of Language Science

Introduction

Immerse yourself in the scholarly insights of Journal of Language Evolution with our comprehensive guidelines detailing its aims and scope. This page is your resource for understanding the journal's thematic priorities. Stay abreast of trending topics currently drawing significant attention and explore declining topics for a full picture of evolving interests. Our selection of highly cited topics and recent high-impact papers is curated within these guidelines to enhance your research impact.
LanguageEnglish
ISSN2058-4571
PublisherOXFORD UNIV PRESS
Support Open AccessNo
Country-
Type-
Converge-
AbbreviationJ LANG EVOL / J. Lang. Evol.
Frequency2 issues/year
Time To First Decision-
Time To Acceptance-
Acceptance Rate-
Home Page-
AddressGREAT CLARENDON ST, OXFORD OX2 6DP, ENGLAND

Aims and Scopes

The Journal of Language Evolution focuses on the interdisciplinary study of language development and evolution, exploring the complex interactions between linguistic structures, cognitive processes, and social factors. The journal aims to provide a platform for research that advances our understanding of how language emerges, evolves, and functions across different species and contexts.
  1. Interdisciplinary Research on Language Evolution:
    The journal encompasses a wide range of disciplines, including linguistics, cognitive science, anthropology, and evolutionary biology, to investigate the origins and development of language.
  2. Empirical Studies on Communication Systems:
    It publishes empirical research examining both human and non-human communication systems, contributing to our understanding of vocal learning, gestures, and other forms of expression.
  3. Methodological Innovations:
    The journal encourages innovative methodologies, such as Bayesian phylogenetic analysis and artificial language experiments, to explore linguistic phenomena and their evolutionary implications.
  4. Cultural and Cognitive Influences:
    Research that examines the impact of cultural transmission, social dynamics, and cognitive processes on language structure and use is a core focus.
  5. Comparative Analyses across Species:
    Comparative studies between human languages and animal communication systems are central, shedding light on the evolutionary pathways that have shaped language.
The Journal of Language Evolution has identified several emerging themes that reflect current trends in language research. These themes highlight the evolving nature of the field and its responsiveness to new methodologies and interdisciplinary approaches.
  1. Bayesian and Phylogenetic Methods:
    There is a notable increase in the use of Bayesian and phylogenetic methods to analyze linguistic data, providing robust frameworks for understanding language evolution and relationships among languages.
  2. Exploration of Non-Human Communication:
    Research focusing on vocal learning and communication systems in non-human species, particularly in primates and songbirds, has gained traction, revealing insights into the evolutionary roots of human language.
  3. Cultural Transmission and Language Games:
    Studies investigating cultural transmission, including language games and their implications for language structure, are on the rise, highlighting the role of social interaction in language evolution.
  4. Integration of Cognitive Science:
    There is an emerging trend toward integrating cognitive science perspectives into linguistic studies, exploring how cognitive processes influence language learning and usage.
  5. Artificial Language Experiments:
    The use of artificial languages to study the emergence of linguistic structures and dependency patterns is increasingly popular, offering experimental insights into language formation processes.

Declining or Waning

While the Journal of Language Evolution continues to thrive in many research areas, certain themes have seen a decline in focus over recent years. This section highlights those themes that are becoming less prominent in the journal's publications.
  1. Traditional Linguistic Analysis:
    There appears to be a waning interest in purely traditional linguistic analyses that do not incorporate evolutionary or cognitive perspectives, as the journal shifts towards more interdisciplinary approaches.
  2. Static Models of Language Change:
    Research that relies on static models to explain language change is decreasing, with a preference for dynamic, simulation-based methodologies that account for cultural evolution and interaction.
  3. Descriptive Studies without Evolutionary Context:
    Descriptive studies that lack an evolutionary context or fail to address the implications of findings for language evolution are becoming less common, as the journal emphasizes studies with broader relevance.

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