NATURAL LANGUAGE & LINGUISTIC THEORY

Scope & Guideline

Elevating Linguistic Scholarship to New Heights

Introduction

Immerse yourself in the scholarly insights of NATURAL LANGUAGE & LINGUISTIC THEORY 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
ISSN0167-806x
PublisherSPRINGER
Support Open AccessNo
CountryNetherlands
TypeJournal
Convergefrom 1983 to 2001, from 2003 to 2024
AbbreviationNAT LANG LINGUIST TH / Nat. Lang. Linguist. Theory
Frequency4 issues/year
Time To First Decision-
Time To Acceptance-
Acceptance Rate-
Home Page-
AddressVAN GODEWIJCKSTRAAT 30, 3311 GZ DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS

Aims and Scopes

NATURAL LANGUAGE & LINGUISTIC THEORY focuses on advancing the understanding of linguistic theory through empirical research and theoretical analysis. The journal aims to bridge the gap between theoretical frameworks and real-world language data, making significant contributions to various subfields of linguistics.
  1. Syntax and Morphology:
    The journal consistently explores the intricacies of syntax and morphology, examining how these components interact within various languages. Papers delve into topics such as argument structure, movement, and agreement phenomena.
  2. Semantics and Pragmatics:
    Research on semantics and pragmatics is a core focus, with studies investigating meaning, reference, quantification, and the interplay between linguistic forms and their contextual uses.
  3. Phonology and Prosody:
    The journal addresses phonological issues, including prosodic structures, tone, and their effects on syntactic and semantic interpretations, emphasizing cross-linguistic perspectives.
  4. Typological and Comparative Linguistics:
    Typological studies are prominent, with an emphasis on cross-linguistic generalizations and comparative analyses that highlight the diversity and commonalities among languages.
  5. Experimental and Computational Approaches:
    The integration of experimental and computational methods in linguistic research reflects an innovative approach to understanding language phenomena, allowing for empirical validation of theoretical claims.
Recent publications in NATURAL LANGUAGE & LINGUISTIC THEORY highlight several trending and emerging themes that reflect the evolving landscape of linguistic research. These themes showcase the journal's responsiveness to contemporary issues in linguistics.
  1. Cross-linguistic Variation and Universals:
    There is a notable increase in studies examining cross-linguistic variation and universals, focusing on how different languages manifest similar grammatical phenomena. This trend underscores the importance of understanding language as a universal yet diverse system.
  2. Integration of Experimental Methods:
    An emerging theme is the integration of experimental methods, including psycholinguistic and neurolinguistic approaches, to investigate language processing and comprehension, reflecting a broader trend in linguistics towards empirical validation.
  3. Interface Phenomena:
    Research exploring the interfaces between syntax, semantics, and phonology is gaining traction, with papers addressing how these domains interact and influence one another, highlighting the complexity of linguistic systems.
  4. Computational Linguistics:
    The rise of computational approaches to linguistics, including the use of machine learning and data-driven analysis, indicates an expanding scope that embraces technology and quantitative methods in linguistic inquiry.
  5. Language Change and Historical Linguistics:
    There is a growing interest in language change and its implications for current linguistic theories, with researchers examining the dynamics of language evolution and the factors that drive linguistic shifts.

Declining or Waning

While NATURAL LANGUAGE & LINGUISTIC THEORY has maintained a robust focus on various linguistic themes, certain areas have shown a decline in attention over recent years. This may reflect shifts in research priorities or the emergence of new methodologies.
  1. Traditional Syntax-Theoretic Approaches:
    There appears to be a waning interest in traditional syntactic theories that do not incorporate empirical data or experimental results, as researchers increasingly favor approaches that integrate theoretical and practical insights.
  2. Descriptive Linguistics:
    Papers focused solely on descriptive linguistics, without a theoretical framework or innovative analysis, are becoming less common, indicating a shift towards more analytical and theory-driven studies.
  3. Morphosyntactic Typology:
    The exploration of morphosyntactic typology, while still present, has seen a decrease in frequency, possibly due to a growing preference for more specific and detailed analyses rather than broad typological surveys.

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