Journal of Africana Religions

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Submission Policies

Thank you for your interest in publishing with the Journal of Africana Religions (JOAR). We encourage the submission of unsolicited manuscripts, comprehensive review essays, and creative or community-focused works.

How to Submit

  1. Review the Guidelines: Please carefully read our formatting and category requirements below before preparing your manuscript.
  2. Submit Online: Visit the JOAR Editorial Manager to create an author profile and upload your file. The online system will guide you through the submission process.

Submission Categories

Please ensure your manuscript fits into one of the following categories and meets its specific word count and abstract requirements.

1. Refereed Journal Articles

  • Description: Original, unsolicited research articles on topics relevant to Africana religions.
  • Review Process: Peer-reviewed. In order to maintain an anonymous peer-review process, manuscript files should not include the author’s name, and citations to the author’s work should be redacted. 
  • Word Count: 8,000–10,000 words.
  • Abstract: Approximately 150 words.

2. Comprehensive Review Essays

  • Description: Detailed, in-depth evaluation of recent literature or major themes in the field.
  • Review Process: Peer-reviewed. In order to maintain an anonymous peer-review process, manuscript files should not include the author’s name, and citations to the author’s work should be redacted. 
  • Word Count: Approximately 5,000 words.
  • Abstract: Approximately 150 words.

3. Short Review Essays & Round-Table Discussions

  • Description: Brief review essays analyzing two to five recent works, or proposals/comments for round-table discussions.
  • Review Process: Evaluated by the editors (not peer-reviewed).
  • Word Count: 1,500–3,000 words.
  • Abstract: Maximum of 50 words.
  • Important: Authors must contact the editors at journal@africanareligions.org to discuss their ideas before submitting a manuscript in this category.

4. Experimental Essays & Creative Works

  • Description: A dedicated space for works falling outside conventional academic boundaries. Some examples include essays describing experiences teaching or researching Africana religions, introductions to new theoretical frameworks, and experimental or creative writing.
  • Review Process: Evaluated by the editorial team (not peer-reviewed).
  • Word Count: Typically 1,500–8,000 words (depending on the nature of the piece).

5. Community Conversations

  • Description: Essays featuring the unique perspectives, insights, and contemporary experiences of religious leaders and devotees of Africana religions.
  • Current Theme: For our inaugural section, we invite reflections on the broad theme: “What does your faith/tradition/religion mean to you?” Contributors might introduce their faith to an unfamiliar audience, debate categories like “tradition” vs. “religion,” or contrast their lived interpretation with public perceptions.
  • Review Process: Evaluated by the editorial team. Editors are happy to collaborate with contributors to edit submissions for clarity and format if desired.
  • Word Count: Approximately 1,000–3,000 words.
  • To Suggest Future Themes, email us at journal@africanareligions.org.

Style and Formatting Guidelines

All submissions (unless otherwise arranged with the editorial team) must strictly adhere to the following formatting standards:

  • File Format: Microsoft Word document (.doc or .docx).
  • Typography: Times New Roman, 12-point font, double-spaced, flush left alignment.
  • Style Guide: Follow the current edition of the Chicago Manual of Style.
  • Citations: Use endnotes only. Do not use in-text citations and do not include a bibliography.
  • Total allotted word count includes endnotes.

Materials submitted to Journal of Africana Religions (JOAR) must not have been previously published nor submitted for publication elsewhere while under review by JOAR editors. All manuscripts accepted are subject to editorial modification.  Questions may be sent to the editors at journal@africanareligions.org.

Illustrations

Once JOAR accepts a manuscript for publication, the author will be encouraged to provide the article with illustrations. It is the responsibility of the author to provide illustrations in a form that is suitable for publication, to obtain permissions, and to pay any permission, use, or processing fees involved with the illustrations. Each illustration must be submitted in an electronic format (e.g.,.tiff or .jpg). Images in the .jpg format must be of high quality and resolution: at least 600 dots per inch (dpi) for photos and at least 1000 dpi for line art.

Alt Text

Penn State University Press is committed to making its publications accessible to the widest audience possible. The inclusion of alternative text (or “alt text”) will allow those using assistive technology to access the images and other graphic elements (such as tables, charts, graphs, and maps) in the digital formats of articles. Authors are encouraged to submit alt text (and where necessary, extended descriptions) for all images and other graphic elements in their manuscripts.

General Guidelines for Composing Alt Text
Alt text should clearly and concisely describe the content and function of an image. Please limit the description to the most important elements of the image. In most cases a one- or two-sentence description, consisting of no more than 250 characters (not including spaces), should suffice. If more than 250 characters are needed to convey the content and function of an image, please provide an extended description in addition to the alt text.

Extended Description

For more complex images and graphic elements (such as graphs, charts, and maps), please provide an extended description with the necessary information. Any visible English text in an image must be transcribed in the extended description. Please note that images requiring an extended description must also have the shorter alt text. 

Formatting and Submitting Alt Text

Alt text should be submitted along with captions. The alt text for a figure should be set on a new line after the caption and should be preceded by <alt text>. An extended description, when necessary, should be treated in a similar manner, preceded by <extended description>. When drafting and formatting alt text, you should: 

  • capitalize acronyms so assistive technology reads them as separate letters and not words (e.g., US versus us);
  • avoid complex symbols, such as brackets, quotation marks, dashes, ellipses, and mathematical symbols, as assistive technology does not treat all of these symbols consistently;
  • write in complete sentences but avoid overly complex sentence structures.

For examples as well as additional information and resources, see here.

Publishing Rights

All material appearing in the JOAR is copyrighted and all rights are reserved. Individuals may download and print materials appearing in JOAR for their own private educational use; otherwise, articles, essays, and all other materials in JOAR cannot be duplicated or reproduced by any means (electronic or print) without prior written authorization from the journal.