The Journal of Country and Area Studies, a peer-reviewed journal founded by Beijing Foreign Studies University and co-published by Tsinghua University Press and Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press, is seeking for papers for its second issue.

JCAS values the traditions and experiences of country and area studies in different disciplines and different countries and regions and engages in equal dialogues among them in favour of achieving synthesis of theories, methodologies and issues to build up shared knowledge in this field. It will serve as an open, inclusive, dynamic platform for academic collaboration and innovation globally which contributes to constructing a community of knowledge with the common commitment to a better and shared future of mankind.

Outstanding scholars from around the world are invited to contribute to this biannual journal to share their research and reflections and contribute to the disciplinary development of CAS. It is also hoped that the journal would be a place for the members of the CCAS to communicate with each other.

Possible topics could include but are not limited to:

1) disciplinary development of CAS;

2) theoretical and methodological issues in CAS;

3) experiences and practices in CAS around the world;

4) teaching CAS in various countries and regions;

5) relationship between CAS and traditional disciplines;

6) empirical research/case studies in the studies of a specific country or region;

7) China Studies in comparative perspective;

8) global studies and CAS;

9) international organization and global governance;

10) international journalism and CAS.

Contributors are expected to submit research articles of more than 5,000 words with affiliations and contact information in English. Opinion papers, comments or book reviews of more than 2,000 words are also welcome.

To submit papers for the second issue of JCAS, please use the online submission system at https://mc03.manuscriptcentral.com/jocas by 31 August 2025. The editorial board will select papers based on the peer review results for the second issue of JCAS to be published by the end of 2025. Other papers that meet the criteria for publication will be included in the issues in 2026.

Structure

The paper submitted shall be compiled in the following order: title page including paper title, author bio (full name, academic title and affiliation, country, research area and email address), and abstract; keywords; introduction, main text, and conclusion; references; appendices (as appropriate).

Word Limits

A typical paper for our journal should be between 5,000 to 12,000 words. Opinion papers, comments, research agenda or book reviews are usually between 2,000 to 6,000 words.

Style Guidelines

Please refer to these quick style guidelines when preparing your paper, rather than any published articles or a sample copy.

The Author-Date style in the Chicago Manual will be used for your paper. (For sample citations, please see https://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide/citation-guide-2.html.)

Font

Use Times New Roman font in size 12 with double-line spacing.

Margins

Margins should be at least 2.5cm (1 inch).

Title

Use bold for your article title.

Author Bio

Please provide an author bio that includes the following information: full name; academic title and affiliation (e.g., Dean, Professor, or Researcher, the specific department or research institute, the affiliated university or institution, and the city and country of its location); research area; email address.

Abstract

Indicate the abstract paragraph within 150 words with a heading or by reducing the font size.

Keywords

Keywords help readers find your article, so are vital for discoverability. Please provide 3 to 6 keywords.

Corresponding Author

When submitting your paper, please assign a Corresponding Author and their email address. The Corresponding Author will handle the manuscript and correspondence during the publication process, including approving the article proofs. And they also act as the point of contact for any enquiries (including those relating to the integrity of the work) after the paper is published.

Headings

Heading Numbering

Chapters or main sections must be numbered with Arabic numerals. Top-level headings are numbered 1, 2, 3… For example, the top-level heading is 1, the first subheading is then numbered 1.1, followed by the title, the second 1.1.1, and so on. Numbered headings should use the chapter number as their root. A sequential scheme must be used (e.g. “2.1” in Chapter 2 and “3.1” in Chapter 3). All chapters/main sections and all levels of subheadings must be numbered. This is an example of heading style:

(Chapter) 4. [Heading]

Heading level 1: 4.1 [Heading]

Heading level 2: 4.1.1 [Heading]

Heading level 3: 4.1.1.1 [Heading]

Next heading level 1: 4.2 [Heading]

Next heading level 2: 4.2.1 [Heading]

Capitalization in Titles and Headings

Major words are capitalized, and most minor words are lowercase.

Major words: Nouns, verbs (including linking verbs), adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, and all words of four letters or more are considered major words.

Minor words: Short (i.e., three letters or fewer) conjunctions, short prepositions, and all articles are considered minor words.

Punctuation

Please use double quotation marks for quotations and single quotation marks for quotations within quotations.

Commas and periods that follow a quote are placed within the quotation marks.

Please note that long quotations should be indented without quotation marks.

Tables and Figures

All figures and tables are numbered consecutively (Figure 1, Figure 2, Figure 3, Table 1, Table 2, Table 3, etc.) throughout the document regardless of which section they are in.

Figure captions are placed below the figures, while table captions above the tables.

Any figures or tables you use in your document must be discussed in your text. Place the table/figure close to where it is first referred to in the text (preferably immediately below the paragraph in which it is first mentioned).

Tables should present new information rather than duplicating what is in the text. Readers should be able to interpret the table without reference to the text.

Refer to tables and figures in your text by their numbers, not their placement in the text, e.g. “See Figure 9 for a detailed schematic” (not “see the figure below”).

Data Availability Statement

If you’re submitting a data availability statement for your article, include it within the text of your manuscript, before your “References” section. Remember to give it the heading “Data Availability Statement” so that readers can easily find it.

Spelling and Punctuation

Make sure you apply the spelling and punctuation style consistently throughout your article.

Formatting

Papers may be submitted in both Word and PDF formats.

References

Please follow the Author-Date style in the Chicago Manual when preparing the paper. Citing sources in this style consists of two parts:

1. An in-text citation
2. A reference list

Here is a brief guide. For more details, see the Chicago Manual of Style 17th Edition, or see: https://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide/citation-guide-2.html.

In-Text Citations

In-text citations are placed within the text of your paper, enclosed in parentheses. The general format is (Author Year, page number). For example:

• Book: (Grazer and Fishman 2015, 12)
• Chapter in an edited book: (Thoreau 2016, 177–78)
• Translated book: (Lahiri 2016, 146)

Reference list entry:

Lahiri, Jhumpa. 2016. In Other Words. Translated by Ann Goldstein. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

• E-book:

(Austen 2007, chap. 3)

(Borel 2016, 92)

(Kurland and Lerner 1987, chap. 10, doc. 19)

• Journal Article:

(Keng, Lin, and Orazem 2017, 9–10)

(LaSalle 2017, 95)

Standard Formatting of the In-Text Citation

For more detailed information see Chicago Manual of Style, 15.21-15.31. or go to https://libguides.williams.edu/citing/chicago-author-date#s-lg-box-21699945

• Enclose the author's last name and the year of publication in parentheses with no intervening punctuation: (Smith 2016)
• For no author, see https://libguides.williams.edu/citing/chicago-author-date#s-lg-box-21699947
• For two to three authors, include the last names of authors using commas and “and”: (Smith, Lee, and Alvarez 2016)
• For four or more authors, include the last name of the first author and et al: (Smith et al. 2016)

When editors, translators, or compilers are used as the author, do not include their role (trans., ed., comp.) in the in-text citation.

• When the reference list has works by authors with same last name, include their first initial in the in-text citation:

(B. Smith 2016)

(J. Smith 2009)

• If an author has published multiple works in the same year, alphabetize the titles in the reference list and then add a, b,c, etc. to the year:

(Lee 2015a)

(Lee 2015b)

• To cite specific page(s), add a comma and the page number(s):(Smith 2016, 21-23)
• If the author's name appears in the sentence, do not include the name again in the parentheses:

Smith (2016) indicates that good citation practices are important.

• To cite more than one reference in a single in-text citation, separate the references by semicolons. If the works are by the same author, use just the year and separate with a comma:

(Smith 2016; Lee 2015)

(Smith 2016, 2013; Lee 2015)

Reference List Entries

The reference list provides full details of your sources, listed alphabetically by the author’s last name. For example:

References

Austen, Jane. 2007. Pride and Prejudice. New York: Penguin Classics. Kindle.

Grazer, Brian, and Charles Fishman. 2015. A Curious Mind: The Secret to a Bigger Life. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Lahiri, Jhumpa. 2016. In Other Words. Translated by Ann Goldstein. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

Thoreau, Henry David. 2016. “Walking.” In The Making of the American Essay, edited by John D’Agata, 167–95. Minneapolis: Graywolf Press.

• Entries are arranged alphabetically by the last name of the first author alphabetize using the letter-by-letter system, in which an entry for “Fernández, Angelines” would come before the entry for “Fernán Gómez, Fernando” (d in "Fernández" comes before G in "Gómez"):
• Entries begin with author(s) and date of work; other required elements depend on the type of source. See examples:
• Book: Grazer, Brian, and Charles Fishman. 2015. A Curious Mind: The Secret to a Bigger Life. New York: Simon & Schuster.
• Chapter in an edited book: Thoreau, Henry David. 2016. “Walking.” In The Making of the American Essay, edited by John D’Agata, 167–95. Minneapolis: Graywolf Press.
• Translated book: Lahiri, Jhumpa. 2016. In Other Words. Translated by Ann Goldstein. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
• E-book: Austen, Jane. 2007. Pride and Prejudice. New York: Penguin Classics. Kindle.

*Please note that for books consulted online, include a URL or the name of the database in the reference list entry. For other types of e-books, name the format. If no fixed page numbers are available, cite a section title or a chapter or other number in the text, if any (or simply omit).

• Journal Article: Keng, Shao-Hsun, Chun-Hung Lin, and Peter F. Orazem. 2017. “Expanding College Access in Taiwan, 1978–2014: Effects on Graduate Quality and Income Inequality.” Journal of Human Capital 11, no. 1 (Spring): 1–34. https://doi.org/10.1086/690235.
• LaSalle, Peter. 2017. “Conundrum: A Story about Reading.” New England Review 38 (1): 95–109. Project MUSE.

*For referencing other types of sources, such as news or magazine articles, book reviews, interviews, theses, or dissertations, please refer to the above-mentioned website for more detailed guidelines and illustrations.

• Under most circumstances, if a reference entry features a non-English title, an author should supply an English-language translation of the title. For non-Latin scripts, transliteration / romanization should be provided. The translated title, enclosed in square brackets and set in roman font, is inserted after the original title. Non-Latin scripts (e.g. Chinese and Japanese characters) could also be included if they help clarify the terms / names used. And Chicago style uses sentence caps and roman type for the translation of the title. For Example:
• Book:

Hao, Chunwen 郝春文. Tang houqi wudai Songchu Dunhuang sengni de shehui shenghuo 唐后期五代宋初敦煌僧尼的社会生活 [The social existence of monks and nuns in Dunhuang during the late Tang, Five Dynasties and early Song]. Beijing: Zhongguo shehui kexue chubanshe, 1998.

• Journal article:

Kern, W. 1938. “Waar verzamelde Pigafetta zijn Maleise woorden?” [Where did Pigafetta collect his Malaysian words?]. Tijdschrift voor Indische taal-, land- en volkenkunde 78: 271–73.

Yu, W. 2011. “Luyeyuan shiku de buju sheji yu zaoxiang zuhe” [The Design and Statues Combination of Mrgadava Caves]. Zhongyuan Wenwu 2: 67-72.

Hua, Linfu 华林甫. “Qingdai yilai Sanxia diqu shuihan zaihai de chubu yanjiu” 清代以来三峡地区水旱灾害的初步研究 [A preliminary study of floods and droughts in the Three Gorges region since the Qing dynasty]. Zhongguo shehui kexue 中国社会科学 1 (1999): 168–79.

1. Author/Corresponding Author details (including the current position, department, institution, current areas of research, and contact information).

2. An unstructured abstract of 150 words.

3. No more than 6 keywords.

4. Funding details. Please supply all details required by your funding and grant-awarding bodies as follows: For single agency grants: This work was supported by the [Funding Agency] under Grant [number xxxx]. For multiple agency grants: This work was supported by the [funding Agency 1]; under Grant [number xxxx]; [Funding Agency 2] under Grant [number xxxx]; and [Funding Agency 3] under Grant [number xxxx].

5. Disclosure statement. This is to acknowledge any financial or non-financial interest that has arisen from the direct applications of your research. If there are no relevant competing interests to declare please state this within the article, for example: The authors report there are no competing interests to declare/No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

6. Data availability statement. If there is a data set associated with the paper, please provide information about where the data supporting the results or analyses presented in the paper can be found. Where applicable, this should include the hyperlink, DOI or other persistent identifier associated with the data set(s). Templates are also available to support authors.

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