Aims & Scope. Language Acquisition: A Journal of Developmental Linguistics aims to be the premier journal in the fields of first and second language acquisition. Research published in the journal addresses the theory of language and its development by considering theoretical, experimental and computational perspectives. Coverage includes solutions to the logical problem of language acquisition, as it arises for particular grammatical proposals; the character of children's grammatical representations; from theory-driven studies of second language acquisition, language-impaired speakers, and other domains of cognition. Types of articles the journal publishes include: i) full-length research articles, ii) brief research reports, which report originial empirical findings, major theoretical advances or crucial developments that warrant rapid communication to the developmental linguistics community; iii) review articles, which provide an original and synthetic perspective on a focused subarea of developmental linguistics; iv) dissertation synopses.

 

In addition, Language Acquisition awards an annual prize for the best original research article written by an untenured scientist. Any paper whose first author is an untenured scientist (faculty or student) is eligible for this prize. The prize carries an award of $500. Winners will be determined by the Editorial Team, consisting of the Editor in Chief, Brief Articles Editors, Associate Editors and Managing Editor. The winner of each year's competition will be announced in the first issue of the following year. Inquiries about the prize should be directed to the Managing Editor.

 

Submission of Manuscripts. All manuscripts should be prepared according to the journal's style sheet and submitted electronically according to the instructions available on the journal's manuscript-submission web site http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/language.

Articles. Articles based on laboratory experimentation should include complete experimental stimuli in an appendix. The manuscript should not exceed 60 double spaced pages of text (excluding references, tables, figures, and mandatory abstract); manuscripts longer than this will ordinarily be returned to the author for reduction without review. The submitted full-length article manuscript may be anonymous if the authors' names and affiliations are omitted, any acknowledgements and identifying information regarding the location of data sources is removed, and in general every effort is made by the authors to ensure that the manuscript contains no clue to their identities.

Brief Articles. Brief articles must report original empirical findings, major theoretical advances, or crucial developments that warrant rapid communication to the developmental linguistics community. As in the main section of the journal, manuscripts on all areas of language acquisition are welcome and will be selected on the basis of sound argumentation, theoretical evidence, and methodological rigor. A submission to the Brief Articles section should conform to the same requirements as an article with the following exceptions: The manuscript should not exceed 15 double-spaced pages, including footnotes and references. Authors may choose to submit Brief Articles anonymously or not. Inclusion of experimental materials is not required in the manuscript, but it is recommended that published articles make their materials available for review on the world wide web.

Review Articles. Review articles provide synthetic reviews of existing literature, present new perspectives on old debates, or highlight emerging lines of research in developmental linguistics. Review articles should not exceed 50 double-spaced pages of text (excluding references, tables, figures, and mandatory abstract); manuscripts longer than this will be returned to the author without review.

Dissertation Notices. Authors of recent dissertations on language acquisition are invited to submit a synopsis for publication. The dissertation should have been completed within 3 years prior to submission. Research on L1, L2, and/or special populations is appropriate. The synopsis should indicate the breadth of the entire dissertation but may focus on the most important findings. The synopsis will be reviewed for appropriateness of form and content by the journal's editorial staff but will not be sent out for anonymous peer review. A synopsis should not exceed 1,000 words, including references, and should not include footnotes, tables, or figures. Include the author's name, institution, year of Ph.D., and major advisor's name following the title.

Certifications. When submitting a manuscript, the authors must certify that the findings reported in the manuscript have not been published previously* and that the manuscript is not being submitted elsewhere simultaneously. Authors should also certify that they have complied with the Ethical Standards of the American Psychological Association (http://www.apa.org/ethics) in the treatment of their samples.

*A paper overlapping with another previously published in conference proceedings can be considered for publication in Language Acquisition, provided that the submitted paper includes substantially more developed arguments, data or discussion. The editors must be informed of the previous publication and of the relationship between the previous publications and the new manuscript. The authors must also have retained copyright or have obtained permission to republish any identical portions (such as figures, tables, and long text passages). The authors must provide a copy of the proceedings paper itself as well as any necessary permissions.

Permissions. Authors are responsible for all statements made in their work and for obtaining proper permission. Permission must be obtained to reprint or adapt a table or figure; to reprint quotations exceeding the limits of fair use from one source; and/or to reprint any portion of poetry, prose, or song lyrics. Authors should write to the copyright owner and the original author(s) and publisher to request nonexclusive world rights in all languages to use the material in the article and in future print and nonprint editions. Provide copies of all permissions and credit lines obtained.

 

Under U.S. copyright law, the transfer of copyright from the author must be confirmed in writing. To fulfill this requirement, the first author of the article must sign and return a publication agreement to the journal editor before it can be considered for publication. As an author, you are required to secure permission if you want to reproduce any figure, table, or extract from the text of another source. This applies to direct reproduction as well as "derivative reproduction" (where you have created a new figure or table which derives substantially from a copyrighted source).

Illustrations. Illustrations submitted (line drawings, halftones, photos, photomicrographs, etc.) should be digital files. Digital files are recommended for highest quality reproduction and should be 300 dpi or higher; sized to fit on journal page; EPS, TIFF, or PSD format only; submitted as separate files, not embedded in text files. Art not supplied at a minimum of 300 dpi will not be considered for print. Color art will be reproduced in color in the online publication at no additional cost to the author. Color illustrations will also be considered for print publication; however, the author will be required to bear the full cost involved in color art reproduction. Please note that color reprints can only be ordered if print reproduction costs are paid. Print Rates: $900 for the first page of color; $450 per page for the next three pages of color. A custom quote will be provided for articles with more than four pages of color.

Proofs.All proofs must be corrected and returned to the publisher within 48 hours of receipt. Only correction of typographical errors is permitted. Reprints of an individual article may be ordered from Taylor & Francis by using the link to the reprint order form included with page proofs.

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