About the Journal

Aims and scope

Literatura aims to be the leading Hungarian scholarly journal in theoretical studies of literature. It also supports empirical research efforts, especially those dealing with Hungarian and world literature of the 20th and 21st centuries, expecting them to carry an element of theoretical interest. Theoretical approaches of contemporary cultural phenomena are especially welcome. The journal supports interdisciplinary explorations on the neighbouring fields of culture, the media, and the arts. Particularly welcome are papers that make an original contribution to the disciplines of literary sociology, the economics of culture, digital humanities, and media aspects of literature. Many of the issues contain thematic, sometimes guest-edited blocks of contributions that either survey new developments in a particular field or present the recent achievements of a certain research community. Every issue is complete with a “Review” section where current scholarly works are evaluated by experts.

 

Contact details for submission

The default method for submitting a paper it through the five-step process of Open Journal System (OJS): https://ojs.mtak.hu/index.php/literatura/submission/wizard. The process is self-explanatory and it requires registration. However, the editors value direct, personal communication with prospective contributors, therefore, the process of submission and evaluation is not fully automatized. Manuscripts can be submitted as e-mail attachments to one of the editors to one of the following addresses:

 

Sections and publication types

Studies (Tanulmányok): independently submitted scholarly papers in the fields of literary studies, containing original theoretical insight or other new research data. They should not exceed 60 000 characters (incl. abstract, spaces, and footnotes). The publishing language of the journal is Hungarian, but studies are supplemented with English summaries (approx. 800 characters) and keywords. References are in the footnotes, according to the Uniform Referencing Guide of the Institute of Literary Studies (see below: Stylesheet). “Study”-type submissions are subject to a peer-review process. All contributions will be initially assessed by the editors for suitability for the journal. Papers deemed suitable are then sent to an independent expert reviewer to assess the scientific quality of the paper. If the reviewer expresses worthwhile demands or offers valuable suggestions, those are forwarded to the author. Both the manuscript and the reviewer’s report are anonymized, but there are specialized fields where real anonymity cannot be guaranteed. The editors are responsible for the final decision regarding acceptance or rejection of articles. The editors’ decision is final. Editors are not involved in decisions about papers which they have written themselves or have been written by family members or colleagues or which relate to products or services in which the editor has an interest. Any such submission is subject to all of the journal's usual procedures, with peer review handled independently of the relevant editor and their research groups.

Workshop (Műhely): this section contains a number of thematically related papers that are usually somewhat shorter (approx. 20 000 to 30 000 characters each) but otherwise have to meet the same requirements. These compilations are sometimes managed by guest editors, e. g. a senior researcher who presents the proceedings of their research group or the leader of a current project exhibiting their latest results. This section allows us to provide a publication option for young scholars, especially doctoral students. We expect senior scholars and research groups to come forward with suggestions for such bundled publications that can be arranged as:

  • a collection of texts belonging to the same theoretical or methodological trend or discussing a similar or related subject; 
  • a selection of papers from a relevant conference (3–4 texts);
  • a presentation of research group, a current collective research project, or work in progress that is worth of public attention;
  • a collective presentation of early-career scholars (e.g. prize winners of student competitions).

Review (Szemle): The critical assessment of current proceedings in literary scholarship is of exceptional importance. Literatura usually includes three or four reviews per issue, up to 20,000 characters each (with exceptions only for justified reasons). Reviews are, in most cases, commissioned, but we also encourage the submission of self-initiated critical works. We strive to offer opportunity for doctoral students to try themselves in a professional environment while preparing the necessary publications required to finish their studies.

  • The most important area – in accordance with the profile of the periodical – is the review of recently published volumes in the field of literary studies in Hungary.
  • Reviews of books in foreign languages are also encouraged. 
  • We also aim to look at internet databases, online research devices and other websites of interest to literary studies.
  • We encourage substantive peer review rather than reviews of a descriptive nature. 
  • No more than two years should pass between the publication of the volume and that of the review. 
  • Conflicts of interest might be reason for exclusion (interdependence, mutual reviewing).

Further occasional publication types:

Documents: Non-scholarly texts that are valuable from some scholarly aspect, including interviews, facsimiles etc. illustrating a study published simultaneously.

Obituaries: Of leading figures of the field of literary studies who passed away recently (commissioned).