Journal of Appalachian Studies

Editor: Meredith McCarroll

DETAILS

Current Volume: 30 (2024)
Issued biannually: Spring and Fall
ISSN: 1082-7161
eISSN: 2328-8612

About

The Journal of Appalachian Studies (JAS) is a refereed, multidisciplinary journal published by the University of Illinois Press on behalf of the Appalachian Studies Association (ASA), with support from Marshall University. It is the official journal of the ASA, a multi-disciplinary organization for scholars, teachers, activists, and others whose work focuses on the Appalachian region. The Journal of Appalachian Studies supersedes earlier publications of the ASA, including Proceedings of the Annual Appalachian Studies Conference and the Journal of the Appalachian Studies Association. The journal publishes articles of interest to scholars pertaining to Appalachia, especially but not limited to culture, ethnographic research, health, literature, land use, and Indigenous groups.

ISSN: 1082-7161 | eISSN: 2328-8612


Indexes

Academic Search Alumni Edition, Academic Search Complete, Academic Search Elite, Academic Search Premier, Academic Search: Main Edition, Advanced Placement Source, Brepols, Current Abstracts, Education Abstracts (H.W. Wilson), Education Index (Online), Education Research Complete, Education Research Index, Education Source, Energy & Power Source, ERIC, Mainfile, MLA International Bibliography, OmniFile Full Text Mega (H.W. Wilson), OmniFile Full Text Select (H.W. Wilson), Poetry and Short Story Reference Center, RILM Abstracts of Music Literature, Scopus, Social Sciences Abstracts (H.W. Wilson), Social Sciences Full Text (H.W. Wilson), Social Sciences Index, Social Services Abstracts, SocINDEX, SocINDEX Full Text, Sociological Abstracts, TOC Premier, Worldwide Political Science Abstracts


MEMBERSHIP RATES

The ASA membership period is from January 1 through December 31.

Click here to subscribe.

Individuals:1 Year
Online Only$115
Print + Online$135
Students:1 Year
Online Only$90
Print + Online

$110

Organizations:1 Year
Print + Online$1250*
*This membership category is intended for college and university programs and departments, research institutions, and organizations that have a particular focus on Appalachian studies, Appalachian culture, or the Appalachian Region. For details on membership benefits please visit https://www.appalachianstudies.org/membership.

Institutions:1 Year
Print Only$88
Online Only $110*
Print + Online$132*
*Institutional 'Online Only' and 'Print + Online' subscriptions must be purchased through the Scholarly Publishing Collective.

Non-U.S. Postage: $10 Canada/Mexico, $15 Other Non-U.S. Locations

Single Issues: $20 Members


ONLINE + PRINT ADVERTISING


The print ad rates for all our titles can be found in the 2025 journals catalog/rate card.

Click here to download the PDF version

Editors

Editor:

Meredith McCarroll was born and raised in Waynesville, North Carolina. She graduated from Appalachian State University, and later earned a Masters from Simmons College and a PhD from University of Tennessee. She is author of Unwhite: Appalachia, Race, and Film (2018) and co-editor of Appalachian Reckoning: A Region Responds to Hillbilly Elegy. She lives now in Portland, Maine, where she writes and teaches writing.


Associate Editor:

Michael Martin 


Managing Editor:

Mary K. Thomas is the Executive Director of the Appalachian Studies Association headquartered at Marshall University in Huntington, WV.


Assistant Managing Editor:

Ann E. Bryant is the Office Manager of the Appalachian Studies Association headquartered at Marshall University in Huntington, WV.


Book Review Editor:

Allen Fletcher

Books to be considered for review in the Journal of Appalachian Studies should be sent to:

Allen Fletcher, Book Review Editor
Journal of Appalachian Studies Book Review Editor
121 N Martin Luther King Blvd, #201
Lexington, KY 40507

afletcher@uky.edu


Media Review Editor:

Matthew Ryan Sparks is a doctoral student in the Department of Middle East Studies at Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheva, Israel.


Board of Editors

  • Carson Benn: History, Lincoln Memorial University
  • Chad Berry: History, Berea College
  • Dwight Billings: Sociology, University of Kentucky
  • Martha Billips: Literature/Women’s and Mountain Literary Traditions, Transylvania University
  • Wesley R. Bishop: History, Jacksonville State University (Alabama)
  • Alison Buck: Sociology, Eastern Kentucky University
  • Richard J. Callahan, Jr.: History, Religion, Folklore, and Folklife, Gonzaga University
  • Cicero M. Fain, III: African American & Black Appalachian History, Marshall University
  • Rebecca Adkins Fletcher: Appalachian Studies, East Tennessee State University
  • Wilburn Hayden: Social Work, York University (Ontario)
  • Thomas Alan Holmes: Literature/Popular Culture, East Tennessee State University
  • Christopher L. Leadingham: History, University of Kentucky
  • James Maples: Sociology, Eastern Kentucky University
  • Richard P. Mulcahy: History and Political Science, University of Pittsburgh at Titusville
  • Ted Olson: Appalachian Studies/Bluegrass, Old-Time, and Country Music Studies Program, East Tennessee State University
  • Edwina Pendarvis: professor emeritus, College of Education and Human Services, Marshall University
  • Douglas Reichert Powell: English, Columbia College, Chicago
  • Erin Presley: Appalachian Literature, Eastern Kentucky University
  • Mary Beth Pudup: Geography, University of California, Santa Cruz
  • Gloria Goodwin Raheja: Anthropology, University of Minnesota
  • Rachel Rosolina: Publishing, Appalshop
  • Becky Scott: Sociology, University of Missouri
  • Shaunna L. Scott: Sociology, University of Kentucky
  • Anna Rachel Terman: Sociology, Ohio University
  • Karen Tice: Education and Women’s Studies, University of Kentucky
  • Barry Whittemore: History and Religion, University of North Georgia
  • Susan Williams: Education Coordinator, Highlander Research and Education Center
  • Jacqueline Yahn: Education, Ohio University

International Board of Advisors

  • Lászlo Kulcsár: Rural Sociology, Gödölló University, Hungary
  • Margaret Mackay: Scottish Studies, University of Edinburgh, Scotland
  • Alessandro Portelli: English Studies, University of Rome, Italy
  • Gerald Preher: Southern Literature and Gender Issues, Institut Catholique de Lille and Université d'Angers
  • Carmen Rueda Ramos: American Studies, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain
  • Michael Ward: Education, Gender, and Social Inequality, Swansea University, Wales

PDF Policy

Permissions

Preprints and Postprints

Contributors may post preprints (contributions not yet accepted for publication) and postprints (contributions accepted for publication—after revisions have been completed) to personal websites until the final PDF versions are available from press.

PDFs

Authors may submit final PDF versions of their contributions to an online institutional repository once those versions become available. Submissions must include one of the following notations.

For contributions published prior to 2014:

Published as "[insert complete title here]." Journal of Appalachian Studies [insert volume number] ([insert issue number]). © [year] by the Appalachian Studies Association.

For contributions published beginning in 2014:

Published as "[insert complete title here]." Journal of Appalachian Studies [insert volume number] ([insert issue number]). © [year] by the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois.

PDFs will also be issued to contributors for the following purposes:

  • promotion and tenure
  • special workshops conducted by the author
  • other requests evaluated on an individual basis

PDFs of book and media reviews may be issued to publishers/producers of reviewed material for posting on their organizational website one year after the review was published. Review PDFs must include a link directing users to the journal’s UIP sales page.

All PDFs will include a statement of copyright and a provision that the articles or reviews will not be photocopied, distributed, or used for purposes other than the terms agreed to by the journal.

Reprint Requests

Requests to reprint material published prior to 2014 should be directed to the Journal of Appalachian Studies | One John Marshall Drive | Huntington, WV 25755 |304-696-2904| asa@marshall.edu.

Requests to reprint material published beginning in 2014 should be directed to the University of Illinois Press | 1325 South Oak Street | Champaign, IL 61820 | 217-300-2883|       

uip-rights@uillinois.edu using the form at this link: https://www.press.uillinois.edu/forms/journal_permission.php?id=jas.

Submissions

Manuscript Submissions

The Journal of Appalachian Studies seeks articles based on original empirical research, including applied research, as well as literary criticism and reflections on conceptual, theoretical, and methodological issues in Appalachian studies. Given the Journal’s broad readership, we encourage consideration of the wider implications of each study. Submissions must be written in a style that can be understood by non-specialists.

We will consider rigorous scholarship from scholars, teachers, activists, and others whose work focuses on the Appalachian region. The current editor invites scholarship which compares the Appalachian region to other regions in the world and places the region in a critical, global context. All submissions are expected to demonstrate an understanding of relevant Appalachian studies literature.

Submission Guidelines

Articles must be submitted to the journal’s online manuscript submission portal. This secure, personalized resource will allow you to track your manuscript through each step of the review and acceptance process.

The journal uses a double-blind peer review process. Authors should prepare their manuscripts in a way that does not reveal their identity to reviewers. Please do not include your name or affiliation on the manuscript and make sure that tables and figures do not contain any related identifiers. References to work previously undertaken by the author(s) should be written in third person (avoid phrases such as “as we have shown before”). Acknowledgements and references to funding sources should be omitted from the initial submission. Please ensure that document properties are also anonymized (see “Ensuring a Blind Review” on the submission checklist for detailed instructions).

Authors should verify that: the submission has not been previously published and that it is not before another journal for consideration (if so, an explanation should be provided to the editor); the submission file is in Microsoft Word format (or a file type compatible with MS Word); URLs for the references have been provided when appropriate; the text is double-spaced and uses a twelve point font; all illustrations, figures, and tables have been placed within the text at the appropriate points, rather than at the end of the manuscript. You will be asked to insert image location callouts and submit high resolution files if your manuscript is accepted for publication.

Authors will be asked to provide an abstract and brief bio statement (not more than thirty words) for each contributor at the time of submission. Sample bio: Christopher Leadingham is a PhD candidate in the history department at the University of Kentucky and is the associate editor of the Journal of Appalachian Studies.

Roundtables and other compendiums by multiple authors should be submitted as a single document.

Submitted manuscripts must adhere to the formatting and stylistic requirements outlined below. Manuscripts are accepted pending editorial revision. Authors should expect to work with the editorial staff to prepare the document for copyediting and publication.

Word Count limits

Articles should be between 5,000 - 7,000 words (approximately 20 to 25 pages) including notes, citations, and references.

Teaching / Research / Community Notes should not exceed 4,000 words (approximately 12-15 pages) including notes, citations, and references.

Manuscripts that significantly exceed the above word counts should be discussed with the editor before submission; some may need to be shortened before they are accepted for publication.

Please click the button below to begin the submission process. Your manuscript will be reviewed as soon as possible.

Submit to Journal of Appalachian Studies


Peer Review Process:

1. Manuscripts are assigned an editor; normally the main journal editor is assigned, or in the case of a special issue, the main journal editor is assigned as well as the themed issue editor(s).

2. Initial editorial review to ensure that the manuscript is anonymous, suitable for the journal, and ready for peer review; at this point articles might be returned to the author for further preparation.

3. If the article is ready, the editor uses the reviewer database to assign reviewers, or adds additional reviewers to the database as needed. All papers are reviewed by externalreviewers.

4. When reviews are back, the editor makes a decision and may decline the article, send the article out for major revision, or ask for minor revisions.

5. In the case of major revisions, the reviewers are asked to review the resubmission.

6. With at least two positive reviews the article is accepted, often with minor revisions requested before publication.


View our Publications Ethics and Malpractice Statement

 

Featured Articles



Who's Afraid of a Living Wage and a Say for All?: Economic Justice in Appalachia
Ann Kingsolver
https://doi.org/10.5406/jappastud.26.2.0156
https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5406/jappastud.26.2.0156?refreqid=excelsior%3A0e1ca45bfa73db02a95438c4c18a7c61

Holly Boswell: Asheville's Social Justice Warrior, Voices from the LGBTQIA+ Archive of Western North Carolina
Amanda Wray
https://doi.org/10.5406/jappastud.26.2.0173
https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5406/jappastud.26.2.0173?refreqid=excelsior%3A09dec32811d8c74027667717ff283916

Who Has the Right-of-Way?: Negotiating Environmental and Economic Impacts of Off-Highway Vehicle Use in Eastern Kentucky
Ryan Sharp, Michael J. Bradley and James Maples
https://doi.org/10.5406/jappastud.26.2.0191
https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5406/jappastud.26.2.0191?refreqid=excelsior%3A02e340daa0c83ab0cfa6db8d863bf03e

“How About Some Collaboration?”: Micro-Level Barriers to Democratic, Evidence-Based Decision Making
Shaunna L. Scott, Stephanie M. McSpirit, Jared Friesen and Kathryn Engle
https://doi.org/10.5406/jappastud.26.2.0209

Collecting Hate: Confronting Racism through Contemptible Collectibles
Jacqueline Clark
https://doi.org/10.5406/jappastud.26.2.0227
https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5406/jappastud.26.2.0227?refreqid=excelsior%3A1a9d676a50a3b932d97716288a0e449c

The Rhetorical Register of Class: Gender, Resistance, and Social Justice in Appalachia's Coalfields
Matthew S. Richards
https://doi.org/10.5406/jappastud.26.2.0248
https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5406/jappastud.26.2.0248

Meaning, Encounter, and Reclamation: Relistening to the Appalachian Oral History Project
Scott Sikes
https://doi.org/10.5406/jappastud.27.1.0106
https://scholarlypublishingcollective.org/uip/jas/article/27/1/106/284077/Meaning-Encounter-and-Reclamation-Relistening-to

The Health of Coal Miners’ Wives: A Historical Analysis
Chloe A. Yates; Amy Sorensen
https://scholarlypublishingcollective.org/uip/jas/article/29/1/7/379568/The-Health-of-Coal-Miners-Wives-A-Historical

The Deathscape of Settler Colonialism: Remembrance and Erasure through Cemeteries and Graveyards in the Upper Monongahela Valley
Travis Stimeling; Mary L. Linscheid
https://scholarlypublishingcollective.org/uip/jas/article/29/1/23/379571/The-Deathscape-of-Settler-Colonialism-Remembrance

Sustainable Arthurdale: A Reevaluation of a 1930s Planned Community
Greg Galford; Lisa Tucker; Lou Martin
https://scholarlypublishingcollective.org/uip/jas/article/29/1/47/379569/Sustainable-Arthurdale-A-Reevaluation-of-a-1930s

Schoolhouses above the Rock: The Shale Gas Rush and School Funding in Appalachian Ohio
Jacqueline Yahn
https://scholarlypublishingcollective.org/uip/jas/article/29/1/64/379570/Schoolhouses-above-the-Rock-The-Shale-Gas-Rush-and

Measuring Resident Quality of Life in Appalachian Mountain Towns: A Case Study and Proposed Methodology
John M. McGrath; Skip Glenn
https://scholarlypublishingcollective.org/uip/jas/article/29/1/88/379561/Measuring-Resident-Quality-of-Life-in-Appalachian

Animalizing Appalachia: A Critical Animal Studies Analysis of Early Sociological Surveys of Southern Appalachia
Corey Lee Wrenn
https://scholarlypublishingcollective.org/uip/jas/article/29/2/145/383363/Animalizing-Appalachia-A-Critical-Animal-Studies

Using a Mixed Methods Approach to Investigate Land Use History and Herbaceous Plant Diversity in Southern Appalachia
Sarah L. McMullen; Alison A. Ormsby
https://scholarlypublishingcollective.org/uip/jas/article/29/2/166/383369/Using-a-Mixed-Methods-Approach-to-Investigate-Land

Fooling with Things: Affordances and Appalachian Wheelchair Users
Zach Glendening
https://scholarlypublishingcollective.org/uip/jas/article/29/2/186/383368/Fooling-with-Things-Affordances-and-Appalachian

“Woven into the fabric”: The Legacy and Labor That Built a University
Liz Harper; Adam Thomas
https://scholarlypublishingcollective.org/uip/jas/article/30/1/8/390171/Woven-into-the-fabric-The-Legacy-and-Labor-That

Multiculturalism in the Coal Mines: Re-interpreting the Battle of Blair Mountain in the Age of Black Lives Matter
Mich Nyawalo
https://scholarlypublishingcollective.org/uip/jas/article/30/1/29/390177/Multiculturalism-in-the-Coal-Mines-Re-interpreting

“You will always be”: Remembering a Historically Black School in the Mountains of Eastern Kentucky
Kristan L. McCullum
https://scholarlypublishingcollective.org/uip/jas/article/30/1/42/390182/You-will-always-be-Remembering-a-Historically