About the journal

Aims and scope

The Journal of Alevi Studies (JAS) is an international, peer-reviewed, open-access journal dedicated to the study of Alevism in its various historical and contemporary manifestations. The journal provides a forum for original research, critical debate, and interdisciplinary perspectives on Alevism and Alevi communities across diverse contexts and analytical approaches.

Recognising Alevism as a complex and multifaceted field of study, the journal welcomes contributions from a wide range of disciplines, including religious studies, cultural studies, anthropology, sociology, theology, history, gender studies, musicology, literary studies, political science, media studies, migration and diaspora studies, and related fields. The journal adopts a broad understanding of Alevi Studies and welcomes research on related traditions, communities, networks and spaces that have interacted with, influenced, or been studied in relation to Alevism.

JAS aims to foster international scholarly exchange, advance theoretical and methodological discussions, and contribute to the further development of Alevi Studies as a distinct yet interdisciplinary field of research. It serves as a forum for researchers, students, and interested readers engaged in the study of Alevism and related traditions.

Language concept

The journal currently publishes articles in German, English, and Turkish. The journal's user interface is available in both German and English. This also includes all metadata for the published articles, such as title, abstract and keywords. Authors must enter the article metadata in both languages during the submission process. The bilingual presentation of the journal serves a wider reach on an international level.

Funding

JAS is funded by the Institute of Alevi Theology at the University of Hamburg. The Institute provides the financial support necessary for the journal’s operation and development, ensuring that all content remains freely accessible through its open-access publishing model. The journal is independent and free to choose the articles to be published.

Article Processing Charges (APCs)

This journal is a pure open-access journal. The journal does not charge any article processing charges (APCs) or article submission fees. For authors, neither the submission nor the publication of articles in the journal incurs any costs. This is also apparent to potential authors under the Submit article section.

Foundation of the journal

The Journal of Alevi Studies was established in 2026.

The journal was founded in response to the growing internationalisation and diversification of Alevi Studies and seeks to foster academic exchange across disciplines, regions, and scholarly traditions. By adopting an open-access publishing model, the journal ensures the free and global dissemination of research and contributes to the accessibility and visibility of scholarship.

Published through Hamburg University Press, the journal benefits from a sustainable digital publishing infrastructure, including long-term archiving, persistent identifiers, and transparent editorial and publication standards, thereby ensuring the long-term accessibility, discoverability, and preservation of its content.

Special issues

The journal regularly publishes special issues on specific topics. Calls for papers for special issues are disseminated through the journal’s homepage and announcements section. Researchers interested in proposing a special issue are encouraged to contact the editorial team with their suggestions. Register with the journal to receive email notifications of future special issues and other announcements.

Publication frequency

The journal publishes one issue per calendar year and follows a continuous publication model. Articles are published online individually upon successful completion of peer review and production and are subsequently compiled into the annual issue. Articles belonging to a special issue are published together as part of the respective thematic collection.

Archiving

All articles published by the journal are deposited on the archive server of the German National Library (DNB) and referenced in the DNB catalog. Hamburg University Press, the publishing house of the Hamburg State and University Library, holds all published volumes and articles in a sustainable manner.

Additionally, this journal participates in the PKP Preservation Network. This means that all content of the journal is archived within a private LOCKSS network. New content from the journal is automatically harvested. After a "trigger event" - either a clear message from the journal manager or the cessation of deliveries - the content is made available through the OJS instances of one or more LOCKSS partners.
INFO: LOCKSS is an acronym for "Lots of Copies Keep Stuff Save." The LOCKSS initiative is based on the premise that no single institution can provide long-term preservation. Therefore, this project consists of a cooperation of several libraries. The project was initiated and continued by the Stanford University Libraries. The LOCKSS software is open source.

Hamburg University Press

The journal is implemented as part of the publication services of Hamburg University Press and is hosted on the publisher's server.

Hamburg University Press is the open access publishing service of the Hamburg State and University Library (SUB). The publisher offers scholarly publication services. These include, in particular, the hosting of peer-reviewed open access journals along with consulting and support for their implementation, as well as the publication of books in both print and digital form (Gold Open Access).