The purpose of Language Matters is to provide a journal of international standing with a unique African flavour focusing on multilingualism in Africa. Although the journal contributes to the language debate on all African languages, sub-Saharan Africa and issues related to multilingualism in the southern African context are the journal’s specific domains. The journal seeks to promote the dissemination of ideas, points of view, teaching strategies and research on different aspects of African languages, providing a forum for discussion on the whole spectrum of language usage and debate in Africa. The journal endorses a multidisciplinary approach to the study of language and welcomes contributions not only from sociolinguists, psycholinguists and the like, but also from educationalists, language practitioners, computer analysts, engineers or scholars with a genuine interest in and contribution to the study of language. All contributions are critically reviewed by at least two referees.
Although the general focus remains on multilingualism and related issues, one of the three issues of Language Matters published each year is a special thematic edition on Language Politics in Africa. These special issues embrace a wide spectrum of language matters of current relevance in Southern Africa.
This journal is accredited with the South African Department of Higher Education and Training and is also listed on the Social Sciences Citation Index as well as the Arts & Humanities Citation Index (A&HCI).
Journal metrics
Usage
14K annual downloads/views
Citation metrics
0.5 (2023) Impact Factor
0.5 (2023) 5 year IF
1.2 (2023) CiteScore (Scopus)
Q2 CiteScore Best Quartile
0.659 (2023) SNIP
0.214 (2023) SJR
Speed/acceptance
49 days avg. from submission to first
decision
95 days avg. from submission to first
post-review decision
16% acceptance rate
Understanding and using journal metrics
Journal metrics can be a useful tool for readers, as well as for authors
who are deciding where to submit their next manuscript for publication.
However, any one metric only tells a part of the story of a journal’s
quality and impact. Each metric has its limitations which means that it
should never be considered in isolation, and metrics should be used to
support and not replace qualitative review.
We strongly recommend that you always use a number of metrics, alongside
other qualitative factors such as a journal’s aims & scope, its
readership, and a review of past content published in the journal. In
addition, a single article should always be assessed on its own merits and
never based on the metrics of the journal it was published in.
Usage and acceptance rate data above are for the last full calendar year
and are updated annually in February. Speed data is updated every six
months, based on the prior six months. Citation metrics are updated
annually mid-year. Please note that some journals do not display all of
the following metrics
(find out why).
Usage:
the total number of times articles in the journal were viewed by users
of Taylor & Francis Online in the previous calendar year, rounded to the
nearest thousand.
Citation Metrics
Impact Factor*:
the average number of citations received by articles published in the
journal within a two-year window. Only journals in the Clarivate Science
Citation Index Expanded (SCIE), Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI),
Arts and Humanities Citation Index (AHCI) and the Emerging Sources
Citation Index (ESCI) have an Impact Factor.
Impact Factor Best Quartile*:
the journal’s highest subject category ranking in the Journal Citation
Reports. Q1 = 25% of journals with the highest Impact Factors.
5 Year Impact Factor*:
the average number of citations received by articles in the journal
within a five-year window.
CiteScore (Scopus)†:
the average number of citations received by articles in the journal over
a four-year period.
CiteScore Best Quartile†:
the journal’s highest CiteScore ranking in a Scopus subject category. Q1
= 25% of journals with the highest CiteScores.
SNIP
(Source Normalized Impact per Paper):
the number of citations per paper in the journal, divided by citation
potential in the field.
SJR
(Scimago Journal Rank):
Average number of (weighted) citations in one year, divided by the
number of articles published in the journal in the previous three years.
Speed/acceptance
From submission to first decision:
the average (median) number of days for a manuscript submitted to the
journal to receive a first decision. Based on manuscripts receiving a
first decision in the last six months.
From submission to first post-review decision:
the average (median) number of days for a manuscript submitted to the
journal to receive a first decision if it is sent out for peer review.
Based on manuscripts receiving a post-review first decision in the last
six months.
From acceptance to online publication:
the average (median) number of days from acceptance of a manuscript to
online publication of the Version of Record. Based on articles published
in the last six months.
Acceptance rate:
articles accepted for publication by the journal in the previous
calendar year as percentage of all papers receiving a final decision.
EDITOR Lawrie Barnes University of South Africa, South Africa [email protected]
ASSOCIATE EDITORS Terrence Carney University of South Africa, South Africa [email protected]
Theodorus du Plessis University of the Free State, South Africa [email protected]
Elvis Saal University of South Africa, South Africa [email protected]
EDITORIAL BOARD Prof Mbulungeni Madiba Stellenbosch University, South Africa [email protected]
Prof Rajend Mesthrie University of Cape Town, South Africa [email protected]
Dr Bulelwa Nokele University of South Africa, South Africa [email protected]
Prof Nerina Bosman University of Pretoria, South Africa [email protected]
Prof Sonja Bosch University of South Africa, South Africa [email protected]
Prof Johanita Kirsten North-West University, South Africa [email protected]
ADVISORY BOARD Jens Allwood (University of Göteborg, Sweden) Ayo Bamgbose (University of Ibadan, Nigeria) Eyamba Bokamba (University of Illinois, United States of America) Werner Botha (Flinders University, Australia) Susan Coetzee-Van Rooy (North-West University,South Africa) David Crystal (Bangor University, United Kingdom) Cay Dollerup (University of Copenhagen, Denmark) Ofelia García (City University of New York, United States of America) Daniel Gile (Université Paris 3 – Sorbonne Nouvelle, France) Nkonko Kamwangamalu (Howard University, United States of America) Kembo-Sure (Moi University, Kenya) William Labov (University of Pennsylvania, United States of America) Marilyn Martin-Jones (University of Birmingham, United Kingdom) Sozinho Matsinhe (CODESRIA, Senegal) Michael Meeuwis (Ghent University, Belgium) Sheila Mmusi (University of Limpopo, South Africa) Salikoko Mufwene (University of Chicago, United States of America) Gillian Sankoff (University of Pennsylvania, United States of America) Elana Shohamy (Tel Aviv University, Israel) Bertus van Rooy (University of Amsterdam, Netherlands) Rainer Voßen (JW Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main, Germany) Vic Webb (University of Pretoria, South Africa) Dafna Yitzhaki (Bar-Ilan University, Israel)
Abstracting and indexing
Abstracted/ Indexed in: Africa Studies Abstracts Online; Current Abstracts; Humanities International Index; Linguistics Abstracts Online and Linguistics and Language Behavior Abstracts; Thomson Reuters Arts & Humanities Citation Index and Thomson Reuters Social Sciences Citation Index.
Open access
Language Matters is a hybrid open access journal that is part of our Open Select publishing program, giving you the option to publish open access. Publishing open access means that your article will be free to access online immediately on publication, increasing the visibility, readership, and impact of your research.
Why choose open access?
Increase the discoverability and readership of your article
Make an impact and reach new readers, not just those with easy access to a research library
Freely share your work with anyone, anywhere
Comply with funding mandates and meet the requirements of your institution, employer or funder
Rigorous peer review for every open access article
Article Publishing Charges (APC)
If you choose to publish open access in this journal you may be asked to pay an Article Publishing Charge (APC). You may be able to publish your article at no cost to yourself or with a reduced APC if your institution or research funder has an open access agreement or membership with Taylor & Francis.
Language Matters: Studies in the Languages of Africa
(1993 - current)
Formerly known as
English Usage in Southern Africa
(1991 - 1992)
UNISA make every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the "Content") contained in our publications. However, UNISA, our agents (including the editor, any member of the editorial team or editorial board, and any guest editors), and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinions and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors, and are not the views of or endorsed by UNISA. The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sources of information. UNISA shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to, or arising out of the use of the Content. Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/page/terms-and-conditions .
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