top of page
  • When does my assignment qualify to be submitted to SCAJ?
    We accept pieces written for courses within the bachelor program or the master's programs of cultural anthropology at Utrecht University, or for anthropology courses offered by University College Utrecht, written during the semester prior to publication. Though the main language of our publications is English, we also accept and publish works written in Dutch. In addition, all submissions must meet the criteria as presented in our author guidelines (see submit page). If you are unsure whether your work would be qualified for submission: send us an email! We can always evaluate works on a case-by-case basis and we always appreciate new perspectives and ideas for SCAJ.
  • How do I submit an assignment for an edition of SCAJ?
    To submit an assignment, please fill in the form on our submit page. Once you've submitted your work, you will receive an email to confirm that your assignment got through to us. Our internal communications team will check to see if your work meets the submission requirements. After, we will reach out to you with more information.
  • Can I submit my thesis to SCAJ?
    Yes! Though be mindful that the maximum word count of our submissions is 5000. If your thesis surpasses this, you can opt to submit a chapter of or article based on the thesis. These can be submitted up to one academic year after they were written. More specific information can be found in our author guidelines.
  • Can I submit an assignment when I have also submitted something for a previous edition?
    Yes! Whether your submission for a previous edition has been published or not, you can submit another assignment for the upcoming one.
  • I'm not enrolled in an anthropology program, but I am taking an anthropology course at UU or UCU. Can I submit my written work for this course to SCAJ?
    Yes! Any assignment written for an anthropology course at Utrecht University or University College Utrecht is eligible for submission. Check out our author guidelines for more information.
  • When do I qualify to register as a reviewer?
    You must be an anthropology student at UU or UCU (either bachelor or master, including anthropology minors and Liberal Arts and Science students who follow an anthropology track) at the time of the respective review period. Note however, that we make two exceptions: 1. If you are a first year bachelor student at UU or UCU, you cannot be a reviewer for our fall edition. Your endeavor in the discipline will have just started during the fall edition’s review period (October), and we want to give you some time and space to get acquainted with anthropology before delving into our selection process. That being said, we highly encourage you to register for our spring edition! 2. Recent graduates can register as reviewers for a full academic year after graduation. This thus includes a fall edition and subsequent spring edition.
  • Can I submit an assignment when I am also a reviewer?
    Yes! Our communications team keeps track of all submissions and reviewer registrations. After the deadlines have passed, they divide the anonymized paper submissions over our review teams to assess. They will ensure that no reviewer is assigned their own paper to read and evaluate. Your paper will take the same trajectory as any other submission, and you will not know which review team it is assigned to.
  • How does the selection process work?
    Each submission we receive is first altered to be completely anonymous. Any reference to the author is removed, and the lay-out of each submission is standardized. They are then divided into groups of approximately four or five, before being sent off to our review teams. These review teams consist of approximately five anthropology students, including one of our core reviewers. We strive to ensure that a review team consists of a diverse group of students, meaning that multiple anthropology programs and years of study are represented in one team. Each member of a team will first assess the papers individually, after which the team's core reviewer will schedule a meeting to discuss everyone's evaluations. During these meetings, the teams will decide which papers they deem fit to be published. Many factors are taken into account during this process, such as creativity, originality, style of writing, topic, and academic quality. None of these factors hold more value than others, though they might prove decisive if a submission stands out in one particular element. Our core reviewers will have a separate meeting afterwards. Should there be uncertainties or widely varying evaluations of one or more of the submissions, the core reviewers will make the final decision on these cases at this time.
  • Can I use the articles in SCAJ as references for my own paper or essay?
    In theory, yes. But be aware that professors might discourage you from doing so. Most papers and essays we write as cultural anthropology students are literature reviews and thus focus heavily on the works of other scholars. Students are typically not seen as experts (yet) and might therefore not be considered a credible source. ​ If you are not sure whether you can reference a certain article published in SCAJ, the best thing you can do is ask your professor. ​ Note: the papers published in SCAJ do not serve as example papers for the courses offered by Utrecht University and University College Utrecht, nor should they be taken as being fully representative of the university's curriculum. SCAJ is an independent platform that entirely relies on the work of students. We are not tied to the university institution. The papers may not be copied in any format whatsoever.
  • What is Fieldnotes?
    Fieldnotes is a space on our website reserved for non-university graded articles written by students and alumni of anthropology. Authors can write about their experiences with and thoughts on the discipline, free from academic bounds. This feature is completely separate from our biannual publications; Fieldnotes articles can be submitted and published throughout the academic year. Click here to read more about the Fieldnotes submission guidelines.
  • How do I submit an article for Fieldnotes?
    To submit something for our blog, please fill in the form on this page. There are a few different categories of entry for Fieldnotes. We allow you a lot of creative freedom, though, so feel free to interpret the categories broadly. After submitting, you can expect to hear from us within two working days. We will provide you with more information on when you can expect your piece to be published.
  • Can I submit multiple articles for Fieldnotes?
    Yes! In fact: please do. We might choose to hold off on reviewing one of the submissions to spread the publications out a little bit. But we definitely encourage you to write as many articles as you wish.
  • How are Fieldnotes submissions reviewed?
    We do not have a selection policy for Fieldnotes, as we wish to encourage all (former) anthropology students to share their insights through this medium. As long as your work adheres to one of the categories of entry, it can be published. Our Fieldnotes team reads and evaluates all submissions to check for any errors in spelling, grammar, and referencing. They might also provide small suggestions to improve the text, though we leave the decision to accept or reject those suggestions up to you. The full process - from submission to publication - spans about two to five weeks.
  • Can I order a physical copy of an edition of SCAJ?
    As of now, no. SCAJ is primarily an online journal, in an effort to provide our editions for free, in an accessible way, to as many people as possible. We print one physical copy per edition for promotional and internal use, but we presently do not have the financial means to supply more copies by order. It is an ongoing discussion in our team, as we would want to search for a printer with more ecologically sustainable printing options before we can consider taking this step. What we can do, however, is to give you a step-by-step explanation of how we print our one physical copy, so that you can personally get a copy printed. If you would like to receive this information: send us an email! We would be happy to help you.
  • What expenses are paid for with my donation to SCAJ?
    Your donations keep our operations running, and we could not thank you enough for your contributions. We find it important to emphasize that SCAJ is a non-profit foundation. All team members and reviewers work on a volunteer basis, which means that 100% of our income is used to fund our activities as a platform. This includes our printing costs, possible promotional material such as posters, as well as the subscription to the platform we use to host our website, and costs to sustain our business bank account.
Sel. process
FAQ: Text

STILL HAVE A QUESTION?

Contact us! We strive to get back to you within 2-3 working days.

Students of Cultural Anthropology Journal
KvK: 83320504

Our mission is to empower undergraduate and graduate students of anthropology in Utrecht to feel that their work matters. As such, we work to create a collaborative and independent intellectual space for all students.

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn

Want to donate to SCAJ?

IBAN: NL64 TRIO 03 2031 2771 

​

E-mail: info@scajuu.com

© 2019-2024 All rights reserved

bottom of page