SSA Yearbook Semiotics - Semiotic Society of America

The SSA Yearbook is the annual proceedings of the Semiotic Society of America.

André De Tienne, Ph.D., Editor-in-Chief

Farouk Y. Seif, Ph.D., Editor

Baranna Baker, M.A., Assistant Editor

Explanations on how to browse the contents of the SSA Yearbook
are provided at the bottom of this page

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Each year, the SSA publishes the proceedings of its annual meeting under the title Semiotics, also known as the “Yearbook of the Semiotic Society of America”. First introduced in 1980, this series provides a unique overview of the development of semiotics.

Available in cooperation with the Philosophy Documentation Center. Click at this other PDC link to order print copies for all available volumes and to have an overview of what is available in print.

The Semiotics Yearbook provides an overview of current developments in semiotic research and a regular outlet for SSA members to publish aspects of their current work. Although priority in consideration for publication is given to revised papers originally presented by SSA members at the annual conference, any member may submit a paper (3,000 to 6,000 words or so) for single-blind peer review prior to the annual deadline—usually November 30, but this year (2023) we request that papers be submitted only from January 8 to 31, 2024.

The single-blind peer review system recognizes that reviewers are likely to know the names of authors through the program of the SSA’s annual meeting. The editors in charge ensure that reviews are not biased.

Submissions and related inquiries should be sent to Professor Emeritus Farouk Seif via email, any time between January 8 and 31, 2024.

The Semiotic Society of America combines its own style sheet with the Chicago Manual of Style for its publications, whether the journal or the yearbook. Authors should use both when preparing manuscripts for submission.

STYLE GUIDE STANDARD

Regarding all stylistic, grammatical, and syntactical matters not discussed in the SSA Style Sheet, the SSA Yearbook has adopted (as of November 2021) the Chicago Manual of Style, 17th edition, as its standard set of guidelines. Yearbook editors will conform any text accepted for publication to CMOS recommendations, except for matters related either to bibliographical citations and references or to the placement of punctuation marks relative to quotation marks, the two matters regulated by the SSA Style Sheet. Authors are encouraged to consult CMOS 17 whenever in doubt about style, syntax, grammar, and punctuation.

SSA STYLE SHEET
Please pay close attention to the unique principle of the historical layering of sources, explained further below and in the SSA style sheet.

FORMAT REQUIREMENTS

Manuscripts are to be submitted electronically in standard word processing format (.rtf, .doc, .docx and .odt formats are acceptable) with an accompanying pdf file for formatting verification. The document should be double-spaced throughout, with one-inch margins, using 11 point type size for text, 10 point for extracts (block quotes) and References, and 9 point for footnotes.

Manuscripts may be divided as appropriate into numbered sections with descriptive headings—but not numbers alone. Single quote marks are to be used for quoted material within double quotes; brackets are to be used within parentheses; and italics are to be used (sparingly) for emphasized expressions and terminology from other languages. Only verbatim materials should be placed in quotes. If punctuation is not part of the original material, it should be placed outside of the quotation.

Graphics, illustrations, line drawings, photographs (labeled as “Figures” in the text) are to be inserted directly into the text with careful in-text introductions, consecutively numbered titles (e.g., “Figure 1”) and adequately descriptive captions. Tables should be numbered consecutively and labeled with adequately descriptive captions.

Tables and Figures must be discussed in-text via direct reference to the Table or Figure title in question (e.g., “as listed in Table 2, the data confirm . . .”). Avoid referring to the “preceding” or “following” Table or Figure, since the original position may be shifted in the final typesetting process.

Footnotes should be used instead of endnotes and should be kept to a minimum.

REFERENCES, CITATIONS AND THE PRINCIPLE OF HISTORICAL LAYERING

This principle is the essence of the SSA Style Sheet. References are to add to current scientific bibliographical practice the refinement of historical layering. Authors should pay explicit and systematic attention to the distinction between source works (original writings, whether extant or not) and access works (consulted manuscript copies or publications) in their articles.

Citations

Application of this principle entails that all references within the text should be cited by giving, all within parentheses: the name of the author(s) and the year or year-range corresponding to the source work’s time of composition within the lifetime of its author(s), followed by a colon, a space, and the specific page number(s) of the actual access volume according to which the citation is made.

Note that citations are called for whenever the work or text referred to is paraphrased or adduced to support some specific claim even in the absence of a quotation. Including page numbers (or at the very least a particular chapter or section number) should therefore be the default practice and seen as an indispensable scholarly service to readers.

References

Accordingly, in those cases where source work and access volume differ, the relation of the two including any discrepancy of dates and publishers, and mediator between source and access where there is the added discrepancy of language (i.e., the special case of translations), and whatever additional information or glosses seem useful is given in the list of references at the end of the manuscript. That list is to be arranged alphabetically by last name of authors, all in capital letters.

Please refer to the SSA Style Sheet (above) for further information and clarification regarding formatting requirements.

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INSTRUCTIONS FOR BUYING COPIES OF THE SSA YEARBOOK

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BROWSING THE SSA YEARBOOK

You can browse SSA Yearbook contents EITHER by clicking on the volume-by-volume PDC links below, OR by clicking the following URL which will open a new tab and display the entire searchable table of contents from 2021 down to 1980.

Explanations on how to browse the contents of the SSA Yearbook are provided at the bottom of this page

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

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INSTRUCTIONS FOR BUYING COPIES OF THE SSA YEARBOOK

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BROWSING THE SSA YEARBOOK

Explanations on how to browse the contents of the SSA Yearbook
are provided at the bottom of this page