The Northwest Journal of Linguistics is dedicated to the description and analysis of the indigenous languages of northwestern North America. Linguistic research in the region has a long and illustrious tradition. There is currently a vibrant community of established and younger scholars actively engaged in the study of the languages of the northwest. NWJL fills a gap in our current resources by allowing the speedy publication of original work of the highest quality on the languages of the region. All submissions go through a process of anonymous peer review. Our editorial board consists of some of the top scholars on the languages in the region.

NWJL is committed to the collection and dissemination of primary language data. We encourage submissions of data-rich material; the electronic format allows for longer articles than normally accommodated in print journals and also allows the inclusion of supporting materials, such as audio and video clips, maps, and photographs.

NWJL also provides a platform for discussion of analytical and theoretical issues raised by linguistic phenomena found in languages of the region. We encourage the submission of articles that present treatments of primary or secondary data within any current linguistic theory.

Recognizing the importance of the socio-cultural setting of languages, we also encourage papers with topics focusing on anthropological linguistics, sociolinguistics, historical-comparative linguistics, and linguistic typology.

NWJL anticipates the publication of papers of a wide variety of types and lengths, including:

While the publication of educational materials per se is not within our purview, we encourage articles on the topics of language maintenance and revitalization and the role of applied linguistics in these processes.

Another feature of NWJL is that it is completely free and accessible world-wide. Forgoing a print version means we are able to avoid some of the costs that confront print journals. We thank Simon Fraser University for support that helps to defray the remaining costs. Our registration system allows us to alert interested scholars each time a new article is published on our site. Each article is assigned an issue number and posted as soon as it is ready.

We invite your comments and submissions.