Scientific Study of Literature

Editor
David I. Hanauer | Indiana University Pennsylvania
Founding Editor
Willie van Peer | Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich
Associate Editors
Melanie C. Green | University at Buffalo
Arthur M. Jacobs | Freie Universität Berlin
Gerhard Lauer | Universität Basel
Managing Editor
ORCID logoFederico Pianzola | University of Groningen
Assistant Editor
Paul Sopčák | MacEwan University
Copy Editor
ORCID logoJustin Nicholes | University of Wisconsin-Stout
Publishing status: Discontinued

John Benjamins Publishing Company is no longer accepting SSOL submissions. Please submit your paper at ssol-journal.com.

Literature has an important role in human culture. Broadly interpreted, literature is defined as all cultural artefacts that make use of literary devices, such as narrativity, metaphoricity, symbolism. Its manifestations include novels, short stories, poetry, theatre, film, television, and, more recently, digital forms such as hypertext storytelling. Scientific Study of Literature (SSOL) publishes empirical studies that apply scientific stringency to cast light on the structure and function of literary phenomena. The journal welcomes contributions from many disciplinary perspectives (psychological, developmental, cross-cultural, cognitive, neuroscience, computational, and educational) to deepen our understanding of literature, literary processes, and literary applications.

Scientific Study of Literature (SSOL) is the official journal of IGEL (the International Society for the Empirical Study of Literature). IGEL membership includes a subscription to SSOL.

Browse journal on John Benjamins e-Platform
ISSN: 2210-4372 | E-ISSN: 2210-4380
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/ssol
Latest articles

24 July 2023

  • New directions in the scientific study of literature
    SSOL 12:1-2 (2022) pp. 1–3

    • 3 July 2023

  • The new monstrous and its resonance with Frankenstein : A method to detail a social mind
    David Thomson | SSOL 12:1-2 (2022) p. 4

    • 29 June 2023

  • Willie van Peer &  Anna Chesnokova . 2023. Experiencing Poetry: A Guidebook to Psychopoetics
    Reviewed by Norbert Francis | SSOL 12:1-2 (2022) pp. 164–167

    • 13 June 2023

  • An intricate dance of intersubjectivity : The social and cognitive benefits of a digital shared reading group
    Anna W Gustafsson , Per Johnsson , Kajsa Järvholm , Katarina Bernhardsson , Torbjörn Forslid &  Anders Ohlsson | SSOL 12:1-2 (2022) pp. 103–132

    • 30 March 2023

  • Swirling currents : Identifying predominant themes and processes through a digital analysis of American nature writing
    Christine R. Junker , Mark S. Cubberley &  Stephen J. Jacquemin | SSOL 12:1-2 (2022) pp. 28–48

    • 28 March 2023

  • J. Nicholes . 2022. Creative writing across the curriculum: Meaningful literacy for college writers across disciplines, languages, and identities
    Reviewed by Atsushi Iida | SSOL 12:1-2 (2022) pp. 168–173

    • 28 November 2022

  • Readers during the Covid-19 pandemic : Reading choices, habits and emotional experiences
    Karin Kukkonen &  Ylva Østby | SSOL 12:1-2 (2022) p. 83

    • 25 November 2022

  • Preaching to the Choir and Beyond : The power of a narrative to change moral attitudes
    Ruoyan Zeng &  Ellen Winner | SSOL 12:1-2 (2022) pp. 133–163

    • 29 September 2022

  • Style of creative nonfiction : A multidimensional analysis of literary essays
    Marianna Gracheva | SSOL 12:1-2 (2022) pp. 49–82

    • 20 June 2022

  • Towards a more complex understanding of our tools and hypotheses
    SSOL 11:2 (2021) p. 147
    • IssuesOnline-first articles

    Volume 12 (2022)

    Issue 1/2

    Volume 11 (2021)

    Issue 2
    Issue 1

    Volume 10 (2020)

    Issue 2
    Issue 1

    Volume 9 (2019)

    Issue 2
    Issue 1

    Volume 8 (2018)

    Issue 2
    Issue 1
    Empirical Studies of Literariness

    Volume 7 (2017)

    Issue 2
    Issue 1

    Volume 6 (2016)

    Issue 2
    Issue 1
    Transdisciplinary Approaches to Literature and Empathy

    Volume 5 (2015)

    Issue 2
    Issue 1

    Volume 4 (2014)

    Issue 2
    Issue 1

    Volume 3 (2013)

    Issue 2
    Aesthetic Engagement During Moments of Suffering
    Issue 1

    Volume 2 (2012)

    Issue 2
    Issue 1

    Volume 1 (2011)

    Issue 2
    Issue 1
    The Future of Scientific Studies in Literature
    Board
    Editorial Board
    Markus Appel | University of Linz
    Douglas Biber | Northern Arizona University
    Marisa Bortolussi | University of Alberta
    Brian Boyd | University of Auckland
    Gerald C. Cupchik | University of Toronto
    Robert Darnton | Director of Harvard University Library
    Peter Dixon | University of Alberta
    Richard J. Gerrig | Stony Brook University
    ORCID logoRaymond W. Gibbs, Jr. | University of California at Santa Cruz
    ORCID logoRachel Giora | University of Tel Aviv
    Arthur C. Graesser | University of Memphis
    Frank Hakemulder | University of Utrecht
    Don Kuiken | University of Alberta
    János László † | Hungarian Academy of Sciences
    ORCID logoMax M. Louwerse | Tilburg University
    Raymond Mar | York University (Canada)
    David S. Miall | University of Alberta
    Keith Oatley | University of Toronto
    Mary Beth Oliver | Penn State
    Willie van Peer | Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich
    James W. Pennebaker | University of Texas
    Joan Peskin | University of Toronto
    ORCID logoSteven Pinker | Harvard University
    David N. Rapp | Northwestern University
    Margrit Schreier | Jakobs University Bremen
    Yeshayahu Shen | Tel Aviv University
    Mick Short | University of Lancaster
    Gerard J. Steen | University of Amsterdam
    Ed S. Tan | University of Amsterdam
    Reinhold Viehoff | University of Halle
    Peter Vorderer | University of Mannheim
    Joris van Zundert | Huygens Institute, The Netherlands
    Rolf A. Zwaan | Erasmus University Rotterdam
    ORCID logoSonia Zyngier | Federal University of Rio de Janeiro
    Subscription Info
    Current issue: 12:1/2, available as of July 2023

    General information about our electronic journals.

    Subscription rates

    All prices for print + online include postage/handling.

    Online-only Print + online

    Available back-volumes

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    Complete backset
    (Vols. 1‒12; 2011‒2022)    		 24 issues;
    3,600 pp.    		 EUR 1,829.00 EUR 2,035.00
    Volumes 10‒12 (2020‒2022) 2 issues; avg. 300 pp. EUR 161.00 per volume EUR 187.00 per volume
    Volume 9 (2019) 2 issues; 300 pp. EUR 158.00 EUR 183.00
    Volume 8 (2018) 2 issues; 300 pp. EUR 153.00 EUR 178.00
    Volume 7 (2017) 2 issues; 300 pp. EUR 149.00 EUR 173.00
    Volume 6 (2016) 2 issues; 300 pp. EUR 149.00 EUR 168.00
    Volume 5 (2015) 2 issues; 300 pp. EUR 149.00 EUR 163.00
    Volume 4 (2014) 2 issues; 300 pp. EUR 149.00 EUR 158.00
    Volume 3 (2013) 2 issues; 300 pp. EUR 149.00 EUR 153.00
    Volumes 1‒2 (2011‒2012) 2 issues; avg. 300 pp. EUR 145.00 per volume EUR 149.00 per volume
    Subjects

    Communication Studies

    Communication Studies

    Linguistics

    Discourse studies
    Applied linguistics

    Literature & Literary Studies

    Theoretical literature & literary studies

    Main BIC Subject

    DSA: Literary theory

    Main BISAC Subject

    LAN009000: LANGUAGE ARTS & DISCIPLINES / Linguistics / General