MLA Directory of Periodicals

The MLA Directory of Periodicals provides detailed information on over 25,000 journals and book series that cover literature, literary theory, dramatic arts, folklore, language, linguistics, pedagogy, rhetoric and composition, and the history of printing and publishing. Articles published in works listed in the directory are indexed in the MLA International Bibliography.

The directory is a valuable resource for scholars seeking outlets to publish their work as well as for librarians working to identify periodical publications that best meet their institutions’ needs.

The MLA Directory of Periodicals is available as an online database included with subscriptions to the MLA International Bibliography through all its vendors. MLA members can search the directory free of charge through the MLA website.

Who Uses the Directory

  • Scholars and students seeking to submit their work for publication use the Directory of Periodicals to identify the journals and series most likely to consider their work. The directory includes essential information such as topics covered, editorial policies, contact information, and submission guidelines. As they explore new areas of interest, researchers can uncover relevant publications by subject searching in the directory. 
  • Scholars and students also use the directory to find more information about unfamiliar resources they discover in their libraries or see cited by fellow students or researchers.
  • Librarians use the MLA Directory of Periodicals to identify materials that best support their faculty members, students, and curricula.

What’s in the Directory

Each journal or series entry provides detailed information, including:

  • Publication details, such as publisher, sponsoring organization, ISSN, frequency, and year of first publication
  • Editorial policies, such as scope, including subject terms assigned by the directory editor; peer review; average number of readers per manuscript; publication language or languages; acceptance of book reviews, brief notes, abstracts, and advertising; copyright policy; and charges associated with publication 
  • Contact details for editors, including e-mail addresses, phone numbers, fax numbers, and mailing addresses for manuscripts
  • Submission requirements, including recommended style and format for article submission, article length, and blind-submission requirements 
  • Electronic availability, including URLs for article submission and links to open-access online content where available
  • Subscription information with full subscription contact information, distributors, subscription rates, and circulation numbers
  • Useful statistics, such as the average number of manuscripts of various types submitted to a journal each year and the number published, time from submission to decision, and time from decision to publication

This information is gathered by the MLA staff or provided by the editors of the publications represented in the listings. 

All versions of the Directory of Periodicals are searchable by keyword and by specific fields and provide robust advanced search and filtering options. Libraries that subscribe to WorldCat can link directly to their library holdings from directory entries.

Submission Guidelines

Editors and publishers of journals or series not currently included in the Directory of Periodicals are invited to send a sample print or PDF copy of the journal or series to the editor of the directory. Please send a URL if the journal is only available online. 

Sample journals may be sent by mail (preferred) or by e-mail.
E-mail: periodicals@mla.org
Phone: 646 576-5085
Mail: MLA Directory of Periodicals, 85 Broad Street, New York, NY 10004

Types of publications included in the MLA Directory of Periodicals

  • Any regularly published print or online journals available to universities and libraries that regularly include articles on language, linguistics, folklore, pedagogy, or film
  • Any series that publishes books on language, linguistics, folklore, pedagogy, or film, regardless of the frequency of the series

Requirements for e-journals and other serial online publications

  • Be examined by an indexer
  • Relate to language and literature
  • Identify the editor and editorial board
  • Have a stated editorial policy
  • Identify the publisher and/or sponsoring organization
  • Provide for archiving of past issues (i.e., provide for continuing access)
  • Publish new content periodically
  • State any author fees on the publication’s website

Electronic serials generally have an ISSN, CODEN, or digital object identifier and are sponsored by an academic organization or institution.

To ensure complete coverage in the MLA International Bibliography, editors or publishers should have a system of informing the MLA when a new issue is published.

The MLA, at its sole discretion, reserves the right to refuse to include a publication in the MLA Directory of Periodicals for any reason.