Plenitude: values for a journal that speaks to language, literature, and culture studies

Abstract

This is a ‘research editorial.’ It expounds the curatorial values that inform editing decisions for the Journal of Language Literature and Culture in 2020, setting them in a context of current scholarly debates and culture. Its main contribution to knowledge is also the JLLC’s main contribution: to embody the active recognition of the importance of a plenary function for journals such as this one. The article frames scholarly practices as balancing a value or ethos of plenitude against the alternative norms of scholarly specialisation, where each function is critical to the viability of the whole. Within that balance, a journal such as JLLC is needed for its capacity to convene scholarly discussions that span the fields of Language, Literature, and Culture.