Sign Language Studies
journal

Sign Language Studies is a quarterly peer-reviewed academic journal covering basic and applied research relating to sign languages used throughout the world. It was established in 1972 with William Stokoe of Gallaudet University as founding editor-in-chief. It covers linguistic, cultural, and educational topics.
History
The journal was established by William Stokoe, with the first issue printed in 1972. From 1973 to 1975, the journal was published with the support of Thomas Sebeok through Mouton and Company and Indiana University. Subsequently, the journal was published by Stokoe's publishing company, Linstok Press in Silver Spring, Maryland. Stokoe chose to number issues consecutively since the journal's inception. Linstok Press continued as the journal's publisher until the winter of 1996, and the last issue printed by Linstok was number 93.
Following Stokoe's death, Gallaudet University Press took over publication in 2000 after a 3-year hiatus. The journal's numbering was restarted with "Volume 1, Issue 1".
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Sign Language Studies” is journal. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Sign, Language and Studies, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “journal” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
The citation trail is more important than the brevity of the summary: it shows where individual claims can be examined in context. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jan 4, 2025. The linked authority identifier is Q15793524. 5 of 5 selected statements include explicit references; 2 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1972, 1973, 1975 and 1996.
Overview language is designed for orientation and should not be treated as a substitute for the evidence cited beneath it. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Sign Language Studies”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Sign Language Studies primary sources, Sign Language Studies archive and Sign research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Sign Language Studies”?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
- Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Sign Language Studies” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.