About the Journal

Focus and Scope

focus on German Studies is a scholarly journal that is run and published exclusively by graduate students from the Department of German Studies at the University of Cincinnati. We publish only writing submitted by other graduate students. Our format includes articles on all aspects of German Studies including German literature, film and media, interviews with German-speaking authors, artists and directors, and reviews of contemporary literature and film.

There is only one other student-run journal for German Studies in the country, so we regard focus as an important asset not only to graduate students, but also to German scholarship as a whole. Our highest priority is to publish quality articles that demonstrate original scholarship. To ensure that we maintain high standards, all submissions are refereed by professors who preferably have published in the areas explored in the articles.

Our book reviews present primary works of contemporary literature and offer important introductory information on many new releases. Since it is often difficult for those outside of Europe to keep abreast of the newest releases in the German literary scene, focus on German Studies provides an important resource in this regard. We encourage all students interested in being potential reviewers to contact us.

Journal History

focus has changed over the years and continues to develop today. First published in the spring of 1994, and originally titled Focus on Literatur, the journal was initially published biannually. With the new millennium came annual publication and our current title, and in 2008, Editor-in-Chief Marie Buesch began the process of digitizing focusĀ issues to ensure the worldwide accessibility of the journal. As of 2014, focus has transitioned to full online publication. As of 2021, focus has undergone its most recent transformation and is now embedded into a new webpage.