The Methodological Spectrum in Neurolinguistics: Integrating Experimental Control and Naturalistic Paradigms

CALL FOR PAPERS

The Methodological Spectrum in Neurolinguistics: Integrating Experimental Control and Naturalistic Paradigms

Journal: Journal of Neurolinguistics

Publisher: Elsevier

Submission Deadline: 31 December 2026

Introduction

Recent trends in the cognitive neuroscience of language research have been shifting toward the use of naturalistic stimuli — such as story reading or listening. This approach provides more authentic linguistic processes compared to traditional controlled experiments. The relevance of naturalistic design is further amplified in the context of Large Language Models (LLMs) — which are trained on naturalistic texts or speech.

However, there is also a growing body of research examining LLMs through various linguistic experiments to assess their linguistic competence. This Special Issue explores the benefits and drawbacks of both controlled and naturalistic stimuli — assessing the advantages and challenges associated with each approach and discussing the potential of computational models to advance understanding of linguistic processes within the human brain.

Scope & Significance

This Special Issue seeks studies and resources that compare or integrate controlled and naturalistic language paradigms — neural, behavioral, and LLM-based — to advance mechanistic accounts of human language processing. It provides a dedicated platform for neurolinguistics researchers to bridge the gap between highly controlled experimental designs and ecologically valid naturalistic approaches — leveraging insights from both paradigms to build more comprehensive theories of language in the brain.

List of Topic Areas

Manuscripts are invited on themes including, but not limited to:

1. Comparison of controlled and naturalistic paradigms in neurolinguistic research

2. Naturalistic language processing — story reading, narrative listening, and spontaneous speech

3. Controlled experimental designs — advantages and limitations in capturing real-world language processes

4. Large Language Models (LLMs) as tools and models for studying human language processing

5. LLM linguistic competence — insights from controlled linguistic experiments

6. Neural correlates of language processing under naturalistic versus controlled conditions

7. Behavioral measures of language processing in naturalistic and experimental contexts

8. Computational models of language — bridging LLMs and neural mechanisms

9. EEG, fMRI, and MEG studies using naturalistic stimuli

10. Syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic processing — naturalistic versus experimental approaches

11. Individual differences in language processing across paradigms

12. Methodological innovations integrating controlled and naturalistic designs

13. Cross-linguistic and multilingual perspectives on neurolinguistic methods

14. Ecological validity and generalizability in neurolinguistics research

15. Resources and datasets for naturalistic neurolinguistics research

Guest Editors

Dr. Shaonan Wang The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong

Dr. Jixing Li City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Dr. Nai N. Ding Zhejiang University, China

Key Deadlines

Manuscript Submission Deadline: 31 December 2026 (Authors may submit at any time before the deadline)

Submission Guidelines

Submit your manuscript via the Journal of Neurolinguistics submission system:

https://www.editorialmanager.com/jnl/default.aspx

When submitting, select Article Type:

"VSI: Methodological Spectrum in Neurolinguistics"

to ensure your manuscript is correctly identified for inclusion in the Special Issue.

All full manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer review in accordance with the journal's standard procedures.

All submissions must be original and must not be under review elsewhere at the time of submission.

For author guidelines, visit the official Journal of Neurolinguistics page on the Elsevier ScienceDirect website.

About the Journal

The Journal of Neurolinguistics, published by Elsevier, is a peer-reviewed journal with a CiteScore of 3.3 and Impact Factor of 1.2. It supports open access publishing and is dedicated to advancing research on the neural and cognitive bases of language — providing an international platform for interdisciplinary scholarship exploring the biological, psychological, and computational dimensions of human language processing, acquisition, and disorders.

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