The Department of Education has accredited LitNet Akademies, a subsite of Professor Etienne van Heerden's cultural website, LitNet (www.litnet.co.za), as an online academic journal.

"The development was initiated as part of our wide-ranging offering on books, literature and cultural debate on the site," Van Heerden of the Language and Literature said.

He is also the online journal's editor.

Van Heerden added that LitNet Akademies is set to develop into a vibrant new academic journal.

Contributors will enjoy the standard benefits under the subsidy scheme for accredited, peer-reviewed journals.

"As far as I know, LitNet Akademies is the first Afrikaans online journal to enjoy subsidy status."

Van Heerden has secured substantial funding via the Stigting vir Bemagtiging deur Afrikaans, which means that, on top of the subsidy, the writer of a peer-reviewed article on LitNet Akademies will receive R8 000 to further their research.

LitNet Akademies will not be charging any page fees. The online journal will publish Afrikaans research in the humanities, such as history, psychology and literature.

The advisory board consists of academics from South Africa, the UK, and the Netherlands.

"LitNet Akademies hopes to stimulate research by especially a younger generation of academics, but hopes to attract substantial contributions from established experts in the different disciplines in the humanities," Van Heerden said.