SUBMITTING GUIDELINES:

Articles

Manuscripts are submitted to the Historical Journal of Massachusetts with the understanding that they have not been published or accepted for publication elsewhere, in whole or in part.

Articles undergo a rigorous peer review process (typically two expert reviewers and two editors read each submission). Our acceptance rate is approximately 35%. Of those manuscripts that are accepted, we often recommend revisions that will sharpen an author’s analysis, arguments, organization, and/or writing. We believe that this in-depth peer review and editing process results in high-quality articles that benefit both our authors and readers.

The editors encourage submission of in-depth and fully referenced articles based on an analysis of original primary sources. Ideal length is no more than 25 pages of text plus 2-4 pages of endnotes. This translates into a total of approximately 7,000 words. All sources must be fully documented and follow the Chicago Manual of Style format (see below for formatting guidelines).

We prefer articles that are new in content and interpretation and make a fresh contribution to historical knowledge. In each issue, we seek a range of articles that focus on a variety of time periods and topics in order to best meet the diverse interests of our readers.

In their analysis we encourage authors to reference the broader historiography for their topic and to situate their particular study within a broader context. Consider addressing some of the following questions: What's the significance of this particular case study? What contribution does it make to understanding a wider phenomenon? Why should anyone else care about this topic? Does it illuminate broader issues or a subject that had been previously neglected? Does it have any relevance to the present? Authors might want to summarize the work of three or four major historians who have studied the issue and analyze how their conclusions and interpretations agree or disagree with the author’s own findings.

We also welcome articles from high school and middle school teachers that focus on the teaching of Massachusetts history, including descriptions of especially successful lesson plans, class activities, readings, assignments, local or oral history projects, and field trips. Teaching essays may use, in part, a lesson plan format.

Manuscripts will be reviewed by the editor and then sent out for peer review. Accepted articles will be subject to editorial review and revision in consultation with authors. We welcome the submission of photographs and illustrations for all articles. Because we publish only two issues per year (April and October), articles are usually published a full year after they have been submitted (minimum).

Article Submission

1. Articles should be submitted as both hard copy manuscripts (please send two copies) and as an electronic MS Word file. Please do not send documents in the PDF format.

2. Please include your full name, title/status, affiliation, postal and e-mail addresses, and telephone and fax numbers on the title page only. Do not include identifying information within the manuscript.

3. Manuscripts should be compiled in the following order:

  • Title page
  • 100-word abstract
  • 50-word bio  (see under “Current Issue” for examples)
  • Main text
  • Artwork with captions, sources, and indication of where to place in text

4. Possible illustrations or photos should be submitted as e-mail attachments or on CD. If possible the files should be high-resolution JPEG format. We have, however, the ability to scan illustrations if you do not. Illustrations may also include reproductions of interesting primary sources (for example, a page from a diary, a census record, or advertisement). If you send us artwork to scan, please include a self-addressed, stamped envelope so that we may return it.

Please mail two hard copies to: Editors, Historical Journal of Massachusetts,  
577 Western Avenue, Westfield State College, Westfield, MA 01086. 
Please e-mail the electronic copy as MS Word file to masshistoryjournal@wsc.ma.edu.

Article Formatting and Journal Style Guidelines

All manuscripts should be submitted in their final form and should conform to the following guidelines.

  • Manuscripts must be typed, double-spaced, single-sided, and with margins of 1.5 inches.
  • Italicize all titles (books, magazines, newspapers) – do not underline
  • No periods between letters of abbreviations; for example, BA, US.
  • Use series commas; that is, include a comma before the word and and the last item in a list (for example: red, white, and blue).
  • An acronym that is used repeatedly should be cited in its entirety along with the abbreviation in parenthesis on first reference; for example, Westfield State College (WSC).
  • Spell out numbers under 100.
  • Please run a spell check before submitting.

Endnotes/References

  • Use Arabic numbers.
  • All sources must be fully documented and follow the Chicago Manual of Style format. Historians do not follow APA style. All sources must be fully referenced in endnotes. Please do not attach a separate bibliography or “works cited” page. If you are unfamiliar with historical footnoting, please see the full-text articles available on this website for guidance. The website for the Journal of American History also offers very thorough guidelines for referencing a wide variety of historical sources,. See http://www.indiana.edu/~jah/stylesheet.shtml
  • Citing archival materials: Citations should always include an identification of the document (which will usually include a date), the name of the collection containing the document, and the repository and city where the document is located. Whenever possible, cite the specific boxes and/or folders and file numbers within the collection by name or number.  Example:  James L. Fieser, "Drought Relief and Unemployment," typescript, Oct. 18, 1930, p. 49, Box 14, Folder 3 (Drought File), Herbert Hoover Papers (Herbert Hoover Library, West Branch, Iowa).
  • Newspaper sources should follow this example (please include the page): "The Anti-Chinese Law," New York Times, Aug. 25, 1883, p. 4.
  • Italicize all titles (books, magazines, newspapers) – do not underline
  • It is often of great value to other scholars that you clearly explain the nature of your primary sources in your endnotes, in addition to their location and/or possible limitations.
  • We prefer no more than one footnote per paragraph, if possible. If a paragraph includes several citations, please combine the references into a single endnote, as long as the referents remain clear.

Book Reviews: See separate webpage for guidelines and books available for review. Length 400-800 words.

Book Notes: We are happy to publish short announcements (50 words) of new publications relating to Massachusetts history.

Advertisements: We will consider ads for history-related books, magazines, conferences, films, and events. We will also consider exchanging ad space with other publications. Ads should be sized correctly and submitted as final PDF files. Full-page ad 5” w x 8” h: $100         Half-page ad 5”w x 3.75” h: $50

Where to Submit
Please mail the hard copy to Editors, Historical Journal of Massachusetts, 577 Western Avenue, Westfield State College, Westfield, MA 01086. 
Please mail the electronic copy to masshistoryjournal@wsc.ma.edu

Copyright
It is a condition of publication that authors assign copyright or license the publication rights in their articles to Westfield State College. This enables us to ensure full copyright protection and to disseminate the article and the journal to the widest possible readership in print and electronic formats.

Authors may use the article elsewhere after publication with prior permission from Westfield State College provided that the journal is properly cited as the original source of publication.

Copies
Two copies of the journal will be sent to authors after publication. Additional copies of the journal may be purchased at the authors’ preferential cost of $5.00 per copy. In addition, authors may receive their articles by e-mail as a complete PDF.