Writing History in the Digital Age

essay submission and policies (July-August 2011)

by the editors

¶ 1 Leave a comment on paragraph 1 0 Information for authors:
To be considered for the next phase of our edited volume, Writing History in the Digital Age, completed essays must be submitted online by August 15th, 2011. Late submissions that delay our workflow will not be accepted. See details below on uploading your essay, and if questions or problems arise, email the editors.

¶ 2 Leave a comment on paragraph 2 0 At its core, each essay must address the central question of our volume: has the digital revolution changed how we think, teach, write, and/or publish about the past? We welcome innovative essays that incorporate first-person perspectives, collaborative authorship, and contrasting points of view. Authors are encouraged to include digital images and links to online source materials when appropriate, and are responsible for obtaining any copyright permissions. All contributors must agree to freely share their content under our Creative Commons license, as described below.

¶ 3 Leave a comment on paragraph 3 0 Our readers will hold these online essays to the same high standards as other forms of scholarly writing, and we expect imaginative analysis backed by insightful use of evidence. Some authors have asked about our expectations regarding the “tone” of the essays and whether it should differ between online versus paper publications. We believe that good writing stands on its own two feet, regardless of the format. Pending final approval by the Press, our volume will be published in both digital and paper editions. Write in a clear and compelling style that makes the reader want to turn — or scroll down — the page. Given the wide variety of essay ideas and our encouragement of diverse voices, we do not expect that a uniform tone will encompass the entire volume. Nevertheless, we rely upon our authors to intellectually engage with one another to bring a sense of cohesiveness to our collected essays.

¶ 4 Leave a comment on paragraph 4 0 Each essay should be between 2,500 and 5,000 words (including notes), in Microsoft Word or OpenOffice format. Collaborating authors may submit one co-authored essay or individual essays written in coordination, but should clearly state the nature of their collaboration. Contributors should use Chicago-style footnotes and include a full bibliography with links to any online sources. We recommend using Zotero to manage your notes and bibliography, because authors selected for the next phase will be asked to make their references available via a shared Zotero group library.

¶ 5 Leave a comment on paragraph 5 0 Our editorial process and calendar:
Between now and the August 15th deadline, we encourage prospective authors to comment online about their essays-in-progress and discuss ideas raised by others, to help all of us create a more cohesive and engaging volume.

¶ 6 Leave a comment on paragraph 6 0 After the August 15th deadline, we will select essays to advance to the open peer review phase and upload them in draft form to our site. Essays that lack direct relevance, a coherent argument, or an original point of view may be excluded, and we will inform those authors of our decision by private email.

¶ 7 Leave a comment on paragraph 7 0 At least two weeks prior to the Fall 2011 public review period, authors will be granted access to revise their essays, enhance any digital media and links, modify footnotes, and contribute their bibliographies to a shared Zotero group library. We will provide an online tutorial to familiarize authors with our specific WordPress tools. Revisions to essays may not be permitted during the open review period, since doing so could break links to readers’ comments.

¶ 8 Leave a comment on paragraph 8 0 During the open review period from late September to early November 2011, essays will be publicly available for comment, drawing upon expert reviewers designated by the Press and the general public. All visitors to the site will be encouraged to comment on essays and draw connections between the broader literature and their personal experiences of writing history. All commentators will be required to use their full names; no anonymous remarks will be permitted. Any language deemed inappropriate by the editors will be removed. We will invite three of the most thoughtfully engaged commentators to submit reflective essays for the conclusion, to bring to the forefront the normally behind-the-scenes work of peer reviewing that makes possible our communities of scholarly publishing.

¶ 9 Leave a comment on paragraph 9 0 After the open peer review, we will close comments on the site and communicate directly with each author, via private email, with our decision on whether or not to accept the essay for inclusion in our final submission to the Press.  Our judgments will be based on the quality of each essay and its relationship to the volume as a whole, as shaped by the context of the online commentary. We expect to send “revise & resubmit” instructions to some authors, and to turn down others whose topic was addressed more thoroughly elsewhere in the volume, or do not significantly contribute to the field of historical writing. Essays that spark thoughtful commentary are more likely to advance than those that do not. Authors selected for the final submission will be granted at least four weeks to revise their essays.

¶ 10 Leave a comment on paragraph 10 0 In early 2012 we expect to forward the completed book manuscript (with introductory material, essays, selected commentary, and concluding reflections) to the Press, which will make its recommendation on publication to its Board, based on the online public commentary of invited experts and general readers.  If the Press does not approve publication, then we will be free to pursue publishing opportunities elsewhere. However, if the Press accepts the manuscript for publication, it will publish the volume in traditional print and open-access digital versions, and may request that all content from our website be transferred to their servers.

¶ 11 Leave a comment on paragraph 11 0 Before submitting your essay, review our intellectual property policy:

As the author, I am the original creator (or co-creator) of the work submitted and agree to share it under the same Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 United States (BY-NC) license used by the editors of Writing History in the Digital Age. I acknowledge that the Creative Commons license allows me as author to retain the copyright of the work while making a non-exclusive agreement for it to be freely shared with others, as long as the original source is cited.

I will clearly state whether any portion of this essay is under review or has been previously published elsewhere. If any material in this essay has been copyrighted by others, I will obtain written permission from the copyright proprietor and include it with this submission, or clearly explain if and how it falls within fair use guidelines. Also, I warrant that the essay contains no matter that is defamatory or otherwise in violation of the rights of others.

By submitting this essay, I understand that the editors may accept or decline it for inclusion in the Writing History in the Digital Age website. If accepted for the website, I will receive at least two weeks to review the digital draft and make revisions and enhancements prior to Fall 2011 open review and public commentary period. At any time during the open review, an author may request that the editors “close comments” on an essay and remove it from active discussion on the website, which also would eliminate it from further consideration for publication. However, the Creative Commons license for this work cannot be revoked, and a static copy of the essay (with comments prior to closing) may be digitally archived by the editors and made publicly accessible.

After the open review period, I understand that the editors may accept or decline my essay for inclusion in the final manuscript to be submitted to the University of Michigan Press. If accepted for the final manuscript, I will receive at least four weeks to revise the essay in response in editorial feedback. I also grant the Press the right to publish my contribution in all languages and for all future print and electronic editions, under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial license (BY-NC). Final publication of the essay is conditional upon approval by the Executive Committee of the Press.

¶ 16 Leave a comment on paragraph 16 0 If you agree to the terms above, submit your essay by August 15th (via Jotform to our Dropbox account – see below). You will receive email confirmation shortly after completing the submission process.

¶ 17 Leave a comment on paragraph 17 0 Questions? Post it here OR email the editors. – Co-editors Jack Dougherty and Kristen Nawrotzki, July 2011