Submissions

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Submission Preparation Checklist

As part of the submission process, authors are required to check off their submission's compliance with all of the following items, and submissions may be returned to authors that do not adhere to these guidelines.
  • The submission has not been previously published, nor is it before another journal for consideration (or an explanation has been provided in Comments to the Editor).
  • JWAH uses a double-blind peer-review system. To ensure anonymity, there should be no identifying information in the submitted Word document.
  • The submission is a Microsoft Word document. The text is double-spaced (including all quotations, notes and captions); uses a 12-point font; 1-inch, left-aligned margins, employs italics, rather than underlining.
  • Character and space count is listed on the title page. (Needed to estimate typeset article length.)
  • Manuscript adheres to Chicago Manual of Style endnote system (not footnote or author-date). Endnotes are embedded using the MS Word reference tool. All citations and endnotes are complete, with endnote in-text numbering correctly corresponding with related note in endnote section.
  • Manuscript adheres to guidelines listed in the JWAH Style Guide.
  • All images, figures, and tables are placed within the text at the appropriate points, rather than at the end. Figures are appropriately and consistently labeled throughout (Figure 1, Figure 2, Table 1, Table 2, etc.). Captions are included where necessary.
  • Photographs, maps, and other graphics must accompanied by permission from copyright holders for both print and electronic use before issue can publish. Use the JWAH Permission Request Letter to obtain permission from the image’s rightsholder.
  • All figures, graphics, images will be supplied as separate (supplmentary) image files during submission and are minimum 300 dpi at planned publication size. Image files are appropriately labeled to correspond to what they are called within the text (Fig. 1, Fig. 2...).
  • Ensure the submission is a suitable length - somewhere in the range of 7, 000 and 10, 000 words.

Author Guidelines

Online Submissions

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Registration and login are required to submit items online and to check the status of current submissions. If you need to register for an account, contact journals@msu.edu.

To submit an article or book review:

  • Create an account if you do not already have one (be sure to click on the "author" checkbox).
  • Go to "user home" and click "new submission" to begin the submission process.
  • Use the drop-down menu to select whether you are submitting an article or book review.
  • Go through the author checklist to make sure you have fulfilled the requirements.
  • Submit your manuscript on the submission page. There should be no identifying information in the manuscript itself. This ensures a blind peer review.
  • Upload any images or tables as supplemental files on the supplemental files page. Images must be 300 dpi and you must have permission to use them.
  • Complete submission. You will receive an email confirming your submission.

Editorial Policy

All articles submitted to JWAH must be original work that has not been published previously and is not currently under consideration by any other publication. All submissions to JWAH go through a double blind peer-review process. Response time is typically 3–4 months from submission. The article is first read in-house by an editor. If the submission meets the style, content, and quality requirement of JWAH, the editor-in-chief sends it out to two referees who are experts in the relevant field of research. If there is a consensus in the assessment of the article by the referees and the editor, their expressed decision is final. The editor-in-chief will only consult a third reviewer if there is a difference of opinion. The fact that JWAH requires a consensus view between the referees and an editor ensures that the process is as fair as possible. To ensure publication, authors must be available to respond to reviewers' comments, make revisions, and review page proofs. A tentative schedule will be provided at time of submission acceptance.

Manuscript Preparation

JWAH follows the Chicago Manual of Style, 16th ed., and uses endnote-style citations. Refer to the JWAH style sheet to prepare your manuscript for submission.

JWAH STYLE SHEET

IMAGES AND DERIVATIVE MATERIALS

  • It is the author's obligation and responsibility to determine and satisfy copyright and/or other use restrictions prior to submitting materials to MSU Press for publication.
  • Images must be submitted as supplementary, clearly-labeled files at time of submission.
  • All images must be minimum 300 dpi at planned publication size.
  • Citations, permissions, and captions are required upon submission for all images.
  • We cannot publish such materials without an accompanying signed permissions letter.

Articles

Submissions are accepted only in MS-Word format. Please submit your article and 150 word abstract in one file. Please be certain that no identifying information [i.e. the name(s), affiliation(s) of the author(s)] is submitted with the article. Tables, figures, and images should be uploaded as supplementary files at time of submission. A confirmation note will be sent to each scholar immediately after the submission is received. Once you have received this confirmation, please do not ask for further confirmation.

All articles submitted to JWAH must be original work that has not been published previously and is not currently under consideration by any other publication. All submissions to JWAH go through a double anonymous peer-review process. Response time is typically 3-4 months from submission. The article is first read in-house by an editor. If the submission meets the style, content, and quality requirement of JWAH, the editor-in-chief sends it out to two referees who are experts in the relevant field of research. If there is a consensus in the assessment of the article by the referees and the editor, their expressed decision is final. The editor-in-chief will only consult a third reviewer if there is a difference of opinion. The fact that JWAH requires a consensus view between the referees and an editor ensures that the process is as fair as possible. To ensure publication, authors must be available to respond to reviewers' comments, make revisions, and review page proofs. A tentative schedule will be provided at time of submission acceptance.

Submitted articles should be between 7,000 and 10,000 words.

Conversations

In the section, "Conversations," leading scholars will be invited to engage in debate; conversations really, with the past and present of West African history on topics as significant and varied as LGBTI rights and discriminations; health, healing, and disease; wealth, and security issues; to name but a few. 

Section should be no longer than 10-12 pages.

The Teaching Scholar

"The Teaching Scholar" features articles that throw teaching pedagogies into conversation with scholarship.

Sections should be no longer than 10-12 pages.

Retrospective(s)

Historiographical essays and reflection pieces from the most established scholars in the field will bring together current thinking with new directions on scholarship about West Africa's history.

Section pieces are 10-12 pages.

Thinking Digitally

"Thinking Digitally" will engage new digital media and technologies as tools for historical research and documentation of West African realities; probing especially, how historical practice, presentation, and analysis can be translated in digital terms.

Section should be 10-12 pages.

Book Reviews

Length: Review essays (not exceeding 1,000 words) should engage the interpretation, meaning, or importance of an author's argument for a wider scholarly audience. Justification for shorter or longer reviews should be discussed with the Book Review Editor prior to submission.

Header format:
Title
Author
City, State: Publisher, Year; pp. xxx, $0.00 cloth; $0.00 paper; $0.00 ebook.

Include your name and affiliation at the end of the review. Double space your document, with an extra space between paragraphs (rather than indenting each one).

See the JWAH submission guidelines page for the list of books available for review.

 

Copyright Notice

Authors accepted for publication must agree to the terms of the Author Publishing Agreement before the piece can be published.

  • It is the author’s obligation and responsibility to determine and satisfy copyright and/or other use restrictions prior to submitting materials to MSU Press for publication.
  • Images must be submitted as supplementary, clearly-labeled files at time of submission.
  • All images must be minimum 300 dpi at planned publication size.
  • Citations, permissions, and captions are required upon submission for all images.
  • We cannot publish such materials without an accompanying signed permissions letter.

Privacy Statement

The names and email addresses entered in this journal site will be used exclusively for the stated purposes of this journal and will not be made available for any other purpose or to any other party.