Editorial Guidelines for Social Science History

Adopted December 18, 2023

Publications Committee (Claire Laurier Decoteau, Fiona Greenland, J. David Hacker (chair), Ho-fung Hung, Joshua MacFadyen, and Ana Villarreal Montemayor).

• Editors should attempt to reach consensus on all decisions.
• While consensus is a worthy goal, it is not always possible. How to resolve a lack of consensus will depend on a manuscript’s stage in the submission process.
  • First-time submissions, prior to peer review
    • To maximize inclusiveness and minimize possible biases, there must be consensus among all editors before desk rejecting a manuscript.
    • If any editor wishes to have a manuscript peer reviewed, it should be peer reviewed. First-time submissions without a consensus of editors, however, should receive a minimum of three peer reviews.
    • The managing editor should make a technical check of all new submissions and alert editors to manuscripts that exceed maximum word counts, maximum numbers of tables and figures, etc. All editors should agree with the subsequent course of action, whether to: (1) encourage the author to resubmit with fewer words, tables, etc.; or (2) send out the manuscript for review in its current form.
  • First-time submissions, after peer review
    • After peer review, all editorial decisions can be made, as needed, by a majority vote of the editors. In cases of majority decisions to reject, the dissenting editor may ask for an opinion from a member(s) of the Editorial Board to assist with the deliberative process over a manuscript but should do so only when decisions are truly split (e.g., when one editor is opposed to publication, one is in favor of publication, and one is undecided, not when two editors are opposed to publication, and one is in favor).
    • Revise and resubmit submissions, after second round of peer review. All editorial decisions can be made, as needed, by a majority vote of the editors.
    • Only a majority of the editors, with written notice to all three, can require an additional revision and resubmission, and only through EM.
  • The three editors shall agree explicitly, either verbally or by email, on whether one, two, or all three will sign each letter of acceptance, revise/resubmit, or rejection for submissions.