Motions adopted by the SSHA Executive Committee

(1) The Executive Committee accepts and affirms the editorial procedure guidelines recommended by the Publications Committee. We amend this procedure by omitting the sentence “The co-editors and the managing Editor have equal authority in making editorial decisions about manuscripts” and further references to the managing editor in an editorial decision role, pending further consideration of the composition of the editorial office.

(2) The Executive Committee affirms that Social Science History is an interdisciplinary journal and that its openness to a diversity of disciplinary perspectives and methodological approaches is a strength. We affirm the sense of the Editorial Board at its 2023 meeting, that “empirical research” should be read broadly to include research drawing upon primary sources, secondary sources, or a combination of the two; and that no submission should be rejected solely on the basis of its source material.

(3a) The Executive Committee moves that the journal adopt a single editor model. This editor will appoint a team of at least two additional co-editors representing at least two other disciplines to assist with editorial duties; the Editorial Board will be used actively to expand expertise and to inform editors. We move that the role of the managing editor focus on the administration and management of articles and communications with CUP, authors and reviewers, and that any language about voting rights for the managing editor or equal voting rights between editors be stricken from journal regulations.

(3b) The Executive Committee tasks the Publications Committee to revise the editorial model for Social Science History as soon as possible, and no later than March 31, 2024, addressing specifically the nature and length of editors’ terms and the role of the editorial board. We also task the Publications Committee to work with the editors to review desk rejection rates and reviewer responses and to make any needed recommendations relative to these two issues at the October 2024 meeting in Toronto.

(3c) The Executive Committee moves that a gradual editorial team transition take place at Social Science History by July 1, 2024, with both current editors transitioning off decision-making roles on new manuscripts and a new editor and their team taking over decisions on new submissions. Both current editors are invited and encouraged to stay on the editorial team to manage and make final acceptance decisions on articles currently in the pipeline under their editorship. The Executive Committee deeply appreciates the contributions made by both current editors, Kris Inwood and Rebecca Emigh, as well as Jeff Beemer, to the development of Social Science History.

(4) The Executive Committee reaffirms the principle that editorial decisions are confidential matters to be shared only with editors and editorial board.