Journals
Guidelines for Authors (Alpha)Please consult with the Editors before submitting manuscripts
The best guideline is familiarity with the journal. This page provides major policy statements and mentions some editorial preferences.
ORIENTATION
Character. Above all, we want short pieces which contribute to the better understanding of the past. Our standard length is 2-4 pages, but 1-page notes are also welcome, and it is recognized that certain topics require longer discussion. A note which raises a question may be as much a contribution to scholarship as a tome which answers it. Sometimes more.
Subject Range. For Warring States Papers: Classical China (Spring and Autumn, Warring States), and the Empire up to Han Wu-di. Our emphasis is on how the received texts came to be the way they are. For Alpha: Similar studies of texts in ancient India, Homer, and the Hebrew or Greek Bible, and the traditions for which these texts are central. Methodology as such is a constant emphasis in both journals.
Subject Divisions in each volume of WSP are:
Methodology and Comparative
In Alpha, whose original core mission was the New Testament, the divisions are:
No book reviews, letters to the editor, announcements, thesis abstracts, memorial minutes, bibliographies, or surveys of current scholarship. For all these, there are other and better established outlets.
No "postmodern" approaches or presentist expositions. We take the view that the past objectively exists, and within the limits imposed by the available evidence, we intend to explore the past "as it was," not to expound its possible relevance for the present day.
Comparative Studies of more than one ancient situation, or of an ancient and a modern situation, are very welcome.
Language. English. Translations of brief articles of uncommon importance, whether recent or not, are in principle acceptable. Translators should consult with the Editors, and then secure the necessary authorization from the original author or publisher. The often sound, but often now neglected, work of the early 20th century scholars is of special interest and relevance.
Audience. The serious general reader (who has some acquaintance with the subject and its literature), and the professional (though not necessarily one who is expert in your topic). Write for the physicist, or Hellenist, across the cafeteria table from you. Clarity of presentation is essential. Seriousness requires precision, but not necessarily jargon. Brevity is strongly recommended; A large data set may be best configured as an appendix. Keep the argument itself clean, and summarize your conclusions in your first paragraph.
THE ACCEPTANCE PROCESS
Acceptance will be judged on the following criteria: (1) importance, (2) accuracy, (3) proper acknowledgement of previous work, and (4) clarity, including suitable length. The Editors, in reviewing manuscripts, will as necessary consult with others on technical points. As with Physical Review Letters, there is no "blind review" process.
Copyright and Permissions. Authors should secure any needed permissions for included copyright material, including illustrations, and should submit those permissions with their manuscript, or be prepared to do so on request. Authors are liable in case of copyright infringement.
Author Agreement. For specifics, see here. In sum, the journal requires first serial and subsequent reprint rights, including electronic reprint rights, in order that the volume may be copyrighted for the protection of all contributors, and archived for the eventual convenience of all readers. It is understood that the paper edition of a volume may be reprinted if demand warrants, and that each volume will eventually be available in JSTOR or other open-access form, and in one or more commercial databases. Authors retain all other rights, including publication elsewhere of revised, abridged, or extended treatments of the topic, without specific permission from us, subject only to the request that such subsequent publications contain reference to the initial publication in our journal.
21 Mar 2014 / Contact The Project
