Publishing an article in a peer-reviewed humanities journal is a responsible and multi-stage process. In this article, we will discuss practical advice on how to choose the right journal, properly format authorship and the manuscript, take into account the requirements of ethics and open access, and work effectively with reviewers and the editorial board. You will learn about current requirements for abstracts, keywords, and citation, as well as the necessary declarations and publication timelines.
Features of Humanities Journals
In the humanities, the choice of journal is especially important, since not only the formal indicators of the journal matter here, but also its thematic focus, methodological approach, and academic audience. For a humanities article, it is essential that the journal be closely aligned with the specific subject area (history, philology, philosophy, cultural studies, pedagogy, sociology, or other related fields). Even high-quality research may be rejected if its topic, source base, theoretical framework, or research approach does not correspond to the journal’s profile.
Choosing a Journal
First of all, it is necessary to determine the journal’s subject area and level; the article must correspond to its profile. If you have chosen a Scopus journal, a Web of Science journal, an international publication, or a journal from the KKSON list for publication, be sure to check its current status. Indexing and inclusion in recommended lists are not permanent: if a journal fails to meet the requirements, it may be excluded from the database or list. For example, our company regularly publishes a list of excluded journals. Then, you should check information about the publisher, editorial board, and peer review process. Reliable journals are often members of professional associations (COPE, OASPA) and have well-known scholars on their editorial boards. And finally, find out the review timelines and whether there are any fees (APC) in order to understand whether the journal is, in principle, suitable for your work.
Open Access and Ethics
Open access makes it possible to increase audience reach, but it may require payment of an APC (Article Processing Charge). If your funding is limited, you may look for journals with “diamond” access (without fees) or post a preprint in a repository (if the journal allows this). Always check the journal’s reputation; trusted journals, as a rule, provide clear licenses (for example, Creative Commons). From an ethical point of view, avoid incorrect citation and plagiarism. If you use direct quotations, put them in quotation marks and provide a reference to the source; do not use fabricated or unreliable sources.
Manuscript Preparation and Submission
Carefully follow the journal’s requirements, because each journal has its own methodological guidelines for writing articles. All of this affects the formatting of the text, tables, figures, and reference list. Write a cover letter to the editor in which you briefly describe the topic, novelty, and significance of the article. This is not a mandatory item; however, it may be a useful addition, because it will show your interest in a successful publication. The sections of the manuscript (introduction, main body, conclusions) should be logical and clear. Be sure to write an abstract; it should reflect the essence of the research and the results (versions in the language of the article and in English are often required). Choose keywords according to the main topics of the work. However, the keywords should not literally duplicate the title of the article, as this reduces its visibility in searches. Do not forget to indicate each author’s ORCID when submitting the manuscript – this will increase the visibility of the publication.
Peer Review and Responses
After submission, the article is sent to reviewers (usually under a double-blind peer review system). The process may take several months (as a rule, from 3 to 6 months or more) – the timelines are often indicated on the journal’s website. Reviewers may accept the article, suggest revisions, or reject it. If revisions are required, prepare a detailed response to the editor and reviewers, indicating what changes were made, and also highlight exactly where these changes were introduced. If you disagree with something, explain your position politely.
Checklist for Authors
- Choose a specialized journal with clear requirements and make sure that it is indexed in Scopus or WoS
- Prepare the article according to the methodological guidelines, attach an abstract (maximum 300 words), keywords, and format the text and references in the required style
- Make sure the work is original and do not submit the article to several journals simultaneously
- Write a short cover letter emphasizing the novelty of the research and its relevance to the journal’s topic
- Prepare for peer review (usually from 3 to 6 months) and respond to the reviewers’ comments
- Check the text for errors
Publication and Indexing
And finally, after the article is approved, carefully review the publisher’s version, make sure the text is accurate, and obtain a DOI (Digital Object Identifier). Keep the article’s DOI and track the number of its citations – this data will be useful for reporting. Find the published article in the selected databases (or in the electronic issue of the journal on its website), and if you notice any discrepancies, inform the editorial office so they can be corrected. Also, do not forget to ознакомиться with the license agreement, because journals with open access often use the above-mentioned Creative Commons license (CC BY), while in traditional publications the author transfers the rights to the publisher. If the article contains third-party images or long quotations, obtain permission for their use in advance.
And if you want to simplify the publication process and avoid common mistakes when submitting an article to a humanities journal, you can contact Scientific Publications. We will help you choose a suitable journal, check the formatting, prepare the manuscript for peer review, and support the publication at every stage. By working with us, you can focus on the content of the research rather than the publication process.
