Manuscript Studies

Manuscript Studies Author Guidelines

Manuscript Studies is a semi-annual scholarly journal that brings together scholarship from around the world and across disciplines related to the study of pre-modern manuscript books and documents. The journal is open to contributions that rely on both traditional methodologies of manuscript study and those that explore the potential of new ones.

We seek articles on any topic related to pre-modern manuscript studies. All disciplines and approaches are welcome. Issues will typically include articles on a variety of topics, representing a broad disciplinary and geographic range. Special issues, focusing on one particular topic or theme, may also be produced either by the editors’ choice or by guest editors.

Articles should engage in a larger conversation on manuscript culture and its continued relevance in today’s world and highlight the value of manuscript evidence in understanding our shared cultural and intellectual heritage. Studies that incorporate digital methodologies to further the understanding of the physical and conceptual structures of the manuscript book are encouraged. Articles should not exceed 9,000 words. A separate section, entitled Annotations, features research in progress, new discoveries, and project reports; length should fall between 1,000 and 3,000 words.

All submissions should consider the multidisciplinary and global audience of Manuscript Studies and provide sufficient context for readers who are not experts in the subject matter of their articles. All submissions should present original scholarship of the highest quality. Work that will soon be published in essentially the same form as part of a book or made available on the internet should not be submitted. Submissions are considered for publication on the assumption that they are not being considered for publication by another journal.

After the editors’ initial determination of the appropriateness of an article or annotation for publication in Manuscript Studies, submissions will first be reviewed by the Editorial Board. For articles, Manuscript Studies follows a policy of double-anonymous peer review. The author’s identity is not known to the readers evaluating the article, and the author does not know the identity of the readers. The article should include only its title, not the name of the author. An author should avoid when possible self-identification (including institutional affiliation) in the argument or documentation of the article. Annotations are reviewed by the Editorial Board and, if needed, an outside expert reviewer. Authors should indicate in their abstracts whether a submission is an article or an annotation.

Articles and annotations can be submitted anytime. Authors should submit their articles via the Scholastica online submission system. If an accepted article includes illustration, the author will be responsible for supplying high-quality image files (at least 300 dpi) and permissions to reproduce them in print and online. Authors should follow the guidelines for manuscript preparation and documentation available here.