Notes for Contributors - Family & Community History, the Journal of the Family & Community Historical Research Society


The Editor welcomes original contributions of between 4000 and 6000 words that match the scope of the journal from both independent and institution-based researchers and from a wide range of disciplines and approaches. Articles are considered on the understanding that they have not been previously published nor simultaneously submitted for publication elsewhere.

Contributors should observe the journal's aim of encouraging the interaction of detailed micro studies with more general scholarly issues. Articles will thus be expected both to arise from detailed empirical research into specifics and to go beyond the purely parochial or genealogical; the journal will also from time to time publish methodological or comparative articles designed to be of practical assistance for encouraging or focusing such research. Articles presenting the results of detailed original research must also indicate the general significance of the subject matter and where possible point to related questions or approaches likely to prove productive for other researchers.

Three copies should be sent to the Editor, Dr Steve King, School of Arts and Humanities, Oxford Brookes University, Gipsy Lane, Headington, Oxford OX3 0BP. They must be typed on one side of A4 paper, double-spaced throughout, with ample margins. The front page should give title, author's name, address for correspondence (plus telephone, fax and e-mail if possible), an abbreviated title (for running headlines within the article), and a publishable biography of up to 50 words (including an institutional affiliation where applicable). The second page should repeat the title and provide a summary of no more than 150 words.

Style and presentation. Section headings and sub-headings may help to clarify the content (type on a separate line without numbering, indentation or bold or italic typeface). Keep notes to a minimum, and place as numbered end-notes (not footnotes). Any general note on the article (e.g. personal acknowledgements) should appear as a first, un-numbered, note. Use single inverted commas for quotations (double for quotations within quotations), but quotations over 50 words should be indented without inverted commas. Foreign words, apart from names, should be italicised. Avoid Latin terms like ibid. or loc. cit. Dates should appear as 2 September 1701, the 1890s, the 20th century. To avoid ambiguity, indicate new paragraphs by an indent, not a blank line. Capitalization should be kept to a minimum.

While scholarly standards and presentation are essential, authors are urged to write in an accessible style, to avoid insensitive or unduly specialist language, and to be aware that readership is international and includes scholars of all kinds. Collection and citation of personal information must observe the recognised ethical guidelines for social scientific and/or oral history researchers.

Referencing should follow the general guidelines below:

Citations — put in brackets in the main text: secondary sources cited by author/date/page, e.g. (Anderson 1971: 53); primary sources by abridged description/location (if applicable)/numbering (if applicable) e.g. (CEB Cottisford 1881 PRO: RG 11/1508 f.8 p.9; Shrewsbury Chronicle 5 Nov 1847; taped interview 23/9/98, Anne A).

Full details of all sources cited — list under 'References' at the end of the text, divided into primary and secondary sources as appropriate to the study. All references listed should be mentioned in the text. References to published works should be listed alphabetically by author, as follows:

Anderson, M. (1971) Family structure in nineteenth century Lancashire, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Mills, D. (1994) 'Community and nation in the past: perception and reality', in Drake, M. (ed.) Time, family and community, Oxford: Blackwell.
Samuel, R. (ed.) (1975) Village life and labour, London: Routledge.
Scott, J. W. and Tilly, L. A. (1975) 'Women's work and the family in nineteenth-century Europe', Comparative Studies in Society and History, 17: 36-64. [do not abridge periodical titles]

Tables, graphs, maps, illustrations. These should be submitted on separate sheets, repeating on the back the title of the paper, and numbered sequentially using Arabic numerals for Figures (maps, graphs, illustrations) and Roman numerals for Tables. Each must have a caption, source and, where appropriate, key. The position in the text must be clearly shown (e.g. Figure 1, Table IV) and any copyright information noted. Where possible, figures should be professionally drawn. Vertical rules should not be used to separate columns within tables.

If accepted, authors will be expected to supply the final version of their article in both hard copy and on disk, preferably in PC format, using Word or WordPerfect. This may accelerate the printing of articles and reduce the number of errors associated with re-keying. Disks must be clearly labelled with the author's name, title of the file, and format and software used. Text should not be justified; use 'hard' returns only at the end of paragraphs; and switch off auto-hyphenation. Unless otherwise agreed with the Editor, published articles become copyright of the Family and Community Historical Research Society but requests by authors to publish material in them elsewhere are normally approved and authors retain moral rights of authorship in their work. Authors are responsible for obtaining permission to reproduce copyright material from other sources and for obtaining permission to quote from personal interviews.

Proofs of articles will be sent directly to authors, for checking and correcting typographical errors only (other alterations can be accepted only at the Editor's discretion and may be charged to the author). Proofs must be returned within 72 hours of receipt, otherwise the Editor's corrected proofs will be used. Authors receive 25 free offprints and one complete copy of the relevant issue, and may purchase further offprints and copies from the publisher.

Books for review and related correspondence should be sent to the Reviews Editor, Dr Mark Rothery, Department of History, University of Exeter, Amory Building, Rennes Drive, Exeter EX4 4RJ. Proofs of reviews are checked in the office and are not sent out to reviewers.

News items should be sent to Angela Blaydon, 2 Elm Close, Ripley, Woking, Surrey GU23 6LE.
 

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