Submissions

Author Guidelines

1. Scope and Submission Policy

The Historian is a peer-reviewed, biannual journal committed to high-quality, ethical, and globally relevant historical scholarship.

• Originality: We welcome original, unpublished manuscripts.
• Exclusivity: Simultaneous submissions to other journals are strictly prohibited.
• Review Model: The journal follows a triple-blind peer review model (two national experts, one international scholar).

2. General Formatting Guidelines

Authors must ensure their manuscripts adhere to the following format. Submissions not meeting these requirements may be returned without review.

• File Format: Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) only.
• Font: Times New Roman, size 12 pt.
• Line Spacing: Double-spaced throughout (including block quotes and references).
• Margins: 1 inch (2.54 cm) on all sides.
• Alignment: Text must be justified (aligned on both left and right margins).
• Paragraphs: Indent the first line of each paragraph; do not insert extra line breaks between paragraphs.
• Page Numbers: Do not include page numbers, headers, or footers in the main document (to facilitate blind review).

3. Language and Style

• Language: Manuscripts must be written in clear, scholarly British English.
• Spelling: Follow British conventions (e.g., organisation, labour, centre).
• Style Guide: Adhere to the Oxford Style Guide for Editors.
• Use the serial (Oxford) comma.
• Use logical punctuation.
• Use inclusive, non-discriminatory language.
• Italics: Use italics for book titles, foreign terms (unless naturalised), and minimal emphasis.
• Abbreviations: Spell out on first mention with the abbreviation in brackets—e.g., Government College University (GCU). Use sparingly.
• Quotations:
• Short quotations (fewer than 40 words): Enclose in quotation marks.
• Long quotations (40+ words): Format as indented block quotations without quotation marks.

4. Word Count

• Length: Manuscripts must be between 5,000 and 8,000 words.
• Inclusions: This count includes the main text, block quotes, and the reference list.

5. Manuscript Components

Submissions must be divided into three separate files to ensure anonymity during peer review.

1. Title Page (Separate File)

Must include:

• Article Title.
• Full Author Name(s).
• Institutional Affiliation(s).
• Contact Email(s).
• ORCID iD (if available).
• A short author biography (50–70 words).

1. Main Document (Anonymised)

Must include:

• Title (with no author information).
• Abstract (150–250 words).
• Keywords (5–7).
• Main Text.
• References (Bibliography).

1. Tables and Figures (Separate Files)

• Numbered sequentially and titled/referenced in the text.
• Provided in high resolution (minimum 300 DPI).
• Captions and sources must be clearly labelled.
• Permissions: Authors are responsible for obtaining copyright clearance for any reproduction of content.

6. Referencing Style

The Historian requires the Chicago Manual of Style (16th Edition) Author-Date system.

In-Text Citations

Place citations in parentheses within the text, including the author’s last name and the year of publication. For direct quotes, include page numbers.

• Example: (Colley 1992, 37).
• Example: (Hobsbawm 1987).

Bibliography Guidelines

General Formatting A separate bibliography is required at the end of the document. Entries must be formatted according to the Author-Date style (as shown below).

Categorisation The bibliography must be divided into two distinct sections:

• Primary Sources: (Archival documents, oral histories, government reports, newspapers, and original manuscripts).
• Secondary Sources: (Academic books, journal articles, and dissertations).

Ordering Entries within each section must be alphabetised by the author's last name.

Primary Sources

Includes archival data, official reports, oral history interviews, and contemporary periodicals.

• Government Report: Government of India. 1911. Census of India, 1911: Vol. XIV, Punjab. Lahore: Civil and Military Gazette Press.
• Newspaper/Periodical: The Civil and Military Gazette. 1898. “The Plague in Lahore.” May 14, 1898.
• Archival Document: Deputy Commissioner Lahore. 1920. “Report on Civil Unrest.” File 12/B, Home Political Dept. Punjab Archives.

Secondary Sources

Includes scholarly analysis, monographs, and peer-reviewed articles.

• Book: Colley, Linda. 1992. Britons: Forging the Nation, 1707–1837. New Haven: Yale University Press.
• Journal Article: Taghipour Bazargani, Davood. 2015. “A comparative study on two translations of the Holy Quran: A critical discourse analysis approach.” Journal of Translation Studies 13: 49–64.

7. Ethical Compliance, AI Policy, and Authorship Standards Adherence to Standards:

This journal follows the ethical requirements outlined by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE, 2022).

Originality and Plagiarism

• Originality: Submissions must be the authors' original work. Manuscripts under consideration by other journals or publications will not be accepted (No Multiple Submissions).
• Similarity Threshold: The similarity index must not exceed 19% (excluding references and quotations), as verified by software such as Turnitin.
• Consequences: Any instance of plagiarism, self-plagiarism, or data fabrication will result in the immediate rejection of the manuscript. Serious infractions may be reported to the authors' affiliated institution.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy

• Scope of Permitted Use: This journal permits the use of Generative AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini) for specific research-support tasks, including language editing, proofreading, formatting, and initial conceptual brainstorming. However, these tools must be used under strict human oversight and may not be listed as authors. Authorship implies accountability, which AI tools cannot possess.
• Human Oversight and Detection: We align our practices with major international publishers, including Elsevier and Taylor & Francis, by prioritizing human editorial review over automated metrics. We acknowledge that current AI detection software can yield inaccurate results and false positives, particularly when authors use software for legitimate language refinement.
• Assessment Criteria: Consequently, the journal does not enforce a rigid threshold for "AI probability" or "AI content" scores. Decisions regarding manuscript integrity are based on a holistic editorial assessment of the content's validity and flow, rather than automated detection percentages alone.

8. Authorship Criteria

• Contribution: Authorship is limited to individuals who have made substantial scholarly contributions to the work.
• Approval: All listed authors must approve the final submitted version as well as any subsequent revisions.

1. Conflict of Interest

Authors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest, including personal, institutional, or financial relationships that could influence the research or interpretation of the work.

1. Ethical Research Protocols

• Institutional Approval: Articles involving human subjects, oral histories, or sensitive topics must provide evidence of ethical approval from an Institutional Review Board (IRB) or equivalent ethical body.
• Informed Consent: Written informed consent must be obtained from all participants where applicable.

9. Peer Review and Post-Publication

• Evaluation: Manuscripts are evaluated on originality, relevance, methodological rigour, theoretical contribution, and clarity.
• Decisions: Accept | Minor Revisions | Major Revisions | Reject.
• Corrections/Retractions: Authors may request corrections for factual errors. Retractions are issued for proven ethical breaches.
• Appeals: Must be made in writing within 10 days of the editorial decision.

10. Submission Contact

All manuscripts and correspondence should be directed to:

Editor, The Historian Department of History, Institute of Global and Historical Studies Government College University, New Campus Kala Shah Kaku, Lahore, Pakistan

Email: historian@gcu.edu.pk