Information about the journal

History in Africa (HiA) is an international, peer-reviewed, academic journal that publishes original research articles and critical commentaries of interest to those who study the history of Africa and its diasporic communities. For over fifty years, HiA has driven debates about sources and methods in the field of African history, publishing innovative work which has influenced other disciplines.

HiA seeks submissions that provide new insights into source materials and methods or critical reflections on themes in the existing scholarship or emerging fields of inquiry. These might include the documentation and description of new historical materials and archives (including those not normally engaged with by historians), new insights into and critical assessment of well-studied sources, and novel methodological approaches to historical questions. We want to publish new interpretations and arguments that drive forward historical investigation.

Submissions to HiA must align with its core remit, as described above. They must not have been published elsewhere or be under review elsewhere. However, deposition of a preprint on the author’s personal website, in an institutional repository, or in a preprint archive shall not be viewed as prior or duplicate publication. Authors should follow the Cambridge University Press Preprint Policy regarding preprint archives and maintaining the version of record. Submissions may be either archival reviews and research articles.

Archival reviews usually explore the contents, history, construction, and actual and potential uses of a particular archive and may offer critical reflection on their gaps and absences. Reviews may focus on established but underused archives or newly-uncovered or curated archives; they are not limited to official or public archives. Original critical perspectives on familiar or well-used archives may also be of interest. In all cases we expect that the author offers more than a simple description of an archive.

Research articles must address a subject or question which falls squarely in the remit of the journal. As such, research articles must foreground methodological considerations as a key part of their submissions. Articles may show how a newly discovered source, a new interpretation or application of a known source, or the adoption of a fresh methodological approach, can revise our understanding of an historical question or topic. Articles may offer a methodological critique of a body of published scholarship. We welcome authors to read examples of articles and archive reviews that have been published in the journal, including recent examples that can be found in the FirstView tab on this website.

Submissions should aim to make significant and original contributions to historical knowledge and understanding; some may also influence scholarly thought in other disciplines and domains. They should be grounded in rigorous handling of primary and secondary sources, and offer a robust analysis. They should conform to the word limits (5,000 words for an archival review or 10,000 words for a research article, inclusive of notes). Submissions should also be clearly written and properly formatted. Our house style is based on the current edition of the Chicago Manual of Style, and requires both footnotes linked to the main text and a separate alphabetical list of all references. Please see our style guide under Author Instructions on this website.

 Guidelines for Manuscript Review

 The journal is committed to giving authors constructive, concrete, and polite feedback.

 Does the manuscript meet the aims and purpose of the journal as stated above? If not, could it be revised to do so, or would it best be submitted to another journal? (Feel free to suggest other journals you think might be a better fit.)

1. Comments for author vs comments for editors (not shared with author):
   1. In general it is best to write comments
2. Is the manuscript clearly an Archival Review or a Research Article, as described above / here?
   1. Archival Review: 
      1. Does the review address an archive that is likely to be of interest to the journal readership (i.e. historians of Africa and its diasporas)?
      2. Does it offer a useful and/or comprehensive exploration of the archive?
      3. Does it offer more than a simple description of the archive? (For example, does it reflect on the construction of the archive, its actual or potential uses, and/or its gaps and absences)?
      4. Is it in the expected journal style for citations and prose?
      5. Does it conform to the 5,000 word limit (inclusive of notes)?
   2. Research Article:
      1. Does the article foreground methodological considerations?
      2. Does it make an original and significant contribution to historical knowledge and understanding?
      3. Is it grounded in a thorough and rigorous handling of primary and secondary sources? If not, what has been omitted or misunderstood?
      4. Does it offer a robust and critical analysis?
      5. Are the central ideas communicated clearly and accurately?
      6. Is it in the expected journal style for citations and prose?
      7. Does it conform to the 10,000 word limit (inclusive of notes)?
3. Are the title and the abstract appropriate and comprehensible?
4. If there are images, maps, tables, or figures, are these appropriate? If not, would additional material help?
5. If you want to recommend that the manuscript be revised and resubmitted for a second review, or accepted subject to minor revisions, what changes should be made? Please ensure that you are as specific and concrete as possible about any changes. Reviewers who recommend revisions will be expected to read the revised manuscript.
6. Please choose one recommendation from the following options:
   1. Accept with minor revisions
   2. Request major revisions (revise and resubmit)
   3. Reject
7. We ask you to rate each of the following points, using the score of 1-5, with 1 = extremely weak, 2 = poor, 3 = good, 4 = very good, 5 =excellent:

• Originality
• Displays an understanding of issues in the pertinent literature (for Research Article)
• Significance for African history and the history of African Diaspora(s)
• Quality of analysis
• Readiness of written expression for publication