Beginning with the first issue of 2017 (no. 72.1), the Annales will be published, in English and in French, by Éditions EHESS in partnership with Cambridge University Press.
This is the continuation of a project begun in 2012 with the support of the CNRS, the EHESS, and the Florence Gould Foundation, to propose a complete translation of all our articles in the form of an English-language edition, accessible online. Since the 2000s, a twofold trend had become increasingly pronounced: a decline in subscriptions and consultations of the printed journal in favor of digital formats and, regrettably, a gradual move away from French as an international language of scientific communication. Faced with these transformations, the editorial board of the Annales made the active choice to explore new possibilities and forms of publication.
Rather choosing between a dogmatic defense of the French language and the increasing publication of articles submitted in English, we came up with the idea of a truly bilingual publication, enabling us to introduce the highest-quality Francophone research to communities far beyond France, but also to publish, in French, authors from all over the world. We also chose to support the production and diffusion of the printed journal, which remains very important for us, with an ambitious policy for its digital development.
It is these factors that led us to establish a partnership with Cambridge University Press, whose savoir-faire and global reach represent a real asset for the Annales and the Éditions EHESS. This collaboration will enable us to broaden the English-language diffusion of our intellectual content in an unprecedented way on the international stage. At the same time, it offers a way to protect the existence and wide accessibility of the French-language version in both its print and online versions. Finally, it will consolidate the economic autonomy and thus the continued existence of the journal at a time when crises within the publishing world and in research funding pose real problems for the international, multi-lingual diffusion of scholarly research.
“It is an outstanding privilege to have this opportunity to work with the team at Éditions EHESS, and the Annales editorial board, to establish a new phase in the history of this extraordinary and important journal.”
Ella Colvin, Director of Publishing, Cambridge University Press
“This partnership marks a new era in the history of the journal. We are thrilled that the intellectual project of the Annales, itself entering a new phase, will assume an increased visibility on the international stage.”
Étienne Anheim, Editor-in-Chief, Annales. Histoire, Sciences Sociales
“I’m very enthusiastic about the idea that the Annales will be published in close cooperation with Cambridge University Press. It will strengthen the academic bonds between France and the UK and allow us to increase our international visibility.”
Emmanuel Désveaux, Director, Éditions EHESS