Aims & scope

Public Humanities is an open access forum for research from around the world and across the disciplines, engaging with a wide range of issues, authors, and readers and demonstrating the breadth, depth, and value of the humanities in its varied contributions to public life. 

The humanities study the things humans make—our art, writings, thoughts, religions, governments, histories, technologies, and societies—helping us understand who we are, what we do, how we do it, why, and with what consequences. Honouring the capacious diversity of the humanities, Public Humanities is open to all disciplines, geographies, periods, methodologies, authors, and audiences. The journal is a rendezvous for civically engaged humanities work from (though not limited to) the fields of Anthropology, Archaeology, Architecture, Classics, Cultural Studies, Disability Studies, Economics, Ethnic Studies, Gender Studies, Government, History, Law, Linguistics, Literary Studies, Performing Arts, Religious Studies, Philosophy, Postcolonial Studies, Queer Studies, Psychology, Sociology, Visual Arts, and Women’s Studies. 

The journal ranges from historical examples of the humanities at work in the world to theoretical debates about the field today, from governmental policy related to the humanities to scholarly interventions in on-going social problems. Public Humanities creates space for scholars, students, activists, policy-makers, professionals, practitioners, and non-specialists to explore our habits and histories, our art and ideas, our language and beliefs, our pasts, presents, and futures. The journal invites authors and readers to share humanities knowledge, apply it to our societies’ most pressing issues as they arise, and demonstrate the value of the humanities in new and engaging ways.

The journal publishes themed issues curated by guest editors which welcome a broad range of article types—from roundtable discussions to case studies—to allow maximum flexibility, relevance, and accessibility for authors and readers. The journal also publishes an Of the Moment section where experts address emerging topics in an accessible style for a wide audience. 

Articles accepted for publication in Public Humanities will be available online from October 2024.

Read our instructions on preparing your materials ahead of submitting. 

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Of the Moment

The Public Humanities Of the Moment section is our channel for open submissions. We are especially interested in contributions that:

• Show the humanities at work in public life
• Offer new readings of old texts, ideas, objects, and events
• Use specialized humanities expertise to gloss current events or public holidays and anniversaries celebrated around the world
• Profile public humanities practitioners or public figures who illustrate the societal value of the humanities
• Report empirical data related to the humanities and public life
• Present policy briefs for people who hold the levers of power
  
• Use new media forms—such as infographics, photo essays, and comics—to convey knowledge

Of the Moment articles should be between 1,000-2,000 words in length. Submissions should be written in accessible language for a wide readership across and beyond the humanities. Articles will be peer-reviewed for both content and style. Articles will appear digitally and open access in the journal.

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Themed Issues

Public Humanities invites proposals for guest-edited Themed Issues that seek to use humanities knowledge to address key social questions or topics of contemporary public relevance. Guest Editors should complete a Proposal Form in the first instance, detailing the title, description of the proposed topic, publication timeline, potential authors and invited articles, and a brief bibliography.

Each Themed Issue Proposal will be assessed by the Editors-in-Chief and the Editors – together the ‘Editorial Collective’ – for fit, timeliness, originality, diversity of perspective and relevance. It is particularly encouraged that the proposed list of authors and themes includes scholarship under-represented in academia.

Upon acceptance of a Themed Issue, the Guest Editor(s) will be issued a contract from the Press, and asked to draw up a ‘Call for Papers’ (CFP) adhering to our standard CFP template, detailing the criteria against which submissions will be assessed. CFPs for Themed Issues in progress are advertised through the PH website here.

All articles submitted to a Themed Issue will be subject to the rigorous peer review process operated by the journal. Guest Editors will recommend Accept, Minor Revision, Major Revision or Reject decisions, with all final decisions being made by the handling Editor-in-Chief. The handling Editor-in-Chief reserves the right to reject any paper regardless of the Guest Editor’s recommendation, and has full oversight and approval of the peer review process from submission to final decision.

Articles appear online within their issue incrementally as soon as they are ready for publication.

To represent the diversity of humanities research, Guest Editors and authors have the freedom to select the article formats best suited to their themes:

Article type	Length	Abstract required	Description
Article*	6,000-8,000 words	Yes	Presents original research findings according to the typical research article format.
Roundtable*	No more than 4,000 words (per contribution)	No	Considers the current ‘state of the field’, or reflects on seminal events or processes, or explores different methodological approaches or potential avenues for future research. Workshops or conferences often provide the initial stimulus for roundtables.
Case Study*	No more than 8,000 words	Yes	An article that provides an in-depth, detailed examination of a particular case within a real-world context.
Brief Report*	1,000-2,000 words	No	A report of empirical data related to the humanities and public life.
Policy Brief*	1,000-2,000 words	No	A brief, informed by humanities expertise, for authorities who hold power.

All Themed Issues will publish with an Editorial written by the Guest Editor(s).