From 21 August 2024, the Society’s journal, Transactions of the Royal Historical Society, becomes fully Open Access.
This means that all articles accepted for publication in the journal will now be automatically published with a Creative Commons licence and freely available to read online. This will ensure that content published in Transactions can be shared, circulated and read by the widest possible readership.
There will be no charge to the author for publishing an article in this way. The costs of open access publication will be covered through agreements between the journal’s publisher, Cambridge University Press, and the author’s institution; or by payment of Article Processing Charges (APCs) from grant or other funds held by the author; or else waived entirely by the publisher, ensuring every Transactions author can publish and receive the benefits of having their work available Open Access.
We very much hope this initiative will encourage a growing range of submissions from authors, worldwide, including those who practice history outside Higher Education, in related sectors or as independent researchers.
To accompany Transactions‘ move to full Open Access, the editor — Jan Machielsen — writes for the RHS blog about his experience of editing the journal, and looks ahead to forthcoming content.
Submitting an article to Transactions
Transactions is the flagship academic journal of the Royal Historical Society. First published in 1872, Transactions has been publishing the highest quality scholarship in History for more than 150 years.
Today’s journal publishes a wide range of research articles and commentaries on historical approaches, practice and debate. In addition to traditional 10-12,000 word research articles, Transactions also welcomes shorter, innovative commentary articles. In 2023, we introduced ‘The Common Room’—a section of the journal dedicated to commentaries and think pieces by academic historians and history practitioners.
The journal welcomes submissions dealing with any geographical area, from the early middle ages to the very recent past. We also invite articles from authors at every career stage. In line with the Society’s commitment to supporting postgraduate and early career historians, the journal seeks to engage constructively and positively with first-time authors.
The journal’s editorial team provides prompt responses and peer review. Articles are published with Cambridge University Press, online via CUP’s FirstView, and in an annual volume.
If you’re currently researching an article or a think piece, please consider Transactions as the journal in which to publish your work. Articles may be submitted here.
