Instructions to Authors
The British Journal of Aesthetics publishes high-quality academic papers on any topic related to philosophical aesthetics; we also publish reviews of books, films, exhibitions and performances.
Editorial inquiries should be addressed to:
- Paloma Atencia-Linares (Editor): [email protected]
- Derek Matravers (Editor): [email protected]
Inquiries about reviews should be addressed to:
- Emily Caddick-Bourne (Reviews Editor): [email protected]
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Editors cannot conduct preliminary reviews of manuscripts, provide feedback on abstracts or summaries of research in progress, or accept submissions via direct email. Research work will only be considered if it is submitted as a manuscript following our author guidelines and through our website. To ensure your work aligns with the content published in this journal, please review the papers we have published over the years. Kindly note that there will be no exceptions to this policy, and editors reserve the right not to respond to requests that do not follow these guidelines.
Note: When uploading the title page on the submission system please include for all authors the affiliation/address and country name. The title page is not included in the peer review process due to blinding rules but will be exported to production if the manuscript is accepted.
Research articles
The journal seeks to publish research articles which initiate debates, or which advance current debates, in any aspect of aesthetics and the philosophy of art. Discussion notes related to articles previously published in the journal will also be considered.
Articles should be submitted using the online submission system. The manuscript should be anonymized—please remove all self- identifying references and all acknowledgments; all references to the author’s work should be in the third person, e.g. write ‘Smith (2018) has claimed’, not ‘I have claimed (Smith 2018)’. Long discursive footnotes are discouraged.
The document should be in .doc or .docx format, A4, paginated, double spaced throughout (i.e. including references and quotations), with ample margins. They should not normally exceed 8500 words and should include an abstract of no more than 150 words. If the paper is a discussion note, this should me mentioned in the abstract. Submissions should conform the Style Guide. Tables and illustrations should be submitted to the online submission system in separate files to the main manuscript.
We encourage authors to consider or actively look for less prominent but possibly significant work by women or under-represented groups that can be relevant for your paper and your reference list.
To improve quality for print reproduction, please upload high resolution files. The following file types are acceptable: Tagged Image File Format (.tif), Encapsulated PostScript (.eps), Joint Photographic Experts Group (.jpg), Graphics Interchange Format (.gif), Adobe Illustrator (.ai), Portable Network Graphics (.png), Microsoft Word (.doc), Rich Text Format (.rtf), PowerPoint (.ppt), Excel (.xls) and editable Portable Document Format (PDF).
Please be aware that you may have to secure figure permissions upon acceptance. OUP's permissions guidelines.
State-of-the-art survey articles
The journal also seeks to publish articles which a synoptic view of recent work in a particular area of that field (‘state-of-the-art’ articles). Authors of these articles are invited either to provide an encyclopedia-like review of the area or take a healthy critical stance to work in the area. State-of-the-art survey articles are subject to peer review.
Survey articles should be submitted using the online submission system. The manuscript should be anonymized—please remove all self- identifying references and all acknowledgments; all references to the author’s work should be in the third person, e.g. write “Smith (2018) has claimed”, not “I have claimed (Smith 2018)”.
We encourage authors to consider or actively look for less prominent but possibly significant work by women or under-represented groups that can be relevant for your paper and your reference list.
The paper should be prefaced by an abstract which should not exceed 150 words. They should clearly indicate in the abstract that they are survey articles. The articles should be in .doc or .docx format, A4, paginated, double spaced throughout (i.e. including references and quotations), with ample margins. They should not normally exceed 8500 words. Submissions should conform to the Style Guide.
Critical notices
The Journal publishes occasional critical notices of books that are, for one reason or another, of particular interest. These are typically commissioned by the editors, but individuals are welcome to contact the editorial team and suggest books for critical review including suggesting themselves as authors. Critical notices will be subject to peer review.
Critical notices should be submitted using the online submission system. The manuscript should be anonymised and should be—please remove all self- identifying references and all acknowledgments; all references to the author’s work should be in the third person, e.g. write “Smith (2018) has claimed”, not “I have claimed (Smith 2018)”.
We encourage authors to consider or actively look for less prominent but possibly significant work by women or under-represented groups that can be relevant for your paper and your reference list.
The articles should be in .doc or .docx format, A4, paginated, double spaced throughout (i.e. including references and quotations), with ample margins. They should not normally exceed 6000 words. Submissions should conform to the Style Guide.
Reviews of books, films, exhibitions and performances
These reviews will be published in the Reviews section of the Journal and, in the case of reviews of films, exhibitions and performances, with permission of the author, they will also feature on the OUP blog.
Academic book reviews are typically commissioned by the Reviews Editor, but individuals are welcome to contact the Reviews Editor and suggest themselves as reviewers.
Reviews of novels, films, exhibitions and performances are both commissioned and unsolicited contributions. The focus of these reviews will typically (but not exclusively) be on recently published work or current exhibitions, films, and performances. The principal aim of the reviews will be to discuss the philosophical import of the work and examine potential links with contemporary discussions in aesthetics and the philosophy of art.
Reviews should be submitted using the online submission system. They should be in .doc or .docx format, A4, paginated, double spaced throughout (i.e. including references and quotations), with ample margins. They should not normally exceed 2000 words. Submissions should conform to the Style Guide.
Open Access
The British Journal of Aesthetics offers the option of publishing under either a standard licence or an open access licence. Please note that some funders require open access publication as a condition of funding. If you are unsure whether you are required to publish open access, please do clarify any such requirements with your funder or institution.
Should you wish to publish your article open access, you should select your choice of open access licence in our online system after your article has been accepted for publication. You will need to pay an open access charge to publish under an open access licence.
Details of the open access licences and open access charges.
OUP has a growing number of Read and Publish agreements with institutions and consortia which provide funding for open access publishing. This means authors from participating institutions can publish open access, and the institution may pay the charge. Find out if your institution is participating.
Figure accessibility and alt text
Incorporating alt text (alternative text) when submitting your paper helps to foster inclusivity and accessibility. Good alt text ensures that individuals with visual impairments or those using screen readers can comprehend the content and context of your figures. The aim of alt text is to provide concise and informative descriptions of your figure so that all readers have access to the same level of information and understanding, and that all can engage with and benefit from the visual elements integral to scholarly content. Including alt text demonstrates a commitment to accessibility and enhances the overall impact and reach of your work.
Alt text is applicable to all images, figures, illustrations, and photographs.
Alt text is only accessible via e-reader and so it won’t appear as part of the typeset article.
