Instructions to Authors

Manuscript Submission Guidelines

Published: Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter

Founded in 1969, the Western Historical Quarterly, official journal of the Western History Association, presents original articles dealing with the North American West—expansion and colonization, indigenous histories, regional studies (including western Canada, northern Mexico, Alaska, and Hawaii), and transnational, comparative, and borderland histories. Political, economic, social, cultural, and intellectual histories of the West and studies set in all eras of the past, into the twenty-first century, are encouraged. Each issue contains reviews and notices of significant books, as well as recent articles, in the field.

For Articles: Primary consideration for publication is given to narrative, descriptive, interpretive, and analytical essays that deal with broad movements, themes, or problems, based on excellent use of primary sources and distinguished monographic literature. Originality, style, and general interest are also criteria for acceptance. Manuscripts that distill the findings of a seminal dissertation or of an exceptional thesis are encouraged. Manuscripts dealing with limited areas or time periods will be considered, as long as they engage a broader past that will interest our wide readership.

Complete manuscripts (text and notes combined) should total no more than 10,000 words, written in English, and should be submitted to our Scholar One manuscript submission site at Oxford University Press.

The Western Historical Quarterly publishes peer-reviewed articles, first assessed by our editorial staff, then double-blind reviewed by experts in the field to keep our professional standards high. The process can take 3 to 4 months, so please be patient.

We prefer essays formatted with footnotes. Please do not send electronic files or hard copy to our office, unless approved or requested by the editor. On matters of style, refer to the Chicago Manual of Style, sixteenth edition, and to recent back issues of the WHQ. Please note that the Western Historical Quarterly does not accept multiple submissions or essays currently under consideration by another journal. Upon acceptance, authors will be asked to upload electronic files with text, notes, illustrations, and captions, each in separate files. Copies of illustrations or images may be included at the back of the manuscript submission—not embedded in the text. We do not require permissions for images until the manuscript is accepted for publication. At that time, authors are responsible for securing and uploading usable copies and all permissions for maps and illustrations.

Western Historical Quarterly Plagiarism Policy

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. 

Detailed guidance on how to draft and submit alt text. 

For Book Reviewers:

We at the Western Historical Quarterly invite interested professionals to become part of our pool of book reviewers. If you want to be in our book reviewer database, please send us your contact information. We do not require a PhD for reviewers, but want specific expertise in our fields of publication. Please send us the following information at [email protected]:

Name:

E-Mail address:

Occupation:

Educational Information/Degrees, Institutions:

4-5 Keywords that locate your interest and expertise in the North American West (we use these in the database to match reviewers to books so make these reasonably broad):

Send this to us at  [email protected]. All information will be kept confidential.

The WHQ does not accept requests to review specific books. WHQ editorial tradition is not to publish letters concerning published articles or book reviews. See also WHQ's policy on plagiarism.

For generalized guidelines about book reviews and instructions for book reviewers consult the following references:
 
The American Historical Review Book Review Guide.
 
For generalized guidelines about reviewing digital history, media, and websites consult the following:
The Journal of American History Digital History Reviews