1. Who can submit an essay to History in the Making?
2. Can postgraduates submit to History in the Making?
3. What do I need to do to make a submission?
4. Who runs History in the Making?
5. Which universities support History in the Making?
6. Does History in the Making publish essays from disciplines outside of history (e.g. History and Philosophy of Science, Ancient History, Archaeology)?
7. What do the editors look for in a good quality history essay?
8. What should I do before submitting an essay I have written for a subject at university?
9. Can I submit more than one essay at a time?
10. Should I wait until after I have received feedback from my tutor or lecturer on an essay I wrote for class before submitting?

1. Who can submit an essay to History in the Making?

University students studying history at all levels can submit to History in the Making. This includes undergraduate, honours, masters and postgraduate history students and history graduates, but not high school history students. We will also consider submissions from students studying related disciplines, such as ancient history, historical sociology or archaeology as well as students enrolled at international institutions.

2. Can postgraduates submit to History in the Making?
History in the Making does publish postgraduate work, and we particularly encourage masters students to submit. PhD students are welcome to make submissions, however the nature of History in the Making means that we are not and do not aim to be an ERA-ranked publication. PhD students may wish to consider other options open to them, including The Melbourne Historical Journal and ERAS, which are both aimed specifically at PhD-level history students. Postgraduate students may also consider getting involved in the journal as a reviewer.

3. What do I need to do to make a submission?
The recommended submission length is between 2,000-5,000 words for undergraduate students, and up to 8,000 words for honours and postgraduate students. Before making a submission, please read through our guidelines. We ask that all submissions adhere to our style guide. You may also wish to browse through our website (including this F.A.Q. list) for other hints on how to write a publishable essay.

4. Who runs History in the Making?
The current journal collective is made up of recent history graduates and current postgraduate students. The current and past members of the collective are listed here.

5. Which universities support History in the Making?
History in the Making has been fortunate to have the support of the history departments at many Australian universities. The list of our previous and current financial partners can be found here.

6. Does History in the Making publish essays from disciplines outside of history (e.g. History and Philosophy of Science, Ancient History, Archaeology)?
We will consider essays with an historical focus from disciplines outside of history; however, our ability to accept these submissions for review will depend on whether we have reviewers available with expertise in that area. In general, we look for submissions that demonstrate an understanding of historical methodologies, theory and style.

7. What do the reviewers and editors look for in a good quality history essay?
Good quality history essays demonstrate excellence in terms of research, methodology and engagement with historical themes and debates. As such, the best history essays are those which endeavour to undertake innovative research in new areas, to put forward new ideas, and to raise alternative perspectives on current debates. Other factors under consideration also include writing style (including spelling, grammar and referencing), the structure of the essay, whether the argument is convincing and whether the essay topic itself is interesting and engaging. When assessing all submissions, we take into account the author’s year level.

In short, successful submissions will clearly demonstrate originality of research and argument and an engagement with scholarly debate. The topic will also be of interest to other history students and academics. More information can be found in our guide for authors, available from this page.

8. What should I do before submitting an essay I have written for a subject at university?
We welcome and encourage students to submit their essays written as part of undergraduate units of study. However, any essay originally written in response to a set question must be submitted in the form of a stand-alone journal article. This means changing the title and working through the body of the essay to ensure that the content is engaging, that all background knowledge is adequately explained, and that the topic will be of interest to a broad audience and not just your tutor.

9. Can I submit more than one essay at a time?
No. If you submit more than one essay, you will be asked to choose which you would like to proceed with, and the other will be archived.

10. Should I wait until after I have received feedback from my tutor or lecturer on an essay I wrote for class before submitting?
We recommend that you receive feedback, so that you might respond to any suggestions that your tutor or lecturer has. This will help you develop your essay and improve your chances of getting published.