Submit a paper

What we publish

Research papers in history and sociology, and alternative formats of work such as artwork, book reviews and personal essays.

Every submission must concern a topic of social or historical significance, broadly construed. This includes disciplines like history, sociology, psychology and political economy, as well as more politically or socially oriented topics in English and comparative literature.

Papers

A history or sociology paper must:

• be at least 800 words and no more than 8,000 words long;
• be a completely original piece of work;
• cite its sources in parenthetical citations;
• be the result of significant research in both primary and secondary sources;
• concern a topic of social or historical significance, broadly construed.

Other formats

Artwork, book reviews, personal essays and other alternative formats must:

• include a bibliography of all works consulted, in Chicago Manual of Style format (footnotes and endnotes are not required);
• be a completely original piece of work;
• concern a topic of social or historical significance, broadly construed.

Acknowledgments

Teachers, mentors, peers, or anyone else who helped with parts of your work must be acknowledged on an acknowledgment page placed between the end of the work and the bibliography. This applies to papers and to every other format.

Originality and AI use

Every submission must be entirely your own work. PRISM does not tolerate the use of AI whatsoever. Anyone caught using AI will not be allowed to publish in PRISM, ever. See the policies page.

How to submit

PRISM is not accepting submissions yet. When submissions open, you will email your work to the current Editors-in-Chief as a Word document.

Name the file [first name]_[last name]_prism_submission, for example Jane_Smith_prism_submission.docx.

How review works

1. Screening. Editors screen every submission promptly against these guidelines. Within a week of submitting, you should receive an email either confirming that your work will be reviewed or explaining that it does not meet the guidelines.
2. Review. Each submission that meets the guidelines is assigned a reviewer, who reads it and recommends that it be accepted, revised, or rejected.
3. Decision. The Editorial Board meets and, guided by that recommendation, decides the final outcome for each submission.

If your work is accepted, it will be published in the upcoming issue of PRISM. If you are asked to revise and resubmit, PRISM commits to publishing your work as long as you make the recommended revisions.

PRISM does not consider work that has previously been rejected, but you are welcome and encouraged to submit other essays.

Deadlines

Submission windows are announced at the start of each submission period, along with the issue's theme if it has one.

Cost

Submission is free.

Rights and consent

Authors keep the copyright in their work. By submitting, an author gives PRISM permission to publish the work in print and online, and agrees that their name, school and class year will appear with it. An author may ask to be credited by initials only.

[Licence for readers, and the consent form for authors, to be confirmed]