Abstract: A well-composed abstract is key to the effective dissemination of your research. Anonymous peer reviewers of your scholarship will read the abstract first; some readers may see only the abstract.

The abstract should be 200 to 250 words long and provide a concise summary of the article, its contribution, the research strategy, its key findings, its place in the literature, and its broader implications. It should be able to stand alone. The abstract is a reduced but complete version of your article—not a first paragraph—and should intrigue the likely reader into wanting to see the full thing. As a best practice, it is suggested that you write the abstract after the article itself, since it is a summary of the article contents, not an expectation of what they will be.

Length and format: Manuscripts should generally be under 10,000 words, not including endnotes. Submit manuscripts with both notes and text double-spaced, 12 point Times New Roman, as Word .docx files. Do not apply special paragraph styles or formats; the final layout is managed in the typesetting process.

• Insert page numbers at the top right of each manuscript page.
• Place your title at the top of the first page of your manuscript.
• Since we use a double-blind review process, please do not provide clues to your identity in your manuscript. (Please do not include acknowledgments at this time and avoid such expressions as "my dissertation," etc.)

Manuscripts prepared using British (or other English language) spelling and style/markup if accepted will be converted to US editorial style, generally following Chicago Manual of Style.

Short biography: Provide a brief biography as a separate file; the file name should include "Bio" and your last name. Bios should be approximately 100–125 words and include publication dates 9only) for any cited works. Names and institutional affiliations, including country, of all contributing authors are required.

Tables: Submit each table, clearly numbered in the sequence it is to appear, in a separate Word file. Do not embed tables directly into the manuscript. Name each table file so it is clearly tied to your article. In the same file, provide a table title and a complete source citation for each table. In the article manuscript, add the insertion point for each table: "Insert Table X here."

Figures: Do not insert figures directly into the manuscript. Submit each figure as a separate .jpg file (scan at 300 dpi or above). Name each file so that it is clearly tied to your article. In the article manuscript, mark the insertion point for each figure: "Insert Figure X here." With your article, submit one separate Word file that includes captions and complete source citations for all figures you submit.

Capitalization: Be judicious in using capitals. Do not capitalize words such as colonial, republic (unless it is included in the name of a country), audiencia, viceroy, bishopric. However, capitalize "church" when referring to the Roman Catholic Church.

Non-English words (first use): Italicize words or phrases not generally familiar to an academic audience in your field, and only the first time they occur in an article. After each such word or phrase, insert a translation in parentheses, not italicized. Example: malabarista (juggler).

Numbers: Spell out numbers under 11. For numbers 11 and above, use figures. Spell out centuries: nineteenth century.

Endnotes

Endnote instructions: Submit articles with endnotes, not footnotes. Do not use in-text citation formats or include a bibliography. See selected endnote examples.

• Follow the Chicago Manual of Style endnote citation format with full information in the first note and short titles thereafter. See the endnote examples that follow this list.
• Do not place endnote markers in mid-sentence. Use no more than one marker per sentence.
• If an endnote cites more than one publication, use a semicolon to separate each citation.
• Omit "p." and "pp." before page numbers. See the endnote examples below.
• Do not use "Ibid." Instead, use a full title for the first citation of a work, and a short title for following citations. See the endnote examples that follow.
• If there are several references in succession to the same work, consider combining several citations under one numbered endnote.
• Write out the full name of each month: October, not Oct. Use month/dd/yyyy or month/yyyy format for publication dates: January 22, 2012; May 2009.
• Archival sources: Maintain consistency when citing primary or archival sources, and provide sufficient detail to guide readers to the item.

Selected endnote examples

The following list is a very basic guide. For publication types not listed here, consult the Chicago Manual of Style, 16th edition (2010). You may also find this condensed version helpful: https://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html.

Book

Author, Title: Subtitle (Place of publication: Publisher, Date), page numbers.

Peter Winn, The Changing Face of the Americas (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1999), 150.

Short form (Subsequent citation of a book already documented)

Author Last Name, Shortened Title, page numbers.

Winn, Changing Face, 12–14.

Article

Author, "Title of Article," Journal Title volume:number (month year), page numbers.

Jeffrey M. Pilcher, "Tamales or Timbales: Cuisine and the Negotiation of Mexican National Identity, 1821–1911," The Americas 53:2 (October 1995), 193–216.

Short form (Subsequent citation of an article already documented)

Author Last Name, "Shortened Title," page numbers.

Pilcher, "Tamales," 195.

Primary Source/Archived Material

Author name, title of material, date of material, name of archive or collection, details for locating material within the archive (specifics such as book/volume, folio, etc., that will direct reader to location of material).

Joseph Antonio Mendoza, Relación de Marqués de Villagarcía, Biblioteca Nacional de España [hereafter BNE], Mss. 3108, f. 22r.

Authors are responsible for securing all permissions for reuse of copyrighted material. You can find guidance from Cambridge University Press here.

Please be sure to review the journal's ethical requirements here.