Journal of Roman Archaeology |Proposing a Special Section |Proposing a Discussion Article |Article Types

1) Journal of Roman Archaeology

From volume 34 (2021) JRA is published by Cambridge University Press. The instructions and policies within this set of pages will apply to all submissions to be considered for publication in the journal in 2021 and beyond.

For enquiries about the JRA Supplementary monograph series, which will continue to be published by John Humphrey, please see here. 

The Journal of Roman Archaeology welcomes the submission of original research articles ranging from short archaeological notes to full articles. Proposals for special sections, review articles, or other features may also be made.

Editorial decisions will only be made following review of a complete submission. However, authors wishing to seek informal advice on the suitability of their work for JRA are welcome to send an enquiry to the Editorial Office at [email protected].

2) How to propose a Special Section for the Journal of Roman Archaeology

A Special Section is an excellent venue for publishing a group of papers from a symposium at a professional meeting, the results of a collaborative research project, or a set of papers on a focused topic. A Special Section should contain at least three and no more than six papers, including the Introduction written by the coordinator(s) of the section. Each paper can consist of a maximum of 7,000 words, exclusive of references. Illustrations are limited to one figure per 1,000 words (when counting words all-inclusively), or one figure per 700 words (when counting only the main text). Additional figures may be submitted as Supplementary Materials. The use of color illustrations is possible, though the author is responsible for the additional cost of color images for the print version.

Coordinators are not considered “guest editors,” but they are responsible for enlisting authors and their contributions, defining a coherent theme for the section, and seeing that all papers are submitted at approximately the same time, per previous agreement with the Editors. All papers are subject to peer review through the process established for the journal. Each paper of a special section must pass peer review on its own merit. Inclusion of a paper in a Special Section does not guarantee its acceptance. Coordinators should review all papers before submission to ScholarOne to ensure high quality and adherence to the theme.

After peer review, papers go through the same revision process (if applicable) as other manuscripts. In the case of a Special Section, it is imperative that all contributions are revised and uploaded to ScholarOne around the same time so that all papers can appear online at a similar time, though not necessarily in the final order they will appear in the issue.

Before proposing a Special Section, potential coordinators are strongly advised to contact the editors to discuss the scope of the section and its suitability for the Journal of Roman Archaeology. It is often easier to give (and act on) feedback at an early stage, and before a complete line-up of contributors has been approached and topics agreed. The editors do not wish to constrain coordinators unduly, but we do wish to avoid putting them in a difficult position if review of the formal proposal should suggest major changes of the line up or scope of the Special Section. 

To propose a Special Section, please complete the form linked here, which includes further information about how a proposal will be assessed. Your proposal must describe what is unique, timely, and relevant about this section that warrants publication together as a group of papers. Once the proposal is received, the editors will contact you after reviewing it to determine its appropriateness for the journal.

Papers for special sections should also conform with the Journal of Roman Archaeology’s instructions for contributors.

Please email the completed form to: [email protected]

Special Section proposers should indicate the expected time frame for submission of manuscripts.

3) How to propose a Discussion Article for the Journal of Roman Archaeology

Discussions are major articles accompanied by published comments and a response.

Discussion Articles typically address a matter of current debate and discussion in the discipline, and most will be based on a body of research. Some will originate in commissions, some will be proposed by authors, and in some cases a regular submission may form the basis of the Discussion if the original author(s) agree. The word limit for a Discussion Article is 15,000 words.

Typically, there will be between three and five comments of up to 2000 words each. The authors will be selected by the editorial team. We suggest that formulaic compliments are omitted in order to focus on the discussant's opinion of the paper. Your comment should be sharp, succinct and thought-provoking. Remember that it is a comment on an article, not an essay in its own right. Please supply a title for your comment and use primary headings only.

The Response will also be of up to 2000 words.

The Discussion Article may be accompanied by images in the usual way, but neither the comments nor the response will usually be illustrated. It is expected that both comments and response will engage constructively. Disagreement is welcome but wholly negative contributions will not be published.

All parts of a Discussion are subject to Peer Review in the normal way, and usually one member of the editorial team will take responsibility for the whole of a discussion.

4) Article Types

Journal of Roman Archaeology publishes:

• Note*
• Article*
• Special Sections* (comprising a group of articles on a related theme)
• Discussion Article* with comments and a response
• Book Review
• Review Article*