Review process

All materials submitted to the editorial office of the Ukrainian Historical Journal undergo a mandatory anonymous review procedure, which proceeds as follows:

  1. After receiving the electronic version of the text, attention is paid to its external attributes (formatting, compliance with the requirements for professional publications in historical sciences), and the relevance of the submitted material to the thematic profile of the journal. In a reply letter, the editorial office informs the author(s) about the receiving of the text and sending it for review or placing it in the queue for expert evaluation.
  2. The manuscript is sent for review to relevant specialists who have proven themselves in terms of compliance with academic integrity standards. Depending on the nature of the text and its topic, there may be several reviewers.
  3. All mentions of the author’s identity are removed to ensure anonymity in the process of preparation for peer review. Along with the text, the reviewer gets an “Expert Questionnaire” which summarizes the results of the review— an assessment of the scientific significance of the submitted material, its relevance and novelty, the author’s knowledge of the subject historiography, and general readiness for publication. The reviewer analyses the text for signs of plagiarism, pays attention to the presence of apparatus criticus, notes errors, issues, and determines the necessity for revision.
  4. The time for the review is determined individually, based on the text length and the topic of the submitted text. The reviewer’s feedback is free from the editorial board’s influence.
  5. The author/authors receive the results of the review. In case they disagree with the defined comments and recommendations, the article is rejected. The author has the right to express the wishes and comments regarding the reviewer’s/reviewers’ recommendations — the journal’s editorial office informs the latter exclusively about them, maintaining anonymity. If there are two or more negative assessments, the article is rejected. In case of opposing reviewer positions, an additional review is arranged involving new experts. Discussion between the author and the reviewer can only take place through the mediation of the editorial office of Ukrainian Historical Journal. In case of incorrect action by the author as a scholar, the editorial board has the right to refuse publication of the article.
  6. After an anonymous expert review, the revised text from the author is handed to the members of the editorial board. They may make their comments, which the author has to consider; otherwise, the material is rejected.
  7. The final decision on publication is made by the editorial board of Ukrainian Historical Journal.
  8. During the editing of texts and their preparation for printing, authors are granted the right to review the first, and if necessary, the second layout for the final approval of corrections and verification of the illustrations and tables’ placement, etc.
  9. Before the release of the next issue of the journal, its electronic version appears on the publication’s website. The editorial office sends each author their author’s printed copy. Distribution is carried out within Ukraine and at the recipient’s cost. Details are confirmed individually.

The above procedure is standard for the work of reviewers, the editorial office, and editorial board members with submitted texts. Force majeure circumstances that may arise during the review process are discussed and resolved within the contacts between the author and the editorial office of Ukrainian Historical Journal.