The Editors welcome proposals for special issues of BHM that address themes of interest to the Bulletin’s wide-ranging readership, themes that go beyond a narrow time or place or topic and offer a rich array of perspectives and ideas. Successful special issues include a substantial introduction, written by the Guest Editor(s), that orients readers to the significance of the topic and situates the essays in the volume in a broad historiography of medicine, health, and healing.
A special issue can accommodate up to 10 articles or more, depending on the requirement, each with a maximum of 12,000 words of text (including footnotes). All special issue manuscripts are treated with the same protocol as regular Bulletin submissions: all manuscripts are sent out for peer review, where each essay is assessed by three external reviewers. (Please note: peer review will not commence until all special issue essays have been submitted.) The Editors make the final decision about publication, but will consult with the Guest Editors as needed. A draft of the introduction may be reviewed by the Editors or sent to one or two scholars for comments and suggestions for improvement. Special issues are usually published approximately 12–18 months after manuscripts have been received. If, after peer review, only a few articles are accepted (~3), they can be published as a special section within a regular issue of the journal and include an abbreviated introduction. If fewer than three articles are accepted, they can be published in the Bulletin as regular articles.
Proposals should include: the names of the Guest Editor(s), a description and rationale for the issue (2-3 pp.), and a list of potential contributors and the titles and abstracts of their articles. The description and rationale should explain why the topic is (or should be) of interest to a broad array of historians of medicine. Proposals should be sent to the Editors at editor@bhm-journal.org.
Special Sections
BHM special section can accommodate 3 articles, each with a maximum of 12,000 words of text (including footnotes), organized around a theme of interest to the journal’s readership. A short introduction should introduce the special section. All manuscripts are treated with the same protocol as regular Bulletin submissions: all manuscripts are sent out for peer review, where each essay is assessed by three external reviewers (peer review will not commence until all essays have been submitted). The Editors make the final decision about publication, but will consult with the Guest Editors as needed. A draft of the introduction may be reviewed by the Editors or sent to one or two scholars for comments and suggestions for improvement. If fewer than three articles are accepted, they can be published in the Bulletin as regular articles.
Proposals should include: the names of the Guest Editor(s), a description and rationale for the section, and a list of potential contributors and the titles and abstracts of their articles. The description and rationale should explain why the topic is (or should be) of interest to a broad array of historians of medicine. Proposals should be sent to the Editors at editor@bhm-journal.org.
Forums
Forums can accommodate approximately 4-6 shorter essays (3,000-4,000 words, including footnotes). A Forum should be organized around a recognizable and coherent theme for which a Guest Editor should take responsibility (including an open call, if applicable). This flexible format allows for academic perspectives but also first-person perspectives. A short introduction should introduce the Forum. Forum pieces will not be subject to external peer review, but will be assessed by the Editors/Editorial Board. Editors make the final decision about publication, but will consult with the Guest Editor(s) as needed. A draft of the introduction may be reviewed by the Editors or sent to one or two scholars for comments and suggestions for improvement.
Proposals should include: the names of the Guest Editor(s), a description and rationale for the Forum, and a list of potential contributors and essays. The description and rationale should explain why the topic is (or should be) of interest to a broad array of historians of medicine. Proposals should be sent to the editors at editor@bhm-journal.org.