Archivaria, the journal of the Association of Canadian Archivists (ACA), is devoted to the scholarly investigation of archives in Canada and internationally. Published twice yearly in both print and electronic formats, the journal aims to be a means of communication among archivists, and between archivists, users of archives, and others interested in archives and archival practice. Since 1975, the journal has explored a range of topics, including theoretical problems in archival studies; practical solutions; new and related fields of history and related disciplines; changing forms and types of documentation; technological developments in information creation and use; legal and ethical concerns; the history of archives; the activities of individual archivists; trends in archival development; changing record-keeping practices over time; the relationship of archivists to other information management professionals; and much else.
Call for Papers for a 40th Anniversary Issue of Archivaria (Fall 2015)
Archivaria Anniversary Issue: To Understand Ourselves
In 1953, the Archives Section of the Canadian Historical Association was born. A decade later, Hugh Dempsey, the first editor of The Canadian Archivist, argued that “the Archives Section feels it would perform a useful service by publishing selected papers and bringing information on archival techniques, policies and practices to the attention of its members.” This “useful service” has been performed admirably ever since, by The Canadian Archivist from 1963 to 1974 and by Archivaria since 1975.
Also in 1975, the Commission on Canadian Studies published To Know Ourselves, an examination of the role and importance of Canadian studies to Canadian society and identity. As Chair Tom Symons wrote in his introduction to the Report, “the most valid and compelling argument for Canadian studies is the importance of self-knowledge, the need to know and to understand ourselves: who we are; where we are in time and space; where we have been; where we are going; what we possess; what our responsibilities are to ourselves and to others.”
In 2015, Archivaria will celebrate its 40th anniversary. In honour of this milestone event, the Archivaria Editorial Board will publish a special issue of Archivaria offering reflections on the state of archives, the archival profession, and the archival discipline in Canada. Building on the perspective of the Symons Report, this issue will look at the past, present, and future of archives in Canada, the place of archives in time and space, the responsibilities of archivists – to ourselves and to others – and the nature of the archivist in the 21st century.
We are seeking contributions from Canadian and international archivists and archival scholars as well as from allied professionals, users of archives, and others with a stake in the archival endeavour. We are soliciting contributions on such topics as:
- the perception of the role, scope, and nature of archives (including holdings, institutions, and archival practitioners) from within and outside the archival profession and discipline,
- the impact of societal and technological change on the nature of archives and role and duties of archivists,
- the history, development, and role of Archivaria and its contributions to archival thinking since its inception 40 years ago,
- the future role of archival networks, associations, and alliances in supporting the archival endeavour,
- the changing relationship between archives and different sectors of society, including perspectives from contributors such as historians, social scientists, statisticians, lawyers, genealogists, etc., and
- speculations on the future of the profession and discipline.
Deadline for expressions of interest: Expression of interest consisting of an abstract of the proposed article (300-500 words) must be received by Archivaria Editorial Board representative Laura Millar by 14 November 2014.
Submission guidelines: Final submissions should follow the “Advice to Authors of Submissions to Archivaria” at http://archivists.ca/content/advice-authors-submissions-archivaria.
Deadline for complete manuscripts: Complete manuscripts are due 30 April 2015.
Please feel free to direct questions related to this special issue to the Editorial Board representative, Laura Millar.
 T.H.B. Symons, To Know Ourselves: The Report of the Commission on Canadian Studies, Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada, 1975, p. 12.
Heather MacNeil, General Editor
All members of the ACA receive Archivaria as part of their membership dues. Subscriptions are also available, and reprints of published articles and copies of back issues can be ordered individually. For membership information, go to the ACA Membership page and for subscription information, go to the Archivaria Subscription page.
In 2010, Archivaria’s excellence was recognized by the Australian Research Council, which rigorously evaluates peer-reviewed journals across the academic disciplines in order to identify the best journals for disseminating excellent research. Archivaria was given the highest possible rating: A+. Such rankings are a critical indicator for researchers and professionals wishing to publish their work in high-quality journals.
Archivaria includes several different sections, accommodating a wide range of submissions of different types and lengths:
- Letters to the Editor: Short rejoinders to previously published material, and communications of new information, corrections, criticisms, etc.
- Articles: Theoretical and otherwise scholarly treatments of subjects based upon in-depth research and/or extensive reflection.
- Studies in Documents: Scholarly articles on archival documents or bodies of documents, including their origins (context of creation), functions (original, subsequent, and current), structure, evolution, and/or content.
- Counterpoint: Provocative and challenging pieces, presentations of new arguments or opinions, article-length rejoinders to previous Archivaria publications, and trial balloons.
- Communications: Articles describing developments or events in the Canadian and international archival community, technical information, and/or descriptions of procedures or practices likely to be of interest to the readers of the journal (excludes shorter notes on these and other topics, which appear in the ACA’s newsletter, The Bulletin).
- Book Reviews and Notices: Critical assessments of books and other publications judged to contribute to the themes explored in the journal.
- Exhibition Reviews: Critical assessments of the purposes, themes, preparation, presentation, and educational potential of physical or virtual exhibitions of archival documents. Emphasis should be on the analysis of archival and historical issues raised by an exhibition and/or related publication, using examples from the exhibition to illustrate the author’s critical assessment.
- Obituaries: Short biographical pieces memorializing individuals who have made a significant contribution to the Canadian archival community.
All questions regarding submissions, excluding book and exhibition reviews, should be directed to the General Editor. Questions relating to book reviews should be directed to the Book Review Editor. Questions about exhibition reviews should be directed to the Exhibition Review Editor.
The Archivaria mailing address is Archivaria, P.O. Box 2596, Station D, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1P 5W6. Telephone: 613-234-6977; Fax 613-234-8500; E-mail address.
Prospective authors are invited to submit manuscripts for consideration in either of Canada’s official languages, English and French. Material submitted for publication must be original work that is not under consideration for publication elsewhere and that has not been previously published in its present form.
Each submission to Archivaria is judged on a case-by-case basis through a rigorous editorial review and peer assessment process. Qualified readers evaluate all manuscripts (including articles for Studies in Documents and Counterpoint) through a double-blind peer review process. Any substantive editorial changes will be cleared with authors before publication.
Each author of every article, review, or obituary that is published in Archivaria will receive a complimentary copy of the journal issue in which his/her piece appears. Complimentary PDFs will also be provided to authors who request them.
The purpose of Archivaria is to educate, explore, and stimulate through the communication of ideas and information. Therefore, the writing must be clear, correct, and easy to read. Indeed, the more complicated or abstract the ideas, the greater the requirement for direct and unpretentious prose. Acronyms should be used sparingly, technical terms defined in simple words, and jargon avoided wherever possible. Authors should also avoid unsuitable statements concerning ethnicity and race, gender, sexual orientation, disability, etc.
Sources are to be cited using footnotes as set out in the Chicago Manual of Style, 16th ed. (Chicago, 2010) or Kate L. Turabian, A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, 7th ed. (Chicago, 2007).
Archivaria has developed an in-house style guide for authors. For the English version, please click here: Archivaria Style Guide. For editorial guidelines in French, please refer to Avis aux auteurs. For issues not addressed in the in-house style guide, Archivaria has adopted the Chicago Manual of Style, 16th ed. (Chicago, 2010).
Those wishing further guidance in matters of format and style are invited to consult the standard reference works on writing and usage. For writing in English, the editors highly recommend William Strunk, Jr. and E.B. White, The Elements of Style, 4th ed. (New York, 2000). Additional help in achieving clear, direct writing may be found in The New Fowler’s Modern English Usage, 3rd ed. (Oxford, 1996), The Canadian Oxford English Dictionary, 2d ed. (Toronto, 2004), and Wilson Follett, Modern American Usage: A Guide, rev. ed. (New York, 1998). A useful, albeit somewhat technical, work is Editing Canadian English, 2d ed. (Toronto, 2000).
Manuscripts should be submitted in electronic form as an email attachment in MS Word or Rich Text Format (RTF).
All text and footnotes should be double-spaced.
While no firm limits are placed on the length of submissions, authors are generally advised that a maximum length of 10,000–12,000 words (excluding notes and appendices) is typical. For shorter pieces, such as Studies in Documents or Communications, the length is approximately 4,000–4,500 words.
Along with the manuscript, authors of articles (including articles for Studies in Documents and Counterpoint) are asked to provide a one-paragraph abstract (150-250 words) and a short biographical sketch (no longer than 250 words). The biographical sketch should outline the author’s current and past positions in the archival field, his/her academic background, and any relevant service in the archival field (such as professional committee or editorial work) as well as any publications of note. For examples of abstracts and biographical sketches, please refer to previous issues of Archivaria.
Authors are encouraged to include illustrative material (e.g., photos, maps, etc.) in their submission, as appropriate to the content. Digital copies of these works should be submitted as an email attachment at the time of initial submission. (See below for information regarding technical requirements.) Depending on the situation, it may be appropriate for authors to provide low-resolution images with the initial submission and submit publication quality copies once the article has been accepted for publication.
At the time of initial submission, authors must also provide the completed Author Checklist for the Use of Images in Archivaria, which is a list of the illustrative material that the author wishes to use and a complete statement of all rights and permission requirements to use reproductions of works in which the rights are owned by third parties. (See below for information regarding rights and permissions.) Archivaria reserves the right to refuse to publish any article where rights or licensing agreements related to third-party material are time limited or otherwise restrictive of future use. Please contact the General Editor for a copy of the Checklist.
For the purposes of publication, Archivaria will accept JPEG format, 300 dpi or 1,800 x 1,500 pixel range with a file size in the 500-700 KB range. (If using Adobe Photoshop, an 1,800 x 1,500 pixel image saved in medium JPEG compression should create a file in the 500 KB range.) Whenever possible, scanned images should be produced from the original photograph in order to ensure the highest possible quality for publication.
Authors are responsible for compliance with copyright and intellectual property requirements, including the “fair use” of quotations. Accuracy in citations is the responsibility of the author, as is conformity with established citation style as outlined above.
Authors whose articles include reproductions of works in which the rights are owned by third parties must obtain written permission from the rights holder(s) for the use of such material, and provide Archivaria with copies of all such permissions. Archivaria does not provide funding to authors for fees associated with reproduction costs or copyright clearance.
Authors of manuscripts accepted for publication retain copyright in their work. They are required to sign a licensing agreement that permits Archivaria to publish and disseminate the work in print and electronically. In the same agreement, authors are required to confirm that “the material submitted for publication in Archivaria, both in its paper and electronic versions, including reproductions of other works (e.g., photographs, maps etc.) does not infringe upon any existing copyright.”
last reviewed: 2014-Aug-18