We’ve written before about where and how to publish research as a high school student. Most of this focuses on the sciences, and these are the most popular journals and publication venues for students. Research is possible in every academic field however, and publications following that research should always be your goal.
In this article, we’re going to go over some venues which publish history research, and which may be amenable to publishing papers submitted by high school students. We’ll cover how to submit, who publishes the journal, and what topics within history they look for. Let’s get started!
Writing Papers for Publication
We’ve covered how to write research papers before, but we wanted to include another brief note on it here. Research papers are different from the papers you write for school, with different standards and guidelines for formatting and content both. Here are our most important tips for submitting papers for publication:
- Check formatting standards. Different publishers want different formats for citations and text, and will simply reject papers which do not adhere to their guidelines.
- Proper length. Publications have certain lengths of papers they accept. These generally do not include footnotes and bibliography. You will need to be sure your submission is between the minimum and maximum allowed lengths; this may require some editing.
- Topic. Some of the journals we list here are very open in terms of the topics they publish on, while others are more specialized. Note that the higher you advance in academia, the more specialized your work becomes, and the more niche journals are.
Finally, we want to note that many of these journals are intended as a publication venue for undergraduate students. While they still may accept submissions from high school students, you need to understand that you are not their intended audience. You should therefore strive to have a paper perfectly suited to their standards, and be as easy to work with as possible. They will be doing you a favor if they publish you, and you should approach submission with that attitude.
Journals that Publish History Research
We will now provide a list of journals which may be amenable to publishing history research by high school students. This is not going to be an exhaustive list, but will give you a sense of what your options are, and what publications are looking for in research.
This journal is published by students at the University of Alabama, and is fully produced by undergraduates in their Honors program. They accept submissions in all fields of history. Submissions can only be original research using primary sources; a synthesis of secondary sources alone is discouraged.
Papers must be written either for an undergraduate class, or under the supervision of a faculty advisor for an independent study. The first is possible through dual enrollment programs which allow high school students to take college coursework, the second by reaching out to and working with a faculty member directly. Any papers completed for a class must have received an A to be submitted.
Submissions must be between 3,000 and 10,000 words, and must adhere to the journal’s style guide. The journal refers to the Chicago Manual of Style for both formatting and citations.
Chicago Journal of Foreign Policy
This journal is more history adjacent than purely focused on history. Founded in 2012, this journal is run by undergraduates at the University of Chicago. It publishes a physical edition biannually, and publishes articles online continually. Articles may be submitted for publication either online or in one of their two seasonal publications.
This journal publishes articles on the affairs of countries outside the US, or on the relationships between the US and other countries. All articles should be on events between 1945 and the present. They prefer submitted articles include a legally usable figure or image. For digital articles, they prefer a focus on events of the past 5-10 years, while print articles can have a wider purview.
As is to be expected from a publication run by UChicago, they want all citations and formatting to be done in Chicago style, as outlined in the Chicago Manual of Style. Submissions should run from 750 to 2,500 words.
Vanderbilt Historical Review
Run by, as the name suggests, undergraduates at Vanderbilt, this is a fully peer reviewed journal which accepts submissions from undergraduates nationally and internationally from accredited four year institutions. There is a double-blind review and feedback process for submitted works.
Submitted pieces may cover any historical topic. This includes the history of cultural or religious trends, or other historical topics. The primary author of any submitted paper must be an undergraduate student, but others can also contribute. The paper must cover original research, with a core thesis. If it was submitted for a class, it must have received a grade of A. The paper must cover a topic of historical significance; what this means is variable, but it should not focus on trivialities.
All papers should use formatting as outlined by the Chicago Manual of Style, including citations. Submitted papers must be between 10 and 30 pages in length, not including the bibliography. All papers must be in English (this is specified due to their acceptance of papers from international institutions).
Journal of American History
This journal, as the name suggests, is focused entirely on American history. Published by the Organization of American Historians, this is one of the leading journals dedicated to this field. It publishes quarterly, and includes both original research and reviews in its publication.
While this journal is aimed squarely at academics, they will accept submissions from anyone who can conduct research up to their standard. This means, of course, that your research needs to be of top quality in order to submit. We do not say this to discourage you from submitting, but to illustrate that it can be a challenge, and you should put your best effort into any work you submit.
All submissions must be formatted in accordance with the Chicago Manual of Style. Full requirements for formatting may be found here. All articles must pertain directly to American history. Articles may not exceed 14,000 words; they rarely publish research articles of fewer than 10,000 words. Illustrations are encouraged, but not required.
American History Association
The American History Association hosts an annual conference where undergraduates are invited to give a poster presentation. While there is no word on whether high school students are also permitted to present at these, we have found that experts in fields tend to react positively to student interest.
Note that you are required to join the AHA in order to attend and participate in their annual conference. They do have reduced membership rates for students; if you are an undergraduate, you may be able to attain membership through your college, department, or program.
Submissions require an abstract and a bibliography. This should establish the geographic and chronological scope of the research you have done, what sources and methods were used, and what your argument is based on the evidence you have gathered. As a poster presentation, this is also a great networking opportunity, and a chance to meet professional historians and academics.
Final Thoughts
History is a very broad field, encompassing everything that has happened that we can prove happened (and some things that we’re still arguing about). This gives some great opportunities for research, both in terms of analysis of primary sources and broader analysis of trends and data over time. An analysis of Lincoln’s letters and one of casualty statistics at field hospitals are both perfectly valid research avenues to explore the American Civil War.
We hope that this article has given you a solid introduction to some publication options for history research. If you are looking for more advice on conducting this research in the first place, or guidance on writing a paper likely to be accepted for publication, our research mentorships are right for you. We partner students with experienced academics who know the ins and outs of how research and publication work, and who are able to guide you through the entire process. Schedule a free consultation today to learn more about how we can help you explore the vast field of history.
