GRHAS welcomes manuscripts that make a clear contribution to humanities, arts and social research. These guidelines explain how to prepare a complete submission, present evidence and sources, and manage review and publication. Submit manuscripts through the online journal system.

Choose the article type

Select the format that matches the purpose of the manuscript. Recommended lengths apply to the main text; references, captions, tables and supplementary files are excluded. The editor can consider a different length when the material and argument justify it. Explain that need in the cover letter.

Original Articles: 6,000–10,000 words. Present original research through a developed question, engagement with scholarship, an account of sources or methods, sustained analysis and a discussion of its contribution.

Theoretical Explorations: 6,000–9,000 words. Develop, compare or critically reconsider concepts and theoretical arguments. Define the problem, explain the analytical approach and show the implications for the field.

Case Studies: 4,000–8,000 words. Examine a defined cultural, historical, artistic or social case. Explain case selection, identify the evidence and demonstrate the significance beyond description of the case.

Methods & Tools: 4,000–7,000 words. Present an approach, research instrument or analytical procedure, with enough explanation and application for readers to assess its use. Discuss conditions of application and methodological limits.

Art Practices & Reflections: 3,000–6,000 words. Connect creative work to a research question, document the practice and explain how the process or outcome contributes to knowledge.

Perspectives & Commentaries: 1,200–2,500 words. Develop a focused position on a scholarly or public issue relevant to the journal. Support the argument with appropriate sources. For Interviews & Dialogues, Book Reviews and Conference Reports & Exchanges, contact the editorial office about the proposed contribution, length and supporting material.

Prepare the submission files

Upload an editable manuscript and a separate title page. Supply an anonymised manuscript for review, figures or other supporting files when needed, and a cover letter. Name files clearly by their purpose. The system’s submission fields should reproduce the title, abstract, keywords and author information accurately.

The title page should include the complete title; each author’s preferred publishing name, affiliation and country; the corresponding author’s email address; and ORCID identifiers where available. Provide author contributions, funding, acknowledgements and competing-interest information. All authors should approve author order and the submitted version.

Protect anonymity during review

Remove author names, affiliations, identifying acknowledgements and personal details from the review manuscript and its file properties. Supply identifying declarations separately for the editor. Check captions, supplementary material, repository links and audiovisual metadata as well as the main document.

Cite your own published work in the same manner as other scholarship. Where a field site, artwork or source collection reveals identity and is essential to the analysis, explain the issue to the editor. Use an anonymous repository review link when available and supply complete publication details privately.

Write the title, abstract and keywords

Use an informative title that identifies the central subject or question. Provide an abstract of up to 300 words and 4–6 keywords. The abstract should state the problem, materials or approach, principal argument or findings, and contribution. It should communicate the article’s content to readers outside its immediate specialism. For Book Reviews; Perspectives & Commentaries, the maximum is 150 words. The abstract entered in OJS must match the manuscript.

Select keywords that describe the principal topic, conceptual approach and relevant historical, geographical or disciplinary context. Avoid relying on terms that are too broad to distinguish the article in a search.

Organise the argument

Begin by establishing the question and its relationship to existing scholarship. Explain the contribution the article will make, then develop the evidence and analysis through descriptive section headings. The conclusion should identify what the analysis establishes and why it matters.

Empirical studies should describe the setting, recruitment or sampling, data collection, analysis and ethical oversight. Interpretive research should identify the corpus and justify its selection, explain the reading or analytical procedure, and engage with plausible alternative interpretations. Theoretical contributions should define concepts and make the steps of reasoning explicit.

Use clear academic English and define specialised terminology. Distinguish observations, quotations and documented findings from interpretation. Report uncertainty or limitations where they materially affect the argument. Follow a consistent spelling convention and explain unfamiliar abbreviations at first use.

Document humanities and arts sources

Give precise details for the editions, translations, archival collections, artefacts, performances or digital materials examined. Where applicable, provide collection and catalogue references, dates, creators and locations. Readers should be able to identify the material on which the analysis depends.

Check quotations against their source and include page, line, timestamp or other appropriate location details. Mark verbatim quotation and distinguish it from paraphrase. Identify author-produced translations and discuss translation choices when they affect interpretation. Include original-language passages when necessary to establish the argument.

For interviews and fieldwork, explain the relationship between the researcher and the setting, how materials were recorded and analysed, and any anonymisation or access restrictions. For artistic practice, describe the process and provide evidence of its relationship to the research question.

References and citations

Use an established citation style consistently, such as an author–date or notes-and-bibliography system suited to the field. Each citation should correspond to an accurate bibliographic entry or a sufficiently detailed source note. Check author names, titles, dates, editions and publication details.

Include DOI links and stable repository identifiers where available. Cite research data, software and other scholarly outputs used in the analysis. Explain versions and access dates for changing online materials. A reference should support the claim for which it is cited; verify sources rather than relying on automatically generated references.

Figures, tables and audiovisual material

Number figures and tables in the order they are discussed and supply self-contained captions. Explain abbreviations, identify the source and provide required credit lines. Tables should be editable and images legible at publication size. Submit separate source files when requested during production.

Document permissions for reproduced artworks, photographs, substantial quotations, recordings and other third-party material. The permission should cover the planned online publication and reuse conditions. Explain restrictions to the editor before acceptance. An article’s open licence does not override rights belonging to another creator.

For supplementary audio, video, images, datasets or documentation, provide a descriptive file title, format and short explanation of its purpose. Refer to each file in the manuscript. Obtain publication consent for identifiable people and remove unnecessary personal information.

Include statements and declarations

Provide author contributions; funding sources and the funder’s role; financial and non-financial competing interests; ethics approval or exemption where relevant; consent arrangements; data and source availability; permissions; and substantive generative AI use. State explicitly when there is no funding or no competing interest.

Place declarations in a clearly labelled section of the final manuscript. Supply identifying information separately for anonymous review. A data or source availability statement should describe access precisely, including a repository link, archive reference or reason for restriction. See Publication Ethics Requirements for the submission checklist.

Originality, related work and the cover letter

Submit a manuscript that is not under consideration by another journal. Explain any relationship to a preprint, thesis, earlier version, translation, conference presentation or closely related publication. Describe the new contribution and identify reused material. All authors must approve the submission.

The cover letter should explain the central contribution, fit with GRHAS and article type. Identify any sensitive ethical matter, rights restriction or reviewer conflict that the editor needs to consider. Give the submission identifier in later correspondence.

Respond to review

The editor communicates the decision and required changes through the submission system. Submit a revised anonymised manuscript and a point-by-point response showing where each substantive concern has been addressed. Provide page or section references and explain any disagreement with evidence and reasoning.

Use the existing submission record for revisions. Request an extension before the deadline when additional research or permissions are needed. The editor may seek another review before reaching a decision. See Peer Review Process for the assessment procedure. The following sections receive editorial assessment rather than external peer review: Book Reviews; Interviews & Dialogues; Thematic Introductions; Conference Reports & Exchanges; Perspectives & Commentaries.

Acceptance, proofs and publication

After acceptance, supply the final editable text, publication-quality figures, complete declarations and permission records. Check proofs for the accuracy of the text, author information, quotations, references, captions and rights statements. Refer substantive additions or changes to the editor for assessment.

The standard APC is USD 450, payable after acceptance. Authors seeking a full or partial waiver should apply at submission under the Waiver Policy. Authors retain copyright and publish under CC BY 4.0. GRHAS is bimonthly, with six issues per year.

After publication, share the article using its full citation and DOI or journal URL. Report a material error promptly to the editorial office so that the publication record can be corrected. For assistance, contact [email protected].