Taylor & Francis

Prepare your manuscript for African Historical Review.

Review the checklist, choose your article type, and turn your draft into a cleaner submission package.

Checked 2026-08-01

Article types

Review
Editorial
Review Article
Book Review
Letter
Lectio

Readiness requirements

Review the key details below, or download the complete checklist with every stored source-backed requirement.

Abstract length

  • Below the abstract, please provide 5–8 keywords for indexing (only proper nouns should be capitalised).
  • Do not type the abstract in italics.

Keywords

  • Provide 5-8 keywords chosen by the author.

Reference style

  • Articlo formats your supplied references to the journal's stored style and checks that citations match the reference list; source validity is not verified.
  • Articles should not exceed 9000 words, from the first word of the title to the last word of the references, including footnotes.
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  • If a scan is used from e.g. a catalogue, this must be indicated by means of an exact reference: Figure 4: Pieter Brueghel the Elder, The Misanthrope (1568).
  • Footnotes Footnotes with references in Arabic numbers (1, 2, 3—do not use i, ii, iii) are allowed on condition that these are limited to essential notes that enhance the content without impeding the fluent reading of the article.
  • Abstracts should not contain any footnotes or citations.
  • ISBN: 978-0-0000000-0, https://doi.org/00.000/00000000.000.0000 Reviewed by Randy Reviewer https://orcid.org/0000-0000-0000-0000 Unnamed University, Country email@email.com Style Do not use the ampersand (&) anywhere in the text or citations; use “and” instead.
  • Footnotes do not replace the alphabetical list of references at the end of the text.
  • Review: All contributions should conform to the style and reference technique of the African Historical Review provided below; those that do not will be returned to authors for correction before being considered for publication.
  • Include cited authors in the reference list.
  • Use the heading: References.
  • Do not put a full stop after the DOI—a DOI is a permanent ID that, when appended to https://doi.org/ in the address bar of an Internet browser, will lead to the source.

Figure and table rules

  • Keep every figure and table numbered, captioned, and cited in the manuscript.
  • Letter: Credit lines should include all elements specified in the letter of permission from the rights holder, institution and/or photographer: Figure 1: Sandro Botticelli, Primavera (ca).
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  • Captions should include, in the following order: Figure 1 Artist, title (date).

Funding statement

  • Include or confirm the funding statement required by the journal. Articlo checks this item and flags anything that still needs author input.

Competing interests

  • Include or confirm the competing interests required by the journal. Articlo checks this item and flags anything that still needs author input.

Blinded manuscript

  • Include or confirm the blinded manuscript required by the journal. Articlo checks this item and flags anything that still needs author input.

Cover letter

  • Acknowledgements Acknowledgements appear at the end of the article, should be brief, and recognise sources of financial and logistical support and permission to reproduce materials from other sources.

Supplementary files

  • Include every cited supplementary file and use matching labels in the manuscript.
  • Do not add supplementary files with graphic content.

Title page and author information

  • Authors should include their affiliation or ORCID below their name, after the title of the article.
  • Do not use a dash to replace author names.

Article structure and word limits

  • The letters in ordinal numbers should not appear as superscripts (e.g., 122nd and NOT 122nd).
  • Manuscripts must be presented as: A4 pages; normal margins; 12pt Times Roman; 1.5 line spacing.
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  • Use Arabic numbers 1, 2, 3, not Roman ones—i, ii, iii.
  • Examples are: "This," wrote George Templeton Strong, "is what our tailors can do.” 1 The bias was apparent in the Shotwell series 2 —and it must be remembered that Shotwell was a student of Robinson’s.
  • Review: These instructions will ensure we have everything required so your paper can move through peer review, production and publication smoothly.
  • Articles submitted should be original contributions and must not be under consideration for any other publication at the same time.
  • Your research funder or your institution may require you to publish your article open access.
  • Use our APC finder to view the APC for this journal.
  • All graphic material has to be positioned at the correct place in the text and should be of a good quality.
  • Book Review: Book reviews Please note the format and order of information required: Reviewed Book, by Andy Author Unnamed University Press.
  • A note number should generally be placed at the end of a sentence or at the end of a clause.
  • Use the % sign in parentheses and per cent in text.
  • Single variables should be inserted into the text as Unicode characters.
  • The example numbers should be in parentheses and placed next to the left-hand margin.
  • Use headline-style capitalisation for titles of journals and periodicals (i.e., Journal of Social Activism).
  • Use only three full stops for an ellipse (A full stop is added before an ellipsis to indicate the omission of the end of a sentence, unless the sentence is deliberately incomplete).
  • A space should be used between any initials.
  • Such numbering should occur consecutively.
  • Add a line break (enter key) between all paragraphs.
  • Do not apply paragraph styles (hanging indents, automatic spacing after or before, etc.).
  • Do not type double spaces anywhere; not between words, at the end of sentences or after colons.

Preprints and prior publication

  • If you have shared an earlier version of your Author’s Original Manuscript on a preprint server, please be aware that anonymity cannot be guaranteed.

Language and text style

  • Proofing language must be set as UK English (colour—not color; travelled—not traveled; organise; organisation; organising—not -ize).
  • Italicisation should otherwise be reserved for titles and words from a language other than that of the text.
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  • Titles of standalone publications must be in headline style (significant words are capitalised) and in italics when typed in the text.
  • Do not print indented text in italics and do not use quotation marks.
  • Bibliographic information (except source titles) should be provided in English, regardless of the language of publication.
  • Letter: Abbreviations Abbreviations that begin and end on the same letter as the word, do not get a full stop (Mr/Dr/Eds), but note Ed./Rev.
  • Words well-known in South African English are set as roman, for example, “lobola,” “ubuntu,” “indaba.” Words/terms that need to be singled out as being “borrowed” from another author/source may be placed in double inverted commas.

Article type and manuscript length

  • Linguistic examples in series Series of linguistic examples should be presented neatly (as borderless tables) and individual examples should only be numbered if they are discussed with reference to that number in the article’s body text.

Manuscript structure

  • Do not use superscript font within the footnote entry.

What your package checks

Paper: 9,000 words
Keywords: 5-8 keywords

Source transparency

This preparation guide uses published journal-specific author requirements. Journal instructions can change, so authors should complete a final review before submission.

Open official guideline source