Agricultural History

Editorial Office:
Department of History
Georgia Southern University
Interdisciplinary Academic Building, #3009
PO Box 8054
Statesboro, Georgia 30460
dswanson@georgiasouthern.edu
 
Editor:
Drew Swanson
 
Associate Editors:
Andrew Baker
Bennett Parten
 
Book Review Editors:
Maria Fedorova
David Vail
 
Editorial Assistant:
Grant van den Berg
 
Editorial Board:
Juri Auderset, University of Bern
Eve E. Buckley, University of Delaware
Leisl Carr Childers, Colorado State University
Benjamin R. Cohen, Lafayette College
Helen Anne Curry, George Institute of Technology
Andrea E. Duffy, Colorado State University
Floor Haalboom, Erasmus University Medical Center
Prakash Kumar, Pennsylvania State University
Admire Mseba, University of Southern California
Viktor Pál, University of Ostrava
Ariel Ron, Southern Methodist University
Bobby J. Smith II, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
 

AI Policy
 
Author Disclosure & Accountability: Authors of all journal submissions must disclose any use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) or large language models (LLMs) in the research process and preparation of their manuscript. While AI tools may be used to improve readability, for visualization, and to assist with translation (e.g., checking for grammatical errors, generating charts from data, producing a translation that is checked for accuracy by a human translator), they must not be used to generate insights, produce original research, or draw conclusions. AI tools cannot be listed as authors or coauthors. The human authors accept full responsibility for the accuracy and integrity of the content, including any portions proofread by AI. 
 
Authors are encouraged to use one of the following declaration templates in their submission cover letter in applicable cases: 
     
The editors realize that rapidly changing technology will produce new circumstances and encourage authors to direct questions concerning the appropriate use of AI in Agricultural History submissions to dswanson@georgiasouthern.edu.
 
Editorial Pledge: In turn, Agricultural History commits to a human evaluation process. The editorial team and peer reviewers will not utilize generative AI tools to screen, score, summarize, or critique submissions. We view your manuscript as a confidential, privileged document; as such, no part of your submission will be uploaded to AI platforms during the editorial or review process.
 
Research Articles:
Articles should be 6,000–12,000 words, based in original research, historically/historiographically engaged, and fully cited using endnotes and a corresponding reference list that provides full bibliographical details for cited sources and is optimal especially for the journal’s online readers.

1. All manuscripts must be submitted online via our ScholarOne site, found here: https://mc04.manuscriptcentral.com/aghistory. Please follow the instructions closely.
2. All manuscripts should be:
   • In Microsoft Word format (.doc or .docx). The file will be anonymized and converted to PDF for review.
   • Double-spaced.
   • No longer than 12,000 words of text, not including reference list and endnotes.
   • Complete with endnotes that are also double-spaced.
   • Written in accordance with the Chicago Manual of Style (18th Edition).
3. Manuscripts submitted to Agricultural History should not be under simultaneous consideration or review by any other publication.
4. Any style questions can be answered by reference to the Chicago Manual of Style (18th Edition) or to the journal's style guide or by contacting our editorial office: dswanson@georgiasouthern.edu.
5. Potential illustrations (jpg, tiff) should be uploaded as separate files along with the submission. Please do not embed images or tables within the manuscript.
6. Once received and evaluated as appropriate for Agricultural History, the manuscript will be sent out for double-blind peer review. Please upload a separate title page with your name and contact information, and be sure that the main document is free of any identifying information in both the text and endnotes. The peer-review process can take up to four months.
7. An accepted manuscript is usually published within a year. During this time, the author will have the opportunity to make final changes to the manuscript in response to comments from the reviewers and the editor. The editorial staff will then conduct a rigorous fact-checking and editing process. We will check every citation for accuracy, to the best of our ability given available library and interlibrary loan resources, and will copyedit the manuscript for style, organization, and clarity. The author will have the opportunity to review and approve the copyedited manuscript before publication.
8. Please send all other inquiries to dswanson@georgiasouthern.edu.

Book Reviews:
Book Reviews are typically 500–750 words. We make every effort to review all new books in agricultural history and related fields, but given the geographical and chronological scope of the journal, some books may get overlooked from time to time. If you notice such an omission, please let us know. Also, if you would like to be added to our list of reviewers, please send a note to one of our book review editors, indicating your credentials and areas of expertise. For North American topics, contact David Vail at vaildd@unk.edu; for non–North American titles, contact Maria Fedorova at mfedorov@macalester.edu.  

Featured Reviews are up to 2,000 words and typically engage more deeply with the historiographical significance or special insights a book has to offer.

Special Features:
Review Essays take a wider perspective than book reviews in order to explore an important theme in agricultural history. They may review 2–3 books as a set or survey a particular strand of literature more broadly. Review essays are typically 3,000–6,000 words in length and are editorially reviewed. If you have an interest in writing a review essay, please contact Bennett Parten at bparten@georgiasouthern.edu.

Forums typically take shape as a series of essays on a particular topic or question, usually more conversational in tone but maintaining rigorous argumentation and careful documentation. A forum section may follow a “call and response” model, with one lead essay and 3-4 comments; or it may include a general introduction, followed by essays of similar length focused on the matter at hand. A forum should not exceed 20,000 words total. If you have an interest in organizing a forum, please contact Drew Swanson at dswanson@georgiasouthern.edu.

Roundtables are ideal for exploring emerging trends or revisiting old themes. They typically involve 4–6 discussants who each weigh in at least twice, in a more conversational format. Roundtables are usually conducted by email over several months and editorially reviewed. If you have an interest in organizing a roundtable, please contact Drew Swanson at dswanson@georgiasouthern.edu.

Toolshed essays engage with methodological questions, the nuts and bolts of agricultural history. Essays may explore artifacts, sources, interpretive methods, theories, or approaches relevant to the field. Toolshed essays are typically 3,