Contribute

Contribute

Australian Policy and History publishes three kinds of articles. Short opinion-style pieces, longer, more traditional-style academic papers and policy briefs, written in the style of a public service briefing note.

All are written in clear, concise text appropriate for a non-academic audience. The emphasis is on policy relevance, with a clear focus on what can be learned from history for policymakers. Articles aim to address policy significance in a distinctly Australian setting, but through historical research spanning both Australian and overseas subjects.

We are looking for a few kinds of articles for Australian Policy & History: short opinion-style pieces, longer, more traditional style academic papers, policy briefs and book profiles. All are to be written in clear, concise text appropriate for a non-academic audience. The emphasis should be on policy relevance, with a clear focus on what can be learned from history for policy-makers.

Submit an opinion piece

For Opinion Pieces, we would like the following:

  • Between 500-1000 words
  • Written in a newspaper-style that is short, sharp, engaging and to the point
  • Embedded hyperlinks
See example

Submit an APH paper

For APH Papers, we would like the following:-

  • Between 2,000 — 4,000 words
  • Short succinct paragraphs with sub-headings if necessary
  • No footnotes but a short reading list at the end
  • An executive summary [or abstract] at the beginning of the article explaining the major points [using bullet points]
See example

Submit a policy brief

Policy Briefs are to be prepared in the style of public service briefs. These will include the following:-

  • Purpose, historical background, current situation, key considerations, options and recommendations
  • Contact officer section
  • Footnotes
See example

Editorial Process

Editing a new article and preparing it for publication usually takes a fortnight (though some APH Papers may take slightly longer).

  • We welcome contributions from historians of all periods and themes. We aim to address policy significance in a distinctly Australian setting, but through historical research spanning both Australian and overseas subjects.
  • You don’t have to be based in a higher education institution or have completed a doctorate in order to contribute to Australian Policy & History, but your article must be deemed by the editorial team to be of a professional standard within the discipline of history.
  • We accept proposals for new articles at any time and also approach historians directly for contributions.
  • We aren’t prescriptive about what themes should be addressed, provided the current policy relevance is clear and the historical content is of a high quality.
  • We aim to publish new articles to coincide with current and emerging policy issues, so please allow us as much notice as possible of your intention to submit a draft.

For further advice, please contact Carolyn Holbrook.

By submitting an article you are agreeing to the Contributor’s Agreement.

Disclaimer

The views expressed in Articles on this website are those of the individual contributors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editors or other members of the APH Network, its partner institutions, or any affiliated organisations. The APH Network does not guarantee the accuracy of the information provided in Articles and accepts no responsibility for any consequence of its use.

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