Germinate, ASEH's new online publication is accepting content now! Be part of this exciting open-access platform for scholarly work, commentaries, photo essays, and more.
Queries and Submissions to: g-ehr@aseh.org
What is Germinate?
Germinate: Environmental History Review is a born-digital publication of record of the field. It provides an open-access forum dedicated to environmental history. It includes peer-reviewed articles and non-peer-reviewed contributions in various formats that explore relationships between humans and their environment/the more-than-human world in context. EHR aims to bring together interdisciplinary scholarship and scholars and practitioners to inform the larger public beyond academic settings. As an open-access journal, Germinate: EHR is committed to inclusivity, diversity, and open to queries, conversations, and controversy, welcoming different perspectives and voices.
Who is Germinate?
Onur İnal (University of Vienna), Editor-in-Chief
Ramya Swayamprakash (Grand Valley State University), Associate Editor
Kerri Arsenault (The Environmental Storytelling Studio), Associate Editor
Editorial Board
Aditya Ramesh (University of Washington)
Andrew Robichaud (Boston University)
Debjani Bhattacharyya (University of Zurich)
Emily O’Gorman (Macquarie University)
Mary E. Mendoza (Penn State University)
Sandra Swart (Stellenbosch University)
Sarah S. Elkind (San Diego State University)
When is Germinate?Germinate: Environmental History Review is published continuously throughout the year. Submissions are accepted quarterly. Pieces submitted before quarterly deadlines (31 March, 31 July, 31 October, 31 December) will be published over the course of the next quarter, given the peer-review process.
Germinate's Philosophy on Access
On the premise that making research publicly available fosters a more extensive worldwide exchange of information, this publication offers immediate open access to its material. The authors of published articles retain the copyright and grant third parties the right to use, reproduce, share, and build upon the article in accordance with the Creative Commons license agreement.
Editorial Policies
Germinate: Environmental History Review includes peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed works. Submissions are made through the web page by using the relevant forms. The editors initially assess all submissions and determine their suitability for the journal.
Submissions for the peer-reviewed section considered suitable are assigned to two experts (reviewers) who assess the article for clarity, validity, and soundness, and provide high-quality feedback to the authors. The editors ensure the selection of reviewers is free from bias. For this reason, reviewers from the same institution or faculty as the author(s) of the manuscript are not invited for review.
Germinate: Environmental History Review operates a double-blind peer review process, meaning that the identities of both reviewers and authors are unknown to each other throughout the review.. The review period is expected to take around four weeks. Reviewers are asked to provide formative feedback, even if an article is not deemed suitable for publication in the journal.
Based on the reviewer reports, the editors make a decision for rejection, major or minor revisions, or acceptance. Overall editorial responsibility rests with the journal’s Editor-in-Chief, supported by an expert international Editorial Board.
Submissions for the non-peer-reviewed section follow a similar process, except the editors make the judgment without peer review. Submissions considered suitable are forwarded for copy-editing and published within two weeks.
Germinate: Environmental History Review includes peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed works. Submissions are made through the web page by using the relevant forms. The editors initially assess all submissions and determine their suitability for the journal.
Submissions for the peer-reviewed section considered suitable are assigned to two experts (reviewers) who assess the article for clarity, validity, and soundness, and provide high-quality feedback to the authors. The editors ensure the selection of reviewers is free from bias. For this reason, reviewers from the same institution or faculty as the author(s) of the manuscript are not invited for review.
Germinate: Environmental History Review operates a double-blind peer review process, meaning that the identities of both reviewers and authors are unknown to each other throughout the review.. The review period is expected to take around four weeks. Reviewers are asked to provide formative feedback, even if an article is not deemed suitable for publication in the journal.
Based on the reviewer reports, the editors make a decision for rejection, major or minor revisions, or acceptance. Overall editorial responsibility rests with the journal’s Editor-in-Chief, supported by an expert international Editorial Board.
Submissions for the non-peer-reviewed section follow a similar process, except the editors make the judgment without peer review. Submissions considered suitable are forwarded for copy-editing and published within two weeks.
The use of other people’s work without correct attribution and permission is considered a very serious offense by the academic community. All submissions to the Journal will be uploaded to Similarity Check to assess if the content closely matches content available elsewhere. If a high similarity report is produced, or a case of allegation is made against a publication, the Editor-in-Chief will carry out an independent investigation, following COPE guidelines, and remedial actions will be taken.
Germinate does not accept that AI tools sufficiently meet the requirement of authorship.
Guidelines for Submissions
Author Guidelines
Germinate: Environmental History Review is now inviting new submissions.
Germinate: Environmental History Review(GEHR) is an open-access digital publication of the American Society for Environmental History (ASEH). It is a vibrant platform for exchanging knowledge, responding to contemporary issues, and exploring topics that connect the environmental present with its past. EHR offers a space for short, engaging environmental histories from around the world. It promotes the fast-paced publication of peer-reviewed research articles and non-peer-reviewed work in formats and media that go beyond standard academic articles and reviews.
Structure, Format, Language, and Style
Length: We accept research and review articles for the peer-reviewed section and non-peer-reviewed work in various formats. Research and review articles should be between 1,200 and 2,000 words. Non–peer-reviewed word count is similar, but can exceed it if necessary.
Format: The texts should be submitted as an MS Word file. The images should be uploaded separately and should be high resolution.
Acknowledgments: Any acknowledgments should be placed after the main text before the reference list.
Funding information: The grant provider and grant number can be written if the research has received a funding grant.
When in doubt follow please follow the guidelines in the Chicago Manual of Style, 18th ed. (2024). Other helpful tips on style can be found here.Submissions
GEHR has two sections: The peer-reviewed section includes short research and review articles and photo essays. Submissions to this section undergo a double-blind review. The identities of both reviewers and authors are unknown to each other throughout the review.
The non-peer-reviewed section showcases diverse content, including interviews, reportage, essays, narrative nonfiction, fiction, memoir, poetry, and reviews (books, exhibitions, films, etc.). We accept images (e.g., photos, maps, drawings, illustrations) and/or videos (up to five) in the submissions.
Post-Submission Process
Once we receive your submission, we will respond within one week with a decision on whether it is suitable for the journal.
If you have submitted content for the peer-reviewed section suitable for the journal, we will forward it to the two independent experts (reviewers). We will ask that the reviewers send their reports within four weeks of receiving the content. Based on the reviewer reports, we will make a recommendation for rejection, minor or major revisions, or acceptance. If the reviewers recommend any revisions prior to publication, we will ask you to address them within three weeks. Once we receive your revisions, we will start the production process immediately and publish your content within two weeks.
If you have submitted content for the non-peer-reviewed section, we will follow the same process, except the review process. If your submission is suitable for publication, we will start the copy-editing process immediately and publish your content within four weeks.
All in all, the time from submission to publication is approximately four weeks for the non-peer-reviewed content and twelve weeks for the peer-reviewed content. This timeframe may change depending on the content, editing, workload, and number of simultaneous submissions.
For questions regarding the submission process, please contact the Editors at g-ehr@aseh.org
