The Tufts Historical Review Editorial Board is thrilled to announce the call for submissions for Volume XVIII of the Tufts Historical Review, an academic journal that seeks both undergraduate and graduate research papers of the highest caliber.

This year, we have selected “Trials” as the theme for the journal. In a courtroom, on a battlefield, in a scientific lab, or a person’s inner life, trials are the defining challenges that shape history.

We’re looking forward to hearing a broad selection of interpretations of the theme. We want to hear new angles of classic trial stories, perhaps an unearthed narrative from the Salem Witch Trials. Or stories that may not have been told as trials by name but involve a test of the human will, like the scaling of the cliffs of Normandy, or an individual person’s struggle against some foe, internal or external. Tell us the stories of trials that have led to or attempted to lead to innovations or discoveries — the development of papyrus by the ancient Egyptians or the failure of the thalidomide pill. We’re looking for the stories of the tests, in any form, that have left any sized mark on history.

The Tufts Historical Review is committed to publishing the finest undergraduate and graduate historical research. As such, we require that all submissions subscribe to the highest standards of academic quality. Failure to comply with the following requirements may result in the rejection of a submission.

• All submissions must be cited in accordance with the Chicago Manual of Style, 17th Edition.
• No submissions that have previously appeared in another publication will be considered eligible.
• A cover page should be attached to each submission, including the title of the paper, the author’s name, email, and university affiliation. Please indicate your academic program in your submission email.
• Applicant’s information should only appear on the cover page.
• The subject of submissions should relate to events taking place before 1991.
• Submissions should range between 3,000 and 8,000 words. Longer submissions are acceptable but will be subject to editing for brevity if selected.
• Submissions from undergraduate (B.A.) and graduate (M.A., Ph.D.) students are welcome.
• Please note that submissions need not explicitly reference the word “Trials” to be eligible for consideration. We encourage broad interpretations of the theme!

The Tufts Historical Review is one of the few undergraduate-led journals of its kind in the United States. A highly selective publication intended to recognize outstanding student work in history and the humanities, the Tufts Historical Review is distributed to the libraries of leading research institutions, including Harvard University, Brown University, Oxford University, the College of William and Mary, and Georgetown University. Alongside an active student board of undergraduate and graduate students, the Tufts Historical Review works closely with an advisory board, including renowned scholars, such as Tufts University President Sunil Kumar.

All submissions must be emailed as Word documents (.docx) or PDF files to [email protected] by February 1, 2025, for review by the editorial board. For more information, please visit us online at the link below. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us through this email as well. We hope you can forward this information to students and faculty in your department, and we appreciate your assistance in promoting excellence in undergraduate and graduate historical scholarship.