Frequently Asked Questions
Author Questions
I have a new email – how can I change my OJS/Exchanges login information?
You can still access the Exchanges portal and update your details under the Edit Profile option, via your old email even if you can’t access the email account anymore. However, you can always ask the Editor-in-Chief to update or change any of your account details, including your email and login information, by emailing them.
Who can I talk to about a potential article?
The Editor, or any member of the Editorial Board.
Where can I find the current Call for Papers (CFP)?
The current call for papers can be found in the editorial of most recently published journal issue, on the IAS’ webpages and via the announcements page. However, non-theme submissions are welcome at anytime.
What are the current submission deadlines?
For themed calls, the current CFP or the most recent editorial will contain information on the deadline. Non-themed papers are accepted for consideration throughout the year, although due to the time to pass through our editorial and review processes, ideally should be submitted at least 6 months ahead of the next issue’s publication.
How do I submit my article manuscript to Exchanges?
Practically speaking read the Submission Guide, as this gives an overview of the preparation needed. You will need to be logged in to your Exchanges Profile (account), or register for a new account if you don't already have one. Then go to Submit Your Paper | Make a New Submission from the website menu, or choose New Submission from your profile's Dashboard. There is also a video guide on the practical steps to submitting your manuscript.
Do articles submitted need to be fully anonymised?
Yes and no. If you are submitting a manuscript for peer-review article consideration, then YES – you should anonymise the citations, references and metadata of your submission (although we do double check for you too). But if you are submitting a critical reflection, conversation or book review for editorial review consideration, then NO, you do not need to anonymise the manuscript.
How long does it take to publish with Exchanges?
While, non-peer-reviewed items (interviews and critical reviews) normally have faster editorial transit times, peer-reviewed manuscripts may require multiple reviews and copyediting processes. Typically, this process takes up to 6 months, but may take longer if the review, revision and editing processes are lengthy, or where items have been submitted for a special or themed issue with a particular publication date. Notably however, external human factors (especially reviewer and author responsiveness) are the major component in defining the pre-publication duration.
Can I publish work that I intend to include (or have included already) in my thesis?
The guidelines for Exchanges state that ‘manuscripts will be published on the understanding that they are an original and previously unpublished piece of work’. However, we do not consider material included within a submitted thesis or dissertation to have be formally published, even if it has been made openly accessible. The expectation is that the finalised published manuscript will likely have undergone editorial and authorial revisions, and have incorporated developments from peer-reviewers, from the previously disseminated materials.
Authors, who have yet to submit their research for examination, are strongly advised to seek guidance from within their institution’s guidelines on ‘inclusion of prior published material’ within their thesis or dissertation. This is normally permissible practice by many universities, but there may be some local differences in the examination regulations. Exchanges is not liable for any examination difficulties that may arise because of publishing with us. For example, see guidance at Warwick and Monash. Wherever possible, authors should take steps to clearly acknowledge within, ideally both, the published manuscript and the thesis that they are ‘based on a chapter from the author’s thesis’ or ‘a version of this chapter appeared as an article in…’ respectively. An appropriate citation and reference should also be included.
Are citations and references counted as part of the total word count for a manuscript?
While traditional Harvard referencing would include these, Exchanges does not normally consider abstracts, keywords, references or in-text citations to be included in article word counts.
Can I include references and a bibliography?
Yes, provided the references list contains all works directly cited or quoted from within your manuscript. A bibliography, if used, should contain works which may have in some way inspired your work, but which you have not directly cited in your text. However, there is no requirement on authors to include a bibliography, it is merely an optional extra which some choose. See the Style Guide for more guidance on referencing.
My manuscript’s English language, grammar or spelling is weaker than it should be. Are there any resources which can help me improve them?
While the editorial team will provide some corrective support for manuscripts during copyediting, Exchanges does not provide a proofreading or redrafting service. Where peer-review or editors have highlighted language weaknesses, you are advised to seek out your local academic writing support services. Many universities offer support services to help with proofreading, copyediting or grammar corrections along with learning skills advisers (e.g. Warwick | Monash) who can help improve your manuscript’s language. Your institutional library may provide alternative sources of help and support too.
If my article has been declined for publication, can I resubmit a revised version?
Yes, although you must have taken steps to address any issues the Editorial feedback highlighted with the original piece, especially with respect to satisfying our submission criteria. Note, resubmitted articles will still be subject to further editorial and potentially peer review, and consequently may be declined as with all submissions under consideration.
My funder/potential employer/institution needs a formal acceptance letter - how can I get one?
While the Exchanges platform sends out automatic emails confirming progress if you require a formal letter confirming your submission’s status (e.g. accepted for review or accepted for publication) these are available on request. They are provided electronically, on headed paper, via the Editor-in-Chief. Please note, we can only confirm a manuscript’s current status at time of writing.
Reviewer Questions
How do I become a reviewer for Exchanges? [Online Guide]
Go to https://exchanges.warwick.ac.uk/user/register and complete the online form, noting on the second screen your wish to be added to our reviewers' register and include your Reviewing Interests and ideally Biography information too. You remove yourself from the register by editing your profile's Roles, or request the deletion of your account by contacting the Editor. Reviewer profile information is not displayed publically, and is only used by the editors to identify suitable people as peer-reviewers. Read more about being a reviewer with us, here.
How do I make sure my reviewer interests are recorded correctly? [Online Guide]
You can check, edit or add information to your reviewer profile at any time.
- Login at https://exchanges.warwick.ac.uk/login
- Click the profile icon (top right) and select Edit Profile.
- Select the Roles tab to display the Reviewing Interests
- Enter as many relevant keywords or phrases here as desired, pressing return after each to add.
- You may delete any interests by clicking on the red X.
- Finally, click Save to finish and add these details to your reviewer profile.
Note, while some suggestions will pop up, you aren't limited to these phrases.
Can I have a formal letter confirming my contribution as a reviewer?
While you will receive standard emails from editors thanking you for your contribution, where reviewers would prefer a formal letter, these can be produced on request. They are provided electronically, on headed paper, via the Editor-in-Chief.
General Questions
Help! I’ve forgotten/lost my password or login ID!
Don’t panic! Go to https://exchanges.warwick.ac.uk/login/lostPassword and enter the email associated with your account. You will receive a notification of your ID and a link to reset your password.
My email address has changed, how do I update my contact details with Exchanges?
Keeping your contact details up-to-date is essential so we can contact you about submission developments or requests to review. Changing your main contact email address only takes a few moments.
- Log into your Exchanges account at: https://exchanges.warwick.ac.uk/login
- Click on your profile name in the top right-hand corner of the screen and select View Profile
- Click the Contact tab and change the address at the top of the screen
- Finally, click save to confirm
If you have any issues with updating your address, contact us directly.
Where can I find out more about Exchanges?
This journal site, along with the Institute of Advanced Study’s pages provide further information, but you may also find the Editorial blog and twitter feed of interest as they cover ongoing developments with the title. You can also contact any member of the Editorial Board directly.
I am interested as a conference organiser in potentially publishing papers arising from this event. Would Exchanges be interested in developing a special section or issue to include these?
Exchanges' core mission is to foster quality interdisciplinary discourse from early career researchers. If your conference can match these characteristics, then it is a possibility that we would be happy to discuss with you. However, given our current operating configuration and processes we cannot guarantee we will be able to take on this kind of challenge without potential additional staffing resource and financial support. Hence, you are advised to arrange a meeting with the Managing Editor-in-Chief to discuss the scale, scope and timeframe of any such group submissions as a first step. Nevertheless, are always happy to accept individual manuscript submissions arising from conference papers as part of our normal submission, review and publication processes.
