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 your old email account anymore. You can edit your account contact information by:
- Firstly, log into your Exchanges account (https://exchanges.warwick.ac.uk/login)
- Click on your Profile name (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
Alternatively, you can always contact the Editor-in-Chief to request an update to any of your account details.
Who can I talk to about a potential article?
The Chief Editor, or any Editorial Board members are always happy to discuss any ideas you might have for a new article submission.
Where can I find the current Call for Papers (CFP)?
Current themed or special issue calls for papers can be found (1) on the announcements page (2) on the IAS’ webpages or (3) in the editorial of most recently published journal issue.
What are the current submission deadlines?
For themed or special issue calls, the relevant CFP or most recent editorial will contain information on any deadlines. Papers submitted in response to our open call (no deadline) are accepted for consideration throughout the year.
How do I submit my article manuscript to Exchanges?
You will guidance on this in our Submission Guide, which offers an overview of the preparation needed. Practically speaking, 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. Next, 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?
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. Alternatively, 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.
Is there any training for new academic authors available?
The Chief Editor variously contributes to local events at Warwick on various publishing and authoring topics throughout the academic year. If your department or research group would like them to arrange a bespoke training session or briefing for potential authors, please get in touch to discuss it. Additionally, the Chief Editor can also be contacted to explore the possibility of involvement in, or delivery of, author training externally (online or in person), although there may be cost implications to consider for the requestor. Authors are also encouraged to listen to the Exchanges Discourse Podcast, where the topic of advice for new academic authors is a frequent point of discussion.
How long does it take to publish with Exchanges?
This varies depending on the type of manuscript submitted (editorially reviewed or peer-reviewed), and the scheduling of the next issue. We advise authors to submit manuscripts intended for the next issue of the journal a minimum of 6 months ahead of publication. However, human factors (especially reviewer and author responsiveness) are a major component in defining the pre-publication duration. While we make every effort to progress manuscripts, some will take longer than others to reach a publication decision and subsequent publication. Additionally, items submitted for a special or themed issue will only appear when that particular issue is publication ready. Authors should contact their editor at any point to discuss the progress of your manuscript, if unclear on its progress or timescale to publication.
Can I publish work that I intend to include (or have included already) in my thesis?
The Exchanges’ guidelines state ‘manuscripts will be published on the understanding that they are an original and previously unpublished piece of work’. However, material included within a submitted thesis or dissertation, or online blog, is not considered to have been formally published. Hence, previously ‘distributed but not published’ work would be acceptable for consideration. Our expectation is any finalised, accepted and published manuscript will have undergone editorial and authorial revisions, often including feedback guidance from peer-reviewers, when compared with any previously disseminated version.
Conversely, work which has previously appeared in a book, journal or conference proceeding which has been subject to feedback and revision, would classify as having been published and would be unacceptable for our consideration. Additionally, authors may risk legally breaching any previously signed publication agreement or licence with their publisher.
Ideally, authors should acknowledge in their thesis/dissertation and article alike where work has been previously published/distributed, including a citation and link to permit readers to consult the other versions. Suitable example text would include: ‘This article based on a chapter from the author’s thesis (Surname, YYYY)’ or ‘A version of this chapter has previously been published as an article in the Exchanges journal (Surname, YYYY)’.
Are citations and references counted as part of the total word count for a manuscript?
No – abstracts, keywords, references, in-text citations, endnotes or acknowledgements are not included in article word count for the purposes of initial acceptance for review consideration. However, authors should take care not to include an excessive amount of text within their endnotes.
How can I acknowledge funders, non-author contributors or ethical approval in my paper?
While we do not require it, we do encourage authors to add an acknowledgements section. You may use whatever wording is preferred, although we recommend authors check with your research funder as they may require a standard wording or phrasing to acknowledge work they have supported. Acknowledgement text can be added during copyediting (post-acceptance, pre-publication), and hence are not required at submission. For articles undergoing anonymised peer-review adding any acknowledgements at this later stage is advisable as this helps to ensure author anonymity during review. Additionally, the editor will add any funder acknowledgment text to your published article’s landing page (see for an example), ensuring maximum visibility to readers and funders alike.
Can I include references and a bibliography?
Most if not all articles should include a references list of all directly cited or quoted from sources in your article. For any papers, books or other materials which may have inspired your work, but are not directly referenced within it, then you can list them in a separate bibliography list. However, there is no requirement on authors to include a bibliography if not wished. See the Style Guide for more guidance on referencing or contact the Editor.
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 we endeavour to offer a compassionate reception to authors, especially those who are not native English-speakers, of submissions with minor grammatical weaknesses, the Exchanges’ editorial team does not offer a proofreading or redrafting service. Authors should note extensive weaknesses in written English language are a common rationale for manuscripts being declined at submission (desk reject) or during review (editorial or peer-review). Additionally, many universities offer support services (e.g., Careers, Library or Study/Research Support) which can assist with proofreading, copyediting or grammar corrections. They may also have advisers who can help in improving your manuscript’s language and clarity.
What is the current status of my manuscript? Who can I ask to find out how it is progressing?
There are a number of ways to do this. Firstly, if you log onto the Exchanges portal, you can see the stage (Submission>Review>Copyediting>Production) your manuscript has reached. You may also see some direct messages from the editors to you with updates – although you should also have received these as emails too. However, much of the detailed progress is only visible to the editors, so your second recourse is to contact your assigned Exchanges editor directly. Editors should normally endeavour to update authors at least once a month. However, if they have not been in touch recently – it is a good idea for authors to mail them directly. Finally, you can always ask the Chief Editor for an update – especially if you have not heard from your assigned editor in some time
If my article has been declined for publication, can I resubmit a revised version?
Normally, yes, unless the Editor’s feedback clearly advises against it. As a minimum, we would expect you to have taken steps to address any issues our editorial feedback highlighted with the original piece, especially with respect to satisfying our submission criteria or reasons for decline (e.g., scholarship, grammar, clarity, originality, etc.,). All resubmitted articles will be treated as new contributions. This means they will be scrutinized to the same degree as any other article, and consequently may be declined again if they fail to meet our required standards.
My funder/potential employer/institution needs a formal acceptance letter - how can I get one?
At each stage of your manuscript’s progression you will receive an email: e.g., (1) accepted for review consideration (passed to Review) (2) accepted for publication (passed to Copyediting) (3) approved for publication (passed to Production). However, if you require a more formal letter confirming your manuscript’s current status please request it from the Editor-in-Chief. Note: we can only confirm a manuscript’s current status at time of writing. Formal letters are provided electronically as a PDF.
Reviewer Questions
How do I become a reviewer for Exchanges? [Online Guide]
If you are new to Exchanges, you can register as a potential reviewer online when you create a new user account (Profile). Visit https://exchanges.warwick.ac.uk/user/register and complete the online form, taking care to note on the second screen your desire to be added to our reviewers' register. You must include your Reviewing Interests and a short Biography information too, so we can understand your suitability and qualification to be a reviewer. All reviewer profile information is not displayed publicly and can only be accessed by yourself and our Editorial Team.
If you are already registered with Exchanges, login, and under your Profile’s Roles section tick the box marked Reviewer, and add in your full range of Reviewing Interests. Then click Save.
Is there any training for new peer-reviewers available?
We provide guidance to all peer-reviewers as part of the reviewing process. Individual editors can also offer some support on request to their reviewers, but it is important reviewers’ opinions are their own, and as such we cannot guide your specific feedback or manuscript progression recommendation. Where groups of scholars or potential reviewers are interested in arranging more formalised briefing of training, they should approach the Chief Editor to explore the possibility.
How can I remove myself (de-register) as a peer-reviewer for Exchanges?
You can remove yourself as a reviewer at any time by either editing your user profile's Roles or by contacting the Editor. However, if you have been approached with a review request or are currently conducting a peer-review on our behalf, please notify us directly before you de-register so we can seek an alternative reviewer as soon as possible.
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?
All reviewers should receive standard emails from the Editorial Team thanking them for their contribution. Where any reviewer desires a letter of formal recognition, these can be produced on request by contacting the Editor-in-Chief. Formal letters are provided electronically as a PDF.
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?
See the note for authors above on changing email addresses.
Where can I find out more about Exchanges?
There are three main locations. (1) On the Exchanges main website, (2) on Institute of Advanced Study’s pages and (3) via our Editorial blog. For more detailed information, or with a specific question, contact the Editor or any member of the Editorial Board directly.
Where do I find out more about contributing to Exchanges?
Our Announcements page and recent editorials are good places to start. You will also find our social media accounts are frequently updated with news and information too. We also publish a regular (monthly) email-newsletter which you can join, to receive a regular update on news, events and opportunities with the journal.
I am interested in working with Exchanges on creating a special themed issue – how do I explore this idea further?
We have provided more information about our current and past special issues, as well as a guide to the outline requirements for new ones as a starting point. Ideally, any new special issue should align with Exchanges’ missions to (1) enable early-career publication (2) develop editorial and authorial contributors and (3) be of wide academic appeal and interest. Additionally, any potential collaborator must be prepared to recruit a range of suitable associate editors (PGRs/ECRs) to work on the issue. Having considered this guidance, your next step is to arrange a conversation with the Chief Editor – who will explore the scale, scope and potential timeframe of the issue, and then make a decision whether to progress or decline participation in the project.
