Guidelines for Contributors

The Journal welcomes original contributions built around a key theme in Humanities and Social Sciences – that of class and status divisions in society. The following general guides for contributors are there not to limit but rather to embrace and enhance authors’ scholarly arguments, making them accessible to a wider audience and promoting the Journal’s aims and scope. Please follow them as a framework that will produce submissions that are more robust and easier to handle, and will also expedite the publication process. A good writing style, coherent and critical arguments, and informed theoretical and methodological approaches are at a premium. The Journal’s priorities and criteria of assessment ensure a wider readership and standards that will satisfy scholars’ inquisitive needs. The journal is published twice a year in print and electronically.

There are four different categories of submissions: Articles, Research Notes, Debates, and Book Reviews. Each category follows a general and a specific set of guidelines, as follows:

1. General Guidelines

The key aspects of the Journal’s central organising theme are outlined in the initial page, Aims and Scope. Contributors are encouraged to invest in historical, comparative, and dynamic analyses and – whenever appropriate – use a mixture of qualitative and quantitative methods of research. Contributors are advised to follow the general guidelines concerning ethics (please consult the British Sociological Association’s Ethical Guidelines), anonymise research participants, and provide adequate information on material and sources not their own.

There are four possible responses to submissions: Acceptance, Conditional Acceptance – minor revisions, Conditional Acceptance – major revisions, Re-submit.

For further inquiries and correspondence please contact the Journal editors (editors@classandstatus.com). All Articles, Research Notes and Debates should be sent to the Journal secretary (secretariat@classandstatus.com). Book Reviews should be sent to the Book Review Editors (bookreviewers@classandstatus.com).

2. Articles

All articles are peer reviewed. Articles for consideration should be original, not published or under review by another journal or publisher, and must be submitted through the Journal’s online page. The structure of the article should include a sufficient analysis of the problem area of concern, its theoretical approaches, and of the methodology followed (distinct from methods of research), and in the case of empirical research, a concise note on methods, sampling, and data collection is necessary. Empirical research should adequately expose all steps of analysis and should provide explanatory details (in the text or as end notes) in order to allow readers to comprehend and verify the author’s main arguments. Articles should be written in Microsoft Word, typed in Times New Roman 12-point font, double spaced, and presented in the following form (having removed all personal identity markers):

• Title: subtitle
• Abstract (150 words maximum)
• Keywords (3 in order of theoretical importance)
• Body text (8,000 words)
• Endnotes
• References (using the Harvard system)
• Tables, charts and figures (please note whether authorisation is needed if material is not of the author’s making and indicate their place in the text – e.g., “Table 1 here”)

3. Research Notes

Please follow the same guidelines as used for articles.

The length of a Research Note should not exceed 10,000 words. Please note that a written authorisation is needed from the institution responsible for the research programme, and also from research partners prior to publication. A strong emphasis on the theoretical and methodological frame of thought is necessary.

4. Debates

The length of a debate article should not exceed 5,000 words, and the guidelines are the same as those for articles. Wherever applicable, please follow the Code of Ethics and the Instructions presented by the British Sociological Association (BSA). The central theme of the debate should extrapolate the merits and weaknesses of a theoretical argument, without ignoring other contributors’ scholarly input on the subject.

5. Book Reviews

The length of Book Reviews should not exceed 800 words. Please follow the guidelines for articles and explore two points: the main argument of the book and its contribution to the advancement of theory and empirical research concerning class and status divisions in society. The book review should start with the identity of the author and the reference to the book. It should end with the identity of the reviewer and, where appropriate, the affiliated institution.

6. Language editing

Please follow UK spelling (Oxford variant), avoid jargon or technical language not properly explained in the text and, if in doubt about English language usage, contact the Journal language editors.

Authors are advised to have their papers professionally edited. The journal can recommend a number of language editing services that may be suited to individual needs. Language editing does not guarantee that your paper will be accepted for publication, and each recommended service provider will handle all aspects of this service, including payment. For further information please refer to the Journal’s secretary.