GUIDELINES FOR CONTRIBUTORS: A SUMMARY

 

The AMIS Journal welcomes articles representing original research on topics of interest to scholars, collectors, curators, and performers. These subjects concern the construction, history, sociology, and conservation of instruments, and questions of performance practice related to particular instruments. Contributions must consist of new, previously unpublished material or original interpretations. Articles may be submitted in languages other than English, but it is the author’s responsibility to provide an English translation if the article is accepted for publication.

 

To be considered for publication in the Journal, an article should be submitted to:

James B. Kopp, Editor, Journal of the American Musical Instrument Society,

6704 SE 20th Avenue, Portland, OR 97202-5642 (email: j5kopp@aol.com).

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The article should  be submitted as an email attachment, preferably in Microsoft Word. If the file is too large for email, please request a Dropbox link from the Journaleditor. The deadline is October 31 preceding the calendar year of publication, but manuscripts are welcome at any time; if the next issue is already filled, they will be considered for a later issue. Upon receipt, the article is reviewed by members of the editorial board and sometimes also by outside readers with expertise in its particular subject area before a decision is made to accept it. Thereafter, the editor will work closely with the author in all matters relating to information, accuracy, and content. Decisions concerning style and presentation will be made by the editor. 

 

In preparing manuscripts for submission, the following guidelines should be

observed:

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• Follow the 17th edition of The Chicago Manual of Style(Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press, 2017) in all respects, using the examples presented in Chapter 14 for footnote and bibliographical citations. (The basics of this style are given in an open-access website: https://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide/citation-guide-1.html.) It may also be helpful to consult recent volumes of the Journalfor additional information and models.

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• Provide one-inch (2.5 cm) margins at both sides and top and bottom of every page; leave the right margin unjustified. Use a typeface with large, clear characters (12 point) and easily visible punctuation marks and footnote numbers. For book and journal titles use an italic font.

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• Double-space everything, including notes, lists of captions, text, and block quotations.

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• Use footnotes rather than endnotes. Since the Journal does not usually include separate lists of sources with articles, complete bibliographical information on all publications cited should appear in the first footnote in which they are mentioned.

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• Quotations in foreign languages should be translated in the text, with the original normally appearing in a footnote; alternatively, for block quotations the original may be placed just below the translation.

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• Musical examples and tables should be numbered (each in its own series) according to the order in which they are first mentioned in the article. Each one should be placed on its own page with a title, rather than being inserted into the main text. Musical examples should be submitted as electronic files in Acrobat PDF  format; an extra charge will be made for converting handwritten examples to printable form.

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• The Journal welcomes illustrations. It is the author’s responsibility to obtain permission—for both print and electronic publication—from the owners of original paintings, photographs, and other illustrative material, some of which may be under copyright protection. Copies of all permissions should be received by the editor no later than six weeks following an article’s acceptance for publication. Illustrations are usually in black-and-white, but a limited number of color illustrations may be accepted, if color is essential to the discussion (examples might include paintings or instrument decoration).

 

Photographs and diagrams should be submitted in as electronic files in Acrobat PDF format. Scans should be at 300 dpi for grayscale images and a minimum of 900 to 1200 dpi for line art. Each art file should contain only one art example, comprising a single page. Figure captions should not be included in the art files, but listed on a separate page or pages. Include complete source information for all

illustrations, such as location and institution, inventory number, and credits for photographers and previous publishers. 

 

After an article is accepted, the author will supply an electronic copy of the text, either on CD-ROM or as an e-mail attachment, and preferably in Microsoft Word, incorporating revisions made since the original submission. If a word processing program other than Microsoft Word is used, a version in RTF should also be included.

 

Book Reviews:

The Journal reviews books on subjects concerning the construction, history, sociology, and conservation of instruments, and questions of performance practice related to particular instruments. Reviews are ordinarily between 750 and 1000 words long. Reviewers normally receive a copy of the book reviewed. Suggestions of books for review or of possible new reviewers are always welcome. Reviews are normally solicited by the review editor, but qualified writers interested in reviewing books are invited to write to: Dr. Albert R. Rice (e-mail: arrice@rocketmail.com).

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Review copies from publishers should be sent to Albert R. Rice, 495 St. Augustine Ave., Claremont, CA 91711.