Ab Imperio's thematic priorities and publication formats are outlined in the program “Platform ’24: Restoring a Common Scholarly Field of Postnational and Postimperial Studies”. Ab Imperio publishes texts in English or Russian.
Manuscript Recommendations
Research Articles
As can be seen from Ab Imperio’s standard peer-review form, a clearly elaborated research problem is the primary criterion for assessing the article. A research problem is distinct from an article’s theme, its aim, or a foregone conclusion illustrated by a set of empirical data. Instead, it is an analytical question – or set of questions – that can only be resolved through the course of the study. The research problem provides the only objective basis for evaluation, steering reviewers away from personal biases. It centers the peer-review process on three vital questions: Does the study engage with relevant international historiography? Are the primary sources sufficient? And is the conceptual framework adequate?
Size Matters
There is a golden rule for a research article proven by hundreds of submissions: articles shorter than 40,000 characters (excluding spaces) typically lack the room to adequately define a research problem, elaborate on an argument, and provide robust empirical evidence. While 50,000 characters – roughly 10,000 English words – usually suffice for a research article, complex models or novel topics with limited secondary literature may require up to 65,000 or even 75,000 characters to provide necessary context. Exceeding this scope typically results in a manuscript that either overextends across multiple research problems or compensates for a lack of a research problem with redundant empirical examples.
This is friendly advice for authors rather than a guarantee of acceptance; the editors recognize that shorter texts can be artificially inflated to meet the minimum threshold.
Book Reviews
Ab Imperio favors review essays authored by scholars well-versed in the subject matter, particularly those with a research background in a related field. We welcome book review submissions from graduate students!
At 10,000–15,000 characters (excluding spaces), a review essay should briefly introduce the book – outlining its structure and the primary themes/arguments of each section – before discussing it within the context of contemporary international literature on the topic. Please provide formal references for any publications mentioned.
Thematic Clusters
Authors are invited to act as guest editors for thematic forums or issues. Priority is given to thematic blocs that reflect the current state of individual research fields and regional specializations. In particular, Ab Imperio invites emerging scholars to try themselves as guest editors of a thematic forum or even an entire issue – within Ab Imperio’s general format.
Note: Every article within a thematic cluster must undergo our standard double-blind peer review, and each piece is evaluated on its own scholarly merits. Consequently, the journal does not commit to publishing entire sets of conference or seminar materials. Cluster contributors are expected to come from different national/regional academic traditions.