Editorial Policies

Focus and Scope

** Update 2019-08-16: Human IT currently does not accept new submissions until further notice. **

Human IT is a multi-disciplinary and scholarly journal with the goal of bringing forth new research and discussion about digital media as communicative, aesthetic, and ludic instruments. The journal is closely aligned with the new field of digital humanities. We welcome contributions from the humanities, the social, behavioural, and natural sciences, as well as technology.

Human IT aspires to be a forum for new research which risks falling outside of the borders of intra-disciplinary channels of publication as a result of its multi-disciplinary approach or unorthodox choice of subject. We work with an extended editorial board which includes representatives from many different scholarly disciplines, practices, and countries.

Human IT contains both a refereed section and an open section. For both sections, we accept scholarly texts of different types and on different levels, including empirically founded research reports and theoretical discussions, presentations of completed or planned research projects and studies as well as scholarly essays and longer literature reviews.

Periodically, an issue will be devoted to a special theme that accords with the overall topics of the journal, for instance, “Language and IT”, “Computerization and Narrative Fiction”, “E-democracy”, or “Artificial intelligence”.

 

Section Policies

Articles

Contributions in this section are articles published in Human IT prior to vol. 6.1-2 (2002) and the introduction of the Refereed and Open sections.

Unchecked Open Submissions Checked Indexed Unchecked Peer Reviewed

Refereed section

Articles submitted to the Human IT Refereed section are first read by the journal’s editors, who determine if the topic is in line with the journal’s focus and if it corresponds to basic quality criteria. If this is the case, the article is sent to one or more reviewers.

Unchecked Open Submissions Checked Indexed Checked Peer Reviewed

Open section

The Open section is intended for material which is of a nature that is less suitable for peer review, either because of genre, of intent, of publication history, or of ambition. When the article has been submitted to the Open section, the review is made solely by the editors, although external specialists may be consulted.

Unchecked Open Submissions Checked Indexed Unchecked Peer Reviewed

People & Opinions section

The People & Opinions section contains contributions that take an argumentative, journalistic, personal or artistic form which differs from conventional scholarly articles.

Unchecked Open Submissions Checked Indexed Unchecked Peer Reviewed

Reviews

This section contains reviews of books and other artefacts.

Unchecked Open Submissions Checked Indexed Unchecked Peer Reviewed
 

Peer Review Process

Articles submitted to the Human IT Refereed section are first read by the journal’s editors, who determine if the topic is in line with the journal’s focus and if it corresponds to basic quality criteria. If this is the case, the article is sent to one or more reviewers. Based on the following criteria, the reviewers assess if the article may be accepted without revisions, with minor or major revisions, or if it should be rejected. The criteria are:

  • Clarity of thesis statement and declaration of purpose;
  • Relevance of the theoretical discussion;
  • Relevance and description of the empirical investigation;
  • Well-founded discussion/analysis;
  • Originality of the work;
  • Awareness of relevant research;
  • Well structured and logically coherent composition; and
  • Accessibility to readers outside of the research community.

It should be noted that all criteria may not apply to all types of articles.

If the article is accepted on condition that revisions are made, it is returned to the author/s along with the reviewers’ comments and suggestions for improvements as well as the editors’ recommendations and further comments, if any. The editors base their judgement to a very large extent on the reviewers’ comments, but the responsibility for the final decision is always with the editors.

Human IT also has an Open section / öppen avdelning, which is intended for material which is of a nature that is less suitable for peer review, either because of genre, of intent, of publication history, or of ambition. When the article has been submitted to the Open section, the review is made solely by the editors, although external specialists may be consulted.

When requested changes have been made, the author resubmits the revised version of the article. It is either assessed directly by the editors or goes back into a new review round. Subsequently, the article is proofread in collaboration with the author/s, and then typeset. The author is offered the possibility to do a final proofreading before the article is published.

 

Publication Frequency

From volume 9 and onwards, the articles in Human IT are published as soon as possible after acceptance. Each issue consists of three or more peer reviewed or open section articles, and when an adequate size has been reached, the issue will be 'closed' and provided with an editorial. The size may vary considerably, e.g. in issues focusing on a specific theme. The purpose of this publishing pattern is to speed up the publication process and minimize possible bottlenecks for authors and readers.

 

Masthead

Many people have contributed to the production of the journal over the years.

Editors

  • Peggy A. Lundgren (1997–1998)
  • Maria Rooth (1998–1999)
  • Helena Francke (2000-2008)
  • Mats Dahlström (2002–2011)
  • Karen Nowé (2005–2007)
  • Jonas Söderholm (2008, 2010–2012, 2014– )
  • Veronica Johansson (2008–2010, 2012–2013)
  • Monica Lassi (2013)
  • Linnéa Lindsköld (2014–2017 )
  • Maria Lindh (2017-)

Typesetting & graphical design

The first issues of the print journal (1997-1998) were designed and type set by Peggy A. Lundgren. The print issues from 1998 onwards were designed by Maria Oijens, and type set by Maria Oijens and Maria Rooth.

The first issues of the electronic version were designed by Peggy A. Lundgren. The web site design between 2001-2014 was made by Helena Francke, based on Maria Oijen’s graphical design for the print journal.

In 2016 the website was moved to Open Journal Systems. The web site design was made by Malin Antonsson and Fredrik Karlsson.

 

Editorial board

Members of the Human IT Editorial Board are:

  • Mats Fridlund, Max Planck Institute for the History of Science & University of Gothenburg
  • Koraljka Golub, Linnaeus University
  • Guðrún Rósa Þórsteinsdóttir, University of Akureyri
  • Terje Hillesund, University of Stavanger
  • Anna-Malin Karlsson, Stockholm University
  • Jonas Linderoth, University of Skövde
  • Cecilia Lindhé, University of Gothenburg
  • Marianne Lykke, Aalborg University
  • Camilla Moring, University of Copenhagen
  • Pelle Snickars, Umeå university
 

Target group

Our target group is primarily found within academia, both within and outside of the Nordic countries. Human IT also wishes to reach a broader circle of readers who have an interest in an advanced and reflective discussion on new media and the conditions for humans in the network society.