Journal Policies

Editorial Oversight

Editorial Board members are chosen through an open call, with applicants selected by the Editorial Board. The Editor is selected from the existing Editorial Board, having served for at least one year on the Board. Guest editors for each volume are automatically chosen from the previous year’s Theoretical Roman Archaeology Conference organising committee. Special issue editors are chosen by submitting a special issue application to the Editor, which is voted on by the Theoretical Roman Archaeology Journal Editorial Board. Each position lasts for 3 years with a maximum term of 6 years. TRAJ will have a minimum of six and a maximum of ten Editorial Board members (including the Editor), subject to review. Editorial Board members who are not able to actively contribute to editing and reviewing responsibilities will be asked to step down after one year.

Following peer review, editorial decisions are made by the Editorial Board, with the final decision resting with the Editor, if required. Any preliminary decisions made by guest editors will be checked and confirmed by the Editorial Board.

TRAJ aims to foster a diverse and inclusive environment by cultivating a broad and experienced Editorial Board that comprises members from various nations, academic institutions, genders, and demographics. The editorial team actively seeks out potential board members while prioritizing diversity and inclusion as key considerations.

Peer Review Process

All research article submissions undergo an initial evaluation process to assess their relevance in line with the journal's 'Focus and Scope' before proceeding to the review stage. Articles lacking a clear theoretical approach, failing to sufficiently relate to Roman archaeology, or those below 5000 words are rejected at this initial stage. Articles that align with the scope of TRAJ are then moved to peer review. Volume editorials are not subject to peer review.

TRAJ adheres to a double-anonymous review policy, where the identities of both the authors and reviewers are kept confidential during the review process. This ensures anonymity and impartiality, as the reviewers assess the submitted articles based solely on their scholarly merit, without any influence from the authors' identities or affiliations. The double-anonymous review policy is employed to maintain fairness, objectivity, and the highest standards of academic integrity in the peer review process.

Peer reviewers are selected by the editorial team based on their expertise in either the theoretical framework or the specific archaeological topic under consideration in the submitted articles. Every effort is made to identify reviewers who possess in-depth knowledge and experience in the relevant fields, ensuring that the review process benefits from their specialized insights.

TRAJ does not allow for submitting authors to recommend peer reviewers to review their submission.

Reviewers are initially provided with an abstract and, upon acceptance, they receive an anonymized manuscript, figures, and supplementary materials for evaluation. This allows them to thoroughly assess the research and provide a comprehensive review.

Peer reviewers are provided with a review form via the journal's online platform, Janeway, to guide their evaluation process. Reviewers are asked offer comments on areas such as evidence of critical analysis, development of argument, and theoretical insight to assist the author. Additionally, they are encouraged to provide a commentary or submit an annotated copy of the manuscript to offer more detailed feedback.

Adhering to its double-anonymous peer review policy, TRAJ does not publish peer review reports or reveal the identities of the reviewers. The anonymised peer review data is securely stored within the journal's publishing platform, Janeway, providing authors with private access to the information of the peer review reports at their discretion.

Organisation and Governance

TRAJ is a not-for-profit journal established in 2017 and published with the Open Library of Humanities (OLH). TRAJ emerged from the Theoretical Roman Archaeology Conference (TRAC), an unincorporated voluntary association. It serves as a platform for innovative and interdisciplinary research in the field of Roman Archaeology. The editorial structure of TRAJ is overseen by the Editor, with a term of 3–6 years, in collaboration with the Editorial Board who are responsible for appointing editors and ensuring the smooth governance and sustainable operation of the journal.

Business Practices

Advertising and Direct Marketing

TRAJ does not permit any advertising on the journal’s website and will never consider requests of any kind from other parties wishing to advertise in the journal or on its webpages.

TRAJ does not engage in any direct marketing practices.

The publisher, OLH, employs a Marketing Officer who undertakes general marketing activities for the publisher including the promotion of its journals. The Marketing Officer does not, however, engage in direct marketing for any OLH journals and this does not affect the editorial decisions of OLH journals in any way.

Other Revenue

TRAJ is funded by OLH’s Library Partnership Subsidy Model and does not generate any additional streams of revenue.

Special Issues

TRAJ special issues are published within the current journal volume and are published as a continuous issue throughout the year.

Proposals for special issues can be submitted by any interested scholars, which are then considered by the Editorial Board of the journal. The Editorial Board reviews the submitted papers and selects those that demonstrate relevance, quality, and significant contributions to the special issue's topic.

The editorial processes for special issues are primarily overseen by the guest editors responsible for the special issue. They take the lead in managing and editing the content within the special issue. However, the overall oversight of the special issue rests with the Editorial Board and the Editor—for example, the peer review process of articles—to ensure that it conforms to the editorial standards and academic quality expected by TRAJ. This collaborative approach ensures that special issues maintain the journal's standards and that they align with its focus and scope.