Editorial Fellowships
The OU History Department offers its graduate students unique experiences as editorial fellows with the University of Oklahoma Press and two internationally renowned scholarly journals, The Western Historical Quarterly and the Journal of Women’s History.
Editorial Fellows have an unparalleled opportunity to develop key skillsets in scholarly publishing, including writing, editing, and managing editorial production. Editorial Fellowships also support graduate students’ preparation for careers in both the academy and in scholarly publishing by immersing them in innovative historical scholarship.
Please scroll down for specific information on each fellowship.
The Western Historical Quarterly
INCOMING STUDENTS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR THE WESTERN HISTORICAL QUARTERLY FELLOWSHIP; APPLICANTS SHOULD MENTION THEIR INTEREST IN THE STATEMENT OF PURPOSE.
About the Western Historical Quarterly
Western Historical Quarterly, the official journal of the Western History Association, presents original articles dealing with the North American West—expansion and colonization, Indigenous histories, regional studies (including western Canada, northern Mexico, Alaska, and Hawaii), and transnational, comparative, and borderland histories. Each issue contains reviews and notices of significant books in the field. The OU History Department hosts The Western Historical Quarterly (WHQ) under the editorship of Dr. Anne Hyde.
WHQ Editorial Fellowships
The University of Oklahoma offers two Editorial Fellowships with the WHQ. The duration of each fellowship is two years, beginning in August of the student’s first year in the OU History program.
Because of the two-year cycle, the WHQ fellowship is usually reserved for MA candidates who generally finish their program in two years.
In addition to excellent training in writing and editing, fellows are immersed in the scholarship of western and Indigenous histories. The position requires 20 hours a week as fellows work closely with OU faculty to publish a traditional journal and digital content.
Duties include: 1) assisting the editor in preparing and copy-editing manuscripts; 2) taking on all facets of the book review process; and 3) helping to develop digital content and manage social media for the journal.
The fellows also work and receive a stiped for the equivalent of two months during the four-month summer period but have the flexibility to work remotely with time to conduct their own research.
Applications to the OU History graduate program require a statement of purpose. If applicants are interested in the WHQ editorial fellowship, they should include in that statement a paragraph that addresses their preparation to work for a scholarly journal focusing on the North American West. Applications must be submitted through this link by December 15.
Journal of Women’s History
About the Journal of Women’s History
The award-winning Journal of Women’s History is the first journal devoted exclusively to the international field of women’s history. It publishes cutting-edge scholarship from around the globe in all historical periods. The Journal also promotes comparative and transnational methods and approaches to historical constructions of gender as they shape and are, in turn, shaped by women’s experiences. The OU History Department hosts the Journal of Women’s History (JWH) under the editorship of Dr. Sandie Holguín and Dr. Jennifer Davis, with Dr. Jennifer Holland serving as the Book Review Editor.
JWH Editorial Fellowships
The History Department offers two editorial fellowships for PhD students who serve as Managing Editors for the JWH. The duration of each fellowship is two years, beginning in July. Additionally, the Department funds a part-time editorial position assisting the Book Review Editor. The journal and its editors work closely with OU History professors and students who specialize in the department’s graduate field in Transnational Women’s and Gender History.
In addition to providing excellent training in writing, editing, and the production of an internationally renowned journal, the editorial fellowship ensures that students are immersed in the latest scholarship in transnational women’s and gender history. The position requires 20 hours a week.
Recipients of editorial fellowships 1) assist in preparing manuscripts for review; 2) correspond with authors and reviewers; and 3) copyedit and finalize manuscripts for publication.
The fellows receive an assistantship from the University of Oklahoma during the nine-month academic calendar. Fellows also work during the summer receiving a comparable hourly wage, with the flexibility to work remotely to conduct their own research.
Applications for the Managing Editor position require a statement of purpose and an interview with Drs. Holguín and Davis. In the statement of purpose and interview, applicants should address their preparation to work for a scholarly journal focusing on women’s and gender history.
A call for applications will be issued on February 1. Applications must be submitted to sholguin@ou.edu and Jennifer.j.davis@ou.edu by March 1. Applications are considered on a rolling basis. The Editors will announce the incoming Managing Editor fellows at the History Department’s Awards Banquet each spring.
University of Oklahoma Press
About OU Press
During its more than ninety years of continuous operation, the University of Oklahoma Press
has gained international recognition as an outstanding publisher of scholarly literature. It was the first university press established in the Southwest, and the fourth in the western half of the country. The Press is a preeminent publisher of books about the American West and Native Americans, while expanding its program in other disciplines, including Environmental History, military history, classical studies, political science, and African & African American Studies.
Editorial Fellowships at OU Press
OU Press offers the Robert H. Ruby Editorial Fellowship in Native American Studies and the Merrick Family-OU Press Publishing Fellowship for advanced PhD students in the OU History Department. The duration of each fellowship is two years, with the incoming Editorial Fellow’s tenure overlapping the outgoing Editorial Fellow’s tenure for one year.
During the spring semester, OU Press issues a call for applications from advanced History PhD students. Applications require a cover letter and CV. OU Press will interview a select group of applicants. In the cover letter and interview, applicants should address their preparation to work for a scholarly press.
Under the supervision of the Editorial Director or Senior Acquisitions Editor, the Editorial Fellows learn how manuscripts are evaluated and guided through peer review, presented at various in-house meetings, and transmitted to manuscript editorial. In addition to gaining familiarity with the basics of editing, copywriting, design, marketing, and book budgets, the fellows will have the opportunity to travel to an academic conference.
Editorial Fellows:
- Learn about scholarly publishing through a hands-on experience with manuscripts and proposals
- Interact with leading scholars from around the world
- Improve their writing and presentation skills
- Gain knowledge of workflows and project data management
- Understand and manage scholarly peer review
- Learn about legal requirements of rights and permissions for reuse of text and images
- Acquire experience and skills for a job in scholarly communications and publishing
