Guidelines for Contributors

Articles

Articles for ICON are chosen by peer review, using a double blind process so that the author and referees are unknown to each other.  Authors should place their name only on a separate title page and remove any self-referencing notes.

Submission of an article implies the author’s assurance that the content has not previously been published in form or in substance and that the article itself is not under consideration elsewhere.  Only in quite special circumstances will previously published article or one derived from a previously published work be considered.  If there is any question concerning the contribution, the editor must be informed.

The journal appears bi-annually, and its language is English.  Authors are responsible for ensuring that copyright has not been infringed and also that copyright clearance for all illustrations has been obtained. Submissions should be sent to the editor directly; see contact information below.

Submission procedure.

Please send your manuscript electronically via manuscriptmanager.net/icon. If you have trouble with the site please contact the editor at editor@icohtec.org.

Manuscripts must have a title page on which the name of the author in full and e-mail address appear beneath the title of the submission.  Include an abstract of no more than 150 words before the main text.  Manuscripts should be typed in double spacing with wide margins. We use a footnote and bibliography style, according to the Chicago Manual of Style.  All pages must be numbered consecutively.  Use the same size typeface (e.g, Times New Roman, 12 pt.), large enough for easy correction, for both text and notes.  Check the manuscript carefully for errors and omissions before submission. All images must be provided in at least 300 dpi resolution to be included in an article. (The submission software includes the uploaded images in the review document.)

Length, format and style

We try to limit research articles to 7,500 words (not including notes) and to 100 notes; research briefs to 3,500 words. If you are determined to exceed those limits significantly, please consult the editor first; excessively long articles may be returned to the author without review.

Spelling should follow the Oxford Spelling Dictionary (Oxford, 2005), relying on British English usage. Quotations of more than two sentences or three lines should be indented without quotation marks (block quote).  Shorter quotations in the text should be enclosed in single quotation marks.  Use double quotation marks for any quotation within a quotation.

Illustrations

Do not embed illustrations or tables in the text.  Images should be submitted as separate files in either .tiff or .jpg format.  Images should be of at least 300 dpi resolution (preferably higher); line art should be 600 dpi resolution.  Line drawings should be done in black ink on white background, and photographs or photocopies should be clear and sharp.  The preferred location of each illustration should be indicated by placing a caption in the body of the text where reference to it is made.  Illustrations must amplify the text.  Each should be numbered and supplied with a caption which should also cite the source.  Authors are responsible for obtaining that written permission for the use of illustrations which are covered by copyright; permissions must be obtained before the article goes to print.

Book reviews and review essays

Book and exhibit reviews are commissioned. ICON will decline unsolicited reviews, but we appreciate having books that should be reviewed in ICON brought to our attention.  If you wish to add your name to our database of reviewers, please write directly to the editor.  Indicate the areas in the history of technology in which you are interested, both broadly and specifically.

ICON editorial office

Peeter Müürsepp, Ph.D., Editor-in-Chief
Tallinn University of Technology
Tallinn
Estonia
editor@icohtec.org

Preparation of notes and references

ICON follows the Chicago Manual of Style (CMoS).  All papers should be rigorously documented, with full references to primary and secondary sources.  Archival sources are cited only in footnotes – not the bibliography. Items available online and in print are included in the bibliography. Web content is only cited in footnotes.

Cite as follows for books:

(footnote) 1. Haefele, Creativity and Innovation, 56-8.

(bibliography) 1. Haefele, J.W. Creativity and Innovation. New York: Press, 1962. As per CMoS, Ibid. should not be used because articles are often read online.

For articles, cite as follows:

(footnote) 2. Tann, “Richard Arkwright and technology.”

(bibliography) 2. Tann, J. “Richard Arkwright and technology.” History 58 (1973): 29-44.

For electronic references, cite as follows:

(footnote) 3. James Gilliam, ‘History of Sailing Yacht Masts, Rigging and Sails: 1900-Present day, Part III – Sail Materials and Technology,’ accessed 22 June, 2009,  http://boatdesign.net/articles/mast-materials/index.htm.

If a publication date is available that is preferable and the access date is not needed.

For manuscripts, government reports and other references, follow generally practiced CMS formatting.