Sporting Traditions is the academic journal of the Australian Society for Sports History. It is a blind, fully peer-reviewed journal that is published twice per year.
Co-Editors
Lionel Frost, Monash University
Abdel K. Halabi, Federation University Australia
Bruce Coe, Independent Scholar
ISSN: 0813-2577
Aims & Scope
Sporting Traditions is the scholarly journal of the Australian Society for Sports History (ASSH). The aim of the journal is to publish original research on the historical, economic, political, social, cultural, legal or philosophical significance of sporting activity. While most articles in the past have been on Australian sport and have had a strong historical focus, material on other societies and on contemporary sport may be submitted.
Papers are accepted on the basis of the quality and originality of the research and its significance to our readership. Papers are accepted for publication on the understanding that the content has not been published previously or is currently under review elsewhere. In a covering letter accompanying submission, authors must declare any financial support or relationships that may pose a conflict of interest.
Manuscripts submitted for publication must be in Word format, emailed to the editors. PDFs are not acceptable for refereeing and editing purposes.
Manuscripts should normally range from 7-10,000 words in length, including footnotes. Papers that are more than 11,000 words in length, or less than 5000 words in length, are unlikely to be accepted for publication.
All graphics must also be supplied as separate files, in high quality, 300 dpi, jpeg, tiff or eps format. Authors are responsible for obtaining (and paying for, if applicable) permissions for the use of any images if their manuscript is accepted for publication.
Manuscripts submitted for publication should be written in clear English, free from errors, and formatted in a consistent style. While original manuscripts may be submitted in a style of the author’s choosing, the final version of an accepted paper must conform exactly to the house style guide <link here>.
Peer review process
Sporting Traditions is a double-blind, peer reviewed journal. All submissions are subject to anonymous review by at least two experts in relevant fields, with the final publication decision made by the Editors.
Book reviews, book review essays, and letters to the editor are not peer reviewed, but original manuscripts always are.
Submissions that are beyond the scope of the journal or judged by the Editors to be inappropriate may be rejected and returned to the Author without external peer review.
Authors do not have the option to nominate peer reviewers or request that a particular person not review their submission.
Ownership and management
Sporting Traditions is the scholarly journal of the Australian Society for Sports History (ASSH), which was established in 1983. The journal has been published since 1984.
Governing body
Editorial Board:
Stephen Alomes, RMIT University
Douglas Booth, University of Otago
Ross Booth, Monash University
Richard Cashman, University of Technology, Sydney
Braham Dabscheck, University of Melbourne
John Deane, Victoria University
Roy Hay, Deakin University
Rob Hess, Victoria University
Jane E. Hunt, Bond University
Ian Jobling, University of Queensland
Chelsea Litchfield, Charles Sturt University
Andrew Moore, University of Western Sydney
Bill Murray, La Trobe University
John Nauright, University of Brighton
John O’Hara, University of Western Sydney
Jacquelyn Osborne, Charles Sturt University
Gary Osmond, University of Queensland
Murray Phillips, University of Queensland
Greg Ryan, Lincoln University
Wray Vamplew, Stirling University
Patricia Vertinsky, University of British Columbia
Ian Warren, Deakin University
Bernard Whimpress, Independent scholar
Editorial team/ contact information
Editors:
Lionel Frost (Monash University) –lionel.frost@monash.edu
Abdel K. Halabi (Federation University Australia) – abdel.halabi@federation.edu.au
Copyright and licencing
Authors of manuscripts accepted for publication must transfer copyright to ASSH, and will be asked to sign an exclusive licence form. In signing the form it is assumed that authors have obtained all permissions needed to use any copyright or previously published material. In the case of multiple authors, all must sign the form. Articles cannot be published until a signed form has been received by the Editors.
After publication, authors can request for articles to be published under Creative Commons. Contact ASSH through Publications Officer (sportshistoryaustralia@gmail.com)
Author fees
No fees are charged for submission or publication. Editorial decisions are not influenced by any type of payment made by Authors.
Process for identification of and dealing with allegations of research misconduct
The Australian Society for Sports History (ASSH) is committed to upholding the integrity of the work it publishes. The editors take all reasonable steps to ensure that no publication will take place in which research misconduct has occurred, including plagiarism, citation manipulation, and data falsification/fabrication. In the event that ASSH or the editors are made aware of any allegation of research misconduct relating to a published article in Sporting Traditions, the ASSH Executive and the Editors shall follow COPE guidelines in dealing with allegations.
Publication Ethics
Sporting Traditions follows the standard for Ethics and Publication Malpractice set by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). It is therefore committed to ensuring ethics in publication and quality of articles. Conformance to standards of ethical behaviour is expected of all parties: Authors, Editors (including Guest Editors appointed for special issues), Reviewers, and the Publisher. We encourage all parties to refer to the COPE website (https://publicationethics.org/) and statement of Core Practices (https://publicationethics.org/core-practices).
Authors are to ensure that:
- their work is original and written by them
- their work has not been previously published and is currently submitted only to Sporting Traditions
- if they have used the work and/or words of others (including their own published writing), the source is appropriately cited and that where appropriate permission is obtained
- their work does not infringe on any rights of others, including privacy rights and intellectual property rights
- their data is true and not manipulated; their data is their own or that they have permission to use data reproduced in their paper
- any real or apparent conflicting or competing interest that might be construed to influence the results or interpretation of their manuscript is clearly stated on submission of their paper. All sources of financial support for the project are to be disclosed in the Acknowledgements section (If there is no specific funding this should be stated). Examples of potential conflicts of interest which should be disclosed include employment, consultancies, stock ownership, honoraria, paid expert testimony, patent applications/registrations, and grants or other funding
- they adhere to all research ethics guidelines of their discipline, particularly where human or animal subjects are involved
- authorship of the paper is accurately represented, including ensuring that all individuals credited as authors participated in the actual authorship of the work and that all who participated are credited, have seen and approved the final version of the paper, and given consent to its submission for publication.
- Review articles (including book reviews) should be accurate and objective, with editorial ‘opinion’ works clearly identified
Authors must be transparent. If an Author is unsure whether their paper is original (for instance, whether it might constitute duplicate publication), they should inform the Editors. If the Editors decide it is appropriate to publish, the paper itself should state clearly any potential overlap.
Editors are to ensure that:
- Editorial decisions are made in a transparent and fair way, on the basis of intellectual content, without regard to race, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political philosophy of the authors.
- Anonymity of reviewers is maintained at all times.
- Anonymity of authors is maintained during the review process
- Independent reviewers with no apparent conflict of interest are commissioned.
- Submitted manuscripts are screened for duplicated text, and if necessary Authors reminded of journal policy regarding duplicate publication.
- Unpublished materials disclosed in a submitted manuscript are not used in an Editor’s own research without the express written consent of the Author.
- They seek the advice of the Editorial Board to resolve any disagreement over a final publication decision.
- They play no part in the review and publication decision of any submission of which they are an author. If both Editors (of if only one Editor is appointed) wish to submit a paper for possible publication, they must appoint an acting editor from the Editorial Board.
- They do not consider any submission in which they have conflicts of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships or connections with any of the authors, companies, or (possibly) institutions connected to the papers. If such a conflict of interest is apparent, the submission is to be reviewed by a Co-editor or member of the Editorial Board
The Editors may appoint ‘guest’ or external editors to support the publishing of supplements or special issues. The Editors will communicate journal policy and ensure that it is implemented by guest editors.
Reviewers are to ensure that:
- They respond to requests to review promptly, within the timeframe specified by the Editors. If they feel unqualified to review the submission, or know that its on-time review is impossible, they should notify the Editors
- They do not agree to consider a manuscript in which they have conflicts of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships or connections with any of the authors, companies, or institutions connected to the submission
- They treat submitted manuscripts as confidential documents, do not use unpublished materials disclosed in a submitted manuscript in their own research, and do not discuss submitted manuscripts with others unless authorised by the Editors
- They conduct reviews objectively, without personal or professional criticism of the Author
- They express their views clearly with supporting arguments
- They assist the Author in improving the paper by identifying in their report relevant published work that has not been cited by the Author
- They do not retain or copy any submitted manuscript
- They notify the Editors, in confidence, if they suspect any conflict of interest or misconduct on the part of an Author
Complaints and appeals
The Editors will investigate any complaint or information about ethical issues concerning a submitted manuscript or published paper. The Editors will act in conjunction with the ASSH Executive to take reasonably responsive measures, generally including contacting the Author and giving due consideration of the complaint or claims made. Measures may also include communications to relevant institutions and research bodies. If the complaint is upheld, other appropriate action will be taken, such as publication of a correction, retraction, expression of concern, or other note, as may be relevant.
Sporting Traditions has a mechanism for Authors to appeal editorial decisions, to facilitate genuine appeals, and to discourage repeated or unfounded appeals. The Editors will allow appeals to override earlier editorial decisions following appropriate reconsideration of the editorial process (for example, where an Author is able to provide additional factual material, or information about conflicts of interest and concerns about biased peer review). Author protest or disagreement alone will not affect appeal decisions. The Editors will mediate any exchanges between Authors and Reviewers in confidence, and may seek comment from additional Reviewers or the Editorial Board to help them make their final decision. An Editor decision on an appeal is final.
Post-publication discussions and corrections
The Editors facilitate post-publication academic correspondence and constructive criticism of the work they publish through publication of replies or letters to the editor in Sporting Traditions. Where an item of correspondence discusses a specific article, the Editors will invite the Author to respond before the correspondence is published. Persons cited or referred to in a published article, and authors of books that are reviewed in Sporting Traditions may request a right of reply. Such requests will be considered, and if warranted invited by the Editors. A right of reply must relate to errors of fact and interpretation, rather than simply provide a vehicle to take an oppositional view. The objective is to advance scholarship by clarifying key issues and approaches, rather than question an author’s or reviewer’s judgement. At all times, reviews and replies are to be conducted in courteous, professional language, with the opinions of other people respected.
Sporting Traditions has mechanisms for correcting, revising, and retracting articles after publication. Authors are to contact the Editors to identify and correct any material errors upon discovery, whether prior or subsequent to publication of their work. Readers are encouraged to notify the Editors of any errors that could affect interpretation of data or information presented in an article. When an error is identified, the Editors will work with the Author to correct important published errors. The Editors will consider retraction when errors are so fundamental that they invalidate the findings. If an article has been published in an issue, a corresponding correction statement will be published and linked to the original article.
In considering whether to retract an article, and in issuing notification of retraction, the Editors will follow COPE guidelines (https://publicationethics.org/retraction-guidelines).
Publishing schedule
Sporting Traditions is published twice per year, in May and November.
Access
ASSH members – both individual and institutions are provided with print and/or electronic copies.
Articles are listed on three databases:
- SCOPUS the largest abstract and citation database of peer-reviewed literature: scientific journals, books and conference proceedings.
- SPORTDiscus available through EBSCOhost – bibliographical information and abstracts
- Humanities & Social Sciences available through Informit – – bibliographical information and abstracts
Digital articles are available through:
- Humanities & Social Sciences available through Informit. Pay for view.
- LA84 Digital Library. Two year embargo before available at no cost.
Archiving
ASSH maintains a print and digital archive of all issues published.
Australian legal deposit requires copies to be deposited to the National Library of Australia.
Revenue sources
Sporting Traditions is distributed free of charge to current ASSH members. Prospective authors are not required to become financial ASSH members. No submission or publishing fees are charged.
Advertising
Advertising, reprint or other commercial revenue has no impact or influence on editorial decisions.
