How to Submit a Manuscript
Scientia. Journal of the Italian Society for the History of Science publishes scholarly contributions in the history of science, technology, and techniques, covering all historiographical approaches developed over recent decades. The journal is issued twice a year in print and is also available in open access at https://www.rivistascientia.it.
Manuscripts may be submitted in either Italian or English and will undergo a peer-review process. Individual articles are reviewed by two referees, while contributions to thematic sections or special issues are evaluated by one or two reviewers per article. For special issues, the designated Guest Editor—an expert in the relevant field—ensures the originality of the submissions and conducts a preliminary scholarly assessment. Manuscripts must be unpublished. Copyright for all published articles is held by the publisher, i.e., the Italian Society for the History of Science.
Submissions are managed via the OJS electronic platform, accessible at the following link. Authors must register and log in to submit manuscripts and track the status of their submissions.
The journal’s editorial guidelines are available at this link.
For editorial correspondence, please contact: scientia@societastoriadellascienza.it
Article Length
Studia (Main Articles): Articles in the Studia section should be approximately 8,000–9,000 words, including notes and bibliography.
Special Issues: These include an introduction by the Guest Editors and may contain up to eight articles, each with a maximum length of 9,000 words (notes and bibliography included).
Length may vary depending on the section.
Section Guidelines
Patrimoni: Dedicated to the study and promotion of historical-scientific heritage in the broad MAB (Museums, Archives, Libraries) context, with a special focus on Italy. Articles should range from 3,000 to 8,000 words. Longer pieces, such as source transcriptions, may be considered upon agreement with the editorial board.
Did-acta: Focuses on the role and impact of history of science in education. Contributions may address new policies, institutional frameworks, and key themes in contemporary pedagogical debates. Submissions should range from 5,000 to 7,000 words.
Biographica: Publishes short biographies of scientists, physicians, and technicians—Italian or active in Italy—who remain underexplored in historiography and deserve further study:
Short entries: up to 1,600 words
Medium entries: up to 2,400 words
Long entries: up to 3,200 words
Reviews (Books and Exhibitions): Between 800 and 1,200 words.
Additional Information
Metadata
Authors must provide the article title, an abstract (maximum 150 words, including spaces), and three relevant keywords. These metadata must be submitted in both Italian and English.
Language Editing
Authors are responsible for the language revision of articles written in English. For non-native Italian-speaking authors writing in Italian, the editorial team will oversee language editing.
Images
Each article may include up to six images. Any exceptions must be approved by the editorial board. Images must be cited consecutively in the text (e.g., Fig. 1), accompanied by appropriate captions, and submitted as separate files in .jpg or .png format (not embedded in Word or Excel files). Image resolution must be at least 300 dpi.
Authors are responsible for obtaining image reproduction rights and must provide signed permission forms for any copyrighted materials.
Ensuring Anonymity in Peer Review
The journal uses a double-blind peer review process. Authors must avoid any phrasing that might reveal their identity (e.g., references to prior work in the first person). Additionally, all metadata must be removed from the manuscript file using the appropriate tools in the word processing software.
Digital Enhancements
Scientia encourages authors to enrich their submissions with multimedia content (e.g., video, audio, images) that can complement the written text with targeted links and additional resources.
Such enhancements may be linked to specific keywords for further clarification or created expressly to illustrate the content (e.g., video interviews, conceptual maps, thematic bibliographies).
For any such materials under copyright, authors must obtain permission for use and submit the appropriate clearance form provided by the editorial team. The same applies to any digital content featuring identifiable individuals; in such cases, authors must submit signed release forms using the official template.