Editorial Process

Each Pons Aelius publishing cycle runs as follows:

• Call for Papers: Our editorial team distributes a Call for Papers once or twice per year. In the 2025-’26 cycle, there have been 1-2 months between Calls for Papers and submission deadlines.
• Submission of papers: Contributor(s) submit(s) an initial draft of their submission following the Pons Aelius Style Guide. Pons Aelius operates with an Editorial Review process.
• Editorial Review: The submission is assessed by the editor(s) whose expertise suits each submission best. The editor(s) seek(s) to examine whether it fits Pons Aelius’ scope, possesses a degree of originality, and maintains the journal’s standard of academic argument.
• Returned with comments: Once editorial review is complete, submissions, outcomes, and feedback are returned to the contributor(s). In the 2025-’26 cycle, this has been 2-3 weeks after submission deadlines.
• Revised submissions: Contributor(s) then have the chance to accept the feedback, and edit their submission, or reject it. Rejection requires legitimate reasons, submitted to the editors, and assessed on a case-by-case basis. In the 2025-’26 cycle there have been 3-4 weeks for these edits.
• Formatting: Assuming the necessary edits are made, submissions are prepared for the next edition.
• Publication! The next issue of Pons Aelius is published on our website and promoted on our social media.

Submissions must follow the Pons Aelius Style Guide in all matters – particularly, note the use of Chicago 18 (Notes, Bibliography) referencing, and British English spelling.

Please find the 2025-’26 Style Guide here:

Please find the 2025-’26 Cover Sheet here:

Each submission should include three Word documents:

• Written Submission
• Cover Sheet
• Images (with accreditation and proof of right to use)

An example of a past Call for Papers:

Our Scholarly Ethics

Open Access

Pons Aelius is committed to open access. All Pons Aelius issues are free to access immediately from the date of publication. There are no author charges (APCs) prior to publication, and no charge for any reader to download articles and reviews for their own scholarly use. As such, Pons Aelius and its associated work, is free and open. It does not receive donations or funding from Newcastle University, instead relying upon the voluntary work of its editorial team.

Publication Ethics

We strive to encourage diversity, promote inclusion and practice equality across the publishing process. We welcome and hope for contributors from diverse backgrounds of any ethnicity, faith, sexuality, nationality and disability. We encourage submissions of all kinds but we will not support false statements, sexism, racism, homophobia, transphobia, or any other bigoted stances.

Pons Aelius aims at all times to remain impartial and avoid influence from external partners. Contributors are expected to divulge any competing interests which could hinder the objectivity and integrity of a submission, including financial or personal factors.

The editors of Pons Aelius will consider retractions, expressions of concern and corrections with reference to COPE’s Retraction Guidelines. If errors are found, either by the author or Pons Aelius editorial team, a retraction shall be undertaken. Retractions are reserved for articles that are seriously flawed in their arguments or findings. The editorial team will work to remain impartial when reassessing work. Any substantive corrections will be carried out in line with COPE’s guidelines.

As outlined in our Copyright policy, all intellectual rights remain with the author of each submission. We maintain no restrictions against the reproduction of work featured in Pons Aelius (though acknowledgement of the source must be given) and support the sharing of research data according to FAIR research principles.

If you have any questions, please contact the Senior Editor at:
ponsaelius@newcastle.ac.uk

N.B. This page was edited from a previous version published in 2021.