Contemporary History Studies and Materials | Institutul de Istorie Nicolae Iorga

Studies and Materials of Contemporary History

A short history

Studies and Materials of Contemporaty History is the annual journal of Program IV, “Romania and Europe in the 20th Century,” which has been published continuously since 2002. The publication has been printed with financial support from the AFCN/Ministry of Culture and Religious Affairs/Ministry of Culture and National Heritage or using the “N. Iorga” Institute of History’s own resources.

The discussions and debates organized as part of Program IV, “Romania and Europe in the 20th Century,” served as the basis for the scholarly studies that have appeared (or will appear) in the pages of this journal. These academic events were dedicated both to the multitude of approaches to the history of communism—with the main themes being political and ideological developments (from a comparative perspective, with an emphasis on the influence of the Soviet factor) and the economic relations of the Soviet bloc—as well as to historical sources concerning the history of the 20th century.

Through the studies and articles it has published since 2002, Studies and Materials of Contemporaty History has contributed both to the dissemination of numerous domestic historical studies on the recent past and to the promotion within the historiographical community of materials concerning the Romanian and Eastern European regions authored by foreign researchers (from the U.S., the U.K., the Russian Federation, France, etc.), specialists in the social sciences and humanities.

Focusing on the history of the 20th and 21st centuries, the journal Studies and Materials of Contemporaty History has established itself in the field of historiography as one of the leading publications for Romanian research dedicated to the study of recent history. The articles and studies published in the journal over the years have reflected the current concerns of specialists regarding developments in Romania and Eastern Europe during the aforementioned centuries. Among the contributors were also researchers from abroad interested in the history of international relations, social history, diplomacy, 20th-century totalitarianism, the history of communist regimes, etc.

With the reorganization of doctoral programs at universities and the Romanian Academy, the journal Studies and Materials of Contemporaty History has demonstrated its interest in the new wave of Romanian historiography, publishing valuable contributions from doctoral students since 2013. By supporting doctoral students and early-career researchers, our publication has encouraged the introduction of new information and interpretations into the academic discourse. It adheres to the highest standards of peer review.

Since 2009, the journal has been included in one of the most important American databases—EBSCO—thus ensuring broad international visibility. The publication has also been indexed in two other international databases: CEEOL and Index Copernicus International. In addition, the journal is distributed to major centers abroad through inter-academic exchanges organized by the Romanian Academy, thereby raising awareness of Romanian research in international circles.

Throughout its existence, the journal Studies and Materials of Contemporaty History has provided a conducive environment for wide-ranging scholarly debates on the nature, objectives, and methods of historical research concerning the 20th and 21st centuries.

The issues published over the years have brought together, in separate sections, studies and articles on the history of the first half of the 20th century—particularly the interwar period—and on communism in Romania and Eastern Europe (historiographical methods and discourse, cultural policies, diplomacy and international relations, society), war and society, sources, academic life, notes, and reviews.

The journal’s presence in libraries abroad has confirmed its standards of academic excellence, as evidenced by its inclusion in international databases in the humanities. Below are some of the libraries that hold the journal in their collections Studies and Materials of Contemporaty History: Institute of Historical Research şi School of Slavonic and East European Studies, University of London; Ecole Normale Supérieure; Institute for Balkan Studies (Grecia); International Institute of Social History, University of Utrecht (Olanda), Center for Research of Romanian Jewery, Diaspora Research Institute, Tel Aviv University (Israel), Institut Istorii şi Institut Slavianovedania i Balkanistiki, Akademia Nauk (Federaţia Rusă); ABC CLIO Library, University of Arizona; Duke University Library; East European Quarterly, University of Colorado, Institute of East Central Europe, Harvard University, Centrul de Studii Neoelene, Imre Kertesz Jena Kolleg etc.

Starting with issue 8/2009, the journal has been supported by an editorial board composed of prominent figures in the academic community. Among them are Dr. Rebecca Haynes, lecturer in Romanian studies at the School of Slavonic and East European Studies, University College London; Dennis Deletant, visiting professor at the “Ion Raţiu” Chair of Romanian Studies at Georgetown University and professor emeritus of Romanian studies at the School of Slavonic and East European Studies, University College London; Dr. Aleksandr Sergheevich Stykalin, senior research fellow at the Institute of Slavic Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences; Anneli Ute Gabanyi (German Institute for International and Security Affairs/Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik, Berlin), Paul Michelson (Huntington University, USA) Petre Otu (Institutul pentru Studii Politice de Apărare şi Istorie Militară); Vladimir Tismăneanu, Professor of Political Science, University of Maryland, College Park, USA; Virgiliu Leon Ţârău, Professor, Facultatea de Istorie şi Filosofie, Universitatea Babeş-Bolyai, Cluj-Napoca.

Online Acces: Part of the archive of the journal Studies and Materials of Contemporaty History is available for consultation here. Since 2009, the journal has been indexed CEEOL and issues published after that date can be accessed, for a fee, through the database Central and Eastern European Online Library.

The latest issue is also available here.

Guidelines

Guidelines Studies and Materials of Contemporary History.pdf

Editorial Board

Editorial board: Florin Anghel, Universitatea „Ovidius”, Constanţa; Ioan Chiper, Institutul de Istorie „N. Iorga”; Dennis Deletant, School of Slavonic and East European Studies, University College, Londra; dr. Rebecca Haynes, School of Slavonic and East European Studies, University College, Londra; Anneli Ute Gabanyi (Institutul German pentru Probleme Internaţionale şi de Securitate, Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik, Berlin); Paul Michelson, Huntington University, SUA; Şerban Papacostea, membru corespondent al Academiei Române; Anatol Petrencu, Universitatea de Stat a Moldovei; Petre Otu, Institutul pentru Studii Politice de Apărare şi Istorie Militară; Vladimir Tismăneanu, University of Maryland, College Park, SUA; Virgiliu Leon Ţârău, Facultatea de Istorie şi Filosofie, Universitatea Babeş-Bolyai, Cluj-Napoca.

Editorial team: Mioara Anton (editor-in-chief); Cristian Vasile (deputy editor-in-chief); Simion Gheorghiu (editorial secretary); Gabriela Dristaru; Claudia Forentina Dobre; Camelia Zavarache; Bogdan Cristian Iacob; Cosmin Popa; Radu Tudorancea (editors).

The process for soliciting article proposals and the evaluation procedure

In preparing this issue of the magazine, the editorial team is following the following schedule:

The launch, at the beginning of each year, of a call for papers directed at research and academic centers in Romania (Bucharest, Iași, Constanța, Cluj-Napoca) and abroad (the U.S., the U.K., the Russian Federation, the Republic of Moldova, etc.), inviting researchers to publish studies, articles (covering approximately two to three thematic areas), papers, and reviews;
In June, the submitted materials are reviewed and included in the general table of contents under the journal’s sections (Studies, Historiography, Sources, Notes and Reviews, Academic Life);
In July, studies and articles are submitted for external peer review; the deadline for submitting reviews is one month; the evaluation procedure is outlined in the evaluation form;
In August, the materials selected for publication are edited and proofread;
In September and October, the review of abstracts in the languages of publication and/or of materials written directly in a foreign language also begins;
Publication: November–December.