USSO CALL FOR CONTRIBUTIONS
U.S Studies Online is the home of original research, book and event reviews, and other engaging content for all scholars working within American Studies. Affiliated with the British Association for American Studies (BAAS), the largest community and scholarly network of American Studies researchers in the UK, USSO acts as a launchpad for both new ideas and scholars alike. For those beginning their journey into academic publishing, USSO offers a responsive, respectful, and prompt peer-review process. For those already established within the academy, USSO continues to uphold excellent standards of research publication and maintains relationships and networks across nations and disciplines.
At U.S Studies Online, we’re interested in working with PGRs and ECRs across the spectrum of American Studies, promoting their original research as well as sharing events, reviews, and other related material in the field. Our accessible style and short-format content attracts a wide readership, which comprises both specialists and non-specialists and should factor into all pitches and articles submitted.
The editorial team at USSO are friendly, respectful, and always curious to hear new ideas and forge new relationships within the American Studies community. We’re eager to collaborate and work with both new and existing scholars, so please feel free to email us with any questions you may have at usso@baas.ac.uk.
Book Reviews
We warmly invite all academics and scholars, from college students to postgraduates through to ECRs, to review books for us. Thinking critically about new material in a given field and about the contributions offered by a newly published work are vital elements of the research process. We want to promote reviews that are passionate, illuminating, and engage respectfully and thoughtfully with scholarship. If you are interested in reviewing a book for USSO, email Siân Round at usso@baas.ac.uk.
Event Reviews
We welcome any interest in coverage of events that pertain to American Studies and invite both postgraduates and early career academics to collaborate with us, both as writers and organisers. We provide a platform for writing reviews of conferences, workshops and American Studies events for publication. We also feature upcoming events on our events calendar, so please advise us if you are working on any new projects. This semester we are launching our new audio project—‘Eyes on Events’—wherein we discuss some of the most exciting events in the American Studies calendar. If you are organising any events through your university or otherwise, we would love to discuss collaboration opportunities. If you are interested in any of the aforementioned, please email Emily Brady at usso@baas.ac.uk
Book Hour Guest/Participation
#USSOBOOKHOUR is a monthly Zoom talk among scholars, postgraduates, early-career researchers, and the public. We invite leading scholars in American Studies (US Literature, History, Politics, Foreign Policy, History of Art, Philosophy, Global Relations, etc.) to introduce their latest publications, generate heated debates, share innovative ideas, and spark meaningful conversations. Each talk is about 30-40 minutes, followed by a 20-minutes Q&A session. #USSOBOOKHOUR is an opportunity for scholars to share their original voices and connect with young researchers and readers. Get in touch with Ciarán Leinster, the Global Relations Editor of USSO and #USSOBookhour Organizer, at usso@baas.ac.uk if you would like to host, co-host, take part in, or write reviews for #USSOBookhour.
Research Articles
Give readers an insight into your research by discussing the primary and secondary sources that fascinate you. We particularly welcome new discoveries, methodological questions, archival reflections, online commentaries (“Interchange”), co-authored roundtable debates, state of the field posts, and research on niche topics and lesser-known figures. We are also looking for scholarly reflections on current events, upcoming anniversaries, commemorations and annual special dates. Get in touch with Sarah Collier and Robyn Shooter at usso@baas.ac.uk to pitch your ideas.
Edit a Special Series
Want a bigger challenge and editorial experience? The editors are also interested in proposals for a featured blog series. If successful, the contributor will get the chance to plan a special series with the USSO editorial team as guest editor. A proposal can be collaborative, co-authored or single-authored and it can include several approaches, such as interviews, visual and audio multi-media. A blog series should focus on a particular topic or debate and could also showcase a department, research centre, or a public engagement venture. Email Sarah Collier and Robyn Shooter at usso@baas.ac.uk to express your interest.
You can also follow us on Twitter at @BAASUSSO
Check out our list of book titles up for review.
Both lists will be regularly updated with books, films, television shows, games, and topics we would like to hear more on.
- Other topics! We are open to suggestions.
