KULA Knowledge Creation, Dissemination, and Preservation Studies
Editor(s): Jonathan Bengtson (Co-Editor in Chief), Samantha MacFarlane (Co-Editor in Chief)
About
KULA: Knowledge Creation, Dissemination, and Preservation Studies is a peer-reviewed, open-access journal meant to encourage the formation of a multidisciplinary community of scholars studying human knowledge processes. The journal seeks submissions exploring how knowledge has been generated, circulated, and preserved throughout history and how knowledge processes evolve in response to advancements in technology. Particularly in the context of academic and cultural heritage institutions, KULA is interested in how existing technologies are employed and repurposed for scholarly purposes, how new knowledge processes are envisioned and developed, and how the nature of scholarship itself changes as a result of technological innovation.
Contact
Samantha MacFarlane, Co-Editor in Chief
kulajournal@uvic.ca
Back issues (10 issues)
Permanent archiving of articles on Érudit is provided by Portico.
2024
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
Editorial policy and ethics
Editorial Policies
Eligibility
Submissions to KULA: Knowledge Creation, Dissemination, and Preservation Studies cannot have been previously published nor be under consideration at another journal, but the journal welcomes submissions of papers that have been loaded on to preprint servers, personal websites, or other informal communication channels, as long as authors retain copyright to such postings. These formats are not considered prior publication. If their submission is published in the journal, authors are encouraged to link any prior posting of their paper to the final published version.
The journal reserves the right to reject submissions that do not demonstrate respect and sensitivity in addressing subjects of study that pose a risk of harm to marginalized communities. The journal also reserves the right to remove articles after publication if it becomes known that the author has expressed discriminatory views.
Authorship
All authors listed on a submission must have agreed to publish the submission and given approval to have their names appear on the submission. The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that all listed authors qualify for, and have agreed to, authorship of the submission. The corresponding author is also responsible for apprising fellow co-authors of relevant editorial information during the review process.
Preprint Policy
The journal welcomes submissions of papers that have been loaded onto preprint servers as long as the author retains copyright to the preprint and any works developed from it. Authors should declare that a preprint is available and should provide the link to the preprint.
If their submission is published in the journal, authors should update the information associated with the preprint to indicate that a final version has been published in KULA: Knowledge Creation, Dissemination, and Preservation Studies. Please include the DOI for the publication.
ORCID
The journal encourages all corresponding authors to include an ORCID as part of their submitting author data, and recommends that co-authors include one as well. ORCID numbers should be added to the author data upon submission and will be published alongside the submitted paper, should it be accepted.
Peer Review
All submissions are initially assessed by the associate editor, who decides whether or not the article fits the scope of the journal and is suitable for peer review. Submissions considered suitable are then reviewed by two independent experts, who assess the article for clarity, validity, and sound methodology.
The journal operates a double-blind peer review process, meaning that both authors and reviewers remain anonymous for the review process. Reviewers are asked to provide formative feedback, even if an article is not deemed suitable for publication in the journal.
Reviewers are expected to provide constructive feedback in a collegial way. They should clearly and objectively identify areas in the submission that require improvement (e.g., flow of argument, quality of writing, gaps in citation, etc.) and, where possible, offer suggestions for how to improve the manuscript (e.g., suggesting additional sources that the author should cite).
Personal criticism of the author is not acceptable. Authors have different linguistic and cultural backgrounds and epistemological frameworks, and authors may be at different stages of their careers, so reviewers should recognize that they may need to read sensitively. KULA reserves the right to redact comments or not pass on comments to authors if the editors consider them to be uncivil and/or inappropriate.
Reviewers are expected to keep the review process confidential. They should not disclose any details about the work under review to anyone except the associate editor and the editor in chief.
Reviewers are expected to follow the ethical guidelines for peer reviewers provided by the Committee on Publication Ethics.
Based on the reviewer reports, the associate editor will make a recommendation to decline the submission, to request revisions, to request revisions and resubmission for another round of peer review, or to accept the submission. Overall editorial responsibility rests with the journal’s editor-in-chief, who is supported by an international editorial board and who makes final decisions about whether to accept submissions for publication.
Note: Not all article types (e.g., project reports) undergo peer review. The information in this section applies to research articles, methods articles, commentaries, and teaching reflections.
Copyright Policy
Authors grant KULA: Knowledge Creation, Dissemination, and Preservation Studies the right of first publication of their work but retain copyright, with their work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0). Under that license, others may share the work if they acknowledge the work’s authorship and initial publication in KULA.
Authors can enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal’s published version of the work (e.g., post it to a repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in KULA: Knowledge Creation, Dissemination, and Preservation Studies.
Authors grant permission for their work to be indexed in full text form in commercial indexes and non-commercial indexes.
Information for contributors
Author Guidelines
Permissions
The author is responsible for obtaining all permissions required prior to submission of the manuscript. Permission and owner details should be mentioned for all third-party content included in the submission or used in the research.
If a method or tool is introduced in the study, including software, questionnaires, and scales, the license this is available under and any requirement for permission for use should be stated. If an existing method or tool is used in the research, it is the author's responsibility to check the license and obtain the necessary permissions. The submission should include a statement confirming that permission was secured.
Preparing Manuscript for Blind Review
To ensure blind peer review, authors should remove any identifying information from their submissions and should avoid referring to themselves in the first person or self-referencing in an overt way. If they wish to reference their own work, they should do so in the third person.
Article Types
Research Articles
Research articles should present the findings of unpublished original research. Authors should make a substantial contribution to scholarship by identifying a research problem or question related to the journal’s focus and making a persuasive argument supported by relevant evidence.
- Open submission
- Indexed
- Peer reviewed
Word count: Research articles should be between 6,000 and 9,000 words (including notes but not references).
Methods Articles
Methods articles should present new techniques for research and scholarship and discuss the significance of and possible applications of these techniques. Articles that critique or propose changes to existing methodologies and approaches are welcome.
- Open submission
- Indexed
- Peer reviewed
Word count: Methods articles should be between 6,000 and 9,000 words. Word count includes notes but does not include references.
Teaching Reflections
Teaching reflections should discuss scholarly research and pedagogical principles informing curriculum design and instruction of academic courses related to the journal’s focus. Authors should establish why the course focus is important, what they hope students learn, and how the format of the course (e.g., method of instruction, types of assignments) relates to the content and encourages learning. Authors may also discuss what they have learned as instructors, what challenges they have faced, etc. Authors are encouraged to include teaching materials such as syllabi as part of their submission.
- Open submission
- Indexed
- Peer reviewed
Word count: Teaching reflections should be between 3,000 and 5,000 words (including notes but not references).
Project Reports
Project reports should give a detailed overview of an ongoing or completed scholarly or community project whose purpose is the creation, dissemination, or preservation of knowledge, locally or globally. Reports may discuss the project’s origins, goals, partners, activities, successes, challenges, and plans for the future. These reports will ideally be supplemented by images, audio, and/or video content.
- Open submission
- Indexed
Word count: Project reports should be between 1,000 and 2,500 words (including notes but not references).
Commentaries
Commentaries should reflect upon or critique a specific scholarly event, such as the release of a major study or other notable occurrence, related to the journal’s focus. Authors interested in submitting a commentary piece should discuss the content with the editor before submitting a manuscript.
- Open submission
- Indexed
- Peer reviewed
Word count: Commentaries should be between 3,000 and 5,000 words. Word count includes notes but does not include references.
Artistic Contributions
Invited contributions only.
Abstracts for Special Issues
Use this section to submit a proposal for consideration for a special issue. Please provide an overview of your topic and specify what kind of submission you are proposing (e.g., research article, project report). Based on these abstracts, authors may be invited to submit full pieces for editorial consideration and, if applicable, peer review.
Word count: 300-500 words.
Editorial board
Co-Editors in Chief
Jonathan Bengtson, University Librarian, University of Victoria Libraries; Chair, Coalition of Canadian Digital Heritage
Samantha MacFarlane, PhD, Special Projects Administrative Officer, University of Victoria Libraries
Editorial Board
Stacy Allison-Cassin, Assistant Professor, School of Information Management, Dalhousie University
Guy Berthiaume, Librarian and Archivist of Canada Emeritus
Susan Brown, Professor of English and Canada Research Chair in Collaborative Digital Scholarship, University of Guelph; Visiting Professor in English and Humanities Computing, University of Alberta
Leslie Chan, Associate Professor, Department of Global Development Studies; Director, Knowledge Equity Lab; University of Toronto Scarborough
Isto Huvila, Chair of Information Studies, Department of ALM (Archival Studies, Library and Information Studies, and Museums and Cultural Heritage Studies), Uppsala University; Adjunct Professor, Information Management in the Department of Information Studies, Åbo Akademi University; and Visiting Professor in Library, Archival, and Information Studies, UBC iSchool
Fidelia Ibekwe, Professor of information Studies, School of Journalism and Communication, Aix-Marseille University; Editor in Chief, Education for information
Masud Khokhar, University Librarian and Keeper of the Brotherton Collection, University of Leeds
Laura Mandell, Professor, Department of English, Texas A&M University; Director, Center of Digital Humanities Research; Director, Advanced Research Consortium (ARC)
Cameron Neylon, Professor of Research Communication, Centre for Culture and Technology, Curtin University
Miriam Posner, Assistant Professor, Department of Information Studies, UCLA
Susan Schriebman, Professor, Literature & Art, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Maastricht University
Kathleen Shearer, Executive Director, Confederation of Open Access Repositories (COAR)
Deb Verhoeven, Canada 150 Research Chair in Gender and Cultural Informatics, University of Alberta and Director, Humanities Networked Infrastructure (HuNI) Project
Sally Wyatt, Professor of Digital Cultures in Development Technology & Society Studies, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Maastricht University
Past Board Members
Chad Gaffield, Professor and University Research Chair in Digital Scholarship, Department of History, University of Ottawa
Lisa Goddard, Associate University Librarian, Advanced Research Services, University of Victoria Libraries
Charles Henry, President, Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR)
Bethany Nowviskie, Dean of Libraries and Professor of English, James Madison University
Seamus Ross, Professor, Faculty of Information, University of Toronto
Ray Siemens, Distinguished Professor, Department of English, University of Victoria; Director, Implementing New Knowledge Environments (INKE), Digital Humanities Summer Institute (DHSI), and Electronic Textual Cultures Lab (ETCL)
John Willinsky, Khosla Family Professor of Education, Stanford University; Professor of Publishing Studies, Simon Fraser University; Director, Public Knowledge Project