Style guide for Australiana Journal
Following is some information that will assist in the preparation of articles for publication in the Australiana Journal
If you would like to download a PDF version of this information please click HERE
Style guide for Australiana
www.australiana.org.au
Australiana is a 60-page, full colour, perfect-bound magazine published quarterly in February, May, August and November, available only by subscription. If you are interested in subscribing or writing, we can email you pdfs of sample articles.
Australiana aims to publish original research focusing on Australian art, decorative arts, manufactures and material culture. These objects often display recognisably Australian motifs, are made of Australian materials or resonate with Australians. Articles should be engaging, well written, well illustrated, authoritative, reliable, accurate, comprehensive and put objects into historical, social and technological context. Articles should add to, challenge or revise our knowledge and understanding of Australian art and artefacts.
The research published in Australiana creates an ever-expanding archive of knowledge. We cover all periods, all of Australia, and subjects that relate to Australia and Australians, although interpreting or rediscovering historic art or artefacts is the main focus. We aim, over time, to address the gaps in our past research interests or approaches.
Australiana welcomes new contributors. Contact the editor to discuss your proposal or send a brief outline or draft, no matter how rough. You can submit articles at any time, but if you want it in a specific issue then contact the editor to check space availability and deadline. We have a backlog of articles so do not expect instant publication.
Write in clear language. Submissions should be original, topical and well-illustrated. While articles can be any length, we always need shorter articles (up to 2,000 words) to present a variety of subjects in each issue for our readers. If you are writing about an individual item or a small group of items in your own or other collections, then put then into a broader context. Puff pieces, or those overtly promoting items for sale, are not accepted.
We will edit your article constructively. We may ask you to add material, to delete parts or change what you have written. We may suggest other images. The editor refers articles to other authorities for anonymous peer review by acknowledged experts in the field. This is a normal part of the publication process. We cannot change it once it is in print – though we do still make mistakes!
Material taken from another source must be referenced. Direct quotes should be verbatim, in quotation marks and referenced.
Accuracy is paramount. We will not knowingly publish material which we consider to be incorrect, unsupported by the facts, or puffery.
YOUR SUBMISSION
Typically, you need to submit three things, preferably in digital format:
- Text, an abstract, acknowledgments, a short author biography and endnotes.
- Images of good quality, hi-res and copyright-cleared for publication. Number the digital image files consecutively in whole integers (1,2,3 …) so we can match them with the text references and captions. A portrait of the author(s) is optional. Images that are copied from the internet, though they might look fine on your screen, are generally far too small to print. Some organisations (eg NGV) let you download images that are suitable to print; so will most auction houses. Acknowledge the source and the photographer if required.
- Captions numbered consecutively (1,2,3 …) to match the image file numbers.
ABSTRACTS
An abstract is useful for our website. We post abstracts and possibly lo-res images on the website so researchers can find your article. Use keywords that searchers can find readily.
TEXT
We can be flexible in interpreting the ‘rules’ below. We try to be consistent but it can get tedious.
1. Submit text and images in digital format. Email text and captions in Microsoft Word plus images, mail them on a memory stick, or transfer them online using services such as WeTransfer.com (free, efficient and easy to use).
2. Formatting: keep formatting simple. Single spacing is best. The editor will re-format and edit your article. Our designer will design your article, so DO NOT TRY TO DESIGN THE ARTICLE YOURSELF. You may send another document with embedded images for use as a guide to image placement if you wish. Embedded images are rarely suitable for printing.
3. Writing style: use clear language, active voice rather than passive, simple rather than complex words, descriptive rather than vague adjectives. Avoid jargon, meaningless expressions and circumlocutions: e.g. avoid ‘general public’, ‘it is generally believed’ and ‘it is interesting to note that’. Avoid words that make us run to the dictionary, but explain technical terms. Use modern English, never archaic words and stilted constructions (except in quotes). Above all, engage the reader.
4. Spaces: use single not double spaces between words or sentences. MS Word compensates automatically for sentence breaks.
5. Italics: italicise titles of works of art, ship names, house or property names, book titles, periodical titles and technical terms in a foreign language. You may use italics for emphasis. Never use small caps or other idiosyncratic fonts.
6. Quotations: use single quotation marks for direct quotes, and double quotation marks for quotes within them. Quotations must be transcribed verbatim and referenced in the notes.
7. Dates: use the form ‘day month year’ e.g. 4 July 1776. In notes, shorten months (Jan, Feb, etc). Spell the name of the century in full at the start of a sentence, e.g. Nineteenth century, elsewhere use a numeral, e.g. 19th century. In an adjectival context insert a hyphen, e.g. ‘19th-century potters’.
8. Ellipses: show an ellipsis by three dots e.g. ‘Verge’s … red cedar architraves’.
9. Notes: use ‘endnotes’ in Word to give sources or to add peripheral but relevant information. Number endnotes consecutively 1,2,3 ... and place at the end of the text; please use automatic endnote numbering so numbers adjust when we add, move or delete notes. Superscript note numbers in the text should follow punctuation. Avoid copious or long footnotes. We check references for accuracy so copy quotes precisely giving the full reference and page number. If a previous article in Australiana has covered your subject or part of it, then please refer to it in the notes.
10. References: use these formats:
Books: John Hawkins, Nineteenth-century Australian Silver, Antique Collectors’ Club, Woodbridge, Suffolk 1990 vol 1 p 234.
Articles: Dorothy Erickson ‘Mattie Furphy – dainty but determined’, Australiana vol 38 no 1 Feb 2016 pp 9–13.
Newspapers: Hobart Town Courier 15 Jan 1836 p 4.
Manuscripts: Give the title of the manuscript, name of the institution and reference number, e. g. Philip Gidley King, ‘Letter Book 1797– 1806’, Mitchell Library A2015.
Subsequent references: use standard Latin abbreviations op cit, ibid, etc.
11. Numbers: write numbers up to ten in full, and for higher numbers use Arabic numerals, e.g. ‘from seven to 16 books’, except when starting a sentence, or if it looks silly. Use a space or comma to separate thousands eg 1 000, or 1,000.
12. Names: give first names and surnames at first mention. Omit full stops and insert a space between initials in names, thus Rev J D Lang not Rev. J. D. Lang, unless it’s a direct quote.
13. First Nations Australians: When referring to a specific group of First Nations Australians or traditional owners, please use their name eg Kamilaroi, Noongar, Yolngu, Gadigal, not the generic ‘Aboriginal’ or ‘Indigenous’. The aiatsis.gov.au website is helpful and currently recommends the generic ‘First Nations Australians’.
14. Abbreviations: generally omit full stops e.g. nos, vols, Dr, St (saint or street), NSW.
15. Measurements: SI measurement units are always expressed as symbols not abbreviations. They are always singular and lower case with no full stops e.g. 15 km, cm, kg, never kms, cms, kgs (an ‘s’ for a plural is not universal in other languages). Imperial equivalent symbols may follow in brackets e.g. 4 kg (8.8 lb), also singular; ‘lbs’ is nonsense – the Latin abbreviation lb (libra) with an ‘s’ suffix is not a plural.
16. Spelling: Set your Word spell check to ‘English (Australian)’, not the US default.
-ise not -ize among, while not amongst, whilst
-yse not -yze program not programme
17. Symbols: find symbols such as £ and accented letters under ‘Insert/Symbol’ in Word.
18. General: if in doubt, check the Australian Government’s www.stylemanual.gov.au, which we broadly follow.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Acknowledge those who have helped you, for example with typing, research or providing photographs. Fulsome praise or thanking your family is unnecessary.
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY
Provide a concise biography that is relevant to Australiana readers, a contact email address so readers can get in touch (they do) and a portrait photograph (optional). Your biography will be edited.
IMAGES
1. Good images are critical. They should complement the text and normally be referenced in the text. We print in colour; if the story relies on black and white images, try to add colour images to make it more interesting visually, especially up front!
2. We prefer digital images taken directly of the original, shot in good light with a plain background. Images that are too small, out of focus, poor quality or with strong contrasts are unsuitable. Camera photographs are preferable, but new phones can take good images. Our talented designer can enhance images by digital manipulation or deep-etching to remove distracting backgrounds.
3. Send us digital images by email, memory stick, or through file transfer services – WeTransfer.com is free, reliable and easy to use. Jpegs are easier to send than tiffs, as they are smaller files. We print images at 300 dpi.
4. Number text plates, captions and images consecutively as whole integers 1, 2, 3 .... This is essential so we can readily match text, images and captions. Avoid number suffixes unless you are showing two sides of a coin or medal, where you may use suffixes a & b.
5. Show the correct orientation of the image if ‘top’ is not clear.
6. Contributors are responsible for obtaining photographs, for permission to reproduce them and for reproduction fees. The editor can often help to get images, or extra images. Most private collectors, dealers or auctioneers and some institutions are helpful, quick and generous in supporting scholarship and supplying images free to Australiana. Some institutions (and one auction house) are not, even when we are adding information about items in their collections, so check with the editor.
CAPTIONS
Captions should include these details, where applicable, in this order:
- Number (1, 2, 3...) of the image – corresponding to the image file name (just rename them by inserting 1, 2, 3 … etc before the existing file name). Number the captions manually, never use automatic numbering. Do not use suffixes, unless for example it is a coin in which case use a & b for obverse and reverse.
- Name(s) of the maker(s) and his/her dates in brackets if known e.g. John Glover (1767–1849)
- Title (in italics), place of manufacture, date, medium (e.g. oil on canvas), size in cm or mm (h x w x d)
- Evidence of the maker’s identity, e.g. any marks, signature or date. This is essential. If it is only an attribution, say so; explain the reasons for the attribution and who proposed it.
- Collection, location and registration number, e.g. Collection: National Library of Australia, Canberra 1322499
- Photo credit, e.g. ‘photograph Geoff Friend’. Special wording applies only to the monarch, e.g. ‘by Gracious Permission of His Majesty King Charles III.’
PROOFS & CORRECTIONS
We email authors successive proofs for checking, as pdf files. Please make corrections on the pdf file by clicking on ‘add comments’ in the ‘Edit PDF’ function in Adobe Acrobat Reader (a free download). Otherwise, print a hard copy and make your suggestions on that and mail or scan it; if there are only a few, send an email with the changes. Try to get all the corrections the first time. Our team of proof readers will also send in suggestions; no-one ever gets them all.
You will get a new version after each revision. While we often make many changes and improvements, the editor has the final say. You will always get the final pdf version.
Where the article has several authors, nominate one person to coordinate your responses.
REPRODUCTION ELSEWHERE
You retain copyright on your text, so you are free to publish it elsewhere. It is polite to acknowledge Australiana as the original publication.
AUTHORS
1. Australiana does not pay author fees. We give authors several free copies of the magazine, and authors may purchase bulk copies at a cost determined by the Board.
2. Include your name, email, phone number and mail address.
3. After publication, photographs and discs will be returned only if requested.
Revised 9 June 2026
