Transactions
of the American Philological Association
Guidelines for Submissions
1 June 2000
updated 23 October 2004
General Remarks
Transactions of the American Philological
Association (TAPA) is the official research
publication of the American Philological Association, a
learned society of scholars and teachers of the
culture-particularly the languages and literatures-and
history of the Greek and Roman worlds of antiquity. The
journal is published and distributed to all members of
the association once a year; normally, it appears near
the beginning of December. As the flagship publication of
one of the largest professional associations in the field
of classical studies, TAPA offers articles that
meet the highest standards of scholarship. The journal
also strives both to meet the highest standards of
publication quality and to maintain its reputation for
editorial courtesy and efficiency.
TAPA welcomes contributions from professional
classicists on any topic directly related to the ancient
Greek and Roman worlds. The language of publication is
English. Submissions are refereed anonymously. The
Presidential Address delivered at the previous APA annual
meeting is a highlight of each volume. A concluding
section, Paragraphoi, invites thoughtful responses
to essays published in earlier volumes and brief
discussions of matters pertinent to the discipline.
One purpose of the journal is to reflect the wide
range of research undertaken by classicists.
Consequently, TAPA welcomes contributions across
the broad spectrum of contemporary methodology from the
most traditional to the most innovative. As a fundamental
premise, TAPA assumes that theoretical insights,
to be plausible, must be grounded on sound philology, and
that illuminating philological investigation requires
awareness of the underlying critical theory. The
criterion for acceptability is an effective application
of method in conjunction with due respect for both the
text and its cultural context.
Although the contents of TAPA ultimately depend
on the editor's decision, prospective contributors should
be guided by the following rules of thumb:
1. Authors are advised to consult recent back
issues of the journal to determine the appropriateness
of the content of their submissions. Essays ought to
make an original, direct contribution to the
understanding of Greco-Roman antiquity. The focus
should not be on the larger Mediterranean or Near
Eastern world, early medieval or renaissance culture,
or the development of the classical tradition in
modern times. Theoretical explorations only
peripherally engaged with classical materials and
studies in ancient-modern literary relations are
probably better suited to other venues. The essay's
particular contribution to current issues in classical
scholarship should be clearly articulated at the
outset.
2. Since TAPA is received by all members of
the association, each article should have the capacity
to arouse curiosity and intellectual excitement among
readers not expert in its area or well acquainted with
its particular problem.
3. There is no absolute maximum or minimum length;
length should be proportionate to the needs of the
argument. TAPA does not publish brief notes on
technical points (e.g., a single emendation).
4. Submissions must be in finished form, with
citations and references supplied and checked for
accuracy. Text should have been proofread for
grammatical, spelling, and typographical errors.
5. Submissions that do not meet the above criteria
will be returned to the author.
Manuscripts should be addressed to the editor,
Professor Cynthia Damon, Department of Classics, Amherst
College, Amherst MA 01002-0005. Please send four copies
(of which one should be single-sided) and include an
abstract of up to 100 words in length. Queries may be
sent via electronic mail to cdamon@amherst.edu
or by FAX to (413) 542-8192. All submissions are
acknowledged.
Stylistic Guidelines
1. Submissions are refereed anonymously: do
not include any indications of your identity on the
manuscript. References to oral presentations and
acknowledgments of assistance must be omitted in the
original submission; if the paper is accepted for
publication, suitable alterations will be
incorporated.
2. Format: Double or triple space and leave ample
margins in the text, in block quotations, and in the
notes. Greek must be fully typewritten. For
conventions of spelling, punctuation, and printing
consult The Chicago Manual of Style, 14 ed.
(Chicago 1993) and see further below. Word-processed
manuscripts should be submitted in hard copy; an
electronic copy will be requested for the final
editing of manuscripts accepted for publication. Both
Mac and PC platforms are acceptable. The preferred
word-processing system for final copy is Microsoft
Word. The preferred fonts are Times New Roman and
Athenian.
3. Annotation: Styles of scholarly annotation have
evolved over the years and now include forms of
parenthetical documentation as well as variations on
the traditional footnote. The possibilities, along
with rules and rationales for their use, are clearly
presented in W. S. Achtert and J. Gibaldi, The MLA
Style Manual (New York 1985). Contributors to
TAPA are strongly encouraged to adopt the
combination of parenthetic references, abbreviated
footnotes, and "Works Cited" list found in the most
recent volumes. In this convention citation by
author's last name and page number is standard in text
and notes: include a date of publication only to
distinguish among multiple works by a single author.
Full references are assembled in a list of "Works
Cited" at the end. For the titles of journals and
standard reference works use the abbreviations listed
in the American Journal of Archaeology 104
(2000) 3-24; that list may be supplemented from
L'Année philologique. Long bibliographic
footnotes, extensive cross-references, and large
numbers of notes should in all cases be avoided. If at
all possible use footnotes rather than endnotes in the
original submission.
4. Citations: References to ancient works should
normally be placed in parentheses in the text. Use the
abbreviations for authors and titles found in The
Oxford Latin Dictionary and in Liddell and Scott,
A Greek-English Lexicon.
5. Be consistent in the transliteration of Greek
names: if you write Hekataios, do not then write
Alcaeus. In transliterating Greek words, indicate
original omega and eta with a circumflex: Nikê,
koinônia.
6. Use Arabic rather than Roman numerals wherever
possible. Number inclusively, e.g., 35-40, 100-102,
101-5, 125-35. Avoid the abbreviations f. and ff. Use
p. and pp. only when required for clarity.
7. Italicize titles of books and periodicals, names
of classical works, and Latin quotations of up to four
words. If italics are unavailable, underline as
appropriate. Longer quotations go in quotation marks
without italics. Terminal punctuation belongs inside
the quotation marks. Block quotations in languages
other than English, including Greek and Latin, should
be followed by English translations.
8. Use quotation marks, not italics, for the titles
of articles in periodicals or encyclopedias and for
the chapters of books. Do not use so-called "smart
quotes."
9. Do not italicize the abbreviations ad loc., cf.,
e.g., etc., i.e., s.v., viz., and vol. Italicize ad
before a number, but not a title: Serv. ad
1.235; Serv. ad A. 1.235. Avoid the potentially
confusing abbreviations l. and v. Reserve the
abbreviation n. for "note."
10. Give place and date of publication for all
books except well-known handbooks. Monographs
published in a series may use the form: Wigodsky, M.
1972. Vergil and Early Latin Poetry.
Hermes Einzelschriften 24. Wiesbaden.
11. Cite articles using a minimum of punctuation:
Haslam, M. W. 1991. "Kleitias, Stesichoros, and the
Jar of Dionysos." TAPA 121: 35-45. Always
provide inclusive pagination. Leave space between a
modern author's initials.
12. Verify all quotations and references against
the source. Record the verification on your original
manuscript, and hold this copy until the article
appears in print. While the referees and editor try to
check the references, the author is responsible for
their accuracy.
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