Placement at Editorial Intern at 19: Interdisciplinary Studies in the Long Nineteenth Century

By Thomas Elliot, CHASE funded doctoral researcher at University of Sussex

As my thesis looks to the 19th century for the pre-figuration of 20th century ideas around gender and sexuality, I knew that 19: Interdisciplinary Studies in the Long Nineteenth Century would be a though provoking placement, dealing, as it does, with a wide range of 19th century issues and their afterlife beyond the fin-de-siecle. The journal is well known as a leader in open access scholarship as well as for its exciting, interdisciplinary outlook and, and working alongside them allowed me to widen my knowledge of 19th century topics outside of my own subject area while providing me with an in-depth knowledge of academic publishing practices and associated online platforms. The work was varied. As an editorial intern I worked on the author’s articles as they came in, acting as the first point of contact for the authors and guiding the essays through the publication process, from initial proofreading through peer review, typesetting and eventual publication. I was privileged to be able to work closely with both the authors themselves and with the guest editors of the issues, all experts in their respective fields, and to assist with putting together the eventual published journal; it was incredibly satisfying to have a hand in seeing each issue progress from the initial idea behind the theme to a unified body of powerful and progressive research – each article sitting alongside its companions as a unified whole.