The core of H-Net's operations are the editorial teams that run our nearly 200 topically-defined networks. These editorial teams monitor content, commission reviews, catalog resources, develop projects, and uphold professional academic standards on their networks. This page addresses the different ways in which individuals can get involved with an H-Net network.
There are three core positions within these teams:
- Network Editors moderate all posts in the network’s moderation queue (other than book reviews) and develop diverse academic content, from conference reports, to blog series, to podcasts. Collectively, H-Net has hundreds of Network Editors sustaining our efforts and enriching the humanities and social sciences.
- Review Editors commission reviews of books and other relevant academic material, such as movies and museum exhibits, through a formal process structured around H-Net’s Reviews Management System. Since its inception, H-Net has facilitated the publication of over 45,000 scholarly reviews.
- Advisory Board Members help set network policies within the bounds of H-Net’s guidelines, and mediate disputes concerning editorial decisions. Precise roles vary across networks, but common responsibilities for board members include helping with recruitment, serving as discussants on their network’s comment feed, and helping editors design and implement new projects.
The four ways to work with an H-Net network in one of these capacities are as follows:
- Join an existing editorial team. Network editorial teams typically organize their own recruitment efforts. The Recruitment Central page lists networks that are currently recruiting and addresses details of the nomination, application, and certification process. Subscribing to a network will also keep you up to date on recruitment efforts. Even networks that are not currently recruiting often welcome new volunteers, so feel free to be proactive and reach out by contacting them directly if you are interested in joining their editorial team.
- Propose a project. Since H-Net networks rest on a versatile digital platform, the H-Net Commons, they can host diverse kinds of academic content, including blogs, mapping projects, timelines, image libraries, and OCR projects. Individuals, groups, and scholarly organizations are always welcomed to email our networks to pitch a project idea. It is also possible to develop a project across multiple networks or with H-Net itself. The Project Proposals page outlines a recommended proposal process, contains a list of all H-Net networks that have expressed interest in discussing project proposals, and catalogs some past collaborations. A network's editorial team has authority over whether or not the network will pursue the project. Proposers may also contact H-Net’s Vice President of Networks (vp-net@mail.h-net.org) and Associate Director of Networks (christine@mail.h-net.org) for advice and suggestions.
- Reboot a network. H-Net Networks will sometimes need to recruit new editorial teams. The Reboot a Network page lists these networks and outlines the proposal process for volunteering to join a network's editorial team.
- Propose a new network. H-Net regularly launches new academic networks based on a two-step proposal process overseen by the Vice President of Networks and H-Net’s Executive Council. There are several reasons to consider proposing a new network, although in some cases it may make more sense to pursue one of the three preceding options. The Proposing New H-Net Networks page provides advice about whether to propose a new network and then outlines the proposal process.