Information for Authors
The Musical Quarterly, a peer-reviewed journal, welcomes well-written essays directed at scholars, musicians, and discerning general readers. The journal invites articles exploring the connections between contemporary culture and musical life and the significance of music in society and politics, current approaches to the history and analysis of music, and the interconnections between the history of art and literature and the history of music.
Authors are strongly encouraged to examine issues of the journal before submitting their articles. They should attempt to fit their contributions into one of the journal's regular sections:
- American Musics
- Institutions, Technology, and Economics
- Music and Culture
- Texts and Contexts
- The Twentieth Century and Beyond
For more information, contact the editorial office at the address below or by e-mail.
PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION OF MANUSCRIPTS
Electronic submissions (.doc) are preferred. The file should be prepared accurately, consistently, and simply, avoiding the use of special fonts or elaborate formatting for aesthetics (any discrepancies in spacing or justification will be reconciled by the typesetter). Please use 12-point Times New Roman (or equivalent) font. Contributions should be between 45 and 65 pages. All material should be double-spaced, including extracts, notes, example captions, and figure legends. If possible, please ensure that the language of your document is set to “U.S. English” before submitting the file. Assemble the sections in the following order:
- title page (with author's name and address, telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail address)
- text
- notes
- musical examples
- example captions
- figure legends
The Musical Quarterly does not use or print the bibliographies or reference lists of the articles chosen for publication; full details must be given in an endnote at the first mention of any cited work. Acknowledgments should appear as the first unnumbered note. Endnotes should be compiled by using the automated “insert endnote” function in the word processor. If third-party programs, such as EndNote or RefWorks, have been used to compile and organize references, please ensure that the notes are not read-only, or “locked,” to other users. The journal employs DDMMYY (not MMDD,YYYY) format for dates; if your document has a considerable number of these in the references or main body of the text, please consider converting them before submitting your manuscript for review.
In general, the journal follows the recommendations of The Chicago Manual of Style (15th edition). Examples of proper citation format for books, journals, web sites, and other sources can be found at the Chicago Manual of Style Quick Citation Guide:
- http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html
The journal encourages the submission of suitable illustrations. If an article is accepted for publication, high-quality glossy prints or high-resolution electronic files in TIFF, JPEG, or PNG must accompany the final manuscript. Electronic files are preferred, and should be provided whenever possible. Illustrations will be cropped and sized by the publisher. For useful information on preparing your figures for publication, see http://dx.sheridan.com.
Musical examples should be legible, including any accompanying text. Provide captions and figure legends on a separate page within the manuscript file.
Authors are responsible for obtaining permission to reprint extracts and reproduce illustrations and musical examples (see below). Permission must be obtained for both print publication and online publication for the life of the work. The signed original of each permission form should be supplied with the final manuscript. All necessary credits and acknowledgments should be included in the figure legends and example captions. If sufficient permissions are not received for an article, publication will be delayed until such permissions are secured. For more information on obtaining permissions or for a copy of Oxford University Press's standard permission request form, please contact the editorial office.
SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
Supplementary data can be made available by the publisher as online-only content linked to the online manuscript.
Definition
Supplementary data are supporting material that cannot be included in the printed version because of space constraints or format and are not necessary in the full text of the manuscript but would nevertheless benefit the reader. They should not be essential to understanding the conclusions of the paper but should contain data that are additional or complementary and are directly relevant to the article content. Examples include additional figures (including those in color), musical examples, or video.
Process
All material to be considered as supplementary data must be submitted at the same time as the main manuscript for peer review. Please indicate clearly the material intended as supplementary data upon submission. Also ensure that the supplementary data are referred to in the main manuscript at an appropriate point in the text. This material must be supplied to the production department with the article for publication, not at a later date. It cannot be altered or replaced after the paper has been accepted for publication.
Files for supplementary data should be clearly marked as such and be accompanied by a summary of the file names and types.
Please note that supplementary data will not be copyedited, so ensure that the material is clearly and succinctly presented and that the style of terms conforms with the rest of the paper. Also ensure that the presentation will be compatible with any Internet browser.
Acceptable Formats
A maximum of 5 files is acceptable to make up the supplementary data unit for an article. The maximum size per file should not exceed 2 MB (although text files should be a great deal smaller), and files must be as small as possible so that they can be downloaded quickly. An HTML index page is usually created to link the supplementary data file(s) to the article. Please provide short titles (2–4 words) for each individual file; these will be used to create links to the files from the index page.
LICENSE
It is a condition of publication in the journal that authors grant an exclusive license to Oxford University Press. Requests for permission to reprint material found in the journal should also come to Oxford University Press. This ensures that requests from third parties to reproduce articles are handled efficiently and consistently and will also allow the article to be as widely disseminated as possible. As part of the license agreement, authors may use their own material in other publications provided that the journal is acknowledged as the original place of publication and Oxford University Press as the publisher.
Download the Copyright Form(PDF).
OFFPRINTS
Authors are urged to order offprints prior to publication to cover anticipated needs; reordering after the issue has been published is considerably more expensive. Offprints are ordered in increments of 50 by filling out the offprint order form, which should be returned to the Journal office with the page-galley proofs.
Download the Offprint Form(PDF).
COVER SUBMISSIONS
An illustration is featured on the cover of each issue, the cost of which is borne by the journal. Authors are encouraged to submit high-quality photographs for possible use as a cover illustration. Photos can be submitted in color or black and white. Please provide a brief caption and include a credit for the photographer or artist. Please e-mail your submissions to the journal mailbox at musqtl@oxfordjournals.org. If submissions are larger than 5MB, please upload them to our ftp site at ftp.oup-usa.org, username: journals, password: Acad3mic, placing them in /musical_quarterly/Cover Submissions/.
COPYRIGHT FOR MUSIC JOURNAL SUBMISSIONS
In line with most academic journals, Oxford journals require contributors to obtain clearance for any copyright materials reproduced in their articles. The fact that our journals appear in an online version, some with downloadable sound examples may further complicate the position. The law governing copyright, especially as it refers to non-print media, is far from clear but the following guidance is offered in good faith; of necessity, these guidelines are not comprehensive, but rather a simplification of the law governing copyright. Furthermore, these guidelines are based on English Law only. You should always seek advice when in doubt.
In essence it is necessary to ensure that clearance is gained for the following:
- reproduction and distribution in printed form of copyright textual or graphic material or music;
- reproduction in electronic form and dissemination on-line of copyright textual or graphic material or musical or dramatic works;
- reproduction in electronic form and dissemination on-line of copyright sound material (eg a sound recording); and
- reproduction in electronic form and dissemination on-line of performances of music and/or words (eg a song embodied in a sound recording).
While the owner of the rights in a sound recording may also own or control the rights (eg of the performer) in the performance recorded, it would be wise to get confirmation of this from that owner when seeking a clearance, and to make it clear that a licence of both categories of rights is being requested.
Finally, you must respect the author's moral rights. This means being careful to ensure that the author and source of any material used are identified sufficiently, and that no material used is subjected to any derogatory treatment.
Is It In Copyright?
There is no restriction on the inclusion of non-copyright materials in either the printed or the electronic version of the journal, but be aware that there may be rights in performances of public domain works. Terms of copyright in literary, dramatic, artistic and musical works (whether published or not) depend both on when and where the work was first published, and on if and when the author has died and on the residence and nationality of the author. The rules are complicated, but the general rule is:
- copyright expires seventy years after the end of the calendar year in which the author died;
- if a work was unpublished (and this term has a broad meaning including public performance and broadcasting) at the date of the author's death, then the period of copyright protection will be the longer of:
- seventy years after the end of the calendar year in which the author died; or
- fifty years after the end of the calendar year in which the work was first published (in the case of works first published before 1 August 1989) and fifty years from 1 January 1990 (in the case of works first published after 1 August 1989).
In the case of an unpublished document you will need to seek permission from the owner of the document as well as the owner of any copyright in the document.
New editions: A new copyright may exist in a new edition of an existing work. If the new edition contains material alterations which suffice to make the totality of the new edition an original work, then the new edition will be a new copyright work. This is so whether or not the existing edition is in the public domain. Copying the existing work will require no consent if it is in the public domain, but that copying must be done from the existing work and not from the new edition. If the existing work is still protected by copyright, then permission for use must be obtained from the rights owner. If the new edition is used and the old edition is still in copyright, permission must be obtained from the owner of the rights in the new edition and, if that owner does not also own the rights in the old edition, from the person who owns the rights in the old edition. Copyright on typography and music setting (engraving) lasts for 25 years from publication.
Sound recordings: In the case of sound recordings, copyright in the recording generally lasts for fifty years from release. Release has a wide meaning and includes broadcast and public performance. That means that you do not need permission to reproduce clips from original recordings that were released over 50 years ago; reissues (for instance CD compilations of historical recordings) may however be protected by a new copyright, as will sound recordings which have been remastered or digitally enhanced. Rights of performers performing on sound recordings generally last for the same period as the copyright in the sound recording.
Multiple copyrights: As you will gather from the above, a single publication will have multiple copyrights. For a musical score, these typically include the composer, the editor or arranger (if any), and the music setting; in the case of songs and operas the lyrics or libretto will be copyright, too. The publisher will normally handle all these rights. For a recording there will be a number of separate copyrights relating to the performance but they will usually all be handled by the record company, although it may sometimes be necessary to get separate permission from performers; you should check with the record company. Where the work itself is copyright, however, you will have to obtain permission for that separately from the publisher. Material can be considered out of copyright only if all the relevant copyrights have expired.
It's In Copyright, But Do I Need Permission?
Make sure you do not apply for permission when you do not actually need it! There is one important circumstance under which permission is not required, and you should consider carefully whether it applies in your case.
Where copyright is in force, it is legal to quote brief extracts from books, articles, or musical works for purposes of review or criticism, provided that the source is acknowledged. In this context 'musical works' is believed to include both scores and recordings, and this provision is believed to extend to electronic as well as to print publication. However you must note the following:
- 'brief' is generally understood to mean no more than 5% of the work and, in any event, no more than is necessary for the criticism or review in question (note that individual items in collections, eg songs, count as works in their own right)
- you cannot include the materials just for illustration; the legality of the quotation depends on the presence of critical commentary on it or its use for critical commentary on another work. For instance it might only be legal to reproduce an extract from a recording if you were commenting on the performance or the work recorded.
These provisions do not however apply to illustrations or figures in books, since each illustration or figure is treated as a separate copyright item. You will need to obtain permission to reproduce them from the publishers, or where they are credited to third parties from those third parties.
I Need Permission, So What Do I Do?
In most cases the best place to start applying for permission is with the music publisher. Publishers of most music published in the UK can be found by searching on the web site of the Music Publishers Association http://www.mpaonline.org.uk.
You need to write to the copyright holder or owner of the rights in the performance, explaining what you want to reproduce and the nature of the publication; you may have to pay a fee. In the case of textual and graphic material there will normally be little problem; publishers and libraries are used to handling such enquiries.
You may wish to include or adapt the following when writing: "The Musical Quarterly, which is published by Oxford University Press, is a scholarly journal with a limited print run. It is also published in an electronic (web-based) version, accessible only to authorized users. I am therefore seeking clearance for both the printed and the electronic versions of the journal for the life of the work. As a scholarly publication, the journal does not offer any remuneration to authors and I would therefore ask you to consider reducing or waiving any fees in respect of this permission."
Sound recordings: The situation is more complicated in the case of sound recordings, largely because record companies are not yet used to handling such requests. As you will only be reproducing a short extract from a recording, an enlightened company will see this not as undercutting sales but as offering free publicity. For this reason it may be advisable, when writing to large companies, to address your letter to the marketing rather than the rights division.
You may wish to include or adapt the following when writing: "The Musical Quarterly, which is published by Oxford University Press, is a scholarly journal with a limited print run. It is also published in an electronic (web-based) version, accessible only to authorized users. The electronic version includes a facility for sound examples, and I am writing to request permission to include and use an extract from one of your recordings as a sound example in the way just described, for the life of the work. Full details of the recording will be given. As a scholarly publication, the journal does not offer any remuneration to authors and I would therefore ask you to consider reducing or waiving any fees in respect of this permission."
A problem you may run into is being offered permission for the electronic version on the basis of a fixed-term or renewable license only, which we would unfortunately be unable to accept. In this case, contact the editorial office.
You may have difficulty in determining exactly who holds the rights for older recordings. The National Sound Archive (a division of the British Library) has information on this and will be glad to advise. The National Sound Archive may also be able to supply CD copies of recorded extracts for journal submissions, with the copying charges paid by the Archive from an educational trust fund (but please note that responsibility for copyright and other rights clearance remains with the contributor).
Mechanical rights and performance rights:
1) In the UK: MCPS/PRS Alliance. The MCPS (mechanical rights for sound recordings, UK) and PRS (performing rights, UK) have formed an alliance which means that it is possible to apply to both of them for permission in tandem. This is good news and should make research and clearance more straightforward: http://www.mcps-prs-alliance.co.uk.
2) In the US: Mechanical rights: The Harry Fox Agency in New York is roughly equivalent to MCPS for the US: http://www.harryfox.com.
Musical extracts from films: Unlike the reproduction of film stills (where film companies sometimes have little interest in granting permission for academic publications), film companies are very keen to license permissions for the use of musical extracts, and will usually charge. Academic publications might be an exception, and we can expect them to be a little more flexible for a journal article, but it means it is very important to emphasize academic journal publication whenever submitting a permission request to a film company.
Music in facsimile:
Permission for music in facsimile works in much the same way as any other illustrative material, so permission should usually be sought for use of the photograph, even if the original object (such as a book) is out of copyright. Usually the best place to start is with the publisher, or in the case of an out of copyright book, the library or collection where the book is held. Where the music itself is still in copyright, then of course the rights have to be cleared as well.
Queries:
If you have queries about clearing permissions for your article, please contact the editorial office.
Oxford Journals can offer information and documentation to assist authors in securing print and online permissions: please see the Guidelines for Authors section. Information on permissions contacts for a number of main galleries and museums can also be provided. Should you require copies of this, then please contact the editorial office of the journal or the Oxford Journals Rights department.
Authors should submit manuscripts and editorial correspondence to mq@bard.edu.