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80 changes: 80 additions & 0 deletions _posts/2025-11-14-en-call-for-proposals-2025-6.md
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---
title: Call for Proposals (English edition)
authors:
- Alex Wermer-Colan
- Laura Alice Chapot
- Anisa Hawes
layout: post
categories: posts
---

The [English edition of Programming Historian](/en/lessons/) seeks proposals for new original lessons or translations to be considered for publication in 2026.

**Submissions Open**: 15 November 2025
**Submissions Close**: 15 February 2026

## What is a _Programming Historian_ lesson?

A _Programming Historian_ lesson is a learn-by-doing resource that empowers readers to develop new, practical knowledge of a computational method or digital tool. Our aim is for readers to be able to apply what they learn to acquire, transform, analyse, visualise, or sustain data in their own research.

Successful lessons centre real datasets and sample code that readers can handle and experiment with. These elements are supported by reflections on methodological decision-making as well as considerations of adaptations to methods or alternative tool options – this is what makes a _Programming Historian_ lesson distinct from software documentation.

Our lessons are aimed at humanities and social science researchers, but are also read by self-learners with other interests. We encourage our authors to write as though they are explaining their method to a colleague or peer, to make lessons as accessible as possible.

## What are the benefits of writing a _Programming Historian_ lesson?

Our lessons support readers who want to learn new skills, but the act of writing is also beneficial to authors. Writing to explain a methodology or tool to others deepens your own understanding and knowledge. It empowers your development as a critical, intentional and considered researcher, and is an opportunity to hone your technical writing skills. We encourage you to write about a method or tool and dataset that you know well, and that you have applied, adapted or advanced in your own research.

## How to Submit a Proposal

We've set up [a Google Form](https://tinyurl.com/ph-en-proposal-form-2025) which you can submit directly online. There's also [a plain-text version](/assets/forms/Lesson.Query.Form.txt) which you can [send to us by email](mailto:english@programminghistorian.org), if you prefer.

There is space for you to tell us about the research use case you'd like to centre within your lesson, and for you to explain how you came to use this method or tool as part of your work within the humanities.

Our questions encourage you to think carefully about how your choices of software, programming languages and datasets can support our commitment to openness.

We will also ask you to outline any technical prerequisites and potential limitations of access to this method or tool because our global readership work with different operating systems and have varying computational resources.

It is important to us that our lessons can be translated for use in multilingual research-contexts, so we'll ask you to consider how your method or tool could be applied or adapted for use with non-English-language data.

If you're proposing a translation, the form provides an opportunity for you to think about how you could adapt or localise the research use case centred by the original lesson for an English-language readership. We'll also ask you to share a short translation sample.

At the end of the form, you are invited to provide links to sample code or to a rough draft of your lesson.


## Ideas for Proposals

_Programming Historian_'s English edition is inviting proposals to fill gaps in our lesson directory. Please explore [our journal](/en/lessons/) to discover what’s already available, and consider what you might be able to add. You can either:

- Propose an original English-language lesson
- Propose a translation into English of an existing, original [Spanish](/es/lecciones/), [French](/fr/lecons/), or [Portuguese](/pt/licoes/) lesson published in one of the other _Programming Historian_ editions. In this call, we would particularly like to encourage proposals **for translations of the following lessons**:

**From Spanish**:
- [Reutilizar colecciones digitales: GLAM Labs](/es/lecciones/reutilizando-colecciones-digitales-glam-labs)
- [Uso de las colecciones del HathiTrust para el análisis de textos literarios en R](/es/lecciones/uso-las-colecciones-hathitrust-mineria-textual-R)
- [Introducción a ImagePlot y la visualización de metadatos de colecciones de imágenes](/es/lecciones/introduccion-a-imageplot-y-la-visualizacion-de-metadatos)

**From French**:
- [Préserver et rendre identifiables les logiciels de recherche avec Software Heritage](/fr/lecons/preserver-logiciels-recherche)
- [La reconnaissance automatique d'écriture à l'épreuve des langues peu dotées](/fr/lecons/transcription-automatisee-graphies-non-latines)
- [Introduction à Heurist](/fr/lecons/introduction-a-heurist)

**From Portuguese**:
- [Investigar a literatura lusófona através dos tempos usando a Literateca](/pt/licoes/investigar-literatura-lusofona-literateca)


**If you have an idea, please send us a proposal by 15 February 2026.**

Our editorial team will review all proposals, and return feedback **by 15 March 2026**. Proposals are considered on the basis of how well they serve the needs of the community, and whether they support our journal’s ambitions of openness, global access, multilingualism and sustainability. **Selected proposals will be invited for submission as first drafts within 45 days.**

>In keeping with our commitment to diversity and equal access within digital humanities, we encourage proposals from women, members of marginalised groups, LGBTQ+ members, and peoples from the Global South. With this call, we strongly encourage the participation of Anglophone and multilingual communities beyond North America.

## Questions

If you’d like to ask any questions, please write to the Managing Editor of _Programming Historian_ in English, [Alex Wermer-Colan](mailto:english@programminghistorian.org) or to our Publishing Manager, [Anisa Hawes](mailto:admin@programminghistorian.org).

## Some background about _Programming Historian_

Launched in 2012, _Programming Historian_ offers more than 250 novice-friendly, multilingual peer-reviewed lessons that help humanists learn a wide range of digital tools, techniques, and workflows to facilitate their research. In recent years, our interdisciplinary publication has expanded to include [Spanish](/es/lecciones/), [French](/fr/lecons/), and [Portuguese](/pt/licoes/) editions. Our journals are Diamond Open Access and in that spirit: authors retain copyright, never pay any fees to publish with us, all content is peer-reviewed, and access is always free for readers.

We’re a volunteer-led initiative, supported by the Board of the charity ProgHist Ltd, a small team of publishing staff, and a global community of contributors. We’re funded by [a growing network of organisations](/en/supporters) across Europe, Canada, North America and Latin America who have invested in our success by subscribing to our [Institutional Partner Programme](/en/ipp).
99 changes: 66 additions & 33 deletions assets/forms/Lesson.Query.Form.txt
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_Programming Historian_ in English is inviting proposals for new lessons.

We encourage prospective authors to think carefully about how their proposal could enhance our learning offer.
We encourage prospective authors to think carefully about how their proposal could enhance our learning offer. You can [explore our journal](https://programminghistorian.org/en/lessons/) to discover what’s already available and consider what you might be able to add.

You can [explore our journal](https://programminghistorian.org/en/lessons/) to discover what’s already available and consider what you might be able to add.
If the method or approach you’re interested in writing a lesson about is already represented by the [Spanish](https://programminghistorian.org/es/lecciones/), [French](https://programminghistorian.org/fr/lecons/), or [Portuguese](https://programminghistorian.org/pt/licoes/) editions of _Programming Historian_, we welcome proposals to translate those existing, original lessons into English. In this call, we would particularly like to encourage proposals for translations. Please review the list of translations we are prioritising for development.

If the method or approach you’re interested in writing a lesson about is already represented by the [Spanish](https://programminghistorian.org/es/lecciones/), [French](https://programminghistorian.org/fr/lecons/), or [Portuguese](https://programminghistorian.org/pt/licoes/) editions of _Programming Historian_, we welcome proposals to translate those existing, original lessons into English. Please review our [Translation Concordance](/translation-concordance) map to identify options for your translation.
Questions? Please write to the Managing Editor of _Programming Historian in English_, Alex Wermer-Colan (english@programminghistorian.org) or our Publishing Manager, Anisa Hawes (admin@programminghistorian.org).

---


Name:
Email:

This form has twelve questions. Please answer all those which apply, providing as much detail as you can.
What kind of lesson are you proposing?
- [ ] An original English-language lesson *Please go to Section 2*
- [ ] A translation into English from an existing, original Spanish, French, or Portuguese lesson *Please go to Section 3*

---

### Section 2: Original English-language lessons

Answer the following questions if you are proposing an *original* English-language lesson.

a). What is your proposed lesson title?

We suggest a short, descriptive title:

- Begin with verb or a noun to define the main learning activity, method or process.
- Identify the kind of data readers will handle in the lesson.
- Name key tools, software libraries or programming languages readers will use.

**1.** What is your proposed lesson title?

**2.** What kind of lesson are you proposing?
- [ ] An original English-language lesson
- [ ] A translation into English from an existing, original Spanish, French, or Portuguese lesson
1. What can readers expect to learn from your proposed lesson?
[3-4 sentences]

**3.** Please tell us how your proposal could support, expand, or supplement the lessons we've already published.
2. Please tell us how your proposal could support, expand, or supplement the lessons we've already published.
Use these questions to structure your answer:
- To which existing _Programming Historian_ lesson(s) could your proposal provide a foundational introduction?
- To which existing _Programming Historian_ lesson(s) could your proposal provide an advancement or extension?
- How could your proposal fill a gap in our lesson directory?

[200-300 words]

**4.** If you are proposing an original lesson, please tell us what readers could expect to learn from your proposed lesson:
[3-4 sentences]

**5.** Please share some insights into how you came to use this method or tool as part of your work within the humanities:
3. Please share some insights into how you came to use this method or tool as part of your work within the humanities:
[100-300 words]

**6.** If you are proposing an original lesson, please tell us about the research case study you propose centring within your lesson.
Successful lessons centre real datasets and sample code that readers can handle and experiment with.
4. Please tell us about the research case study you propose centring within your lesson.
- Successful lessons centre real datasets and sample code that readers can handle and experiment with.
[100-300 words]

**7.** If you are proposing a translation, please tell us if you plan to adapt or localise the research case study centred by the original lesson for your language community.
Successful lessons centre real datasets and sample code that readers can handle and experiment with.
[100-300 words]

**8.** If you are proposing an original lesson, please outline how your choice of software and data would support our commitment to openness:
5. Please outline how your choice of software and data would support our commitment to openness:
We advocate for the use of open source software, open programming languages, open access datasets wherever possible.
Use these questions to structure your answer:
- Which open source software, open tools, open programming languages, or open datasets does this lesson make use of?
- Which (if any) proprietary software or commercial tools does this lesson make use of?
We strongly recommend authors choose open source alternatives.
- Which (if any) costs* or commitments are required to use this method or tool?
*including the requirement for readers to supply their credit card information
- Which (if any) proprietary software or commercial tools does this lesson make use of? We strongly recommend authors choose open source alternatives.
- What (if any) costs are required to use this tool? Does access require users to supply credit card information?
[100-300 words]

**9.** If you are proposing an original lesson, please provide us with some information about how your method or tool could be applied or adapted for use in languages other than English:
We have a strong preference for methodologies and tools that can be used in multilingual research-contexts.
6. Please provide us with some information about how your method or tool could be applied or adapted for use in languages other than English:
- We have a strong preference for methodologies and tools that can be used in multilingual research-contexts.
[100-300 words]

**10.** If you are proposing an original lesson, please outline any technical prerequisites and potential limitations of access to using this method or tool:
Our readers work with different operating systems and have varying computational resources.
7. Please outline any technical prerequisites and potential limitations of access to using this method or tool:
- Our readers work with different operating systems and have varying computational resources.
[100-200 words]

**11.** Optional link to sample code on your personal GitHub repository:
8. Optional link to sample code or a draft extract of this proposed lesson on your personal GitHub repository:


---

### Section 3: Translations into English

Answer the following questions if you are proposing a translation into English from an existing, original Spanish, French, or Portuguese lesson.

a). What is the title of the lesson you want to translate (in the source language)?

b). What is your proposed translation of the title into English?

c). Please share a link to the lesson you want to translate:


1. Please provide a 300-400 word translation sample. We suggest translating the opening paragraphs of the lesson you'd like to translate.
[300-400 words]

2. Why do you think this particular lesson would be valuable to translate into English?
- Please review the list of translations we are prioritising for development in our blog post.
- If the lesson you propose translating isn't on this list, we'd still like to hear from you.
[200-300 words]

3. Please share some insights into how you came to use this method or tool as part of your work within the humanities:
[100-300 words]

4. Please tell us how you plan to adapt or localise the research case study centred by the original lesson for an English-language readership.
- Successful lessons centre real datasets and sample code that readers can handle and experiment with.
[100-300 words]

5. Optional link to sample code or a draft extract of this proposed translation on your personal GitHub repository:

**12.** Optional link to a draft extract of this proposed lesson on your personal GitHub repository:

---

Please send this form to the Managing Editor of _Programming Historian_ in English, [Alex Wermer-Colan](mailto:english@programminghistorian.org).
Please send this form to our Publishing Manager, Anisa Hawes (admin@programminghistorian.org).
6 changes: 3 additions & 3 deletions en/author-guidelines.md
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## Step 1: Proposing a New Lesson

<div class="alert alert-success">
Our English journal will open its next annual submission window in October 2025. In the meantime, you may find it useful to <a href="/posts/en-call-for-proposals">consult our past call for proposals</a> (closed in January 2025). Submissions to our <a href="/es/guia-para-autores#paso-1-proponer-una-nueva-lección">Spanish</a>, <a href="/fr/consignes-auteurs#étape-1-proposer-une-nouvelle-leçon">French</a> and <a href="/pt/directrizes-autor#etapa-1-propor-uma-nova-lição">Portuguese</a> journals are open year-round.
Our English journal is currently seeking proposals for new original lessons or translations to be considered for publication in 2026. Learn more in our <a href="/posts/en-call-for-proposals-2025-6">our call for proposals</a> (open until 15 February 2026). Submissions to our <a href="/es/guia-para-autores#paso-1-proponer-una-nueva-lección">Spanish</a>, <a href="/fr/consignes-auteurs#étape-1-proposer-une-nouvelle-leçon">French</a> and <a href="/pt/directrizes-autor#etapa-1-propor-uma-nova-lição">Portuguese</a> journals are open year-round.
</div>

You can get a sense of what we publish by looking through our [published lessons]({{site.baseurl}}/en/lessons), reading our [reviewer guidelines]({{site.baseurl}}/en/reviewer-guidelines) or browsing [lessons in development](https://github.com/programminghistorian/ph-submissions/tree/gh-pages/en/drafts). Please also take a moment to check our [Lesson Concordance document](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1vrvZTygZLfQRoQildD667Xcgzhf_reQC8Nq4OD-BRIA/edit#gid=0) to see which methods we have already covered in our published or forthcoming lessons.

If your proposal is accepted, an editor will create a "Proposal" page on our [submissions website](https://github.com/programminghistorian/ph-submissions/issues) with the lesson's working title and proposed learning outcomes. This serves to mark the work in progress. To ensure timely publication, authors should submit their draft article within 90 days.
If your proposal is accepted, an editor will create a "Proposal" page on our [submissions website](https://github.com/programminghistorian/ph-submissions/issues) with the lesson's working title and proposed learning outcomes. This serves to mark the work in progress. To ensure timely publication, authors should submit their draft article within 45 days.

During this 90 day period, your point of contact will be the managing editor or an editor delegated at the managing editor's perogative.
During this 45 day period, your point of contact will be the managing editor or an editor delegated at the managing editor's perogative.

## Step 2: Writing and Formatting a New Lesson
This style guide lays out a set of standards for authors to use when creating or translating English-language lessons for *Programming Historian*. By using it, you help us ensure content is consistent and accessible.
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