If not Now, When? Reclaiming Academic Journals as a Space of Kindness

Academic publishing has several unwritten rules that make it an unsafe jungle for many brilliant minds. It is too often a space where to exercise power and gatekeeping in disciplines. For too many decades it has been a toy in the hands of white, upper-class, middle-aged men. But why the JCH in particular should aim to contribute to fighting for more equal and just academic publishing? The reason is inherent in its name. For a journal that explores ideas in between cognition and history, the psychological stories of those who make the journal alive should be cared about by its editor. But cognitive historians are no psychotherapists, of course. So, how can they help? My idea is to outline a set of rules to abide by when anyone intends to work with the Journal of Cognitive Historiography. The rules are simple: 1) to encourage anti-bullying behaviour and kindness; 2) to create a survivor-centred research space; 3) to foster collaboration; 4) to promote Emotional Intelligence in peer-reviews; 5) to reject non suitable articles with compassion.