Journal Policies

Editorial Oversight

There have been two Editors-in-Chief since Body, Space & Technology’s (BST) founding in 2000; one of the Editors-in-Chief, Mr Barry Edwards, has retired from the journal. The remaining Editor-in-Chief is Susan Broadhurst, Professor Emeritus and Honorary Professor at Brunel University London. She is also Visiting Professor at the University of Milan.

Our present Associate Editor, Dr Julie Watkins, University of Greenwich, was invited to join the journal’s Editorial Group by both Editors-in-Chief from BST’s Editorial Board. Due to Barry Edwards retiring, a further associate editor from BST’s Editorial Board have also been appointed by the Editor-in-Chief, taking into account the opinions of the Board and the retiring joint Editor-in-Chief: Dr Piotr Woycicki from Aberystwyth University.

The role of Editor-in-Chief is permanent. Should the Editor-in-Chief decide to step down from their role, the incoming Editor-in-Chief will be drawn from the journal’s existing associate editors, with advice from the wider Editorial Board. If there is more than one suitable candidate, then there will be a ballot and the opinions of the Board will also be accounted for in the process to ensure the requisite experience of the candidates listed on the ballot. The term of the role of Associate Editor is dependent on both Editor-in-Chief and Associate deciding on a suitable length of tenure.

There are four different sections within the journal: ‘Research Papers’, ‘Perspectives’, ‘Performances’ and ‘Reviews’. Research Papers are the only items that are peer reviewed. Both the Editor-in-Chief and associate editors work together to review the initial proposals for articles. Non-research articles are allocated on an individual basis to associate editors and the Editor-in-Chief to see these through to publication. Research articles must first be accepted into the journal following the journal’s peer review process; the article is then followed through to publication by its allocated editor. The acceptance of a Research Paper into the journal is by its allocated editor, based on the decision of at least two anonymous peer review reports.

Submissions to the journal that are not reviewed are accepted based on the author’s initial proposal and if their Perspective, Performance or Review is appropriate to the journal’s discipline and research area, which is wide ranging but outlined fully in the journal’s ‘Focus and Scope’.

BST cultivates a broad and experienced Editorial Board of leading practitioners in Performance, Art Works and Technology that acts in an advisory capacity, which contains members drawn from across different nations, academic institutions, genders and demographics. Potential board members are approached by the journal’s Editorial Group while keeping this diversity in mind.

Peer Review Process

Of the material submitted to one of the journal’s four sections, Research Papers are the only items that are peer reviewed. The allocated editor decides on the most appropriate reviewers, mainly in consultation with the other members of the journal’s Editorial Group depending on the most relevant discipline and area of research for both the work submitted and the reviewers.

The article’s acceptance is by the editorial decision of its allocated editor, based on the review reports and judgements provided by at least two anonymous reviewers.

All Research Papers are anonymised and double-anonymously reviewed. BST does not allow the author to suggest peer reviewers on the submission of their Research Paper.

All submitted documentation and images are provided to the peer reviewer, as long as they are fully anonymised; the allocated editor must ensure that this occurs. BST’s ‘Review Form’, outlined below, provides guidelines to help reviewers to provide a rigorous review. If the reviewers have any further queries, they are encouraged to contact the relevant associate editor or the Editor-in-Chief. The main points of guidance offered to peer reviewers are as follows:

  • Quality and clarity of the writing;
  • Relevance of the topic to the journal;
  • Timeliness of the topic;
  • Discussion of the relevant literature;
  • Organisation;
  • Framing of the Research question;
  • Research design and methods;
  • Reporting of the results;
  • Discussion of the results;
  • If human or animals have been used as research subjects, are statements of ethical approval by a relevant authority present?;
  • Constructive feedback for the author(s);
  • Comments for the editor.

BST does not publish peer review reports alongside articles, or the names of the peer reviewers who have undertaken review of the article. Anonymised peer review data is held securely and privately in the journal’s publishing platform, Janeway, for the author to access whenever they choose to.

Organisation and Governance

BST is a leading journal of contemporary artistic practice and research. The journal is not-for-profit and is led and owned by its Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief, Professor Susan Broadhurst, assisted by its international and diverse team of associate editors and Editorial Board of experts in the field of Performance, Art Works and Technology. Its Editorial Board is reviewed annually by the Editor-in-Chief and associate editors. Since its launch in 2000, BST has built a strong reputation for scholarly quality and innovation, as well as fostering a global academic community around its published content. The Journal developed from the Body, Space and Technology Research Group based in the then Department of Performing Arts, Brunel University London. BST publishes research into artistic practice that engages with digital technologies, particularly as these relate to bodily interaction and creativity, and in multi-disciplinary perspectives. Before becoming part of the Open Library of Humanities (OLH) in 2017, the journal was published by Brunel University London.

Advertising and Direct Marketing

BST does not permit any advertising on the journal’s website and will never consider requests of any kind from other parties wishing to advertise in the journal or on its webpages.

BST does not engage in any direct marketing practices.

The publisher, OLH, employs a Marketing Officer who undertakes general marketing activities for the publisher including the promotion of its journals. The Marketing Officer does not, however, engage in direct marketing for any OLH journals and this does not affect the editorial decisions of OLH journals in any way.

Other Revenue

BST is funded by OLH’s Library Partnership Subsidy Model. Along with OLH’s model, there is a small annual contribution by EBSCO Information Services; this contributes to the journal’s running costs. These streams of revenue do not, in any way, affect BST’s editorial decisions.