Author Guidelines

The journal consists of two parts, please indicate your preference. You can also submit two related articles, one on methodology and one on case studies. 

NOTE: To submit your article, please follow the ARTICLE TEMPLATE. NOTE: Please download the template to edit. DO NOT edit directly in the online version of the document.

Part I Challenges, Concepts and New Approaches (*Each contribution should be at most 2000 words)

Setting the scene: The current situation

How have water, culture and heritage management practices evolved over time in tandem or in parallel, and how are they currently organized internationally, nationally, and locally? Which institutions, practices, tools exist? To what degree are they connected/interrelated? What laws, policies, and tools exist, and how efficient are they? 

Developing the plot: Contemporary challenges

How do contemporary challenges of climate change, notably in the field of water, affect the fields of water, culture and heritage management? Are there shortcomings in the contemporary setup? What are specific challenges and how do they relate to their context? 

Finding solutions: New strategies

How can new approaches toward connecting water, culture and heritage practices help promote sustainable development? How have academics, professionals and stakeholders from diverse backgrounds helped reshape contemporary thinking on water and heritage? Are there lessons to be shared? 

Part II Methodologies and Case Studies (*Each contribution should be at most 1500 words)

Methodologies

How do new tools and methods connect water, culture, and heritage management to achieve transformation and facilitate sustainable development? What elements, stakeholders, and tested methodologies are particularly valuable to (re)connect these often disconnected fields? This section provides insight into concrete methodologies implemented in multiple sites.

Case Studies 

How have diverse stakeholders around the world developed practices, past and present, to (re)connect water, culture and heritage? How can this knowledge be brought to a global audience as an inspiration for the future and advocate for a change in narratives toward sustainable development? This section presents specific examples from around the world.

In both Part I Challenges, Concepts and New Approaches and Part II Methodologies and Case Studies a deeper analytical approach, with clear argumentation is encouraged to be embraced by authors to contribute to the outcomes of the journal in the form of actionable steps and insights to be further implemented in practice.

Guidelines

Originality & Credit

Plagiarism is not accepted. If your research is a joint effort, credits shall also be given to your co-researchers/designers by listing them as co-author(s).

Language

The author is responsible for the grammatical editing, correct spelling and punctuation. 

House style

Please use American (US) spelling, using the ‘ize’, rather than the ‘ise’ spelling form (e.g., realize rather than realise), using the ‘-or’ rather than the ‘-our’ spelling form (e.g., behavior rather than behavior), etc. American English will change ‘towards’ to ‘toward’, ‘amongst’ to ‘among’...

NOTE: In the US, there is a preference for "aesthetic" over "esthetic," "dialogue" over "dialog," "archaeological" to "archeological" …

Footnotes

Try to avoid footnotes, and if necessary, please use them sparsely.

Layout & Formatting

It is important to be consistent throughout the text, using the same spacing between words, headings, paragraphs, etc.

Submission of files

The files should be delivered in high resolution and separately from the text via email or other online platforms like WeTransfer. Please do not include the images in the text document. We reserve the right to adjust selected files (such as diagrams or images) in consultation with the author to match the overall design of the journal. 

Images

Please provide 3–5 relevant and high-resolution images that are free of copyrights and can be published under the Creative Commons License of your article (CC BY Author Name, YEAR). The advised resolution is 300 dpi. The images of a minimum of 150 dpi will be accepted; however, we require all the authors to submit at least one high-resolution (300 dpi) image to be used on the title page. To maintain the high print quality of the journal, we reserve the right not to include images which fail to meet these requirements. When in doubt, please reach out to the editorial team.

Indicate in the text where the images belong using a marker (fig. 1) and add a caption in this format: Fig. 1 Caption (Source: Author Name, Year). 

Peer Review Policy

Blue Papers journal uses a double-blind reviewing policy. Authors must cite their works in a manner that does not make their identity explicit. The editorial team will format the submitted article for peer review purposes.

Use of inclusive language

Inclusive language acknowledges diversity, conveys respect to all people, is sensitive to differences, and promotes equal opportunities. Articles should make no assumptions about the beliefs or commitments of any reader, should contain nothing which might imply that one individual is superior to another on the grounds of race, sex, culture or any other characteristic, and should use inclusive language throughout. Authors should ensure that writing is free from bias, for instance, by using 'he/she,' 'her/his' instead of 'she' or 'her,' or simply ‘they/them’. Please consult the Conscious Style Guide for more information.

Declaration of interest

All authors must disclose any financial and personal relationships with others or organizations that could inappropriately influence (bias) their work. Examples of potential competing interests include employment, consultancies, stock ownership, honoraria, paid expert testimony, patent applications/registrations, and grants or other funding.