About The Organization

The Publisher, Editors-in-Chief and the Board of Directors are pleased to announce the formalization of the organization as a Texas Nonprofit Corporation with a governing Board of Directors for the corporation and the continuation of its signature publication, the Journal of Texas Archeology and History (JTAH). JTAH.org, Inc. has been granted IRC Chapter 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status.

Volumes of our peer-reviewed journal open each year on January 1st and close on December 31th. New volumes open automatically upon closure of each completed one. We hereby extend an open invitation to all researchers working within our geographical focus region regarding the relevant subject matter to submit articles on their research to the JTAH.

Journal of Texas Archeology and History.org is a Non-Profit Corporation whose mission is to promote free and open access digital publication of research manuscripts to the widest possible audience. The JTAH.org will publish its own annual journal of peer-reviewed original research on relevant archeology and history of the region we have coined “the Texas Borderlands”.

From time to time, the JTAH.org will publish collections of research from university departments, research institutions, governmental agencies, and research groups as a “Special Publication”. Special Publications must meet our high standards of quality and will be reviewed by our Editors prior to being considered for publication. Such research materials emanating from a recognized research entity is considered internally peer reviewed but may be subjected to formal peer-reviewed as determined by the Editors-in-Chief.

As a public service, the JTAH.org may assist universities, government agencies, and bona fide research organizations by distributing their internally generated reports and publications of relevant research. Reports and publications that are distributed in this manner must meet all minimum standards of academic quality as established by the Editors-in-Chief. In all matters of publishing content, the Editors-in-Chief are the final authority.

The JTAH.org will sponsor and participate in other related activities whose purpose is promoting and supporting the study of archeology and history. An example of this is the symposium on international collaboration in archeological studies conducted during the Annual Meeting of the Texas Archeological Society in Houston, October 2015. The JTAH.org organizes and sponsors the “Texas Archeology and History Book Festival” which is held in conjunction with the T.A.S. Annual Meeting. Additionally, the JTAH.org may organize and sponsor a regional conference at some time in the future.

More About the JTAH Annual Volume

The peer-reviewed JTAH includes articles on archeological and historical topics and themes relevant to Texas and contiguous areas including New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana and northern Mexico; an area we call the “Texas Borderlands.” All articles appearing in the JTAH annual volume are peer-reviewed by members of our Editorial Board and an outstanding team of professional archeologists and historians serving as subject matter experts. The JTAH annual volume is our primary publication and is representative of the academic integrity of our published materials. Any Special Publications or other materials published on the JTAH.org website must meet similar peer-reviewed standards.

Publishing Model for the JTAH Annual Volume

One of the more significant aspects of the JTAH Annual Volume is the publishing model we employ as we join a movement of publishers establishing a new paradigm in research publishing. First, we have no deadline for authors to meet. When an author submits a manuscript, it is reviewed for consideration by the Editors-in-Chief. If the manuscript meets requirements set forth in these pages and is considered to be of sufficient quality, the manuscript is promptly forwarded to one or more members of our Editorial Board and other invited subject matter experts for peer review. Review comments are forwarded to the author for required revisions and the return of the final draft for approval of the Editors-in-Chief. As each manuscript completes the peer review process and is approved by the Editors-in-Chief, it is formatted and prepared for immediate online publication in the JTAH via our digital library and website. Each volume will be closed on June 30th and the next volume is automatically opened on July 1st. Potentially, this will reduce the time it takes authors to see their work published by up to a year.

Our Publishing Model for Special Publications

The JTAH.org works with major archeological projects, research groups, and government agencies to publish themed volumes of their research. These volumes are considered “Special Publications” and will be reviewed by the Editors-in-Chief and a selection of other peer reviewers to ensure that our high standards of quality and academic level research are maintained. All Special Publications that are published by the JTAH.org have been peered reviewed and approved as meeting our quality standards. The Editors-in-Chief reserve the right to request changes be made to the manuscript prior to publication and have the final decision-making authority as to its publication by the JTAH.org. Additionally, the Special Publication manuscript may be submitted, at the author’s request, for the volume to be subjected to the full blind peer review process for credential purposes. All decisions of the Editors-in-Chief are final.

Requirements for Distributing Materials for Other Organizations

A fundamental goal of the JTAH.org is to promote the dissemination of archeological and historical research through digital publishing to the widest possible audience. The information found on our website is optimized, indexed and registered with search engines and “Open Access Registries” that make our materials accessible to anyone around the globe who has internet access. We make this powerful tool available to universities, government agencies, and CRM firms. The JTAH.org offers, on a selective basis, to distribute via our website their reports and publications of important research. To be clear, these reports and publications must meet our high standards of quality writing, presentation, and scholastic content as determined by the Editors-in-Chief. All decisions of the Editors are final.

The JTAH as a Publishing Venue

The JTAH.org is a digital publishing house and is focused on utilizing the power and versatility inherent in digital media. However, to accommodate individuals and printed material depositories such as libraries that have not yet made the conversion to digital media, we offer a traditional ink on the paper version of our annual volume.

We encourage authors to take full advantage of available technology and include enhancements to their article through use of features not available in traditional publications. These enhancements include, but are not limited to extensive color, high-resolution photography, video clips and embedded sound bites, 3-D interactive imagery, and hypertext links to outside content and websites. This should be attractive to researchers/authors who want their works to be cited and used for future research. We call this style of authorship “4-D Publishing” – in other words, “thinking outside the box” and presenting the research results in the best possible manner to support its conclusions.

Certain “Special Publications” which are reports of on-going research will be published as “living documents”. By this we mean they will be updated and edited to reflect new research as it becomes available. This is one significant publishing enhancement available through digital media publication.

Free and Open Access Publishing

The JTAH is an open access journal, available to authors and readers at zero cost to anyone with a computer and an internet connection. Articles are word searchable in common .PDF file format and indexed to be discoverable on the internet via our optimized website.

For those wishing or requiring a paper copy of our annual volumes, we make a high-quality, full-color edition available through Amazon.com. Copies may be ordered at a low cost directly from Amazon for all past volumes and new ones when completed. Additionally, our website offers links to several other “print on demand” services through a list of third-party providers. These links to print-on-demand services are found on a special page on our website. All print orders will pass directly to that service provider and not through the JTAH. All problems or commercial issues with print-on-demand services must be dealt with them directly and not the JTAH.org.

Who does JTAH.org Publishing Serve

The JTAH.org publishing venue seeks to serve two groups with similar interests and goals: research authors and the public with an interest in the archeology and history of the “Texas Borderlands”. Our target market is academia, state agencies, Cultural Resource Management archeologists, historians, and private individuals who generate academic level research articles.

The JTAH annual volume is 100% peer reviewed and we anticipate many of the manuscripts submitted to the JTAH will be from individuals who need peer-reviewed articles on their vitae (i.e., tenure-track professors and graduate students pursuing a life-work in academia or professionals who enjoy job advancement in their work from publishing peer review articles). The journal provides a much-needed service to these authors.

Our targeted audience is the worldwide public who search for interesting reading on archeology and history.

Funding the JTAH.org

The JTAH.org, its publishing work, and its public outreach and education efforts, is totally funded and supported by individuals who are committed to furthering academic research and public outreach. We have received IRC 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status. The JTAH.org welcomes financial support from any individual or organization who shares our vision and mission. Contributors receive a formal letter documenting the donation which may be used in their tax return preparation. Financial support allows us to broaden and enhance the services offered by the organization. Anyone wishing to participate financially and support our work should contact the Publisher.