Professor Heather Sharp, University of Newcastle
The Editor-in-Chief provides scholarly leadership, ethical authority, and final editorial judgement for the journal as a whole. Their specific responsibilities include:
- Leading Editorial Team meetings and strategic discussions
- Ensuring the overall scholarly quality of published content
- Appointing and mentoring Associate Editors and Section Editors
- Defining editorial roles and expectations
- Leading and coordinating the Editorial Team
- Recruiting new board members to ensure diversity, expertise, and renewal
- Acting as an ambassador for the journal
- Commissioning content and fielding submission enquires as appropriate
- Resolving conflicting reviewer recommendations
- Providing authors with reviewers’ feedback and editorial decisions
- Approving revised manuscripts before sending for copy-editing
- Reviewing and approving any final copy material to be published
- Seeking material support for journal
- Enforcing editorial policies and standards
- Ensuring peer review is fair, rigorous, timely, and unbiased
- Setting standards for reviewer selection and conduct
- Intervening in cases of reviewer misconduct, delays, or conflicts of interest
- Handling appeals and complaints from authors
Email: hej@newcastle.edu.au
Acknowledgement: Professor Robert Parkes was the founding Editor-in-Chief of “Historical Encounters” from its inception to international prominence (2014-2025). Since his appointment as Dean of Education and Head of School, for the School of Education, at the University of Newcastle (2026), the executive Editorship of the journal has passed to Professor Heather Sharp, co-convenor of the HERMES History Education Research Network. Robert currently continues to support the journal in the less-demanding role of Production Editor.