About

About

Quill & Quire is an undergraduate journal of medieval studies committed to showcasing original research, adapted coursework, and critical reflections on medievalism. The journal invites interdisciplinary approaches to the global Middle Ages (476-1492 CE) and provides undergraduates with professional experience in editing, peer review, and academic publishing. Through its inclusive editorial model and rigorous scholarly standards, Quill & Quire fosters a dynamic intellectual community and seeks to reimagine how students engage with the medieval past. 

Focus and Scope

Quill & Quire is an undergraduate journal dedicated to exploring the global Middle Ages (476-1492 CE) through inclusive, interdisciplinary scholarship. Published by Aperio, the University of Virginia's open access press, and supported by UVA’s Medieval Studies program, the journal provides a professional platform for undergraduate students to publish original research, engage in peer review, and contribute meaningfully to the academic study of the medieval world.

The journal invites interdisciplinary work from all fields relevant to medieval studies—including: history, art history, literature, theology, religious studies, architectural history, anthropology, and philosophy—as well as contributions that interrogate medievalism in modern media such as film, television, games, and popular literature. We especially encourage submissions that reflect diverse cultural, geographic, and methodological approaches.

Quill & Quire publishes: 

• Original research articles
• Adapted coursework demonstrating scholarly rigor
• Media and book reviews
• Editorials or reflections on the practice and pedagogy of medieval studies

All submissions undergo a double-blind peer review process conducted by trained undergraduate editors, with oversight and support from graduate ambassadors and faculty advisors. This process is designed to uphold scholarly standards while providing developmental feedback and mentorship to student authors.

Our audience includes undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, librarians, and independent scholars across the humanities.

As the first undergraduate journal of its kind at UVA, Quill & Quire is committed to the sustainability of student-led scholarship. Through active editorial outreach, inclusive academic community-building, and a dedication to professionalization, we aim to reimagine how students engage with the medieval past and its present-day echoes. 

Publication Cycle

Quill & Quire will follow an annual publication schedule, releasing one issue each academic year. The journal will publish a curated cluster of content as a single issue, showcasing 7-8 peer-reviewed contributions.

Each issue will include original research articles, adapted coursework, critical essays, and media reviews that reflect the journal’s interdisciplinary scope and scholarly standards. This cluster model supports a cohesive editorial vision and allows for careful coordination among the student editorial team. 

As Quill & Quire grows, we may explore the possibility of expanding to multiple issues per year while maintaining our commitment to rigorous, student-led publishing. 

Open Access Policy 

All works published in Quill & Quire are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). Under this license, authors retain full copyright of their work, including the moral right of attribution.

By submitting to Quill & Quire, authors grant the journal the non-exclusive right to publish and distribute their work and agree to allow others to freely use, share, adapt, reproduce, and redistribute the content for any lawful purpose, provided proper credit is given to the original author(s).

This open access model ensures that undergraduate scholarship remains accessible to global audiences while protecting author ownership. The CC BY license fosters academic collaboration, teaching, and reuse, and is a critical part of Quill & Quire’s commitment to equitable, sustainable publishing. 

Copyright & Licensing

Authors who publish with Quill & Quire retain full copyright of their work. All articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, reproduction, and adaptation in any medium, provided appropriate credit is given to the original author(s).

By submitting to Quill & Quire, authors grant the journal a non-exclusive license to publish and disseminate their work. This license ensures that content remains freely accessible and reusable while maintaining the author’s right to attribution and control over how their work is credited.

This open licensing policy supports our commitment to accessible, student-led scholarship and fosters the widest possible dissemination of undergraduate research in medieval studies. 

Publication Fees

Quill & Quire does not charge any publication fees. There are no submission fees, article processing charges (APCs), or publication costs for authors.

As a student-led journal published through Aperio at the University of Virginia, we receive full support of our annual publication costs, including digital hosting and production services.

This no-fee model ensures that undergraduate authors can participate in academic publishing without financial barriers, upholding our commitment to equity, accessibility, and open access scholarship.

Indexing and Archiving

Quill & Quire is committed to ensuring the long-term accessibility and discoverability of its content. The journal’s publisher, Aperio at the University of Virginia, supports archiving and indexing through multiple services.

This journal is indexed by Google Scholar and content is preserved through CLOCKSS, a secure, decentralized preservation system for scholarly literature. In addition, all article metadata are openly available for harvesting by indexing services via OAI-PMH.

These items ensure that undergraduate scholarship published in Quill & Quire remains visible, citable, and accessible to global audiences over time.

Sponsors

Quill & Quire is published through Aperio, an open access publishing service supported by the University of Virginia Library, which provides hosting, infrastructure, and long-term digital preservation.

The journal is also sponsored and supported by the Medieval Studies Program at the University of Virginia, which offers faculty advising, potential financial support for outreach and programming, and integration within UVA’s broader academic community.

These partnerships ensure the sustainability of Quill & Quire as a student-led, open access journal committed to expanding undergraduate participation in global medieval studies.