Find answers to FAQs about the AHA, membership, the annual meeting, awards and grants, publications, advertising, and professional issues.
The AHA
Q: Does the AHA help with historical preservation?
A: Unfortunately, the AHA does not have the resources to conduct individual research regarding preservation requests. Nevertheless, the following organizations may be able to help you: National Trust for Historic Preservation and National Register of Historic Places.
Q: Does the AHA endorse or publish books?
A: In its two periodicals—the American Historical Review and Perspectives on History—and on its website, the AHA offers reviews, notices, and discussions of books and films. The AHA also publishes a variety of booklets and directories of practical use to teachers and students of history. For details, visit News & Publications.
Q: Does the AHA deal in historical objects or documents?
A: No, the AHA does not accept donations, appraise, or house historical objects and documents. The AHA also cannot provide individualized research assistance, beyond the resources hosted on our website.
Q: Is this the American Historic Society (coin sellers)?
A: The AHA is in no way affiliated with the American Historic Society nor do we have anything to do with selling coins.
Membership
Q: What are the benefits of creating a nonmember user account with the AHA?
A: A nonmember user account gives you free access to view job ads posted on the AHA Career Center; enables you to apply for awards, grants, and jobs; and allows you to register for events such as the annual meeting.
Q: How much does it cost to join the AHA?
A: There are many membership categories at the AHA. Please check our Membership Rates page to find the category you fall into.
Q: What do I receive as a member?
A: As a member you will have access to AHA publications such as the American Historical Review and Perspectives on History as well as a host of great professional resources including the Directory of History Departments and Organizations. Members also receive discounts to the AHA annual meeting, health insurance options, and special discounts for online libraries and research and writing tools. For a full list of member benefits, please go to our Member Benefits page.
Q: Does the AHA offer multiple-year memberships?
A: Yes, the AHA offers a three-year membership renewal option. This is a great way to lock in your current membership rate with a 5% discount.
Q: If I join the AHA today, when will my membership expire?
A: One year (or three years) from the month you join.
Q: I just received a renewal notice but my membership doesn’t expire for three months. If I renew now, what will my new expiration date be?
A: Your membership will expire one year (or three years) from your current expiration date, no matter when you renew.
Q: I submitted an online application. How soon can I log on to member services?
A: Online applications and renewals are processed immediately. Member services links can be found at MY AHA.
Q: When will I get my AHR and Perspectives on History?
A: The American Historical Review is published in March, June, September, and December, while Perspectives on History is published September, November, January, March, and May. Both publications are also available online. Please visit our Publications page for more information.
Q: What is the claim period for missing publications?
A: Claims of non-receipt must reach the AHA within five months after the publication date, or we will not honor the claim.
Q: I do not wish to receive print copies of the AHR or Perspectives of History. What should I do?
A: You may request to stop receiving print copies of the AHR, Perspectives, and the annual meeting Program when you join or renew by marking the appropriate checkbox on the rate page or by contacting members@historians.org. A $25 postage fee is added for members with international addresses, including Canada and Mexico, unless they decline all print publications.
Q: My spouse/partner is a member of the AHA. Can I join at a discounted member rate?
A: The AHA Council does not have a spouse/partner category.
Q: I’m going to be moving, and I want to make sure my publications catch up with me. When do I need to let you know my new address?
A: If you’re moving be sure to update your address a few weeks in advance. Visit the Update My Information page to change your address online, or print and mail the change of address form to the AHA offices.
Q: I have signed up to become a member with a joint membership in the APSA and the ACLS Humanities E-Book Project and History Compass. Why can’t I access my member benefits for these joint memberships?
A: To access joint membership benefits, your payment has to first be forwarded by the AHA Membership Department to the joint programs. After the joint program has processed your payment, you will receive login instructions by email. You’ll start receiving your benefits from the joint memberships about three to four weeks after you sign up. Please note that your joint membership will expire one year from the date received by the joint program.
Q: Can I cancel my membership during the year and receive a refund?
A: Membership may be canceled by contacting the AHA membership department by email at members@historians.org or mail; however, AHA is not able to offer refunds for canceled memberships.
Annual Meeting
General
Q: Is funding for travel available?
A: The AHA offers grants to help graduate students, early career and un/underemployed historians, and community college and public high school faculty attend the annual meeting. Only AHA members are eligible to apply. See the Annual Meeting Funding page for more information.
Q: How does the AHA select the location for the annual meeting?
A: We rotate the location of the meeting around the country on roughly a five-year schedule to facilitate attendance by members in different parts of the country. We usually meet in large cities, with a preference for airline hubs. There are only a few cities in the country that have enough hotel space to accommodate our meeting. See the Annual Meeting Location Policy for further information.
Q: Why can’t the meeting be held in a single hotel?
A: The meeting is simply too large: we need a minimum of 2,000 guest rooms, large spaces to accommodate the exhibit hall and registration, and 80 meeting rooms for AHA and affiliate sessions.
Q: Where can I find details about upcoming annual meetings?
A: See the Future Meetings page for the locations of upcoming annual meetings. Details about registration and hotel accommodations are updated in the spring. Contact annualmeeting@historians.org if you need information about registration and hotel rates for planning purposes.
Submitting Proposals
Q: How do I submit a proposal?
A: See the Call for Proposals for detailed guidelines about submitting proposals. The Annual Meeting Guidelines govern the submission and selection of proposals.
Q: Can one person appear on multiple proposals?
A: Yes. The Annual Meeting Guidelines stipulate that participants may appear on no more than two sessions, in two different roles. The Program Committee will ask those accepted for more than two roles on two sessions to step down from one.
Q: Can I present at the annual meeting two years in a row?
A: Yes. There is no policy against appearing on the program two years in a row.
Q: Do you accept proposals for individual papers?
A: The Program Committee cannot accept single paper proposals. The committee does accept proposals for single, individual poster presentations. We maintain a public collaborators spreadsheet to help scholars find potential panelists to create a session.
Q: Do I have to be a member of the AHA to present at the annual meeting?
A: Only US-based historians presenting at AHA sessions must be AHA members, but all participants must register for the meeting.
Registration
Q: Can I register for a single day?
A: No, the AHA does not offer day passes.
Q: Do nonhistorians on the program have to register for the meeting?
A: Yes, all attendees must register for the meeting. However, nonhistorians or those based outside the United States are exempt from the membership requirement for participants.
Q: Does the AHA facilitate job interviews at the meeting?
A: Beginning in 202o, the AHA stopped sponsoring employment interviews at its annual meeting.
Awards and Grants
Book Prizes
Q: When will the book prize judges’ addresses be available?
A: Beginning in mid-March to the May 15 deadline, nominators must complete an online prize submission form for each book submitted. Once they fill out the form they will receive an email with the committee’s contact information.
Q: Is this book eligible for this year’s round of prizes?
A: For annual prizes, books must have a copyright imprint of the previous calendar year. Some book prizes run on biennial or other cycles. Eligibility dates are listed on the prize pages.
Q: Are electronic publications eligible?
A: Yes. Committees will apply the same general standards to the review of electronic books as to those published in print.
Q: Is there an application? Do I need to attach a cover sheet or CV?
A: Publishers and authors send books directly to the members of the prize committee. No supplemental materials are necessary, although it is useful to provide a mailing address for the author.
Q: Can a book be submitted for more than one prize?
A: Yes.
Q: Must nominations be submitted by the publisher? Are self-nominations permitted?
A: Authors may submit copies of their books directly to the prize committee, but should be aware that submissions are not returned.
Q: When are winners announced?
A: Prizes are announced on the AHA website in October.
Q: What is the amount of the prize?
A: Book prizes carry a monetary award of $1,000, except where the prize announcement specifically notes that the prize is honorific.
Q: Are edited volumes eligible for prizes? What about collections of documents?
A: The Waldo G. Leland Prize is awarded every five years for a reference tool in history, and the J. Franklin Jameson Prize is awarded biennially for outstanding achievement in the editing of historical sources. If you have questions about your eligibility for another prize, please contact awards@historians.org.
Q: A portion of my book falls outside the time period described in the terms of the prize. Am I still eligible?
A: Our general rule of thumb is that the book will be eligible if more than half of its content fits within the time period described in the terms of the prize.
Other Prizes
Q: Does the AHA offer scholarships for undergraduates?
A: Unfortunately, the American Historical Association has no scholarships or financial aid to assist with college or graduate school expenses. The AHA does offer the Raymond J. Cunningham Prize for the best article by an undergraduate.
Grants
Q: Where is the application for the research grants?
A: Links to more information about each of the grants can be found on the Grants & Fellowships page. AHA members can access the applications on MY AHA.
Q: When will recipients of the research grants be announced?
A: Applicants will be notified by email no later than May 1.
Publications
Q: Can I subscribe to one of your publications without being a member?
A: For individuals, only members can receive subscriptions to the American Historical Review and Perspectives on History, included for no additional charge as a benefit of membership. However, institutions can obtain subscriptions to Perspectives or the AHR.
Q: How do I order publications?
A: All AHA publications can be ordered through Oxford University Press.
Q: Do I have to be an AHA member to order publications?
A: You do not have to be an AHA member to order booklets through Oxford University Press, although members do receive special pricing of 30% off list prices for all products.
Q: My booklet order has not yet arrived, what do I do?
A: Contact Customer Service at Oxford University Press.
Q: Does the AHA offer desk copies?
A: Due to an inability to vet requests, the AHA does not offer desk copies. Copies for professors and teaching assistants can be purchased through Oxford University Press.
Q: How do I access the online issues of the AHR?
A: The AHR is a benefit of membership. Members can log onto historians.org/myaha and click on the link in the Access the AHR section in the left column. Contact members@historians.org if you have trouble accessing the online version.
Advertising
Q: How can I submit an advertisement?
A: There are several types and venues for advertising: job ads online and in the print Perspectives on History and display ads in Perspectives on History, the American Historical Review, and the annual meeting Program. There are also digital ads available on the AHA’s website and in e-newsletters. Information about advertising as well as the AHA’s policies can be found on the Advertising page.
Q: What are the deadlines for submitting an ad?
A: The deadlines are listed on the Advertising page.
Q: Where can I find job ads?
A: The AHA publishes classified job ads online and in Perspectives on History. Ads can be found on the AHA Career Center at careers.historians.org. To receive job alerts, members and nonmembers can log in with their AHA username and password. You can create a new nonmember account at historians.org/createaccount.
Q: How much does it cost to post a job ad?
A: Rates are based on the length of time the ads appear online. The AHA’s institutional members receive a discounted rate. For information on display (box) advertising, see the Advertising page.
Q: How much does it cost to post a job ad online only?
A: Ads can be posted both online and in the print Perspectives, or online only. All ads appear online; there is a small fee to also publish them in the print Perspectives. Rates are listed in the AHA Career Center.
Professional Issues
Q: Does the AHA have an official position on plagiarism and professional conduct?
A: The Statement on Standards of Professional Conduct outlines the shared values of the profession.
Q: Does the AHA have guidelines on the hiring process, tenure, and promotion?
A: In addition to the general guidelines in the Statement on Standards of Professional Conduct, the Association periodically issues best practices, reports, and guidelines on hiring, tenure, and promotion that are collected on our Standards & Guidelines page.
Q: What resources does the AHA have to help with a departmental review?
A: The AHA offers this article, “How to Organize an Outside Review,” to help with a departmental review.