Submit an Article 

Quetzalcoatl Call for Submissions 2026

Dear NCSSM-Morganton students,

The third issue of Quetzalcoatl (named for the Mesoamerican deity of crafts, knowledge and learning), the journal of Humanities Research at NCSSM-Morganton will be published by the end of the spring semester.  The editorial board is putting out a call for submission of humanities essays, articles, and projects that were finished at NCSSM-Morganton during the 2024-25 academic year or the fall semester of 2025.

In addition to projects brought to completion as part of RHUM, we are also looking for work produced as part of senior humanities classes or in American Studies classes.

Any work submitted should lend itself to publication and should show evidence of humanities research through appropriate citation (Chicago or MLA style citation).  Works that are submitted in MLA style will be asked to reformat to Chicago style footnotes for publication.

Submissions will be evaluated by both the Quetzalcoatl Editorial Board and Dr. Aranda.

Appropriate formats include:

• Long Form Research Paper - approximately 20-25 pages long.

• Short Research Paper or Literature Review - approximately 7-12 pages long

Submissions chosen for publication or revision will be contacted with further details on the next step in the process.

The deadline for submissions will be January 31st, 2026 by 5PM.  

Submissions should be sent through the linked Google form.

If you have any questions please contact Dr. Aranda or the members of the Quetzalcoatl editorial board.

Quetzalcoatl Editorial Board 

Submission Guidelines:

Quetzalcoatl Style Guide

Please make every effort to edit all parts of your submission to adhere to the Style Guide (below). However, you will not be penalized if you do not have time to edit your entire paper. The editors will work with you to help you change your papers to adhere to the Style Guide if your article is chosen for Quetzalcoatl. 

Follow the Chicago style for references and in-text citations. If you are not able to do so completely, you will not be penalized in any way. The editors will work with you to format references in Chicago style if your article is chosen for Quetzalcoatl. For more information about Chicago style, please see Purdue Owl; Chicago Style Guide or reach out to an editor of Quetzalcoatl.

Style Guide: 

Double spaced 12 pt Times New Roman  

Paragraphs should have their first line indented half and inch and be left justified.  No extra spaces between paragraphs.

Chicago Manual style footnotes and bibliography

The following questions will be used in the decision making process of your papers submission. To ensure your paper is ready for submission, answer the following questions to self-check:

• Does the paper have a clear thesis/argument in the introduction?

• Does the paper explain the sources and methodologies that it used? (Not applicable for shorter format papers)

• Is there an appropriate balance of primary and secondary source material if a primary source-based paper?

• If it is a literature review, does it use a broad range of secondary sources?

• Is evidence being cited from sources to support the argument?

• Is the thread of argumentation clear and evident through the paper?

• How are analysis and description balanced in the paper?

• Is the conclusion in line with the thesis/argument in the introduction?

Please verify that your submission meets the requirements of the style guide before submitting your paper. Along with your paper, you must also print, complete and submit this author checklist in order for your paper to be considered for publication.

Once you have confirmed this, upload your submission here. 

We will email you with a confirmation shortly after.

Some Important Dates to Remember:

•  Paper Submission Deadline - January 31st, 2026

•  Paper Selection Deadline - February 15th, 2026

•  Edits Done - March 15th, 2026

•  Final Layout Due - April 15th, 2026