About the Journal

Politikon: The IAPSS Journal of Political Science (ISSN [online] 2414-6633)  is an open access peer-reviewed academic journal published by the International Association for Political Science Students (IAPSS). Founded in 2001, Politikon uniquely serves as an international scholarly platform dedicated to students and early-career researchers, while remaining fully open to submissions from scholars at all career stages.

Unique Positioning in the Discipline

Unlike most political science journals—which primarily publish work by established scholars—Politikon occupies a distinct and necessary niche by:

  • Providing a scholarly platform dedicated to early-career voices, helping promising researchers enter academic debates.

  • Combining high editorial standards with structured support, including free copy-editing and developmental feedback, helping authors strengthen their work before and during peer review.

  • Actively promoting contributions from underrepresented groups, diverse backgrounds, and the Global South, expanding the epistemic diversity of the field.

  • Offering a venue for innovative, interdisciplinary, and critical perspectives that expand the boundaries of political science.

By cultivating emerging scholarship and amplifying marginalized voices, Politikon contributes new perspectives that established journals often overlook, thereby adding distinct intellectual value to the global political science literature.

Scope of the Journal

Politikon publishes original research articles, theoretical analyses, and critical essays across all major subfields of Political Science, including but not limited to:

  • Comparative Politics

  • International Relations

  • Political Theory

  • Public Policy and Administration

  • Political Economy

  • Area Studies and Global Politics

The journal also supports special issues that address timely and significant themes, fostering focused dialogue on emerging topics. Prospective guest editors are encouraged to contact the Editor-in-Chief at politikonjournal@iapss.org for more information.

For individual book reviews, interested authors should contact the Book Review section Editor at politikon.bookeditor@iapss.org.

Rigorous Standards and Developmental Support

Supported by IAPSS’s academic ecosystem, Politikon combines strict peer review with developmental editorial practices tailored to early-career authors:

  • A double-blind peer-review process overseen by a diverse international editorial board;

  • Free, professional copy-editing for all accepted articles;

  • Guidance aimed at enhancing scholarly contribution, originality, and methodological rigor.

This model increases the quality of published work while strengthening the capabilities of future scholars.

Diamond Open Access and Global Reach

As a diamond open-access journal with no submission, processing, or publication fees, Politikon—supported by IAPSS—ensures that all its content is freely accessible to readers and authors worldwide. This enhances visibility, accessibility, and citation potential, especially for researchers working outside well-funded institutions.

Politikon benefits from IAPSS' partnerships with other established political science associations, including the International Political Science Association (IPSA) and the European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR). Through IAPSS’s Crossref membership, every article published in Politikon receives a unique DOI, supporting reliable citation, indexing, and discoverability. The journal is currently indexed in:

Please note: Politikon: The IAPSS Journal of Political Science is not affiliated with Politikon: South African Journal of Political Studies, SAAPS, or Taylor & Francis.