Submissions

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Submission Preparation Checklist

As part of the submission process, authors are required to check off their submission's compliance with all of the following items, and submissions may be returned to authors that do not adhere to these guidelines.
  • The submission is made via e-mail to politikonjournal@iapss.org and includes at least two files (COVER PAGE and ANONYMIZED MANUSCRIPT).
  • The submission has not been previously published, nor is it under consideration by another journal.
  • The submission files are in MS Word format (and if one or more appendices are in another format, an explanation has been provided in the submission e-mail).
  • The author(s) of the manuscript do not have another manuscript under evaluation in this journal at the time of submission.
  • The text follows the guidelines specified in the Paper Submission Guidelines.

Author Guidelines

Please disregard the login/register button above. All submissions need to be sent via e-mail and no registration is needed (please see below for details).

Politikon: The IAPSS Journal of Political Science [ISSN 2414-6633] is the flagship publication of the International Association for Political Science Students (IAPSS). It is open to submissions by students and scholars of all levels of academic qualification with the usual frequency of four issues per year. We welcome contributions in the following formats: 

  • Full-length research articles;
  • Research notes;
  • Review essays;
  • Individual book reviews;
  • Interviews, conference reports, and opinion essays.

Crafting Your Contribution: Research Note or Research Paper?

If you are interested in reviewing a newly published book for IAPSS Politikon, please contact the Editor-in-Chief at politikonjournal@iapss.org

Manuscripts for publication are considered on a continuous basis. Since 2023, we publish two issue every year.

All manuscripts should respect the formal structure and requirements stated in the Author Guidelines. The Editorial Board will contact the authors to communicate the results of each evaluation. All submitted research papers, research notes, and review essays are first subject to an Editorial Board Evaluation that may result in desk-rejection (communicated to the authors with a brief justification) or acceptance of the submission to the main, double-blind external peer review process performed by reviewers not affiliated to the Editorial Board members and the authors. The results of the peer review (publish, publish with minor revisions, major revisions, revise and resubmit, or reject) are then communicated to the authors.

Contributions for Conversasions section and book reviews, are subject to Editorial Board Evaluation only, unless the need for expertise in a specific subfield that is not present in the Editorial Board necessitates the commissioning of an external peer-review on a double-blind basis.

Submissions are to be sent exclusively in electronic format to politikonjournal@iapss.org. Please refrain from sending a reminder on the status of your submission earlier than two weeks after your initial message. 

General requirements for submissions 

You must submit at least two MS Word files:

  • The cover page contains the title, name of the author(s) and their short presentation in a narrative form (max. 150 words for each author and including e-mail contacts of all co-authors), abstract (except for book reviews), and from five to ten keywords.
  • The anonymized manuscript contains the paper title, abstract (except for book reviews), keywords, the main body of the paper, references, and appendices (if applicable, longer appendices can be sent as separate files).

Font: Garamond 12, spacing 1.5

Abstract: Max. 150 words, Garamond 12, spacing 1.15, italic

Keywords: Five to ten, Garamond 12, spacing 1.15

Main Title (Heading): Garamond 16, bold

Subtitles (Section Headings): Garamond 14, bold

Sub-Subtitles (Sub-section Headings) (if applicable): Garamond 12, bold, italic

Footnotes: Garamond 10, spacing 1.0

Presentation: Garamond 12, spacing 1.15, italic

Borders: top and bottom 2,5 cm, left and right 3,00cm (default)

Paragraphs: first-line indentation 1.25 cm, no spaces between paragraphs

Quotes: sectioned off in more than two sentences; Garamond 11, indented 1.25 cm

Tables and Charts are continuously numbered, each fits on one page at maximum, and all are sourced (if original, use "Source: Author.")

Please use DOUBLE QUOTATION MARKS everywhere, except quotations within quotations. 

Required formatting of references

Reference formatting should adhere to the Chicago Manual of Style (author-date variant), 14th Edition. Most major citation managers (such as Zotero) include this referencing style among their options. 

Examples:

  • ARTICLE: Kneip, Katharina. "Female jihad–women in the ISIS." Politikon: The IAPSS Journal of Political Science 29 (2016): 88-106, https://doi.org/10.22151/politikon.29.5.
  • BOOK CHAPTER: Lalancette, Mireille, and Manon Tremblay. 2019. Media Framing of Lesbian and Gay Politicians. In Queering Representation: LGBTQ People and Electoral Politics in Canada, edited by Manon Tremblay, 102–23. Vancouver: UBC Press.
  • BOOK: Onuf, Nicholas. 2012. World of our making: Rules and rule in social theory and international relations. London and New York: Routledge.

For more examples see Chicago Manual of Style.

IAPSS Politikon now offers a "format-free" submission process for manuscripts. Provided that the referencing system employed displays consistency and clarity throughout the manuscript, it may be submitted according to any of the major referencing styles typical for the social sciences and humanities. If the submission is not either desk-rejected or rejected by peer reviewers, the authors will then be expected to align their manuscript with the Chicago Manual of Style. With that being said, the Editorial Board does prefer receiving initial manuscripts and references written according to the Chicago Manual of Style (author-date variant). If your text is not written according to the Chicago Manual of Style, then selecting a referencing format with in-text citations, rather than referencing in footnotes or endnotes, is highly preferred.

Note on plagiarism

As the global representation of Political Science students, IAPSS is committed to the highest international standards of academic and scientific honesty. Therefore, we strictly refuse to accept any piece of work, oral or written, that is a product of plagiarism. We subscribe to the definition and characteristics of plagiarism provided by Oxford University, according to which

‘Plagiarism is presenting someone else’s work or ideas as your own, with or without their consent, by incorporating it into your work without full acknowledgement. All published and unpublished material, whether in manuscript, printed or electronic form, is covered under this definition. Plagiarism may be intentional or reckless, or unintentional.’

We strongly recommend our members and other followers who are considering submitting a paper to one of the IAPSS events or our journals or a contribution to our blog A Different View, to revise the guidelines of Oxford University or similar guidelines carefully and adhere to the requirements listed in them.   

Should you have any questions, please consult the journal's Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement, or contact us at politikonjournal@iapss.org.

(Last updated: 21 April 2023)

Research articles

We accept full-length research papers between 5.000 and 8.000 (without references and appendices).

Full-length research papers are comprehensive and in-depth academic papers that present original research findings and contribute to the scholarly literature in a particular field. These articles typically follow a standardized format and provide a detailed description of the research question, methodology, data analysis, and results. They are designed to communicate the findings of rigorous and significant research to other scholars in the field.

Research papers are well-suited for making comprehensive conceptual or theoretical contributions. These contributions involve introducing new frameworks, models, paradigms, or theories that reshape the understanding of a particular phenomenon in the field. Research papers offer the space and depth needed to thoroughly explain and explore these new concepts. The paper would typically include a detailed literature review to contextualize the new concept within the existing knowledge landscape, an extensive explanation of the concept's underlying principles, and possibly examples or empirical evidence to support its applicability. Theoretical contributions made in research papers often have the potential to significantly influence the direction of the field and guide future research endeavors.

A typical full-length research papers consists of an introduction that provides background information on the topic and outlines the research problem. The literature review section follows, which provides a comprehensive summary of the existing research and how the present study contributes to it. The methodology section describes the research design, sample selection, data collection methods, and statistical analysis techniques used to examine the research question.

Research notes

A research note is a short academic article (between 2.500 and 5.000 words) that presents a concise and focused contribution to the scholarly literature. It typically communicates new findings, insights, or methods that are not substantial enough to warrant a full-length research article but are nonetheless valuable to share with the research community. 

A research note typically follows a standardized format, including an introduction that provides background and context for the research question, a brief literature review, a description of the methods used to collect and analyze data, a summary of the findings, and a conclusion that discusses the implications and limitations of the research.

In addition to communicating findings, research notes can also introduce new concepts, albeit in a more compact manner compared to research papers. They often highlight novel ideas, emerging trends, or preliminary frameworks that offer fresh perspectives to the scholarly community. These conceptual contributions might not be fully developed theories but can lay the groundwork for further exploration. Research notes are particularly valuable for quickly sharing innovative concepts and sparking interest among researchers. However, due to the limited length, the elaboration on the new concept might be more concise than in a research paper.

Review essays

A review essay is a type of essay (between 1.500 and 3.000 words)  that combines a critical analysis of one or more books, with broader discussions and reflections on relevant themes, topics, or issues. In a review essay, the writer not only provides a detailed assessment of the works under review but also uses them as a starting point for exploring larger questions, debates, or cultural trends.

A review essay typically begins with an introduction that provides context for the works being reviewed and previews the main arguments or themes that the writer will explore in the essay. The body of the essay consists of a detailed analysis of the works themselves, including an assessment of their strengths and weaknesses, as well as any broader implications they may have.

Book reviews

A book review is a critical analysis and evaluation of a book's content and merits. The purpose of a book review is to provide readers with an understanding of the book's subject matter, themes, and arguments, as well as the author's writing style and approach. A book review typically includes a summary of the book's main ideas, followed by an evaluation of its strengths and weaknesses.

A good book review:

  • is between 500 and 1000 words in length;
  • provides a balanced and thoughtful analysis of the book being reviewed;
  • provides an overview of the book's content, including a summary of the main ideas, themes, and arguments presented by the author;
  • includes an evaluation of the book's strengths and weaknesses, discussing the book's methodology, its contribution to the field, or any other relevant factors;
  • offers a critique of the book's arguments and ideas, and may include a discussion of any counterarguments or alternative perspectives that the author did not address.

Conversations

In addition to full-length research articles and book reviews, IAPSS Politikon accepts material submitted in the form of interviews, pedagogical discussions, film commentaries, conference/workshop reports, and summary reports on research projects for “Conversations”, a non-peer-reviewed section.

Privacy Statement

At IAPSS Politikon, we respect your privacy and are committed to protecting the personal information that you provide to us through our website and editorial email.

If you choose to submit a manuscript or review for publication in our journal, we may collect personal information, such as your name, email address, and affiliation. We may also collect information about your academic qualifications and professional experience.

We may use your information to communicate with you about your manuscript or review.

We will not share your personal information with third parties without your consent, except as required by law or as necessary to provide you with the services you have requested.

You have the right to request access to the personal information we hold about you, and to request that we correct or delete that information. To make such a request, please contact us using the contact information provided on our website.

We may update this privacy statement from time to time. Any changes we make will be posted on our website, and we encourage you to review this statement periodically.

If you have any questions or concerns about our privacy practices, please contact us using the contact information provided on our website.