We would like to announce some changes to the structure and content of PS: Political Science and Politics. We are excited about these changes and hope you will be as well. Most of the changes, as you will see, are attempts to expand the scope of articles appearing in PS, making the journal more timely, readable, and responsive to the needs and interests of our profession, while maintaining our commitment to high quality and peer review.
First, we are repositioning the “Spotlight” section of PS. Two recent reports from the association, the “Report of the Ad Hoc Committee on Public Engagement,” and the Publications Committee “Report on The Future of PS,” point to the journal as an important outlet to foster public engagement in our profession. Doing so, however, requires that we be nimble, produce materials under a shorter publication timeline, and consider alternative kinds of articles. We have thought long and hard about how we can do this while maintaining the quality of submissions and adhering to peer review. We think the “Spotlight” can serve this purpose for PS and for the profession.
We welcome contributions from teams of scholars for consideration for a spotlight on important issues of public and political concern and to which political science can provide important insights. Submissions should consist of a set of 5-10 thematic contributions, between 750-1250 words in length. We do not necessarily expect these pieces to be original pieces of research, although original research findings are welcome. Articles should be written in an accessible style with a minimum of jargon.
Think of these as a longer, academically rigorous, peer-reviewed versions of essays that might appear in The Monkey Cage, Mischiefs of Faction, or as a submitted editorial to a newspaper. Our most recent spotlight, “The Politics and Policy of Ebola” is an example of what we have in mind. A few of these submissions first appeared in various blogs, in fact, but were substantially rewritten prior to their publication in PS.
Second, we have created two new subsections of PS, tentatively titled “From the Sections” and “Reflections.”
“From the Sections” is intended to feature content that has previously appeared in section newsletters, but that section newsletter editors, in consultation with PS, deem of sufficient importance and appeal to be considered for dissemination to the entire profession. We will follow up this introduction with a separate email to the heads of sections and section newsletter editors, but in general our hope is that section newsletter editors will proactively nominate content for consideration. Articles will be peer-reviewed, but because they have previously appeared, we will choose to “single blind” review the articles if they have not previously undergone a peer review process.
Our first two articles “From the Sections” will appear in the January issue. They include comments from Peregrine Schwartz-Shea and Dvora Yanow on “Encountering your IRB: What Political Scientists Need to Know” and “Lessons from a Decade of Replication at the Quarterly Journal of Political Science” by Nicholas Eubank.
“Reflections” provides space for articles that are commentaries on political science, political science education, mentoring, graduate training, methodology, and experiences as part of our profession. We have received many requests to provide space for this kind of content, and there is some history of PS serving as an outlet for articles of this type. We agree that PS is uniquely positioned to feature this content, and this is why we created “Reflections.”
We welcome submissions, or inquiries about potential submissions, for consideration for “Reflections.” Submissions should be between 750-1250 words, although longer submissions can be considered. Articles should speak to issues of broad interest to the political science profession but should be written in an accessible style with a minimum of jargon. Even more than “From the Sections,” we are under no illusion that these articles can be double blind reviewed, but we will send these manuscripts out for single blinded review prior to publication.
Finally, we will be reorganizing the sections and subsections of PS starting with the January 2016 issue. PS has evolved organically over the past decade under Rob Hauck’s editorship, with a notable increase in the frequency and importance of the “Symposium” format as part of our content. In response, and to accommodate the new sections mentioned above, we will return to the traditional three part organizational scheme for PS: “Features,” “The Teacher,” and “The Profession.” Symposia and Spotlights will appear within these sections, depending on the appropriate placement. Our expectation is that “From the Sections” and “Reflections” will usually be part of “The Profession.”
Like every academic journal, PS faces a rapidly evolving publication environment. We want to position PS to respond to the changing professional needs and interests of our readership and the association. We welcome any feedback or suggestions about these changes or any other ideas that you have about PS: Political Science and Politics.
