The Journal of Political Inquiry accepts submissions from contributors who are passionate and knowledgeable about their subject matter. Contributors are welcome to submit pieces to either the website, the journal, or both.
Please send all submissions to jpinquiry@gmail.com. If we accept your piece we will be in touch and begin our editing process, which consists of a broad structural edit and a detailed copy edit. If you have any questions regarding guidelines, the review process, or potential topics, please feel free to contact us. We will be happy to work with you through the process of developing and editing a piece for publication.
JPI Online Submissions
JPI Online submissions are accepted at any time throughout the semester. Below are the different kinds of pieces we accept, although if your piece falls outside of these categories please feel free to also submit it – we’re always open to new ideas!
Political Analysis — 800 to 1,200 words analyzing a political event or topic. The article should have an angle and examine the relevance of the event in the broader pictures of politics and/or international relations.
Op-ed pieces — 500 to 800 words expressing the author’s opinion on a current event or political development. The article should be supported with significant evidence.
Insights — Students may submit reflections on what they have recently read, watched, listened to, or attended during the semester. Authors are welcome to share their perspectives on books, literature, lectures, events, podcasts, documentaries, exhibits, and other aspects of graduate life. There is no length requirement.
Perspective – Do you have a personal connection to a big event happening somewhere in the world? Do you have family from that region, or did you grow up there? Your personal perspective on world events is extremely valuable in providing additional insight that people from the outside may not see.
Multimedia — We are always interested in exploring new submission formats. This includes videos, photos, political cartoons, data visualizations, or any other multimedia projects.
Journal Submissions
Essays and book reviews are reviewed and accepted for the journal on a rolling basis throughout the semester. All submissions must be in Chicago Style.
If you are unsure about the suitability of a piece of work for publication, or have questions about editing a piece of classwork for publication and/or reformatting from a different citation style, please contact us at jpinquiry@gmail.com for guidance and support in the process.
Essays — 1500 to 4000 words in length. We welcome original research on topics related to the broad spectrum of politics, international relations, and political philosophy. Papers should have a clear and concise thesis and arguments to support it. We accept quantitative, qualitative, and theoretical approaches.
Book reviews — 750 to 2000 words reviewing a non-fiction book.
The Review Process for the Journal
The review process varies by submission, but authors should generally anticipate the process to span four to six weeks.
Once an initial assessment confirms that a submission meets the criteria above, the piece will undergo review by the Journal’s editorial board. Anonymity is a central element of the peer review process; editors are not made aware of the submission’s author, and authors are not informed of the editorial board members reviewing their respective pieces.