Author: PSJ Editorial Team

The Policy Studies Journal (PSJ) invites submissions for a Special Issue focusing on policy design in the policy process.

The Special Issue is intended to advance policy design research by exploring its connections to frameworks, theories, and models of the policy process in which policy design is implicitly or explicitly recognized but otherwise conceptually or empirically under- attended. Invited are papers that advance theory and methods for studying policy design, defined either as policy formulation or policy content.

As a collection, the Special Issue will be compiled to feature a range of papers that address a variety of theories, methods, and topical domains, which will help to enhance scholarly understanding of policy design throughout the policy process. The Editors hope to attract a diverse group of scholars who approach policy design from different perspectives and strongly encourage submissions from women, international, and minority scholars, broadly defined.

The deadline for submitting a manuscript for the Special Issue is January 19th, 2024.

Potential contributors to the Special Issue may participate in a “Peer Paper Exchange” in the fall of 2023 through which authors can obtain informal feedback from peers who also plan to submit a paper for the Special Issue and opt to participate in the Exchange. Each paper will be reviewed by 1-2 peers who will provide informal written feedback. Participation in the Exchange is intended to support the development of papers but has no bearing on the peer review process that will be undertaken by PSJ once papers are submitted to the Journal; that review process is formal and entirely independent of the “Peer Paper Exchange.”

To participate in the “Peer Paper Exchange,” please submit a one-page abstract that explains your research question, contribution of your paper to scholarship on policy design, and the data and methodological approaches you plan to use to answer your research question, along with the paper title and author information. This is due by August 11th. Notifications of acceptance to participate in the “Peer Paper Exchange” will be made by August 25th. Authors participating in the Exchange must share their draft papers with fellow Exchange participants by October 27th. Comments from the Exchange peer review will be returned to authors by November 17th.

To apply for the “Peer Paper Exchange,” please visit:

https://syracuseuniversity.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5mNrL3SgtFOq6UK

Find more information in the full call for papers.

Greetings and welcome to the Policy Studies Journal (PSJ) Blog! We are incredibly excited to use this digital space to help our authors extend the impact of their research, and to build a vibrant community of policy scholars, practitioners, and citizens at large.

The following posts serve two key goals. First, we will keep you updated on the latest developments at PSJ and within the policy process research community more broadly. Second (and more importantly), we will share short, accessible summaries of PSJ publications designed for experts, practitioners, and the general public. These posts will be promoted on our social media channels, and their respective articles will also be made open access for a limited period. We hope this blog will help our authors achieve greater exposure and recognition while also reducing barriers to top-quality, peer-reviewed policy research.

We extend our sincere appreciation to Dr. Saba Siddiki, Blog Editor, and Erica Ivins, Blog Managing Editor, for their current work on this initiative. We are also grateful to Senior Associate Editor Dr. Melissa Merry and former Editorial Assistant Eli Polley for their years of service in spearheading this endeavor.

We deeply value the views and insights of our authors and readers, and we are always excited to engage with the entire policy community. Together, let’s foster a robust environment for meaningful dialogue, collaboration, and innovation in the field of policy studies. Thank you for being an integral part of this effort. We look forward to continuing this intellectual adventure!

Sincerely,

The PSJ Editorial Team

Geoboo Song, Melissa K. Merry, Gwen Arnold, Saba N. Siddiki, Holly L. Peterson, Creed Tumlison, Eric Button, Benjamin Galloway, Camille Gilmore, Erica Ivins, Victor Kwaku Akakpo, Rinjisha Roy, Izehi Oriaghan, Annette Nyoni, Travis Wagher, Ryan Ramaker, Mohammad Mizanur Rahman, and Katherine McKinney