Policy Briefings: These papers should use research to support an original argument that comments on aspects of international policy. They can take the form of policy recommendations, critiques, or analysis. All policy briefings must use evidence to demonstrate the merits or faults of a particular action or piece of legislation undertaken by an organization or government. While policy briefings analyze the effects of certain policies, they must contain a normative claim. This claim is what differentiates a policy briefing from a research discourse.
Research Discourses: These papers should use evidence obtained through a literature review or original fieldwork to support an argument that explains a puzzle. These puzzles often take the form of “why” or “how” questions: why a particular historical event occurred, or how a confluence of variables (social, cultural, economic, political, environmental, etc.) affects specific parties or events. In a research discourse, authors must engage with current scholarly dialogue on their chosen topic, and expand on this scholarship. These papers can draw on and combine analyses from various fields of study, including economics, political science, anthropology, etc. Though research discourses may contain policy analysis, the purpose of these papers is to provide an explanation for something, and should not make normative policy recommendations.
Jackson School Focus: Work in this category must have been written for a Jackson School class, and exemplify the type and quality of work students produce for Jackson School classes. These papers must adhere to the assignment requirements for specific Jackson School classes, such as “Why Question” or Practical Moral Project papers from the SIS 200 series. These papers are generally of a shorter length than the policy briefings and research discourses, and the Journal will typically select only one to publish in each issue.
Book Review: Articles in this category should be a conclusive review of a recently published book or Journal article in the field of International Studies. Book Reviews should be shorter than the above types of submissions, and model themselves on the style and format of New York Review of Books or London Review of Books articles.