About the Journal
The Journal of Global Affairs and International Studies is an international, peer-reviewed, open-access journal published by the Center for Global & International Studies (CGIS) at the University of Kansas, with the support of KU Libraries.
The journal publishes rigorous, original scholarship on the forces that connect and divide the world today, such as governance and security, migration and mobility, development and inequality, culture and identity, environment and health, and the movement of people, ideas, goods and capital across borders.
The journal seeks to publish scholarship that joins regional expertise with global and comparative perspectives and welcomes voices from the Global South and from scholars, practitioners and policymakers around the world.
Aims and Scope
The journal publishes work that advances understanding of global and international issues and speaks across disciplines and regions. It welcomes research grounded in specific places as well as comparative, transnational and global analyses.
The journal is intentionally interdisciplinary. It welcomes work in, among other fields:
- International relations, political science, security and diplomacy
- Area studies of Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, the Middle East, and Russia and Eurasia
- Migration, diaspora, refugees and human rights
- Global economy, development, trade and inequality
- History, empire, decolonization and memory
- Culture, media, language, religion and the arts in global perspective
- Race, ethnicity, gender and sexuality across borders
- Environment, climate, energy and global health
- Technology, digital societies and artificial intelligence in world affairs
- International education and the internationalization of universities
The journal values work that connects scholarship with policy and public debate. It embraces a range of humanistic, social scientific, qualitative and quantitative methods, and welcomes collaborative and co-authored work across countries and institutions, including work by graduate students and early-career scholars.
Sections of the Journal
Research articles, special-issue articles and review essays are peer-reviewed; the other sections are reviewed by the editors.
| Section | What it publishes | Length | Review |
|---|---|---|---|
| Editorial | Introduction to the issue by the Editors-in-Chief or guest editors | — | Editors |
| Research Articles | Original, unpublished research on global and international affairs | [8,000–10,000] words, including notes and references | Double-anonymous peer review |
| Special Issue / Thematic Section | A set of articles on a common theme, proposed by guest editors | Per article, as above | Double-anonymous peer review |
| Review Essays | Critical discussion of several recent books or works on a related theme | [4,000–6,000] words | Double-anonymous peer review |
| Policy and Practice | Analytical essays linking research to policy, diplomacy, development or international education | [3,000–5,000] words | Editors, with external review when needed |
| Forum / Perspectives | Short essays or a set of responses on a current global issue or debate | [1,500–3,000] words each | Editors |
| Interviews | Conversations with scholars, practitioners, diplomats and public figures | [3,000–5,000] words | Editors |
Proposals for special issues are welcome at any time. They should include a title, a 500-word rationale, short bios of the guest editors, and a list of contributors with provisional titles and abstracts.
Language
The journal publishes in English. Authors may use American or British English, but should be consistent throughout the manuscript.
The editors may also consider manuscripts in [Spanish, Portuguese, French or other languages] on a case-by-case basis, provided they include an English title, abstract and keywords. Quotations in other languages should appear in the original with an English translation, in the text or in a note.
Publication Frequency and Deadlines
The journal publishes [one volume a year, in two issues: spring and fall]. Accepted articles may be published ahead of the full issue.
The journal receives manuscripts throughout the year. Manuscripts received by [September 1] are considered for the [spring] issue, and those received by [February 1] for the [fall] issue. Later submissions are considered for the following issue. Calls for papers for special issues will announce their own deadlines.
Peer Review
Aside from editorials, all research articles, special-issue articles and review essays undergo rigorous double-anonymous peer review.
- Initial screening. One of the Editors-in-Chief reads each submission for fit with the journal's scope, originality and readiness for review. Manuscripts that do not meet these criteria are returned to authors, usually within [four] weeks.
- External review. Manuscripts that pass screening go to at least two specialists. Authors and reviewers remain anonymous to each other.
- Decision. Based on the reviews, the Editors-in-Chief accept the manuscript, request minor or major revisions, or decline it. The journal aims to reach a first decision within [three months] of submission.
- Revision and production. Accepted manuscripts are subject to editorial modification and copyediting, overseen by the Managing Editor. Authors review proofs before publication.
Editors do not handle manuscripts in which they have a conflict of interest. A submission by one of the editors is managed entirely by another editor and outside reviewers.
