This role is restricted to PhD students/candidates, postdocs, early career academics and any person who is on a PhD pathway, including those on a break from their studies. Master’s students who have an expectation to undertake PhD research and stay involved in academia are welcome to apply.
E-International Relations is looking for volunteers who are passionate about IR theory of any variant, including related areas such as political theory and IPE. In specific terms, the role involves identifying authors in the theoretical areas you are interesting in to commission unique articles for the website. It is our hope to source articles that explore and advance IR theory, and do so in a way that is accessible to the widest range of readers. In broader terms, commissioning is a dynamic and rewarding role for anyone looking to widen their horizons and who enjoys reading – and helping to disseminate – the latest research in their field to our audience of 5 million readers.
You will be responsible for researching and contacting potential authors yourself – though we will give you guidance and mentor you through the process. Every piece of work a Commissioning Editor contributes to is given credit which appears permanently on the output – amounting to a verified record of your efforts. You are empowered to set your own agenda and fit this role around your busy schedule as it suits you best, but you should understand that the role is self-starting … so you need to bring your own momentum, passion and drive. If you are unable to work on your own initiative and come up with your own ideas, then this role is not for you.
Volunteering with E-International Relations is not your typical ‘work experience’. First, we coordinate our activities remotely using Slack. So, you do not need to physically attend a place of work to volunteer with us. Second, we have no paid staff, we are all volunteers. We volunteer some of our spare time because we want to have a hand in maintaining the best online resource for students and scholars of international politics. Finally, we empower our editors to learn skills, manage their own time and develop their own projects. The result is that the more volunteers give of themselves, the more they take away from the experience. It is no surprise that many of our editors have built on their experience with us to go on to senior positions in the publishing industry, politics at all levels, and academia.
What do you get out of it?
- By networking with our editorial team and with other academics in a professional context you will grow your profile and build up links for collaborations and future projects that will add value to your academic and professional journey.
- You will sharpen your editorial skills, which also reflects back on helping you become a better writer.
- You will learn about the academic and publishing industries from a new vantage point.
- You will get something of value to place on your CV, and can request a reference/letter of recommendation if you ever need one in the future.
- In addition to commissioning, you can assist us review book manuscripts/chapters, and take part in other activities and projects (if you want to) across our operations.
If you would like to get in touch about this position, send us an email titled ‘IR Theory’ to join@e-ir.info. Within that email please:
- Briefly outline your academic interests and emerging expertise (250 words max).
- Detail the kind of content, and authors, you would like to commission for E-International Relations. The more specific you are here, the better (500 words max).
- Attach (or link) one academic writing sample that best represents your abilities thus far.
- Attach a concise CV/resume (guide length: one page).
This application cycle is open until 10 March 2023. We will respond to anyone that catches our eye as soon as we can. Unfortunately, due to the number of enquiries that we typically receive, we cannot reply to candidates that we do not shortlist.
