Starting in 2017 and continuing annually, E-IR will invite PhD / doctoral students and early career academics to prepare short papers outlining novel, or under appreciated, ideas that will contribute to the understanding of international relations. The award welcomes papers on empirical, political and diplomatic issues that impact upon global or regional politics, as well as papers that discuss theoretical and disciplinary issues central to International Relations. Papers must be concise, written to be understood quickly and be accessible to any informed reader – especially those in fields beyond International Relations. As the purpose of this award is to communicate new ideas and interpretations to the widest possible audience, entrants must avoid writing in an unengaging and abstract academic style. Papers that arrive dense with citations and dependent on jargon and complex terminology will not be considered. The criteria we have placed on the award (see below) will assist entrants in writing in a suitable way for the award.
Prize
An expert panel will select a shortlist based on those articles that 1) successfully present a valid and interesting idea or interpretation and 2) do so in an engaging and understandable way. The shortlisted papers will then be published on E-International Relations and be considered for inclusion in an open access Edited Collection.
From the shortlisted candidates, one winner will be awarded and given £500 in book tokens from our partners at Routledge and Oxford University Press.
Criteria
1) All applicants must be enrolled as a PhD / doctoral candidate or be an early-career academic who has been awarded their PhD after 1 January 2015.
2) Papers must be between 3000-4500 words, including references and bibliography. As references are included in the word count, keep referencing and quotation to a minimum. Where references are needed, use the author-date system (Chicago style – see author date tab) with a references list.
3) You must write in a direct way to maximise the impact of your piece on the reader and allow your ideas to emerge.
4) You must format your article as follows:
– Give your article a catchy title that clearly describes the content. It must be 80 characters or less.
– Use headings to signpost. Bold-set and left align them. Italicise any subheadings (if used).
– Do not indent the start of paragraphs. Leave one clear line of space between each paragraph.
– Images, figures, and tables are forbidden. Communicate with a direct and engaging narrative.
– You may write in British or American English – so long as you use either variant consistently.
Deadline
To enter, please send your article in a Microsoft word format (.docx) together with a cover page containing a short biography (containing affiliation, summary of academic qualifications/status and past publications) to articles@e-ir.info. Clearly title your email ‘Article Award Entry’.
Papers must be received by 30 March 2017. We will inform all entrants of our decision by 15 June.
You should also know
There are no charges, or any hidden costs, for any aspect of entering the award. Our Publishing Agreement is available here. Copyright remains with you, the author.
