Submitting Research Articles

HOW TO SUBMIT A RESEARCH ARTICLE.

About

Research articles comprise the bulk of Pacific Affairs and so we are always looking for quality submissions that meet our standards for publication. In our eyes, a strong paper must:

1) provide new empirical information for specialists;

2) engage with the relevant Asian-language materials and scholarship;

3) possess a clear argument that is differentiated from or positioned within the existing academic literature on directly relevant subjects;

4) be encased in argumentation that is consistent, cogent, and fully engaged with the larger theoretical and/or comparative literature on the subject; and

5) be written in clear and consistent English and have a structure that helps support the argument.

We strongly believe these five components generate value-added for readers who are specialists of the subject, comparativists, or generalists, and increase the likelihood of cross-disciplinary mobility or traction. Naturally, a paper may not meet all of these criteria upon first submission, but it should at least have the potential of to do so after revisions.

Sample Publishing Agreement Articles Style Guide Peer Review Process

Focus

We do not publish descriptive overviews based on secondary sources or journalistic coverage. Also, our focus is generally on the social sciences, but manuscripts on media, arts, and literature are welcome as long as the main focus is on contextual, rather than textual, analysis.

In terms of chronological coverage, Pacific Affairs accepts the submission of manuscripts dealing with the contemporary social, economic, and political affairs of Asia and the Pacific. The “contemporary” is defined to include significant issues within the past five years or the forthcoming five years. Papers focused on historical topics are also encouraged but only if the manuscript makes a strong and sustained case for clear relevance to the contemporary scene.

Pacific Affairs broadly defines its constituents to include scholars, educators, program directors, academic administrators, consultants, policy makers and practitioners in private or public organizations in which Asia and the Pacific, defined as both a geographic and a conceptual space, is a significant or central concern.