FAQs

May I submit my work to other journals? Yes, simultaneous submissions are allowed however if you chose to publish your piece with the MJPA, publishing in other journals is not allowed (unless guidelines stipulated in the contract are followed).

Do I need to be a Public Policy graduate student? No. We accept submissions from people studying political science, social science, or any related field at a graduate or professional level. We also accept submissions from faculty and recent graduates.

Do I need to be affiliated with the Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs? A US citizen? Able to write my submission fluently in English? No, no, and yes. We only publish submissions that are written in English, however, authors may incorporate other languages into their work if they are topically relevant.

What would be a good fit for your journal? Although policy is a broad field, we tend to choose articles that recommend a specific policy action supported by original quantitative or qualitative research. We primarily publish articles, but may also publish notes or book reviews. MJPA has a substantial interest in domestic policy, though some authors look at international policy issues from a domestic lens. For specific questions, contact us at mjpasubmissions@umich.edu.

What is the Special Issue category? The Special Issue category is meant to encourage dialogue around socially relevant topics using non-academic outlets. Each journal has a different special issue focus, and people may submit manuscripts, notes, Op Eds, alternative policy writing, or photo essays to address the issue. Please see the submission guidelines section for more details.

Can authors be considered for publication in both the General Submission and Special Issue Submission category? While we do encourage people to leverage multiple forms of expression, MJPA will only publish authors in one submission category. This may be subject to change over time.

What is your timeline? We typically require submissions by mid-January, extend publication offers by early February, and publish by late spring.

Can authors submit more than one article? Authors may submit more that one article to MJPA. However, if both articles are considered, only one will be published in the final journal.

Can past authors be published again? Authors that are accepted for publication in prior years are not guaranteed publication in subsequent journal editions. However, they are more than welcome to submit their work annually to be considered for publication on a case-by-case basis by the MJPA Editorial Team.

For more information about our process, policies, and publishing timeline, please contact us at mjpasubmissions@umich.edu.