PS Submission Guidelines

How to Get Published in PS

PS is the journal of record for the American Political Science Association. The journal, which is peer reviewed, provides coverage of the broad range of observations and information about the discipline. Its coverage has evolved since its introduction in 1968 to include critical analyses of contemporary political phenomena by authors working within their own subfields aimed at the informed, general reader.

Editorial Guidelines

• Submissions should be manuscripts that have not been published previously and are not under consideration for publication elsewhere.
• Manuscripts should present issues and analyses of relevance and interest to political scientists with clarity and conciseness. Good writing matters.
• Qualitative and quantitative manuscripts are welcome. However, manuscripts that are exclusively descriptive or that rely heavily on methodological and statistical presentations are not suitable for publication in this journal.
• The subjects and methods of articles should be of interest to political scientists reading outside their own field of interest or specialty.

Manuscript Guidelines

• Submitted manuscripts are subject to a blind-review process of approximately 2-3 months in length. Authors must submit their manuscripts through the journal's online manuscript processing system, found here: www.editorialmanager.com/ps. New authors will need to create an account within the system before submitting their manuscript. The author's or authors' name(s) should appear only on a separate cover sheet, and the first page of the text should include the title of the manuscript. Language within the text that might identify the author(s) should be avoided.
• When submitting a manuscript through the online system, the author will need to have the following information available: three keywords that describe the manuscript; a cover letter available to upload or cut-and-paste; an abstract of no more than 200 words; the number of words in the manuscript; the number of figures, tables, and graphs in the manuscript. After uploading your manuscript, make sure you view it in both pdf and html before logging out of the system. Finally, authors may submit works in progress through the system to work on over time before submitting a final version for peer review.
• Materials reproduced from already published work must be accompanied by permission of the original publisher or copyright holder.
• Manuscripts should include in-text citations that will correspond with endnotes and references. Endnotes and references should conform with the APSA Style Manual for Political Science and the Chicago Manual of Style.
• Manuscripts should be double-spaced and formatted for 8 1/2" x 11" paper and should not exceed 15 pages in length.
• Gender-specific pronouns used to refer to members of the profession or to society at large should be avoided.
• Manuscripts submitted for possible inclusion in the "front" of PS--Symposia; Features; The Teacher; and The Profession--may be submitted at any time. Except with Symposia submissions and a few extraordinary cases, authors cannot submit manuscripts for inclusion in a particular issue. Accepted and revised manuscripts are customarily printed in the next available issue, themes and page count permitting.
• Authors addressing especially timely and topical subjects are encouraged to contact the editor before submitting their manuscripts. Special provisions can be made to "rush" an article or set of articles through the review process.

Manuscript Processing and Production

• Upon submission, the editor makes an initial judgment about the suitability of the manuscript for publication in PS. Suitable manuscripts are sent to a minimum of two reviewers. After reviewers make their recommendations, the editor reaches a final judgment. Every effort is made to limit the review process to three (3) months.
• If the editors, based upon  the recommendations of the reviewers, feel that the article would benefit from revision the author(s) will receive a letter from the editors asking the author to revise the article as outlined by the reviewers and to resubmit it for further review by the editors and, perhaps, other reviewers. The author(s) has six months from the date of this letter to resubmit a revised version of the article. Revised and resubmitted articles over six months old will not be considered for publication in PS.
• Once accepted, authors are asked to submit a revised final copy of the manuscript. A statement transferring copyright from the author to the American Political Science Association is necessary before publication. The editor will provide the necessary copyright transfer form.
• The final copy is copy-edited and returned to the author for final approval. All changes and revisions are incorporated into the manuscript electronically and submitted to the printer.
• One set of page proofs is sent to the author. Corrected page proofs should be returned to the assistant editor within two (2) days of receipt of the proofs. Every effort should be made to limit corrections to typographical errors. Fees charged for other changes will be the responsibility of the author.

Symposia

• Individuals wishing to submit a set of articles for a symposium or to organize a group of scholars on a topic should first consult with the editor about the theme and prospective authors.
• The editor may also invite authors to submit articles addressing a single theme or question. Invited articles are also subject to the review process.

Submit manuscripts through the online system at: www.editorialmanager.com/ps
Submit questions to: ps@apsanet.org