Dear fellow Sigma Iota Rho members,
It is our pleasure to extend an invitation to all chapters to take part in the 2009 edition of the Journal of International Relations.
The Journal of International Relations is organized and printed here at the University of Pennsylvania by the Epsilon chapter of Sigma Iota Rho. It is entirely authored, edited, produced, funded, and published annually by students of international relations. The journal focuses on politics, history, economics, and area studies, but any topic relevant to international relations or current events is appropriate.
Our vision is to create a national network uniting all SIR chapters through journal publication. We ask that your local chapter solicit submissions; we accept articles written specifically for the journal as well as papers that were written as part of coursework. We are also looking for advanced students with good writing or editing experience to offer to serve as peer reviewers for the national submissions to help determine which articles ultimately get published. Our hope for this year is to include as many articles from outside of Penn as there are from within Penn. We plan to distribute the journal to all chapters nationwide during the spring term of 2009.
Unfortunately, we are working on a very tight timeframe. The deadline for submissions is Friday, January 12, 2009; therefore, it is important to start the process as soon as possible. In the past, the most successful means for soliciting submissions has been the use of department listservs (e.g. Political Science department, History department) and advertising with flyers on campus. Enclosed with this letter you will find a sample email.
This year, there is a $100 cash prize for the best submission, judged by the thoroughness of research, soundness of argument, and clarity of writing.
The upper limit for submissions is 20 pages (12 pt font, 1 inch margins), but the majority of submissions are not that lengthy. We hope that you will take this opportunity to strengthen the relationship between SIR chapters around the country and promote international relations scholarship at large.
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact the National Director, Dr. Frank Plantan
(fplantan@sas.upenn.edu or 215.898.0452) or myself
Sincerely,
Daniel Tavana
Editor-in-Chief, Journal of International Relations
Sigma Iota Rho, Epsilon Chapter, 2008-2009
University of Pennsylvania