Welcome to the official homepage of Beyond Politics: An Undergraduate Review of Politics, published by the University of Notre Dame. This peer-reviewed journal is exclusively for the publication of outstanding undergraduate research in the field of political science. Our mission is to increase the circulation and discussion of student research in Notre Dame�s largest department.

• Journal Structure
  
• Frequently Asked Questions
  
• Acknowledgements
  

The exact length of each issue of Beyond Politics depends on the quantity and quality of submissions received. We seek to publish a minimum of four feature articles and two smaller, department articles with the goal of covering a wider variety of topics at different depths of analysis. All articles published in the journal will pertain to the four subfields of political science, including international relations, American politics, political theory, and comparative politics. Interdisciplinary approaches can also examine public policy, economics, history, or psychology through a political lens.

The feature articles will be traditional academic research papers based on original investigation and analysis. Ideally, these features should represent the four major subfields, either as stand-alone subjects or as lenses of analysis. Shorter department papers, while still based on original research, will be less dense and more argumentative toward current political events. The goal of including both longer and shorter types is to increase the submission pool and to embrace a wider variety of accessible subjects, both of which will increase the size and quality of the submission pool as well as attract readers.

Why does Beyond Politics distinguish between �features� and �department� length submissions?

One of the keys to a successful journal is including relevant and up to date material. By allowing for some shorter submissions, students will be able to write about more recent, pressing topics. This helps reach a larger pool of both readers and writers. The names �features� and �departments� derive from the world of magazine publishing, where such terms are also used.

Do I have to be a political science major to submit?

Absolutely not. As long as the submission pertains to political issues, either domestic or international, students are encouraged to submit their research. If in doubt, please contact our editorial staff and run the concept by our editors.

It costs a lot of money to print journals, so how are you being funded?

Beyond Politics is generously funded by the College of Arts and Letters, the Department of Political Science, and Professor James McAdams, who has been a long-standing advocate for promoting original student research.

I�m interested in becoming an editor or helping with Beyond Politics. What should I do?

As a political science journal, Notre Dame�s chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha, the political science honors society, is responsible for managing this publication. Most editors, though not all, are drawn from current Pi Sigma Alpha members. If you are interested in being involved with Beyond Politics, please contact us for information.

Once all the submissions have been collected, how exactly does the selection process work?

The peer-review process at Beyond Politics is blind, which means that the identity of the author is unknown to the editors reading the manuscript. All manuscripts are read by more than one editor, each of whom analyzes content, style, structure, and the quality of the research. Interesting, unique student research is of paramount importance.

I attend a university other than Notre Dame, so am I eligible to submit work to the journal?

Students from the University of Notre Dame will always be given priority, but exceptional articles will always be considered, even from other universities.

I heard Beyond Politics has opportunities for artists to have work published, too. Is that true?

Yes, in fact, Beyond Politics does have outlets for both writers and artists. Check the �Submission Guidelines� page for more information about what kind of artwork we accept.

The creation of Beyond Politics would not have been possible without the encouragement of Professor A. James McAdams and the guidance of Professor Sebastian Rosato. Once established, this journal also received direction from Professor Dan Lindley, who has been a strong advocate of undergraduate research. Beyond Politics would like to thank all three professors for their continued support.