Aims and scope
The International Journal of Political Science publishes theoretical, empirical and policy-oriented research on politics, government and international affairs. It covers political theory, comparative politics, international relations, public administration and public policy, and welcomes qualitative, quantitative and historical approaches. It serves researchers, educators, practitioners and policymakers, and provides open access to all articles.
Political theory and philosophy
- Political philosophy
- History of political thought
- Democratic theory
- Political ideologies
- Religion, secularism and politics
- Theoretical approaches and research methods
Comparative politics
- Political institutions and regimes
- Federalism and decentralization
- Political parties and party systems
- Democratization and political stability
- Ethnic politics and conflict
- Constitutional development
- Political violence and insurgency
Elections and political behavior
- Elections and electoral systems
- Voting behavior
- Public opinion
- Political participation and representation
- Women in politics
- Political communication and misinformation
International relations
- International relations theory
- Foreign policy analysis
- Diplomacy and international organizations
- Regional integration
- International security and deterrence
- Peacekeeping and conflict resolution
Public administration and governance
- Public administration
- Local government institutions
- Governance and accountability
- Corruption and public procurement
- Digital government
- Civil service and capacity building
Public policy and political economy
- Public policy analysis
- Welfare and social protection policy
- Political economy of development
- Poverty reduction policy
- Public law and judicial politics
- Human rights
Now accepting submissions
Manuscripts are welcome throughout the year through the online submission form.
Submit your manuscriptRead the journal
See what the journal publishes: browse its current issue and archive of open-access articles on arcjournals.org.
Browse published articles →Discoverable in
- Crossref
- OpenAlex
- Semantic Scholar
- Unpaywall
- Dimensions
- Scilit
- Lens.org
- ScienceOpen
- OpenAIRE
- ROAD
Articles reach these services through their Crossref records; ROAD lists the journal.
Open access
Every article is free to read, download and reuse under the CC BY 4.0 licence, so your work can reach any reader without a subscription or paywall.
Article types
- Research articles
- Review articles
- Case studies
- Commentaries
- Book reviews
Submissions must fall within the aims and scope above.
How to submit
- Prepare your manuscriptPDF or DOCX, following the author guidelines.
- Submit onlineSend it through the online submission form at arcjournals.org.
- Peer review and decisionAfter an editorial check, the manuscript is sent for peer review. You receive the reviewers' comments with the editorial decision by email.
Questions authors ask
Is there a publication fee?
A fee of $250 USD applies only after your manuscript has been accepted. Nothing is charged at submission or during review.
Can the fee be waived?
Yes. Waivers are available for authors from low-income countries. Write to editor@arcjournals.org with your manuscript details.
How does peer review work?
The editorial office first checks that the manuscript fits the journal’s scope and guidelines. It is then sent to reviewers in the field, and you receive their comments together with the editorial decision by email.
What format should my manuscript be in?
PDF or DOCX, double-spaced, 12 pt font, with references in APA 7th edition format. Full author guidelines are on the journal website.
Will my article have a DOI and be open access?
Yes. Each accepted article is registered with Crossref under a DOI (prefix 10.20431) and published open access under the CC BY 4.0 licence.
Where will my article be discoverable?
Each accepted article is registered with Crossref under a DOI. Open discovery services build their databases from Crossref records, so the article becomes findable in OpenAlex, Semantic Scholar, Unpaywall, Dimensions, Scilit, Lens.org, ScienceOpen and OpenAIRE. The journal itself is listed in ROAD, the ISSN directory of open-access resources.