If you are interested in publishing with OxPol, please read the submission guidelines below:

Content

Make the implications of your research clear from the start

  • Clarify why and how your research is important from the start of your article, using language that will grab the attention of your specific audience without compromising the wider appeal of the article to less specialised readers. If you are writing for a policy audience, highlight the policy implications of your research from the outset. If you are writing for an academic audience, explain why and how your conclusions matter in the context of real-world issues. One formula for doing this is to start with a sentence outlining the real-world implications of the weaknesses or gaps in current policy/academic research, followed by a sentence outlining how your article specifically addresses this issue.

Avoid unnecessary autobiographical information

  • In some cases, autobiographical information can strengthen a post, for example, if you are writing about experiences in academia or policy-making and how this has influenced your conclusions. However, when this is not the case, superfluous autobiographical detail can distract from the main points of the blog post.

Use clear examples to illustrate your arguments (but do not overdo it)

  • To strengthen your argument, use well-developed examples that clearly demonstrate the point you are trying to make. Be sure to explain your examples in detail so that they can be understood by a wide audience. This is particularly important in abstract theoretical discussions, which should be accessible across disciplines.

Remember who your audience is

  • If your article has a clear political or activist purpose, make sure you clearly communicate how your work addresses these concerns. If it is aimed at a specific academic audience, the use of key terms or buzzwords can help signpost what your article is specifically about, without compromising its appeal to a wider audience.

Style

Use the active voice

  •  The active voice shortens your sentences and makes your writing more accessible and engaging than using the passive voice.

Use hyperlinks

  • Use hyperlinks in your article to refer to sources instead of a bibliography or footnotes. Hyperlinks should be used to refer to sources and materials that provide additional information, rather than information that is essential to understanding a particular point you want to make in the article. All essential information should be included in the article itself.

Accessibility

  •  Your writing should be comprehensible to a well-informed but non-specialist reader outside the discipline, such as an Economist or Financial Times reader. To ensure this, (1) the language should not be too technical and (2) the arguments should be clear. Political or academic jargon should be explained, as should key international relations and economic concepts.

Use subheadings to structure the article

  • Clear subheadings and topic sentences ensure that the article is easy to follow and holds the audience’s attention.

Avoid unnecessary jargon

  • Excessive use of jargon can distract from the argument of your article. When including theoretical or empirical jargon, always consider whether it is essential to your argument. If you use theoretical examples or obscure terms, make sure you explain why they are relevant. This will ensure that your terminology is not limited to a specific audience and has a wider appeal.

Use British English spelling

  • As the blog of the Department of Politics and International Relations at a UK university, we use British English spelling.

Originality/ Plagiarism

All work submitted must be original and not previously published in the same form elsewhere. Presenting work or ideas from another source as your own, with or without the consent of the original author, by incorporating them into your work without full acknowledgement is plagiarism.

Plagiarism can take many forms, including direct copying, inappropriate paraphrasing and failure to properly acknowledge sources. To avoid plagiarism, please apply the principles of good academic practice, i.e., proper attribution and citation, original analysis and interpretation.

As a blog that aims to make recent academic work more accessible to a wider audience, we encourage submissions that present abridged versions of papers originally published in academic journals.

 

By contributing to the Oxford University Politics Blog you have agreed to the legal notice, policies and the Creative Commons licence shown at the foot of this page.The blog makes content available as Open educational Resources (OER); content that is available for reuse and redistribution by third parties globally, provided that it is attributed to its creator. Creative Commons provides the legal and technical infrastructure for the success of OER.

You can submit your draft post, or discuss your idea with one of our Editorial Team, via email: blog@politics.ox.ac.uk.