As part of the editors’ commitment to engage with topical political and academic issues, BJPIR showcases developments in particular fields or areas of the discipline. Such showcasing generally takes one of two forms, the most frequently used being the special issue. From time to time, the journal also devotes a section of a regular issue to a symposium on a given topic.

Most recently, we have published special issues on ‘British Idealism’ (2005)( 7.1 - Link to Article) and on ‘Britain and the European Union’ (2006). The most recent symposium was on ‘Political Forecasting for the British Election of 2005’ ( 7.2 - Link to Article)

Special issues are normally edited by an external guest-editor(s) who is responsible for selecting contributors, managing and editing the contents of the articles and writing a brief introduction. The guest-editor(s) will also be responsible for the final submission to the journal, though the journal editors retain final say on the publication of any article. Symposia may be initiated by external contributors but are coordinated and managed by the Journal’s editorial team.

We aim to publish no more than one special issue per year, but if you have an idea for a special issue or symposium, please feel free to email us.

In order to achieve its aims, BJPIR addresses developments within the discipline in special State of the Discipline and Controversy sections. From time to time we also publish in depth Review Articles.