Submissions Guidelines & Policies

Submissions Guidelines & Policies

Author Guidelines

General Rolling Submissions

Reconsidering Development publishes research articles, policy briefs, and photo essays once a year. Submissions are accepted on a rolling basis on a variety of development topics that are interdisciplinary in nature. Reconsidering Development seeks submissions that engage a broad audience and consider multiple perspectives on issues related to international development. We will consider submissions from multiple theoretical and practical perspectives, disciplines, and sectors expressed through a variety of formats. Submissions are encouraged from researchers, graduate students, and practitioners engaged in international development. See below for more information on the submissions criteria, process, and guidelines.

Submissions Process

Submissions are initially reviewed by the Editor(s) for suitability per the criteria listed above. If found suitable, the submission will be sent to 2-3 external reviewers for a blind peer review (author identification is removed from the submission). The Editorial board will review the recommendations from the peer reviewers and notify the author of its decision to accept, reject, or request revisions. This process may vary at the discretion of the Editor. We strive to provide authors with prompt feedback, and, in most cases, the full peer review process should take less than 3 months. Furthermore, all manuscripts submitted will be checked for plagiarism (copying text or results from other sources) and self-plagiarism using Turnitin. Plagiarism is not tolerated under any circumstances.

Submission Guidelines & Formats

Submissions are accepted in the form of research articles, policy notes, book reviews, and photo/artistic essays.

Research Articles

Articles should be well-rounded conceptual or empirical discussions and should include a literature review and/or conceptual/theoretical framework, methods, and analysis/discussion sections.

  1. Articles are typically 7,000-9,000 words in length.
  2. Articles should be submitted as Word or RTF documents. The recommended format is single spaced, serif font.
  3. Articles should cite sources according to the most recent version of the American Psychological Association (APA) guidelines.
  4. Include a 100-150 word abstract in the submission form.
  5. Along with the abstract, provide a list 2-5 key words that best describe your research. You may wish to consult the Thesaurus of ERIC descriptors.
  6. Articles may (and are encouraged to) include accompanying media (graphs, maps, figures, photos). See media formatting guidelines below.

Policy Notes/Briefs

Policy Notes/Briefs are short descriptions of innovative development policies or programs or evaluations of development policies or programs. While these accounts may focus on a particular issue or context, they should have relevance for the journal theme and an international audience.

  1. Notes should not exceed 2,000 words in length.
  2. Notes should be submitted as Word or RTF documents. The recommended format is single spaced, serif font.
  3. Notes should cite sources using the most recent version of the American Psychological Association (APA) guidelines.
  4. Notes may (and are encouraged to) include accompanying media (graphs, maps, figures, photos).

Book Reviews

Reviews can cover one book or several related titles, preferably those published in the last two years. Preference will be given for reviews that critically engage with the book, along with briefly summarizing its content. Reviews should not exceed 1,000 words in length.

Photo/Artistic Essays

Photo or artistic essays convey a powerful message using photographic images or artwork while telling a story. We request an accompanying written piece to the artistic expression in the form of 100-300 words (either as an attached essay or as detailed captions to each photo) to be uploaded as a Word or RTF document.

In addition to original photos and artwork, we also encourage video and audio submissions. The preferred format for media files is listed below. Please note we may request original media files for final publication to ensure image quality. All media may be edited for size and quality to fit layout or optimize files for web delivery. Submitters will have the opportunity to preview results before publication.

  • Photo Submissions: JPEG (jpg); 100% quality
  • Video Submissions: MPEG4 (mp4)
  • Audio Submissions: MPEG3 (mp3); Bit rate: 128 Kbps; Sample rate: 44.100 kHz

Submission Criteria

Submissions will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

Does the submission relate to the journal issue theme?

  • Fit with Call for Submissions – Submitters must be explicit (in both the abstract and submission) about how their piece addresses and fits with the journal aim (and theme).

Does the submission demonstrate an advanced level of critical and creative thinking?

  • Clarity of argument – Submitters must be clear about the argument they are making with the piece.
  • Application to general audience – Our readership includes academics and practitioners from a wide variety of fields. We seek pieces that clearly elaborate how the argument applies to this audience.

Does the submission contribute to the advancement of development discourse?

  • Significance of contribution – The “So what?” question must be addressed in each piece. Who is your audience and why does it matter? What does your piece add to development theory and practice?
  • All work must be original.
  • All accompanying media must be your own or licensed for re-publication under non-commercial use.

Open Access Statement

This journal provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports the greater global exchange of knowledge.

Rights for Authors and University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing

All articles published in Reconsidering Development are distributed with a Creative Commons Attribution license (CC BY 4.0). This means that each author holds the copyright to her or his work, and grants users the rights to: share (copy and/or redistribute the material in any medium or format) or adapt (remix, transform, and/or build upon the material) the article, as long as the original author and source are cited. Permission is not needed for these uses. Read the summary terms, or the full legal license code. For permission for other uses, or questions about use, please contact the editors.

General Terms and Conditions of Use

Users of the University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing website and/or software agree not to misuse the University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing service or software in any way.

The failure of University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing to exercise or enforce any right or provision in the policies or the Submission Agreement does not constitute a waiver of such right or provision. If any term of the Submission Agreement or these policies is found to be invalid, the parties nevertheless agree that the court should endeavor to give effect to the parties' intentions as reflected in the provision, and the other provisions of the Submission Agreement and these policies remain in full force and effect. These policies and the Submission Agreement constitute the entire agreement between University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing and the Author(s) regarding submission of the Article.