We are accepting submissions on a rolling basis. Please send all submissions (preferably in .doc or .docx format) and questions to spj@hks.harvard.edu
The Journal is dedicated to being an objective, non-partisan, and constructive space. We believe that it is as important to discuss the merits of existing policies as it is to exhibit shortcomings and alternatives. As such, the only criteria for submission are rigor, relevance, and readability. Please note that while we are a Harvard-based journal, we accept submissions from all.
We aim to confirm receipt of your submission and make a decision on whether to proceed within two weeks. If accepted, there will be at least two rounds of editing work before the article is published. This can be lengthened at the discretion of our editors. The entire process typically takes up to a month, although the timeline is negotiable.
Alternatively, if you would like to bounce off ideas for possible articles before writing, please feel free to email us as well. The editorial team is happy to provide guidance and work with you to develop any article ideas you may have. However, please note that any final decision on acceptance is still contingent on the formal submission of a complete piece, which will be subject to the same editorial process and standards as other submissions.
The Journal uses the Chicago Manual of Style 17th Edition (full note) for citations.
Guidelines
Op-Ed Submissions
- Content: The issue addressed has to be relevant to the Singapore experience. A good op-ed should tackle a timely issue, be clear, and provide a fresh perspective. We are open to different topics and types of writing but would prefer a policy-oriented focus to the article. To that end, policy critiques and policy proposals alike are welcomed.
- Word Limit: 1200-1800
Explainer Submissions
- Content: The Explainer column aims to take a (usually complex) policy and break it down for the public in an easily digestible and understandable way. Explainers could also take controversial policies and seek to explain the trade-offs and policy considerations behind the choices made. Graphics such as diagrams and chart-based illustrations are welcomed (ensuring appropriate licensing rules are followed).
- Word Limit: 1000
Research Paper Submissions
- Content: We gladly accept papers from across the world, from any discipline, and on all aspects of public policy. We ask, however, that papers address issues of importance to Singapore.
- For current students, this could mean a final paper, senior thesis, or graduate thesis.
- For professionals, this means a paper that you would be comfortable delivering to a policymaker or at a peer conference.
- Note: If your piece was not originally written for the Journal, please include with your submission any prior occasion where you have delivered the paper or the professor and class for which you wrote it, as appropriate.
- Format: Your research paper must adhere to our formatting and style guidelines—in particular, citations should be in Chicago style (see the 17th edition of the CMOS). Along with your research paper, you must choose one of two submission formats.
- An executive summary of your findings. This is the most visible version of your research that will appear on our website and is meant to render your article digestible to the public, press, and policymakers. It should include a short explanation of the paper’s context, research problem, and potential policy implications in prose, but the rest of the summary should be heavily bulleted, use headers liberally, and include visualizations wherever possible.
- An adapted essay. This will be an essay that builds on the key ideas of your research paper to make it more timely or relevant to Singapore policy (e.g. scoping a regionally-focused research paper to its importance for Singapore). This is to provide flexibility in the types of research papers we can consider, and increase accessibility of research topics for a larger audience. Expectations will be similar to those for Op-Ed submissions, with due considerations for the limiting differences in form and substance.
- Word Limit: None for the original paper; 750-1000 for the executive summary, or 1200-1800 for the adapted essay.
Disclaimer
By submitting your article, you certify that you have the appropriate permissions and rights for the publication of your article. If your article is accepted, you consent to working with our team of editors to ensure that it is of a standard suitable for our readers, with publication being at the final discretion of the editorial team. The acceptance and publication of any article is not an indication that the article reflects the views of the Journal. We reserve the right to reject any submissions that do not conform to our guidelines.