Editorial Search, American Journal of Political Science (2025-2029)
The Midwest Political Science Association (MPSA) invites proposals from editorial teams to lead and manage the American Journal of Political Science (AJPS). The AJPS is one of the leading general research journals in Political Science. It strives to publish manuscripts that make outstanding contributions to scholarly knowledge about notable theoretical concerns, empirical issues, or methodological strategies in any subfield. The editorial team may propose a three or four-year term beginning in June 2025, with subsequent opportunities for annual renewal in one-year increments.
The editorial team has primary responsibility for the integrity, high standards, and ethics of the review process and the publication of articles dedicated to the scientific and public value of Political Science research. We seek proposals from diverse teams that offer a vision and plan for the AJPS to continue to be on the cutting-edge of innovation, excellence, and rigor in the discipline specifically, and in the broader social sciences and inter-disciplinary communities as well.
Information for Candidates
The AJPS is one of the top journals in the discipline and receives over 1,200 submissions each year. Serving as an Editor of the AJPS requires substantial commitments of time, intellectual effort, and management skill. The MPSA prefers editorial teams of five to seven Lead Editors and Associate Editors but will be flexible in considering team configurations that will advance the study of Political Science. Teams may be configured in different ways, including having two or more Co-editors, a Lead Editor with several Associate Editors, etc. There is no need for the editorial team to be from the same institution.
Candidates for Lead Editor or Co-editor should be full professors in Political Science. Applicants are expected to have records of significant research accomplishment, intellectual breadth and depth, and administrative, organizational, and interpersonal skills.
The editorial team reports directly to the MPSA Executive Council, primarily through the MPSA Executive Director and the MPSA President. The editorial team will appoint and maintain the AJPS Editorial Board and interact with the publisher (currently Wiley) and the broader political science research communities. The contract with Wiley runs through December 2026 and future publishing contracts will be determined by the MPSA Council in consultation with the editorial team.
The AJPS uses an online manuscript-processing system to manage the flow of manuscripts. A professional Managing Editor with more than seven years of experience managing the AJPS is provided by the MPSA to oversee the day-to-day operation of the journal, including managing the technical aspects of the AJPS website, communicating with the production team, ensuring continuity of journal operations, and providing institutional knowledge to the incoming editorial team. The editorial team may need to select and supervise additional contracted staff including student assistants.
The AJPS has historically benefited from a cooperative arrangement between the MPSA and the Editors’ home institutions, with both providing support for the Editors. Host institutions may provide office space, IT support, course reductions, summer salary for the Editors, and support for student assistants. The MPSA provides a significant honorarium and possible travel funding for the Editors, as well as possible funding for student assistants. Different host institutions have provided varying types of support in the past and the MPSA has flexibility in terms of what it can fund. Editorial teams are encouraged to discuss their proposed budgets with MPSA Executive Director, Meegan Isenhour (isenhour@mpsanet.org).
The new editorial team is expected to continue two current policies. First, all manuscripts that are accepted must comply with the Replication and Verification Policy which includes archiving any data used in the manuscript in the AJPS Dataverse. (Proposals do not need to include a plan for data replication and verification as the MPSA contracts with the Cornell Center for Social Sciences for replication and verification of accepted manuscripts.) Second, the AJPS has implemented an Editorial Conflict of Interest (COI) policy, where any potential conflicts are to be disclosed and, if required, a different member of the editorial team will serve as the Lead Editor for that manuscript.
Informational Zoom Session with Current AJPS Editors – Join us on Friday, July 12th
Interested in learning how you might become the next editors of AJPS? Join current co-editors-in-chief Kathy Dolan and Jen Lawless to discuss the administrative workings of the journal, the staff and resources provided by the MPSA, and creative ways for your institution to support your bid!
Join us Friday, July 12th at 12:30 PM (Eastern Time) here. Having trouble joining the call? Email MPSA for help.
To Apply
The search process will consist of two stages, the first of which is optional, but encouraged. First, by July 1, 2024, candidates should e-mail full curriculum vitae for each member of the editorial team and a letter of intent as PDF attachments to AJPS Editorial Search Committee Chair Dan Hopkins (danhop@sas.upenn.edu) and Meegan Isenhour (isenhour@mpsanet.org). The letter of intent should be no longer than four pages single-spaced and should address: the structure of the editorial team, the staff structure, and the editorial team’s vision for the AJPS if they become Editors. Please note we will also welcome expressions of interest from individuals who would like to serve as AJPS Editors but don’t have fully formed teams. The MPSA will speak with each team or individual applicant regarding how they might develop more detailed proposals.
Second, by August 1, 2024, editorial teams should e-mail a full CV for each member of the editorial team and a complete proposal to Dan Hopkins (danhop@sas.upenn.edu) and Meegan Isenhour (isenhour@mpsanet.org). This proposal should discuss the structure of the editorial team, staff structure (including any plans for student involvement), previous management and editorial expertise of the editorial team, vision for the AJPS, detailed budgets, and statements of specific financial and in-kind support from host universities. Please contact Meegan Isenhour (isenhour@mpsanet.org) for clarification about what these documents should contain. All applicants will receive an e-mail confirmation once the final proposal has been received and the search committee may request further information as needed.
AJPS Editorial Search Committee
Chair: Dan Hopkins, University of Pennsylvania
Brian Crisp, Washington University in Saint Louis
Lisa Ellis, University of Otago
Bernard Fraga, Emory University
Jessica Weeks, University of Wisconsin-Madison