As part of the submission process, authors are required to check off their submission's compliance with all of the following items, and submissions may be returned to authors that do not adhere to these guidelines.
Artistic submissions (non-academic) must be titled, include a brief description of the work, a brief bio of the artist (50–300 words total). NOTE: the following checklist items apply ONLY to academic submissions.
The academic submission has not been previously published, nor is it before another journal for consideration, or an explanation has been provided in Comments to the Editor. (Artistic submissions may be exempted from this requirement.)
Articles and essays must include an ABSTRACT (75-200 words) that summarizes the paper, including the main argument or findings, the disciplinary background or approach, and any research literatures or theories significantly utilized.
The academic submission file is in Microsoft Word file format. (Artistic submissions may be other file formats.)
DOIs have been included for all academic articles listed in the Works Cited.
Where available, URLs for the references have been provided.
Academic texts are double-spaced; use a 12-point font; and all illustrations, figures, and tables are placed within the text at the appropriate points, rather than at the end (requirement may not apply to artistic submissions).
The text adheres to the Guidelines and Requirements outlined For Contributors.
If submitting to a peer-reviewed section of the journal (articles and essays), the submission includes two separate documents: 1) anonymous version; and 2) a title page with all author contact and affiliation information.
Academic article / essay submissions that pass peer review and are prepared for publication are subject to a one-time $250 fee prior to publication (does not apply to book reviews, film reviews, or any artistic submissions). All book submissions (monographs and edited volumes) that pass peer review and are approved for publication with BIG_Books are subject to a one-time $2500 fee prior to publication.
Author Guidelines
For submission guidelines and requirements, see For Contributors.
Articles
BIG_Review articles are long-form explorations of borders in a globalized world, presenting original research from diverse disciplinary backgrounds. All articles undergo at least two double-blind peer reviews, drawing on the expertise of our Editorial Board and a wider network of borders scholars, subject to the discretion of the Chief Editor. Like all BIG_Review publications, articles are available for free in open-access Creative Commons licensing.
Essays
BIG_Review essays are shorter-form explorations of borders in a globalized world, allowing for more flexibility in focus and method. Essays may undergo double-blind peer review, drawing on the expertise of our Editorial Board and a wider network of borders scholars, subject to the discretion of the Chief Editor. Like all BIG_Review publications, essays are available for free in open-access Creative Commons licensing.
Policy
BIG_ Review’s policy section (edited by Alan Bersin, Ben Rohrbaugh, and Edwin Hodge)dedicates space to the translation of academic research and scholarship into focused, plain-language reports available to everyone. Writing policy briefings and essays is a special skillset that requires researchers to step outside of their academic training and to imagine what their work might look like to someone without their background. Researchers need to present their work in ways that inspire and enable non-experts to incorporate the findings into their policy frameworks. This means submissions should use clear and relatable language, catchy titles and headings, appeal to current events and issues, avoid jargon and theory, cite relatively few sources, and avoid footnotes. Policy suggestions should flow naturally from the research’s key findings.
Policy submissions may take two forms: policy reports or policy briefs. Policy reports should be 4,000 words in length, include a short summary (three bullet points), executive summary, findings, and conclusion with implications and recommendations. Policy briefs should be 2,000 words, include a short summary (three bullet points), and must conform to the template (reports may adopt this format as well):
Portfolio
BIG_Review publishes portfolios of artist collections related to the world of borders—whether political, material, cultural, or conceptual borders. Portfolios are chosen by the Chief Editor and featured on the cover of each issue, and, like all BIG_Review publications, available for free in open-access Creative Commons licensing, unless otherwise specified.
Poetry
BIG_Review publishes poetry related to the world of borders—whether political, material, cultural, or conceptual borders. The Poetry Section is edited by Dr. Natasha Sardzoska, and, like all BIG_Review publications, is available for free in open-access Creative Commons licensing, unless otherwise specified.
Art & Borders
BIG_Review publishes art features, including orginal artworks, essays, and interviews related to the world of borders—whether political, material, cultural, or conceptual. The Art & Borders Section is edited by Dr. Elisa Ganivet, and, like all BIG_Review publications, is available for free in open-access Creative Commons licensing, unless otherwise specified.
Visual Artwork
This section is for visual artwork.
Research Note
Research notes engage with single concepts, terms, or debates pertaining to border studies, using few references (no more than five). Research notes should be between 750 and 1,200 words.
Interviews
BIG_Review occasionally publishes interviews at editors' discretion.
Articles: European Borders
This section is for article submissions pertaining to European borders. The Section Editor is Martin van der Velde, with Tatiana Shaban, Assistant Editor.
Copyright Notice
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0) that allows others to copy and redistribute the material, to remix, transform and bulid upon the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
Artists may discuss alternative copyrights with the editors.
Privacy Statement
The names and email addresses entered in this journal site will be used exclusively for the stated purposes of this journal and will not be made available for any other purpose or to any other party.
