Skip to main content
0

Encuentro Latinoamericano: Revista de Ciencia Politica (ELA) is a peer-reviewed, student-run publication that focuses on Latin American politics. ELA is part of the International Association for Political Science Students (IAPSS). We follow most of the same guidelines as IAPSS’ oldest journal, POLITIKON. The languages of publication are English, Spanish, and Portuguese, with all articles accompanied by English abstracts. We hope to publish in French and Haitian Creole in the future.

Geared toward students of all levels and young researchers in political science, law, and related fields, ELA enables junior academic talents to publish at the beginning of their careers. The journal has a strong Latin American focus, which includes Mexico as well as all of Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. Articles about the diaspora can also be reviewed if there is a clear link to Latin America (i.e. a Cuban community in the US, a Venezuelan community in Spain, or a Brazilian community in the UK). Articles focusing on other countries should be sent to the IAPSS journal POLITIKON.

High-Quality Review Process

The Editorial Board of ELA is committed to publishing high-quality research articles, research notes, and book reviews. The reviewers of the journal are young researchers (exceptional Master’s degree candidates, PhD candidates, post-doctoral students, teaching assistants, and assistant professors) with strong expertise in Latin American issues and the prospective articles in question.

All articles will receive an Editorial Board review, and submissions that respect our guidelines and show an overall good command of academic research and writing principles will be forwarded to an external peer reviewer. The process is double-blind, meaning the reviewer does not know the name or affiliation of the author and vice versa.

Published Twice a Year

ELA is published bi-annually, in April and October. Special thematic or conference-based issues may be occasionally published. ELA is only published online and is available exclusively to IAPSS members for the first month after the launch of a new issue. After a month, the ELA issue is free for everyone to access.

For inquiries, please contact Dr. Rafael Plancarte, Editor-in-Chief of ELA: ela@iapss.org

The Editorial Board of Encuentro Latinoamericano

Editor-in-Chief

Rafael Plancarte

PhD In Political Science from the University of Guadalajara.
Professor at the Autonomous University of Queretaro, Mexico.

PhD In Political Science from the University of Guadalajara.
Professor at the Autonomous University of Queretaro, Mexico.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is 2.png

Call for Papers: “New Methodological and Theoretical Proposals for the Study of Politics and International Relations”

The Editorial Board of Encuentro Latinoamericano (ELA) announces its Call for Papers in the following formats: scientific articles, essays, research notes, and reviews. This special issue is entitled “New Methodological and Theoretical Proposals for the Study of Politics and International Relations.” Political Science and International Relations are disciplines in which coexist -not always harmoniously- a variety of methodological and theoretical approaches for analyzing their objects of study.

This reflects the plural nature of these social sciences and the impossibility of methodological unity. The approaches of these disciplines are constantly being renewed, so keeping up to date with their advances is useful. This special collection aims to disseminate contemporary methodological and theoretical perspectives for the study of politics and international relations among Latin American political and social
scientists through the discussion of their advantages, applications, and limits. Some of the sub-themes covered by this call are: advances in comparativist research designs, the use of experiments in political science and international relations, new approaches to case studies, new proposals for the analysis of causality in political science, contemporary debates on new institutionalism, new approaches for the study of democracy, populisms, and electoral behavior, contemporary critical theories, advances in rational choice theory and public choice, new approaches to public policy, among others. The approach to these topics can be carried out either in the field of theoretical-methodological reflection or through the empirical study of phenomena in the Latin American context.

ELA is a journal edited by junior researchers and established scholars from Latin America that publishes texts by authors of all levels. This journal specializes in the political and social analysis of issues, phenomena, and discussions of relevance to the Latin American region, including the Caribbean. ELA is committed to following a quality editorial process. Manuscripts are submitted to the ELA evaluation process, where external reviewers play a crucial role in deciding whether the text is publishable.

Manuscripts can be submitted in any of the languages considered by ELA: Spanish, Portuguese, and English. The deadline for the call for papers is May 29, 2023. Complete information on submission guidelines can be found at https://iapss.org/ela/.

All articles will receive a preliminary review by the Editorial Committee, and those meeting the minimum evaluation requirements will be sent to two external reviewers. The process is double-blind, meaning the reviewer does not know the author’s name or affiliation and vice versa. To submit your manuscript and request additional information, please contact the Editorial Committee at ela@iapss.org.

Make a New Submission

Submission Preparation Checklist

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.

  • The manuscript is sent via e-mail to ela@iapss.org.
  • The submission has not been previously published, nor is it under consideration by another journal.
  • The submission files are in Microsoft Word format (and if one or more appendices are in another format, an explanation has been provided in the submission e-mail).
  • Where available, DOIs (preferable) or URLs for the references have been provided.
  • The text adheres to the stylistic and bibliographic requirements outlined in the Paper Submission Guidelines.
  • The author(s) of the manuscript do not have another manuscript under evaluation in this journal at the time of submission.

Author Guidelines

Encuentro Latinoamericano: Revista de Ciencia Politica (ELA) is a peer-reviewed, student-run publication that focuses on Latin American politics. ELA is part of the International Association for Political Science Students (IAPSS). We follow most of the same guidelines as IAPSS’ oldest journal, POLITIKON. The languages of publication are English, Spanish, and Portuguese, with all articles accompanied by English abstracts.

Manuscripts for publication are considered on a continuous basis, with two deadlines for review rounds set for April and October each year. The evaluation of manuscripts submitted shortly after one of these deadlines is likely to take longer than when submitted before the deadline. All manuscripts should respect the formal structure and requirements stated in the Author Guidelines. The Editorial Board will contact the authors in order to communicate the results of each evaluation. All submitted research papers and research notes are first subject to an Editorial Board Evaluation that may result in desk-rejection (communicated to the authors with a brief justification) or acceptance of the submission to the main, double-blind external peer review process performed by reviewers not affiliated to the Editorial Board members and the authors. The results of the peer review (publish, publish with minor revisions, revise and resubmit or reject) are then communicated to the authors.

Book reviews and review essays may be subject to Editorial Board Evaluation only, unless the need for expertise in a specific subfield that is not present in the Editorial Board necessitates the commissioning of an external peer-review on a double-blind basis.

Submissions are to be sent exclusively in electronic format to ela@iapss.org. Please refrain from sending a reminder on the status of your submission earlier than two weeks after your initial message.

—–

Required Submission Format 

Contents: at least two Microsoft Word files: an anonymized manuscript with no references to the authors’ identity (including in the title of the file), and a cover page. The cover page contains the title, name of the author(s) and their short presentation in a narrative form (max. 150 words for each author and including e-mail contacts of all co-authors), abstract (except for book reviews) and keywords. The anonymized manuscript contains the paper title, abstract (except for book reviews), keywords, the main body of the paper, references and appendices (if applicable–longer appendices can be sent as separate files).

  •    Font: Garamond 12, spacing 1.5;
  •    Abstract: Max. 150 words, Garamond 12, spacing 1.15, italic;
  •    Keywords: Five to ten, Garamond 12, spacing 1.15;
  •    Main Title (Heading): Garamond 16, bold;
  •    Subtitles (Section Headings): Garamond 14, bold;
  •    Sub-Subtitles (Sub-section Headings) (if applicable): Garamond 12, bold, italic;
  •    Footnotes: Garamond 10, spacing 1.0;
  •    Presentation: Garamond 12, spacing 1.15, italic.

Paragraphs: first line indentation 1.25 cm, no spaces between paragraphs

Borders: top and bottom 2,5 cm, left and right 3,00cm (default)

Quotes: sectioned off in more than two sentences; Garamond 11, indented 1.25 cm

Tables and Charts are continuously numbered, each fits on one page at maximum, and all are sourced (if original, use “Source: Author.”)

A good academic paper features:

  • Academic style of writing and structure (see section “Recommended Academic Paper Structure”);
  • Grammatically correct language;
  • Consistency in language conventions (e.g. usage British English) and grammatical person (e.g. usage of either first or third person singular, eventually first person plural, also depending on the number of authors of the paper);
  • Between 5,000 and 8,000 words, without bibliography and appendices.

Additional Requirements for Other Publication Formats

  1. Research notes: usually 2000-4000 words, either present new data without a full-fledged theoretical framework or present a research agenda that is still ongoing (for instance, the theoretical foundations and the methodology has been determined and first data were collected but the main data collection and analysis are not available yet). The author should clearly state the originality and importance of his/her contribution. Research notes undergo editorial screening and a double-blind peer review. They must not have been published elsewhere.
  2. Book reviews: usually 600-1500 words, they reflect the main ideas as well as the theoretical and/or methodological contributions of a recent work (normally no more than three years since publication) in a novel way.  Book reviews normally do not go through a double-blind peer review process (except if some issues/concerns necessitate such a decision) but they undergo editorial screening that examines, in particular, the logic of the arguments in the way presented by the reviewer and the novelty of the reviewer’s approach (especially if the book had been previously reviewed). Furthermore, a high-quality book review should discuss most of the following: the book’s targeted audience, purpose, achievements (results), sources it had used for building and presenting the argument, style of writing/readability and overall contribution to the respective subfield. The review should also provide constructive criticism and identification of missed achievements of the book/edited volume (if any). In other words, it should highlight important aspects that are not addressed although they should have been taken into consideration or are addressed in an unpersuasive/unsatisfactory way. Potential contributors are welcome to contact the journal with suggestions for reviews before submission, however, a positive reply to such a suggestion does not guarantee acceptance without regard to the editorial screening.
  3. Review essays: usually 1500-3500 words, they bring together between two to five recent books tied with a set of ideas or connecting points. Review essays review these books but rather than treating each book just individually, they focus on the connections (including potential disagreements) among them and link these to the wider debates in the field (when possible and space allows, other references to works in the field that are not among the reviewed ones in the review essay can be incorporated). Review essays undergo editorial screening and when there is a need for additional specific expertise, through double-blind peer review as well. Potential contributors are welcome to contact the journal with suggestions for review essays before submission, however, a positive reply to such a suggestion does not guarantee acceptance without regard to the editorial screening.

Required Formatting of References

Reference formatting should adhere to the Chicago Manual of Style (author-date variant), 14th Edition. Most major citation managers (such as Zotero) include this referencing style among their options.

IAPSS ELA now offers a ‘format-free’ submission process for manuscripts. Provided that the referencing system employed displays consistency and clarity throughout the manuscript, it may be submitted according to any of the major referencing styles typical for the social sciences and humanities. If the submission is not either desk-rejected or rejected by peer reviewers, the authors will then be expected to align their manuscript with the Chicago Manual of Style. With that being said, the Editorial Board does prefer receiving initial manuscripts and references written according to the Chicago Manual of Style (author-date variant). If your text is not written according to the Chicago Manual of Style, then selecting a referencing format with in-text citations, rather than referencing in footnotes or endnotes, is highly preferred.

Recommended Research Paper Structure

How should one structure a fully fledged traditional research paper? Although the structure of the paper will vary according to the needs of the subfield, especially in Political Theory, Political Philosophy, or any other normatively grounded qualitative research, the recommended structure here is particularly suited for empirical papers following a deductive logic. Research notes usually do not present any extensive literature review and focus on new data and/or methods. Conversely, review essays do not typically have a section reviewing data and methods, nor do they analyze collected empirical data. Regardless of which type of manuscript you intend to pursue, your research question(s) should provide the framework you write within, and your analysis should be presented as clearly and cleanly as possible.

Cover Page

Submit as a separate document (see above).

Abstract

Research question, original parts of research, overview of used methodology, conclusion(s).

Keywords

General and specific, in alphabetical order.

Introduction

What is the research question and why should academics research it, scientific and societal relevance.

Literature review

What has been written on the topic previously, what conclusions did others reach.

(Model construction) and theoretical framework

What theoretical framework and approach are used and why. If applicable, a causal model may be shown at this point, or later, after data investigation.

Conceptualization and operationalization

Definition of basic terms and their indicators, choice of variables and their validity testing. Formulation of hypotheses (explicit or implicit) based on the theory/theories. Elaboration of specific claim(s) in the investigated theory/theories. If applicable, description of the causal mechanism, i.e. the chain of events purported to link your explanatory variables to the specific outcome.

Methodology

Description of the specific research method used (i.e., process-tracing, discursive analysis, MLA, etc.), its advantages and weaknesses and why it is chosen.

Data

Description of the data used, number of cases, method of case-selection, source of data, method of data collection, sampling method.

Analysis and findings

What the data show in detail, general tendencies, and interesting particularities.

(Model construction) and Conclusions

Causal models may be formulated and general conclusions reached. Conclusions may or may not specifically challenge or support findings in the existing literature.

Future research

Possibilities of future research for the researcher or other scholars, promising directions, requirements for future research.

List of References (Bibliography)

Structured in the required format.

Appendices

Every piece of data used shown so as to facilitate potential replications. If possible, data shared publicly and/or presented together with the manuscript.

Note on Plagiarism

As the global representation of political science students, IAPSS is committed to the highest international standards of academic and scientific honesty. Therefore, we strictly refuse to accept any piece of work, oral or written, that is a product of plagiarism. We subscribe to the definition and characteristic of plagiarism of Oxford University, according to which

‘Plagiarism is presenting someone else’s work or ideas as your own, with or without their consent, by incorporating it into your work without full acknowledgement. All published and unpublished material, whether in manuscript, printed or electronic form, is covered under this definition. Plagiarism may be intentional or reckless, or unintentional.’[1]

We strongly recommend our members and other followers who are considering to submit a paper to one of IAPSS events or our journals or a contribution to our blog A Different View, to study the guidelines of Oxford University or similar guidelines[2] carefully and adhere to the referencing requirements listed therein.   

[1] University of Oxford. 2016. ‘Plagiarism’. Available at [Accessed 20.08.2016]: https://www.ox.ac.uk/students/academic/guidance/skills/plagiarism?wssl=1.

[2] For example, University of Melbourne. 2016. ‘Academic honesty and plagiarism’. Available at [Accessed 20.08.2016]: https://academichonesty.unimelb.edu.au/.

Should you have any questions, please contact us at ela@iapss.org.

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.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is 1.png

Call for papers: “State, Criminality, and Violence in Latin America”

 

The Editorial Board of Encuentro Latinoamericano (ELA) announces its Call for Papers in the following formats: scientific articles, essays, research notes, and reviews. This special issue is entitled “State, Criminality, and Violence in Latin America.”

The weakness of states represents one of the current concerns of political science. The State has been understood in various traditions of political thought as a necessary construction to solve the problems of social order and cooperation, in short, to overcome the Hobbesian state of nature. However, the State seen as the holder of the legitimate monopoly of violence is more an ideal type than an empirical phenomenon, hence the need for approaches that demystify the State and consider its limitations and real characteristics (Migdal, 2008). One of the main challenges of contemporary societies lies in the inability of the State to fulfill its functions, especially in complex societies such as those of Latin America, in which actors emerge guided by a variety of economic and political motivations that challenge and compete with the State. In the worst cases, we observe the emergence of forms of social organization on the margins of the State built on fear (such as those that prevail in various towns in Mexico driven by criminal groups). A weak State cannot guarantee freedom, certainty, and social welfare to its citizens (Acemoglu & Robinson, 2020), hence the urgency of understanding the logic of the phenomena and processes that directly or indirectly express the weakness of the State. This special issue is an opportunity to reflect on these phenomena and processes with a focus on the weakness of the State as one of the causes of their emergence. Some topics that will be covered are: drug trafficking, criminality, politically motivated violence, economically motivated violence, self-defense groups, and community police, lynchings, among others.

ELA is a journal edited by junior researchers and established scholars from Latin America that publishes texts by authors of all levels. This journal specializes in the political and social analysis of issues, phenomena, and discussions of relevance to the Latin American region, including the Caribbean. ELA is committed to following a quality editorial process. Manuscripts are submitted to the ELA evaluation process, where external reviewers play a crucial role in deciding whether the text is publishable.

 

Manuscripts can be submitted in any of the languages considered by ELA: Spanish, Portuguese, and English. The deadline for the call for papers is May 29, 2023. Complete information on submission guidelines can be found at https://iapss.org/ela/.

All articles will receive a preliminary review by the Editorial Committee, and those meeting the minimum evaluation requirements will be sent to two external reviewers. The process is double-blind, meaning the reviewer does not know the author’s name or affiliation and vice versa. To submit your manuscript and request additional information, please contact the Editorial Committee at ela@iapss.org.

 

Close Menu