The Public Purpose
The Interdisciplinary Journal of American University’s School of Public Affairs
The Public Purpose is a peer-reviewed interdisciplinary journal presenting the work of graduate students from the SPA Departments of Government; Justice, Law, and Society; and Public Administration and Policy. Founded in 2003, The Public Purpose is supported by the SPA Graduate Council, with involvement and guidance of SPA faculty.
Working on The Public Purpose
There are many ways to become a part of The Public Purpose:
- Editorial Board -- Content editors, managing editors, and web/print editors are needed.
- Peer Reviewers -- Students from all areas of study are needed to evaluate articles, requiring a short time commitment in early spring.
- Authors -- All SPA graduate students are eligible to submit articles for publication.
Call for Papers
The Public Purpose is seeking original, unpublished student articles on topics affecting public policy and public affairs. The Public Purpose also welcomes non-research submissions of shorter length, such as book reviews on relevant public administration and/or policy issues. Submissions for the 2012 edition of The Public Purpose are due January 23, 2012 and will be reviewed thereafter
Submission Guidelines
All submissions must be submitted in Chicago style. Submissions that do not follow Chicago style will automatically be rejected. All submissions must include an abstract of no more than 300 words. We prefer that you submit your article by email to Kimberly S. Meyer, Editor-in-Chief, at the email address: publicpurpose@american.edu. Papers will be subject to a peer review process.
