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By Anna Villarruel, Acquisitions Editor for CQ Press
March 2024
Believe it or not, textbooks are not always the answer in Political Science classrooms! For some upper-division courses, edited volumes are incredibly popular with instructors because they bring together leading and emerging scholars to focus on a common theme.
As an Acquisitions Editor, it’s my job to ensure that our volume editors are producing an edition that will make an impact on the field. A strong volume will balance the desire to bring on the big names while surprising readers with more cutting-edge research. Our editors have been doing this for years, but now we’re building on that work by bringing in diverse contributors or selections. This is not merely a response to the zeitgeist of our times; it is an acknowledgement of the intrinsic value that diverse perspectives bring to their disciplines.
In conjunction with several of our volume editors—who curate existing articles, invite scholars to contribute new articles, or both—we have developed some best practices to help bring diverse voices to the fore. A huge shoutout goes to the following editors, who are currently wrapping up their work on three well-respected volumes. They do the work of recruiting contributors, editing their drafts, and liaising with SAGE/CQ Press during the publishing process.
Politics in the American States: A Comparative Analysis, 12th Edition |
Principles and Practice of American Politics: Classic and Contemporary Readings, 8th Edition |
Congress Reconsidered, 13th Edition |
Thad Kousser, University of California San Diego |
Steven S. Smith, Arizona State University |
Bruce I. Oppenheimer, Vanderbilt University |
Jamila Michener, Cornell University |
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C. Lawrence Evans, College of William and Mary |
Caroline Tolbert, University of Iowa |
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Ruth Bloch Rubin, University of Chicago |
These best practices for volume editors are as much theirs as they are ours!
With these best practices in mind, our volume editors went to work. For both Politics in the American States and Congress Reconsidered, existing editors brought on new members to their teams to play a key role in shaping the new editions, while Steve Smith ensured he wasn’t just pulling selections from the traditional canon. When done right, edited volumes can make the publication process (and the people involved) more visible and accessible to all scholars.
*Published 3/24. © 2024 Sage Publishing. All rights reserved. All other brand and product names are the property of their respective owners.