Note From the Editor and Call for Papers: Policy Studies Yearbook Annual Review 2025–26

Abstract

Welcome to the Policy Studies Yearbook Annual Review 2025–26 which Politics & Policy (P&P) is proud to host as an annual virtual special issue for the third time. More than a decade ago, the Policy Studies Yearbook was pioneered by our sister journal, the Policy Studies Journal (PSJ—which, like P&P, is also published by the Policy Studies Organization [PSO] and Wiley). The unique twin project of the Yearbook: (1) connects international policy scholars and practitioners via the Yearbook directory, and (2) publishes their original research on recent policy developments and exceptional reviews of the policy literature in the Yearbook Annual Review.

The Yearbook directory (psoyearbook.org/directory) is an innovative platform designed especially for policy scholars, practitioners, and graduate students to facilitate networking and enhance visibility within the policy research community. Joining is quick, easy, free, and a great way to get connected, find coauthors, potential reviewers, or thesis supervisors, identify experts in specific policy fields, shortlist potential faculty, and convene integrated conference panels—among a host of other things.

The Yearbook Annual Review was created and edited by Prof. Hank Jenkins-Smith as a special supplementary issue in the PSJ from 2009 to 2019. I had the privilege of taking on the editorship of the Yearbook in 2021¹ and it moved to an annual special issue of P&P from the 2022–23 issue² onward. A key focus of the Yearbook Annual Review has always been to introduce early-career scholars regarding the standards required to publish in prestigious peer-reviewed journals alongside co-authorship with, and academic guidance from, established faculty members. Each Yearbook therefore hosts state-of-the-literature review articles, covering recent developments in the policy literature, which is a fantastic way for doctoral candidates to maximize the publication clout of their thesis literature review work. Faculty-graduate coauthored papers remain welcome, but now the expanded Yearbook is not restricted to considering only this article type or only graduate-faculty coauthored pieces. Since 2021, the Yearbook Annual Review has also branched out to include original research articles and commentaries on contemporary policy developments and timely policy debates.

Before I introduce this year's article lineup, I am delighted to announce an important and welcome update to our publication procedures. Our longstanding publisher, Wiley, has brought in some exciting, state-of-the-art changes to P&P production over the last 18 months. These include the advent of ‘continuous publishing’ which means authors of any P&P special issue articles, including those in this Yearbook, now do not have to wait (sometimes months) for special issue compilation. Instead, special issue authors effectively have their accepted papers featured in two issues of P&P—the next open general interest issue after acceptance (articles are published around 2–3 weeks after formal acceptance) and later gathered together in the Yearbook virtual special issue with the original DOI. You will find our call for papers for the next Policy Studies Yearbook Annual Review 2026–27 at the end of this Note from the Editor. I warmly invite you to submit your policy literature review essays and systematic or meta-analyses of the recent literature, as well as original research articles and commentaries on recent policy developments, for consideration in next year's Yearbook. You may submit at https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/page/journal/17471346/homepage/forauthors.html.

We are now calling for papers for the 2026–27 Yearbook Annual Review. Review article submissions for the issue summarizing recent policy scholarship in specific policy subfields, or articles and shorter commentaries focusing on recent practical policy developments should be submitted via the ‘Submit an Article’ button at https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/page/journal/17471346/homepage/forauthors.html by no later than August 30, 2026. Be sure to select either article type Yearbook Article or Yearbook Commentary. When you have successfully submitted, please send a brief email to the Editor at [email protected], noting to me the title of your 2026–27 Yearbook submission so I can expedite consideration and, if appropriate, peer review.

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