The Grand Union Magazine

About Us

The Grand Union Magazine is the publication of the ESRC Grand Union Doctoral Training Partnership.

The magazine provides a platform to celebrate the lives and work of Grand Union Scholars and Alumni. Articles showcase dynamic, interdisciplinary, and innovative research, fostering a space for collaboration, conversation, and knowledge sharing. It is also a space for authors to go beyond the academic, reflecting on life as Grand Union scholars. The magazine aims to provide a supportive and respectful environment for authors to begin or continue their publishing journey. Launching in 2025, the Grand Union Magazine will be published annually, both online and in print, by the Scholars Association.

Submission Policy

Types of Submissions

The Grand Union Magazine invites submissions for publication in the following four sections. These examples are by no means exhaustive; they are simply a starting point for the type of submissions that may be included. We will endeavour to include any submission that aligns with the magazine’s aims.

Articles

200-800 words

These articles may include philosophical or theoretical discussions, empirical research findings, or early-stage or proposed research plans. 

Reflections

200-500 words

These pieces provide a window into the lives of Grand Union Scholars at all stages of their PhD journey and various aspects of life as a researcher. Potential topics include personal reflections on becoming a researcher, conducting fieldwork, understanding ESRC placements, participating in Overseas Institutional Visits, and reflections on DTP training events.]

Features

200-500 words

These pieces offer a space to highlight interesting works within and outside the DTP community. Features may include commentaries on recent events or debates, reviews of recent social science books or articles, or interviews with prominent social scientists.

Photo Essays

Unlike written pieces, photo essays focus on visual storytelling. They should include descriptions of the importance of the photograph(s) and a visual description of the chosen image(s). These may include images taken by Scholars during fieldwork or other aspects of their research and work.

For inspiration, see examples in the Gates Scholars Magazine.

General Author Guidelines

The magazine aims to be accessible to a diverse cross-section of readers. Therefore, we encourage submissions to be directed to a non-specialist audience with a general interest in social science.

Submissions should be concise and engaging, sparking interest. We also highly encourage the inclusion of artwork and photography that complements or speaks to the work.

As a magazine, we suggest that authors write submissions as standalone pieces that present all arguments and evidence within the text, avoiding reliance on information from external sources.

Avoid using jargon or technical abbreviations, and write in clear, everyday language that is understandable to an informed non-expert audience.

The preferred format for submissions is Word. Where references are necessary, please follow Harvard Style.

Submissions should include a title, and the first name and surname of each author, followed by their level of study, department, and institution.

If applicable, please include your ethics approval statement in the body of the work.

If you include photographs or artwork in your submission (which we highly encourage), please ensure they are of high quality.

Submission Information

Please direct all submissions and queries to Freya (freya.colenorton@law.ox.ac.uk).

Submissions will be reviewed by a member of the magazine’s editorial team, who may edit the piece for readability by a wider audience. Edits may include shortening or summarizing text. We will add a short introduction that includes the author’s affiliation and the main argument or key findings. We aim to maintain clear communication with authors during the editing process and may request clarification or approval of edits.

If you are interested in joining the Grand Union Magazine editorial committee, please email Freya.

Publishing Policy

Open Access

The Grand Union Magazine provides complete open access to its contents. We are committed to making research freely available to promote a more open and transparent research culture.

See Center for Open Science for more information on the Open Science Framework.

Fees and Charges

There are no fees at any stage of the publishing process. Authors are responsible for any fees related to proofreading services or permissions. If you have any questions, please contact us.

Copyright

Authors retain copyright and grant the magazine the right of first publication, with the work licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0. This allows others to distribute and build upon the work, provided they credit the original creator. See Creative Commons for more information.

Authors may enter into separate, non-exclusive distribution arrangements for their work, with acknowledgment of its initial publication in this magazine.

Authors are also encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their websites) prior to and during the submission process).

Permissions

If your submission contains material you do not own copyright to (including photographs or artwork), you must obtain permission from the copyright holder. The author is responsible for acquiring permissions and paying any associated fees. You must submit copies of each permission statement upon acceptance. Without proper permissions or proof that the work is in the public domain, we will be unable to use the material.

If individuals appear in photographs, permissions must be obtained from each individual as well as from the photographer, if required. For more details, see Oxford's photography and GDPR toolkit.

Privacy Notice

The names and email addresses entered on this site will be used exclusively for the purposes of this journal.

Authors agree that their names and email addresses will be available to readers upon publication, in line with the journal’s open access policy, but will not be shared for any other purpose.

Accessibility

We are committed to making the magazine as accessible as possible. We follow best practice principles as outlined by the Publishing Accessibility Action Group. See PAAG Charter for Accessible
Publishing. For support, please contact the editors.

Scholars Association