Our 2022/2023 Call for Papers

 

Contributing to Society

2022/2023 Call for Papers

 

Our current Call for Papers is now closed. Thank you to all authors for your submissions!

Issue 9 will be released later this year. Please find the original text of the call below.

 

SPARK, the University of Stirling’s postgraduate journal, is pleased to invite postgraduate scholars of all disciplines, enrolled at any academic institution, to submit papers for the upcoming journal Issue 9. The theme of Issue 9 is Contributing to Society. 

The potential to change the world for the better, to contribute value-added discoveries and original research to fields of science and the liberal arts, and to better mankind and existence overall, is universal. We inherently possess the capacity to strive for excellence in all we undertake—to pursue the values of virtue in all we do, behave honourably and ethically in our daily undertakings, respect all creatures and planets equally, and propel society into new ages of enlightenment.  At the University of Stirling, students are challenged to ‘be the difference,’  and it is a distinct privilege for postgraduates across institutions to be presented with the opportunity to pioneer our fields and industries, and to make a profound difference in the world through our research and teaching. SPARK offers the opportunity to share research, scholarship, and academic endeavours  serving to contribute  globally. Articles and papers from all disciplines of study and research, and from institutions worldwide, are invited for competitive selection and publication. In the University of Stirling’s words, show us how your work will be the difference in the future.  

The theme, Contributing to Society, has been purposefully selected to allow for a broad range of interpretations from different disciplinary perspectivespast, present, or future.  

Ways in which the theme could be approached include, but are not limited to, the following: 

Creating meaning and value for our society   

​​​Challenges and resilience    

​Health and wellness of individuals, communities, and countries   

​Inclusion and exclusion

Sustainability and responsible citizenship

Changing the world for the better  

And many, many others

Authors can discuss the theme in any way they choose and/or explore its interdisciplinary aspects. We also welcome collaborative papers examining the theme from multiple perspectives. 

The extended deadline for abstracts of c200 words is 6 March 2023. Please email the team  at spark@stir.ac.uk directly with your abstract, and specify in your email whether you are intending to submit an article (3,000-6,000 words) or a letter to the editor (1,500-2,000 words). If you are interested in submitting a book review, please email the team directly with details of the author and title of the work you are proposing to review. 

Authors of accepted abstracts will be invited to submit their full papers for consideration by April 2023. All submissions will be subject to double blind peer reviews  and copyediting. Authors of the selected papers will be notified by June 30, 2023The final versions will be published as part of SPARK Issue 9, to be available online in autumn 2023. 

For further information on the process please see our FAQ or contact the team.

 

Questions? The editorial committee can be contacted at spark@stir.ac.uk.