Social Thought and Research's Philosophy
We believe that opening the journal to unconventional formats will help to keep it a vital and important publication while broadening the range of researchers that will submit to the journal as well as the journal's readership. We are convinced that there is sociologically-inclined writing of substance that should be published even though it lacks some aspect of the appearance of format favored by "flagship" journals. We even suppose that truly useful sociological pieces already exist yet remain unpublished because they lack something insisted upon by emulators of "flagship" journals--such as a current or comprehensive literature review or sophisticated statistical analyses. Analytically-guided descriptions that do not presume to test or propound generalizations still enrich sociological discourses, and clarity can be as valuable as originality. We venture to think that most sociologists have written, thought through, or at least know of manuscripts of genuine interest and value that remain unpublished because they are "not finished" or are not expressed in a conventional journal-article format. We will do our best to have the imagination and flexibility to publish such unconventionally-packaged ideas and findings. By breaking out of typical molds of sociological publication, we hope such work will be submitted to us for review and publication.
We also welcome non-conventional submissions that may have a difficult time being published in "flagship" journals. These include--but are not limited to:
- Interviews with able advisors, teachers, and researchers
- Review essays over literatures, topics, and fields
- Translations of previously-untranslated texts by leading sociologists
Please let us know you plans for these submissions before sending them in through our review page.
Our editorial board provides input and advice for Social Thought and Research, as well as directing manuscripts our way. We also rely upon volunteer reviewers to provide reviews for both articles and books.