ABOUT R/EVOLUTIONS
The world is constantly in change. For centuries scientists and researchers have been trying to capture these changes in cycles, models, theories or data. We can learn from the past, but does history really repeat itself? Theories are always a reduction of reality. Models incarnate ideas without context. And data let us only guess which causal links are true. But without these, change will slip us by and leave us without any grasp or grip.
WHO IS R/EVOLUTIONS?
Behind the Journal R/evolutions stands a creative group of young researchers from the Adam Mickiewicz University (AMU) in Poznan, Poland: Agnieszka Filipiak, Eliza Kania, Jeroen Van den Bosch and Rafał Wiśniewski. We came up with a conception for a political journal in 2012 that would transcend regional outlooks and perceptions on international issues. Since the journal’s inception the editorial team has been working together with scholars from AMU: They have been a welcome support for the journal on various topics, but their help has gone beyond that as many of our projects – ranging from round table to news literary – would not have been possible without their energy.
WHAT IS R/EVOLUTIONS?
The Political Journal R/evolutions is a yearly English open access publication. Each edition contains two topics (one Global Trend and one Regional Issue). The idea behind R/evolutions is based on three interrelated concepts: networking, quality and its choice of topics.
International cooperation and contacts are indispensable to boost the quality and uniqueness of our journal’s insights. Without scientific input from different regional perspectives quality will diminish and peer-review will be less effective. Therefore we want to build out a global network of academic contacts, which can offer insights from different disciplines and diverse scientific backgrounds. Be it as authors, advisors or reviewers.
Each topic consists of a series of articles (peer reviewed), interviews and even scientific essays. For each topic our selection of texts stand out since they focus on key variables and many of them are future-orientated. When possible, we present scenarios and forecast on the chosen topic trying to cover the next 5-7 years.
Regarding the number of topics, we opted for only two in each edition: One Global Trend and one Regional Issue. From experience we know that handling more can harm in-depth research. Every edition should offer a bundle of inter-disciplinary insights in each topic, so it can be used as a foundation for future research and practical policy-making. The topics are chosen in such a way, that their analysis will benefit most from an international perspective.
International cooperation and contacts are indispensable to boost the quality and uniqueness of our journal’s insights. Without scientific input from different regional perspectives quality will diminish and peer-review will be less effective. Therefore we want to build out a global network of academic contacts, which can offer insights from different disciplines and diverse scientific backgrounds. Be it as authors, advisors or reviewers.
VOLUME # 3
VOLUME #2
VOLUME # 1
ABOUT THE JOURNAL
The division of between the Global Trend and the Regional Issue is a conscious choice: This way we aim to address two important features of the social and political reality we all live in now. First of all there is globalization, a multi-vector, megatrend that has spilled from economy to almost all other spheres of social life. Within this phenomenon we will try to capture the dynamics of some trends which, despite different circumstances and effects they have across different states, have global range and implications. In the process we try to make a full account of the numerous and often underappreciated links and interconnections spanning our planet.
Despite great leaps forward made by globalization in the last two decades, world affairs have witnessed a countermovement: Occurring simultaneously, the second development is the growing prominence of regional politics and regional studies. We live in a growingly multipolar world, in which many issues of international politics, trade and security are increasingly dealt with through regional frameworks. This is why the second section of our journal focuses on different regions or even specific states with great significance for international relations. By exploring in detail regional circumstances and developments we will be able to better understand some of the forces shaping the world of international politics.
In short, every issue offers two views: One is a sort of “zoom-out” looking at a trend spanning the globe, while the other provides a kind of “zoom-in” to a particular regional issue. Under Issues you can find the latest edition; our new trend and regional issue for the next edition; and the archive with a traditional index to systematically find articles by key words.
With an international group of prominent authors and young researchers supporting the journal, the R/evolutions team makes its apriority to promote the journal and its special editions. Therefore we provide open access to the journal and other publications, both on the website and other scholarly platforms.
For the reader’s convenience we offer our journal in the form of a pdf with interactive links (table of contents, useful websites, videos, etc. ) to minimalize the amount of scrolling. At the end of each text a ‘button’ can be found in the top right corner, that will bring the reader back to the main overview of the articles.
WHY SCENARIO BUILDING ?
Scenario-building is not a way to predict the future, but to present a spectrum of possible futures, which are plausible and can come true. There are often used to create strategies or formulate policies. This journal does not go that far, since we describe and analyze change, but do not take part in the decision-making process. This still does not diminish their usefulness for researchers and analysts. By creating ‘memories of the future,’ paraphrasing the famous Swedish Neurobiologist David Ingvar, one can grasp changes, connect discerned trends with uncertainties, and pour them into clear, consistent narratives.