Submission guidelines

  • Submissions open: Monday, 10th November 2025.
  • Submissions close: Thursday, 19th February 2026.
  • The word count is between 1500 and 3500 words (excluding the bibliography).
  • Harvard referencing style must be used.
  • Co-authorship is accepted.
  • Authors may submit multiple times.
  • If you submit work previously written for a class, please notify the editors at editor.spr.trinity@gmail.com to ensure the plagiarism detector does not flag that material

How do I submit?

Submissions are made through the SPR Blackboard module. The steps to submit are described below:

  • After logging in to Blackboard as normal, copy this link to your browser: https://tcd.blackboard.com/ultra/courses/_88157_1/outline
  • Join the course by selecting ‘Submit’.
  • If the link is sent outside of Blackboard, the recipient is required to log into Blackboard.
  • Submit your paper like you submit your course assignments!

Submissions should not contain any personal information to enable an anonymous selection procedure. If your article is selected, we will contact you via your TCD email to discuss any edits which are needed.

If you have any questions or difficulties regarding the submissions, please do not hesitate to mail us at editor.spr.trinity@gmail.com.


What will make my submission stand out?

Whilst the journal publishes a wide variety of papers, all share the same aim of contributing to the fields of sociology or political science. Your paper will have an excellent chance of being selected if you can explain how your research contributes to the literature in your field. Your research does not have to be revolutionary, but it should seek to contribute something original, and you should clearly explain this.

Prioritise critical analysis over description. We want original ideas! Good writing is clear, well-structured, and understandable. Explain all key terms, include definitions, and include subtitles to help with the structure of your essay.

You can use work you have submitted as part of your college coursework at undergraduate level, but you cannot submit work that you have published previously. Any work published in the SPR should be your own work.

We look forward to receiving your submission!