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'Food for Thought': The Journal of Australian Political Economy


It is sometimes said that 'we are what we eat'. In a similar vein, perhaps we think what we read. Academics spend a lot of time researching and writing, hoping to be published and read. Much of their writing is for academic journals. Do journals matter? At worst they are an aid to academics getting appointments and promotions on the strength of their c.v.'s. Indeed, one might liken academics listing their journal publications to wild-west gunslingers putting notches on their guns for each successful outcome, except that in the latter case the 'hits' are more decisive. There has to be more to the process than this though. There is a reasonable expectation that journals should make a contribution to the advancement of knowledge and to public education. But threin lie tensions. What is useful for communications between researchers may be relatively inaccessible to more general readers who have some potential interest in, but little knowledge of, each specific field. Some would say, perhaps with regret, that a two-tiered approach is needed. Others contend that academic journals can and should serve as effective channels for communication of information and ideas between writers and a broad readership, encouraging those readers to be engaged with issues of major importance. The Journal of Australian Political Economy (JAPE) is one that has the latter aim. Started in 1976 as a means of promoting political economy as a challenge to mainstream economic theory and policy, JAPE was always part of social struggle. The struggles have been partly on University campuses as students and dissident academics have sought alternatives to mainstream economics education. The broader struggles have been against neoliberalism and other political practices that compound economic insecurity, social inequality and ecological unsustainability. JAPE has always had a declared aim of contributing to progressive social change. It is not alone in this regard, of course. Other Australian Journals like the Economics and Labour relations Review and Labour and Industry also publish progressive political economic contributions, while magazines like Australian Options seek to present shorter articles to a broad readership. In recent years the JAPE editors have put considerable focus on producing special theme issues. The Winter 2015 issue, for example, focused on Heterodox Economics, looking at how the neoclassical economic orthodoxy can be challenged by competing currents of economic thought, both in the academy and in broader social and political arenas. But other issues of JAPE continue to cover diverse issues, showcasing what political economists are contributing through their research and writing on the issues of the day. The latest issue of JAPE ( Summer 2015/16) is illustrative. The topics in JAPE no. 76 include 'the political and public dimensions of work'; 'the limits of transformation (as analysed by Karl Polanyi); 'green stimulus and pink batts' (analysing the Australian government's stimulus policy, responding to the GFC); 'contesting actually existing neoliberalism'; a comparative study of economic development strategies in Cuba and Ecuador; and reflections on 'the Australian Economy at a critical juncture'. Some of these articles are written by senior academics, while others are the work of research students. The latter aspect of JAPE is particularly distinctive. Most academic journals operate as 'gatekeepers' in the publishing process, determining who shall be pass and who shall be stopped from publishing on the basis of independent referees' reports. Few postgraduate researchers succeed in regretting published in these journals, even though their analysis ideas may be innovative. JAPE takes a more developmental approach. The standard 'double blind' refereeing approach is applied, but critical feedback form referees is not necessarily the end of the matter. The JAPE editors work commonly with authors to improve their written work to publishable standards. Indeed, even well-established senior academics often need, and benefit from, this process! The proof of the pudding is in the eating, of course. So do have a look at the contents of the latest issue, online at www.jape.org. Wht's coming next? The Winter 2016 issue of JAPE will probably include an edited transcript of the talk on the Greek/European crisis given by Yanis Varoufakis at the University of Sydney a month ago, together with articles by younger researcher/scholars on Australian housing policy, the changing occupational composition of international migration, and the principles and pitfalls in industrial policy. A future theme issue of the journal on Inequality and international Development has just been announced, inviting potential contributors to send submissions to the guest editors, Franklin Obeng-Odoom and Matt Withers. Feedback from readers of the journal is always welcome, of course, as are submitted papers. These should be emailed to the coordinating editor at frank.stilwell@sydney.edu.au

About the Author

Frank Stilwell is Emeritus Professor in the Department of Political Economy at the University of Sydney and coordinating editor of the Journal of Australian Political Economy.

This blog was originally posted on the Progress in Political Economy website (www.ppesydney.net).

Disclaimer: Emeritus Professor Stilwell did not receive any funding from institutions, public or private, in the preparation of this post, and the views expressed are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of the Journal of Australian Political Economy or the University of Sydney.

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