Call for Submissions

The Stewardship of Public Lands

A view of a lake and towering mountains at Glacier National Park

AASCU’s American Democracy Project in partnership with the eJournal of Public Affairs seeks contributors for a special issue on the stewardship of public lands to be published Fall 2026. This issue will draw on the experiences and reflections of those who have participated in the Stewardship of Public Lands (SOPL) program whose scholarship or practice engages with questions of public land, democracy, and civic life.

Submit manuscript

Submit expressions of interest with title and abstract by January 15, 2026, to knutsone@aascu.org and taylora@aascu.org

Full manuscript or multimedia submission deadline: June 15, 2026

Stewardship of public lands is a complex and evolving concept. It encompasses conservation and access, policy and practice, sustainability and recreation, and tensions between competing values and uses. How we define and enact stewardship speaks directly to broader democratic questions of shared responsibility, community voice, and public good.

We welcome submissions in multiple formats, including traditional scholarly research articles, multimedia contributions, and reflective essays on how the SOPL experience has shaped participants’ scholarship, teaching, or practice. Submissions might explore (but are not limited to) themes such as:

  • Tensions between conservation, access, recreation, and economic interests
  • Indigenous sovereignty and traditional ecological knowledge
  • Public lands as sites of democratic practice, community engagement, and dialogue
  • Environmental justice, equity, and inclusion in land stewardship
  • Climate change, sustainability, and intergenerational responsibility
  • Teaching and learning through SOPL and other civic engagement initiatives

The above list is not exhaustive; we encourage authors to interpret the theme broadly and creatively.

Submit manuscript

Submit expressions of interest with topic and abstract by January 15, 2026, to knutsone@aascu.org and taylora@aascu.org

Full manuscript or multimedia submission due June 15, 2026

See more instructions for authors here: https://www.ejournalofpublicaffairs.org/instructions/

In addition to contributors, ADP and the eJournal of Public Affairs are also seeking individuals interested in serving as peer reviewers for this special issue.

Theory and Practice: Service-Learning, Community Engagement, and Community-Based Research

A collage of images that represent community engagement and service.

Higher education’s calling includes developing the next generation of engaged citizens on the local, state, national, or global level. The work is accomplished in equal partnership with community organizations to enrich the community for everyone. 


Guest Editor: Jean Mistele, Ph.D.

The eJournal of Public Affairs is announcing the first special edition arriving in 2025. The EJOPA seeks contributors for this special edition from scholars and practitioners of civic engagement in higher education from all relevant fields and areas.

The issue theme is Theory and Practice: Service-Learning, Community Engagement, and Community-Based Research

EJOPA seeks manuscript submissions from interested individual and group authors on all of the above topics. The above list should not be treated as exhaustive. Manuscripts that connect within the larger themes of theory and practice of community engagement will also be considered.

Manuscript deadline: August 1, 2025 

For questions specifically about the themed issue, contact Jean Mistele: JMistele@Radford.edu

If you’re ready to submit a manuscript, follow the link below. We use a separate publications site for internal reviews and editing. You will be navigated away from this webpage and asked to create a login. 

Submit manuscript

Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Civic Engagement: Opportunities, Challenges, and Transformations

The eJournal of Public Affairs invites submissions for a special issue examining the evolving relationship between AI and civic engagement. This special issue will explore how AI is reshaping the landscape of citizen participation, public discourse, and democratic governance in the 21st century from an interdisciplinary perspective. Thus, we welcome submissions from scholars, educators, policy professionals, and community leaders from across disciplines including but not limited to public affairs, political science, education, law, sociology, communication, ethics, computer science, and media studies. We look forward to receiving contributions that advance our understanding of AI’s transformative role in civic life and help shape more inclusive, transparent, and effective democratic participation in the digital age.

Submit manuscript

Submission deadline: October 31, 2025

For inquiries or to discuss potential submissions, please contact Dr. Trantham, at austin.trantham@saintleo.edu.

As artificial intelligence (AI) increasingly enters into public life, its impact on civic engagement presents both unprecedented opportunities and complex challenges for democratic societies. From AI-powered platforms that facilitate information access and political discourse, artificial intelligence is fundamentally altering how citizens engage with their communities and governments. This transformation raises critical questions about transparency, democratic accountability, and the evolving nature of civic participation.

Please take a look below for a list of topics and questions that are of special interest to this issue.

AI-Enhanced Civic Participation

  • In what ways is AI reshaping civic participation and/or public deliberation?
  • What role can machine learning play in community
    organizing and grassroots mobilization?
  • How effective are AI-powered tools for civic education and political literacy?
  • What potential do virtual and augmented reality
    applications hold for civic engagement?
  • What pedagogies promote critical engagement with AI in educational or civic settings?

Governance and Democratic Accountability

  • What risks and opportunities do AI technologies pose for trust, transparency, and accountability in public institutions?
  • What are the implications of algorithmic bias and equity concerns in civic technologies?
  • What mechanisms enable effective citizen oversight of
    automated public systems?

Information Discourse and Democratic Deliberation

  • How is AI shaping political information and
    public discourse?
  • What approaches are effective in combating mis-and
    disinformation with use of AI tools?
  • Can AI-mediated public deliberation enhance democratic consensus-building?

Digital Divides and Inclusive Engagement

  • What accessibility challenges exist in AI-powered
    civic technologies?
  • How do rural-urban disparities affect AI-enhanced
    civic participation?
  • What role do age, race, and socioeconomic factors play in AI civic engagement?
  • How do global perspectives illuminate AI’s impact on digital democracy?

Emerging Challenges and Future Directions

  • What theoretical frameworks best explain AI’s
    democratic impact?
  • How should privacy and surveillance concerns be addressed in AI civic applications?
  • How can interdisciplinary collaboration inform responsible AI use in civil life?
  • What regulatory frameworks are needed for AI in
    democratic contexts?

Submission deadline: October 31, 2025

Guest Editor: Dr. Austin Trantham, Saint Leo University

All submissions will undergo peer review by experts from relevant disciplines. We are committed to assembling interdisciplinary review panels that can assess work spanning multiple fields. Authors should prepare manuscripts according to APA formatting guidelines.

For inquiries or to discuss potential submissions, please contact Dr. Trantham, at austin.trantham@saintleo.edu.

For more information about the eJournal of Public Affairs and our submission process, visit www.eJournalofPublicAffairs.org

Imagining the Future of Publicly Engaged Scholarship in Increasingly Polarized Contexts

We are seeking submissions for a new themed issue. Coming spring 2025. We welcome contributions from scholars and practitioners interested in publishing high-quality research, practice, or editorials. 


Guest Editor: Timothy K. Eatman, Ph.D.

The issue theme is: Imagining the Future of Publicly Engaged Scholarship in Increasingly Polarized Contexts

  • Research on the effects of tenure and scholarship following efforts to dismantle DEI programming
  • Research on the efficacy of courses or programs designed to reduce extremism
  • Research on extremism within a university campus
  • Methods for building coursework designed to prepare students for a polarized world
  • Research on the role higher education can play in setting the conditions for reparations
  • Research on university general counsels; managing risk in a manner consistent with the mission of higher education

EJOPA will accept submissions focused on the theme and any of the above topics. The above list should not be treated as exhaustive. Additionally, EJOPA seeks supplemental content, such as book reviews, short videos, etc. 

Tell us about your interest in submitting or reviewing a manuscript for this issue using the form linked below:

https://podio.com/webforms/30048030/2507625

Interest deadline: Extended to February 21, 2025

Authors will be alerted about the status of their manuscripts by Monday, February 24, 2025

For questions specifically about the themed issue, contact Timothy Eatman: Tim.Eatman@rutgers.edu

Alternatively, if you already have a manuscript that is ready to submit a manuscript, follow the link below. Note: We use a separate publications site for internal reviews and editing. So you will be navigated away from this webpage and asked to create a login. 

Submit manuscript