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Middle East Journal

The Middle East Journal is an indispensable resource for research and analysis, examining emerging trends and persistent challenges in a complex regional environment.  First printed in 1947, MEJ is the oldest peer-reviewed publication in North America dedicated to the study of the contemporary Middle East. MEJ features the work of leading scholars, policy analysts, journalists, and area experts from around the world, including from the Middle East itself.

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About The Middle East Journal

The Middle East Journal is an indispensable resource for research and analysis, examining emerging trends and persistent challenges in a complex regional environment.  First printed in 1947, MEJ is the oldest peer-reviewed publication in North America dedicated to the study of the contemporary Middle East. MEJ features the work of leading scholars, policy analysts, journalists, and area experts from around the world, including from the Middle East itself.  

Each MEJ issue includes policy essays that engage current debates on political reform, economic development, and regional security, research articles that deploy the best social sciences and humanities to explain trajectories of regional change, and book reviews that keep readers updated on current literature. MEJ relies on outside peer reviewers and its distinguished editorial board to ensure top-quality, rigorous, and objective research. 

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Submit to MEJ 

MEJ welcomes research articles and policy essays relating to the Middle East and North Africa, as well as Afghanistan and Pakistan, from various disciplines. Submissions should contain both original research and analysis and are subject to double-blind peer review. Papers must not be submitted simultaneously to any other publication, nor previously published elsewhere including online or as a working paper, in English or any other language.

Authors should submit articles and essays as Microsoft Word or RTF attachment to MEJ’s Submissions Desk at [email protected]. Two copies of the paper should be submitted: The first anonymized, the second containing a cover page with complete contact information for the authors.

MEJ considers two forms of submissions: 

  • Research articles. Research articles are in-depth, scholarly studies, usually around 8,000 words (including footnotes), plus a 100-word abstract. As an area studies journal, MEJ is open to insights from across the social sciences and humanities disciplines. Our focus is on the region’s contemporary political, social, and economic affairs. Historically oriented research must demonstrate its relevance to today’s Middle East. Articles that focus excessively on methodology or theoretical concerns are not appropriate for this venue.The MEJ editorial staff will decide within six weeks of submission whether to initiate outside peer review of the manuscript. Authors should expect to receive reviews after three to five months. MEJ is not responsible for delays in the decision process.  
  • Policy Essays. Policy essays engage with contemporary debates on political, economic, and social affairs in the Middle East. Policy essays may draw from direct personal observations and experiences or on wider survey of the policy space. Policy essays should be around 3,000 words, with minimal footnotes. No abstract is necessary.Policy essays are subject to an expedited review process, relying on MEJ’s editorial staff in conjunction with the Middle East Institute’s fellows. Policy Essays will be considered on a per-issue basis and will not be considered later than two months before publication.  

MEJ Style Guide

MEJ’s audience includes academic and policy specialists as well as general readers interested in Middle Eastern affairs. Authors should write in an engaging and fluid style, avoiding unnecessary jargon and cumbersome phrasing. For further guidance, consult this document. 

All research articles and policy essays must use footnotes — not in-text citations — based on the The Chicago Manual of Style, and utilize short citations instead of ibid. or op cit. MEJ transliterates according to the International Journal of Middle East Studies (IJMES) for Arabic, the Academy of the Hebrew Language 2006 rules for Hebrew, and the US Board of Geographic Names (BGN) for Persian.   

Subscribe to the Middle East Journal

The Middle East Journal provides the background necessary for an understanding and appreciation of the region’s political and economic development, cultural heritage, and ethnic and religious diversity. It is published quarterly in Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. Subscribers receive a printed copy of each new issue and have electronic access to issues dating back to 2004. 

Pricing information:

$100 – Individual Print + Online access 

$325 – Institution Online edition only (no international shipping fee) 

$350 – Institution Print edition + Online access (plus $40 shipping fee for non-US subscribers) 

Become an Individual Subscriber 

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