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IR thinkerAuthor: Martin Zubko
The IR thinker features in-depth interviews with leading experts in international relations. The IR thinker is an independent, non-partisan and non-aligned platform. It hosts a wide range of perspectives on international relations but does not endorse any political party, government or ideological position. Since its first episode in 2023, The IR thinker has produced more than 100 episodes as a pro bono initiative established by Martin Zubko, an international relations scholar and lecturer. Available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Language: en Genres: Science, Social Sciences Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Regional & Federal Studies - Davide Vampa & Mariely Lopez-Santana | Ep. 16 (2026)
Episode 16
Tuesday, 9 June, 2026
Today, it is a real pleasure to speak with the editorial team of Regional & Federal Studies, one of the leading journals in the field of territorial politics, regionalism, and federalism. The journal was established in 1991 as Regional Politics and Policy: An International Journal focusing on regionalism in Western Europe. In 1995, the journal changed its name to Regional and Federal Studies, expanding its focus and scope.Impact Factor: 1.4 / 5-Year Impact Factor: 1.6Indexed: Scopus / Web of ScienceFirst Decision: 40 daysAcceptance Rate: 28%Davide Vampa & Mariely Lopez-SantanaDavide Vampa, Lead Editor of the journal and Senior Lecturer in Territorial Politics at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, where he also serves as Co-Director of the Centre on Constitutional Change and Chair of the ECPR Standing Group on Federalism and Regionalism, as well as Mariely Lopez-Santana, Deputy Lead Editor and Associate Professor of Political Science at the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University, USA.Content00:00 - Introduction01:45 - The Journal’s Intellectual Identity06:01 - How the Journal Adapted to a Changing Field08:33 - Managing Breadth and Coherence Across Federalism, Regionalism, and Multilevel Governance10:43 - Crossing Disciplinary Boundaries: Bridging Political Science and Beyond14:02 - Theory or Empirics? Balancing Conceptual Innovation and Case-Based Research18:00 - Major Intellectual Trends in Regional and Federal Politics22:09 - Underexplored Topics25:32 - Methodological Diversity: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Approaches27:48 - Methodological Shifts: Dominant Approaches and Emerging Techniques29:53 - The Data Challenge: Obstacles in Gathering Quantitative Evidence32:44 - Why Papers Get Rejected: Common Problems in Manuscript Submissions37:25 - Early Career Scholars: Frequent Mistakes and Professional Advice44:34 - The Journal’s Position on AI48:59 - Peer Review Process: Fairness, Transparency, and Editorial Efficiency53:47 - The Role and Strategic Importance of the Editorial Board57:03 - Supporting Underrepresented Scholars and Regions01:03:33 - Should Authors Recommend Reviewers?01:03:49 - Looking Ahead: Future Priorities Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
