Elon students have played an important part in the publication of “Issues in Political Economy,” a journal edited and refereed entirely by students. Elon faculty members Tina Das and Steve DeLoach work with colleagues at the University of Mary Washington to provide oversight for the journal, the nation’s oldest peer-reviewed undergraduate journal in economics.
Senior Kathleen Niple, an economics major at Elon, serves as editor for Volume 14 of the journal, scheduled for publication in August 2005. Work by Chaya Compton ’04, now a law school student at Case Western Reserve University, was featured in an earlier edition of the journal published in July 2004 (click here to read Compton’s article).
“Issues in Political Economy” supports and encourages undergraduate research in all areas of economics. The journal values undergraduate research as a vital component of an economics education and provides an external audience for student research.
To maintain quality and objectivity, the journal utilizes a double-blind review process. The only requirements for submission are that the article pertains to some aspect of economics, that it was written during undergraduate study and that it be submitted through a faculty sponsor. All economics seniors and most juniors serve as referees for submitted articles.
The journal is used throughout the United States in upper-level economics classes that teach students research methods. Professors use the journal’s articles to teach students how to read research carefully and critically.