Journal of Maps

We would like to invite contributions to a special collection in the Journal of Maps regarding issues focused on Political Geography.  The politics of space cover a wider variety of topics from border studies, migration studies, post-colonial geographies, and electoral geography, to name a few.

Purpose

The purpose of the special collection to collect and promote approaches to mapping political geography across a variety of topics.  All maps should highlight how politics influence and are influenced by space through modern cartographic approaches.

Background

As the availability of data continues to increase, so too has broad interest in political geography.  The proliferation of QGIS and other data visualization tools, such as Tableau and R, has allowed users to produce maps, though with limited cartographic knowledge.  Misunderstandings of map projections, too many data classes, and poor color schemes are just a few of the most common mistakes made.

In academia, similar trends are also occurring.  Growing interest in cartographic outputs related to political geography can be found, not only among geographers, but also other social sciences.  Yet, as seen among the public, many in academia are falling victim to similar misunderstandings.

This special collection aims to provide current methodological approaches in mapping political geography.  The goal is to provide an eclectic collection of articles that not only promote political geography, but also enhance knowledge related to mapping politics and provide a reference for others interested in pursuing similar research in different areas across the globe.

Topics

We welcome studies focusing on a wide range of political geography topics.  We are certainly interested in interdisciplinary approaches to the study of political geography.  Though we are not specially only looking for purely methodological driven research, we are also hoping papers can provide examples to inform readers on best practices for mapping the politics of space.

Without constraining the range of topics that are potential suitable for inclusion in the special collection, the following are examples:

• Border Studies
• Migration
• Decolonization
• Electoral Studies
• Redistricting/Gerrymandering

Submission

All papers are expected to consist of a map or series of maps (loosely and broadly defined to include various forms of spatial representation) accompanied by brief explanatory text. Authors should view JoM submission advice while preparing their submission. Papers should be bespoke, and the mapping of good quality. All papers in this collection will be peer reviewed. To submit a paper, authors should do the following:

1. Submit a short draft (500 word limit) outlining the key themes and scope of the paper, where possible including example mapping, by 19 May 2023. Abstract selection will be by the special issue editorial team. You will receive a notification by 2 June 2023. Please email your submission to Ryan Weichelt ([email protected])
2. Submit a completed paper (4000 word limit) to the Journal of Maps by 27 October 2023.
3. The collection will be published in 2024.

The collection editorial team are happy to discuss ideas for papers and their suitability with potential contributors prior to the short draft submission stage. Please e-mail Ryan Weichelt ([email protected])

Instructions for AuthorsSubmit an Article