About Inquiries Journal

INQUIRIES Journal is an open-access academic journal that highlights the work of students at the undergraduate level and above. The journal publishes work across a range of academic disciplines with a particular focus on the social sciences, arts, and humanities.

As of January, 2023, Inquiries Journal is looking for a new owner to take over publication of the journal. Any interested party should contact dustin.turin@inquiriesjournal.com for further discussion.

Purpose and Philosophy

Our goal is to provide a credible and accessible venue for the dissemination of the best student scholarship into the public, professional, and academic discourse.

Let all with something to say be free to express themselves. The true and sound will survive.     Frederick Siebert (1963)

Although students regularly conduct in-depth research and undoubtedly possess unique insights, few venues exist to facilitate engagement with these ideas outside the classroom. We believe that an intellectually engaged society depends on an efficient marketplace of ideas. Thus, Inquiries Journal offers students a unique opportunity to share work of an academic and intellectual character with a broad audience both within and outside academia.

Editorial Process

Our editorial process is based on the careful evaluation of the following characteristics:

  • The expression of new, provocative, or intellectually intriguing ideas;
  • Meticulous referencing of high-quality and appropriate sources;
  • Identification of an analytical framework, theoretical guidance, or description of methodology (where relevant);
  • Consistent use of proper grammatical and stylistic conventions;
  • Clear expression of ideas in writing that is polished and coherent.

Depending on the volume of submissions under review, the process typically takes between two and four months. In March 2014 we introduced the option of receiving an expedited review in which we provide a decision within 10-days, however the vast majority of submissions proceed through the normal track.

Who Publishes in Inquiries Journal?

We accept submissions from students at the undergraduate level and above (in addition to works completed while the author was enrolled in a university setting). Work in Inquiries Journal comes from a mix of graduate (37%) and undergraduate students (63%). Of those published in the journal, approximately 63% have completed or are pursuing a Bachelors degree, 26% hold or are pursuing a Masters degree, and roughly 11% have either completed or are completing a PhD, MD, or JD.

Inquiries Journal represents the work of students from top universities around the globe, including from Harvard, Cambridge, and MIT. However, we have also published work from students at little-known arts institutions and community colleges. Any student at the undergraduate level or above is invited to make a submission to the journal.

History and Growth of the Journal

Inquiries Journal was established in 2009 under the name Student Pulse by students at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts. The journal is led by Dustin Turin, who earned an M.A. in Political Science from Northeastern while developing the journal as a side project. Unlike most other academic student publications, the journal has no official affiliation and is financially independent, supported by its users.

Readership and submissions to Student Pulse grew steadily from the time of the journal's founding. In 2019, the journal received over 500 submissions and garnered an online readership of nearly 3.5 million from 185 countries. Over the years, the journal has helped multiple contributors negotiate licensing agreements to have their work appear in edited volumes from major publishing houses, both domestic and international.

In June of 2016, Student Pulse changed its name to Inquiries Journal to better reflect the growing diversity of contributors to the publication.