About the Journal
Please note that this journal has ceased publication; backfiles remain available here.
Focus and Scope
Hydra: Interdisciplinary Journal of Social Studies is a student-focused, peer-reviewed academic journal, which strives to highlight the best of current postgraduate student scholarship at the University of Edinburgh. The journal’s title represents its strong commitment to interdisciplinary research, in the belief that by opening a channel of dialogue between diverse disciplines within the realm of the social sciences, classic debates may be infused with innovative and even unexpected observations. A reader of Hydra may expect to encounter perspectives as diverse yet complementary as international relations, political theory, sociology, international law, anthropology and political economy. This interdisciplinary scope reflects our commitment to the notion that interaction, rather than isolation, among researchers of various specializations often produces the most thought-provoking and illuminating scholarship on existing debates and, indeed, holds the potential to generate new ones.
The aim of Hydra: Interdisciplinary Journal of Social Studies is to present readers with a thorough variety of perspectives on social and political life. The journal is a platform for budding scholars dealing with questions of this nature to present their research to a wider and more eclectic audience than might otherwise be available. It does not advocate for any particular perspective, methodology or policy, and controversial topics may be discussed within its pages, as the journal is a forum for academic thought and exchange. In short, Hydra looks to publish the best in postgraduate student scholarship at the University of Edinburgh, and to broadcast the debates therein to scholars of all stripes and in all places.
Peer Review Process
Academic integrity is of the utmost importance to us at Hydra. All papers are to be reviewed anonymously in accordance with this commitment. A team of postgraduate reviewers will be responsible for the intake of all papers. They will check for topic relevance, formatting and general writing style.
If your work is selected for publication, the editorial team will be happy to work with you to make any improvements or changes deemed necessary. You will be kept up to date on the progress of your entry and of publication once it has been confirmed for use by the journal. Authors retain all rights to their works.
Publication Frequency
Our articles are collected into editions which will be published biannually in spring and autumn of each year.
Open Access Policy
This journal provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge.
This journal’s open access policy is in line with UK research funders’ policies.
Copyright Notice
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
a. Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 UK: Scotland license that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
More information on Creative Commons here: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/scotland/
b. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
c. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
Take Down Policy
What the Library will do if you believe content on the Edinburgh Open Journals platform infringes any person's rights, or applicable UK laws.
Journals on the Edinburgh Open Journals platform are strongly encouraged to make every effort to ensure that published content does not infringe any person's rights, or applicable UK laws.
Should you discover content in this journal that you believe to be illegal, or infringes any of your statutory rights, you may contact the Library who will review the complaint.
On receipt of your complaint, the Journal Hosting Service team will:
- Make an initial assessment of its validity
- Acknowledge receipt of the complaint by email
- For all but spurious complaints, cease access to the item that is subject to complaint
- Refer the complaint to the University's Legal Advisor for comment and advice
- Seek to verify your identity and authority as complainant.
When the Service Manager has verified the authenticity of your complaint and has been advised that it is ostensibly legitimate, the article will be removed from public access, leaving behind the article abstract.
If the Legal Advisor confirms that it does not breach any law then the item will be reinstated.
Please contact:
Journal Hosting Service
Library Learning Services (Library & University Collections)
Floor F East, Argyle House
Edinburgh Eh4 8SH
Email: edinburgh.diamond@ed.ac.uk
Please note the Library is staffed 9-5pm Monday-Friday.
September 2017