When it was suggested that the ISA consider the creation of an
encyclopedia project, most people were thinking of a traditional work
filled with short descriptions of terms relevant to international
studies. This format was not particularly exciting. Academics don’t
tend to consult such works, and generally frown upon their use by
students. On the other hand, the creation of a series of essays that
review the literature in important topic areas might be of real
interest. A repository of information about the development of our
thinking on a given issue, the status of the current literature, and
possible future directions, would be of significant use to students,
professional scholars, and those who might wish to understand
international studies in a sophisticated manner. We are seeking to
create the fundamental reference resource in international studies.
The ISA’s Governing Council placed two constraints upon the
project. First, it must not be divisive. Its creation must not become
the terrain for substantive, methodological or ideological battles.
Second, the project must not put the Association in financial
jeopardy. The ISA was not to incur debt at any point.
A number of publishers were interested, but the proposal that best
met our needs came from Wiley-Blackwell. The project would be allotted
between 4 and 4.5 million words – roughly 6,200 to 7,200 pages. With
space for hundreds of entries in the range of ten thousand words each,
we would be able to solicit manuscripts on ‘mid-range’ issues. (Smaller
or perhaps even longer essays will be considered if necessary.)
Instead of suffering through the competition that would result from
having room for only one entry on ‘the politics of trade’, we can
solicit essays on issues that include ‘trade and protection’ and ‘trade
and underdevelopment’ and ‘war and trade’. There is enough space in
this project for the full range of issues to be exercised from a
variety of perspectives.
The adoption of review essays in the ten thousand word range also
allows us to set high standards of scholarship. The ISA considers this
project to be on a par with its journals, and each manuscript will be
peer reviewed. This is important because it will assure quality and
will allow those essays accepted to take their legitimate place on the
CVs of their authors. Unlike traditional encyclopedia entries, many of
which are paid for, these longer essays will be more sophisticated,
have a more serious analytical content, and serve as a scholarly
publication.
We believe these essays will be of significant use. Undergraduates,
and especially graduate students, will be able to review the literature
far more effectively than is possible by reading the latest text, or
the last half-dozen articles on a given topic. Those of us preparing
to teach in new areas will be able to quickly review the range of
literature and its most current manifestations. Scholars looking into
new research areas could acquire a sense of the issues that have been
covered, and the way in which they’ve been considered, in an efficient
manner. Those outside the academy might also find such essays to be of
significant interest as matters considered by scholars become relevant
to public policy and debate.
Who would write such review essays? Most of us already have.
Laboriously prepared dissertation literature reviews are the first
thing that must be jettisoned when reorganizing manuscripts for
publication as monographs or sets of articles. The work that went into
them often goes unappreciated. The expertise acquired over years of
study by hard-working scholars may be translated into syllabi, but the
careful consideration of the development and current status of a given
literature may never see publication. Yet even junior authors who
publish literature reviews for International Studies Review or
in various handbooks, yearbooks and volumes of reconsiderations, are
acknowledged as leaders in their areas, setting the agenda for future
work.
No single editor or small team can bring together a set of essays
that encapsulate all of international studies, but the ISA is uniquely
suited to doing so. With over 20 substantive sections, we have a
ready-made structure for the organization of such a project. Each
section has been asked to contribute. The section-driven lists of
topics will be reviewed and augmented, when necessary, with
solicitations to those who might provide unique perspectives. The
project is also to be critical in nature. Each section will be
encouraged to offer an essay on the questions that are being ignored or
underrepresented. Along with the on-line version of the project we are
going to create an on-line discussion forum so that individuals may
respond to the essays. This project should be the start of a set of
valuable conversations about where we have been, where we are, and
where we might be headed.
The first goal of the Compendium Project is to have each section
generate a list of topics to be considered. These should be
substantially complete, and some authors should have been identified,
by our 2007 meeting in Chicago . One year after that we should have
generated the manuscripts for review. In a total of three years we
want to bring the project to market. Revenues generated by IS On-Line
or The International Studies Encyclopedia in excess of the advance
Blackwell provided to cover the costs of production will go to the
Association for use in the support of professional activities by our
members.
