Calling Emerging Futurists!
What do our futures look like?
Guest Editors: Yelena Muzykina (CPPFS, Kazakhstan) and Dr Cheryl Doig (Aotearoa, New Zealand)
Call for Papers
The popularity of Futures Studies has grown exponentially in recent decades. It overtakes all shears of human (and not only human) life and spreads out through generations. Futures studies is no longer a tool that works like magic in the hands of the Gandalf-age professional. Instead, it has become a practical instrument for younger people who apply it skillfully and creatively. Various programs and grants have emerged in the futures’ community in recent years to recognize the phenomena arising from emerging foresight practitioners contributing to the field.
This special issue features this generational shift providing a space to the young, emerging futurists (under 35 years old) to share their insights, thoughts, and new perspectives in understanding and working with futures. Futures Studies is a young discipline itself in comparison with the others. The field is evolving and becoming, and we are very keen to hear those stories of growth and changes from the first hands of young practitioners. These personal contemplations could be submitted as essays and extensive research on a variety of topics that demonstrate critical reflection and use of futures methodologies.
What are the benefits to contributors?
- Provides a supported introduction to the academic pursuit of futures studies.
- Mentoring support available online – support as a group, with peers and individually as needed.
- Those with greater experience in academic research and publication may wish to extend their skills by submitting a conventional academic paper
- Final manuscripts will be published in a special edition of JFS. This can be used as part of your CV, LinkedIn transcript and other documentation as formal recognition of your work.
Submission types
- Reflections or Essays: 1,000 to 3,000 words.
- Conventional academic article: 4,000 to 8,000 words.
Guide for writing a reflection or an essay:
- Introduction – the main statement of your essay.
- Content – unpacking this statement by sharing your experience in using futures methodologies and concepts.
- Conclusion – the summary can include questions you are still considering, comments and concluding insights and advice for your co-travellers through the space of Futures Studies.
Deadlines and Time frame
- June 30, 2023 – Submission Stage 1 – Register your initial statement of interest. This simply requires the following information – suggested title, your name, email contact, affiliation, 300-400 words summarising main idea and findings.
- July 14, 2023 We will let you know whether your submission has been accepted. Submissions are to be made through JFS online complying with the guidelines provided by the Journal of Futures Studies.
- During the week July 17-21 initial online meeting.
- During the week September 11 – 16 final meeting.
- July – November – Submission Stage 2 – Writing with online mentoring support from guest editors. Opportunities to connect with others completing an essay or academic article. Peer sharing and support meetings
- November 15, 2023 – submission of full papers
We look forward to hearing from you!
Guest Editors,
Yelena Muzykina – yelena@andrews.edu
Cheryl Doig – c.doig@thinkbeyond.co.nz
For queries related the Journal of Futures Studies, email Anisah Abdullah tkufutures@gmail.com
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Journal of Futures Studies: What do our futures look like?
The Opportunity in Detail
There is increasing interest in involving youth in futures work and many notable organisations are supporting young people to contribute in this space. A number of young people have shown an interest in research and support to write as an introduction to possible academic pursuits of futures studies. The Journal for Futures Studies would like to support the development in this space without duplicating the programs and fellowships that are already available. Submissions are now open to contribute to a special JFS issue focusing on youth views through reflections, essays or academic articles.
Submission Stage 1
The guest editors will review abstracts and select based on the following criteria:
- Individual submissions
- innovative use of futures methodologies and tools
- structure and articulation of the submission
- Overall structure
- diversity of offerings across topics, essays and research
- diversity of participants
- Equity Pause
- A final check of the submissions to consider whose voices are heard, who might be missing in the conversation and what else we might need to consider.
Submission Stage 2
- Once your final article has been submitted it will be reviewed by guest reviewers, with a two week turn around.
- Once your article has been submitted we will host another webinar to see what worked, how your skills have been developed and what suggestions you have to improve the process to be youth friendly.
- This may lead to new considerations for designing and facilitating academic routes for youth that challenge current paradigms of academic research.
What is JFS’ approach to this work?
- We wish to be challenged in terms of approaches to formal writing and whether these meet the changing needs of the future.
- We will maintain feedback loops throughout the process so we can learn together.
- As well as supporting your academic futures studies and publishing approved research we will consider what needs to be changed for future research, focusing on questions such as:
- What changes need to be made to model a youth friendly and nimble approach to research?
- How might we support a youth enabled program of futures studies research?
- I would also like to challenge the timeframe for publication. How might we make this turn around faster? How might we achieve mid 2024?
The Role of Reviewers
Reviewers will be selected considering the following:
- Walking on two feet – An understanding of academic writing and adaptive in meeting youth needs.
- Exploring with us how youth foresight practices might be considered for future projects
- Willingness to interact with other reviewers and meaningfully engage in challenging assumptions about the methodologies, pace and design of academic review.
- Some interest and experience in working in the youth space
Guest Editors
Yelena Muzykina – yelena@andrews.edu
Yelena Muzykina, researcher and lecturer, is a co-founder of the Central Asian Futures & Foresight Association. Her research interest and work cover education, planning, Islamic societies, futures studies and postnormal times. Yelena also has extensive experience in the banking sector, private and international business, trade, and bidding. A member of the editorial board of Islamoved, a peer-reviewed journal of the Dagestan State University (Russia), and an invited editor of the World Futures Review, she has published extensively in Russian as well as translated a number of books and papers. Her engagement with Postnormal Times started in 2017 with her doctorate research and, since then, she has been organising workshops and lectures on postnormal matters in Russia and Central Asia.
Dr Cheryl Doig – c.doig@thinkbeyond.co.nz
Dr Cheryl Doig is a leadership futurist, weaver and connector, often known as the #futuresaunty. Cheryl has a passion for growing futures literacy and strategic foresight through her company, Think Beyond.
Cheryl has over 30 year’s business and governance experience in education, business and health. She is founding trustee of Ako Ōtautahi Learning City Christchurch, a trust focused on growing a local learning ecosystem with a focus on equity, access and innovation.
In 2017 Cheryl was a finalist in the NZ Westpac Women of Influence Awards, in the Innovation and Science category. She is an Adjunct Senior Fellow at the University of Canterbury, a professional member of the Association for Professional Futurists and a reviewer for the Journal of Future Studies. Cheryl is the founder of the Ōtautahi Futures Collective, Aotearoa Futures and Oceania Futures. For more information visit www.thinkbeyond.co.nz
