Forum: Navigating the Global South Landscape: Insights and Implications for Representation and Inclusion in ISA Journals

Abstract

The International Studies Association (ISA) is widely recognized as an American-European-centric professional organization, with Global South scholars traditionally representing a minority of its membership. This pattern largely reflects the development of the International Relations (IR) discipline and its publication trends. In this Forum, we examine the progress made in the representation of Global South scholars within the IR discipline over the past decade, specifically focusing on the ISA as the primary professional body for IR scholars. We tackle some issues the Global South Task Force (GSTF) highlighted to a more assertive representativeness of the Global South within the ISA. Our analysis concentrates on ISA's journals data tracking to capture the current state of affairs and foster dialogue on developing inventive solutions to enhance diversity, intellectual plurality, and scholarly cultures within the IR discipline. Rather than resorting to outright criticism, we adopt a constructive stance, discussing attempted solutions and proposing steps to advance the discipline.