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bjps-writing-style

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Use when drafting or polishing a British Journal of Political Science (BJPS) manuscript so it reads for a broad, international political-science audience, follows Cambridge's house (Harvard author-date) style, and fits the word caps (Research Articles ~10,000 words; Letters ~4,000; abstract <= 150 words). Tightens prose and format; it does not invent content.

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Source SKILL.md: https://github.com/brycewang-stanford/Awesome-Journal-Skills/blob/HEAD/British-Journal-of-Political-Science-Skills/skills/bjps-writing-style/SKILL.md

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Writing Style (bjps-writing-style)

A BJPS paper must be readable by a political scientist outside its subfield and outside its country of study, formatted to Cambridge's house style (Harvard author-date referencing), and disciplined to the word cap. This skill is about reaching a broad, international readership and respecting the format — not about generating claims.

When to trigger

  • Drafting the introduction, framing the contribution, or final polish
  • Over the word cap and needing to cut without losing the argument
  • Writing the ≤ 150-word abstract
  • Aligning citations/headings/format to Cambridge's house style before submission

Reach the broad, international reader

  1. Front-load the contribution. By the end of the introduction the reader knows the question, the argument, the evidence, and why it matters to political science broadly. Don't make a generalist dig for the "so what."
  2. Don't assume the country context. A reader unfamiliar with your case should follow the paper; gloss country-specific institutions and acronyms on first use.
  3. Minimize subfield jargon or define it on first use; an IR reader should follow a behaviour paper.
  4. Argument-first prose. Lead with claims; use evidence to support them. Avoid "the data show…" without saying what they show and why it matters.
  5. Signpost. Clear section structure so a reader can navigate the argument.

Format to Cambridge house style

  • Citations: Harvard author-date in text (e.g., (Elster 1983, 174)); reference list with the Cambridge format (Elster J (1983) Explaining Technical Change. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.). Keep one consistent style (manage with Zotero/BibTeX). References excluded from the word count.
  • Manuscript prep: double spacing, ≥ 12-point type, generous margins; accepted in MS Word or LaTeX (待核实 current specifics).
  • Anonymize: BJPS is double-blind — no author names/affiliations/acknowledgments or funding notes in the manuscript, no obvious self-references ("as we showed in…"), strip identifying file metadata, and prepare a separate title page.
  • Abstract: ≤ 150 words, stating question, approach, and finding.

Fit the word cap (Research Article ~10,000; Letter ~4,000; caps 待核实)

  • Move balance tables, full specs, and extended robustness to the online appendix.
  • Cut throat-clearing and literature dumps; engage the debate, not every paper (see bjps-literature-positioning).
  • Tighten footnotes — keep them substantive.
  • Prefer one decisive figure to three redundant tables.

Anti-patterns

  • A subfield- or country-insider intro that never states wide significance
  • Burying the contribution in the middle of the paper
  • An abstract over 150 words or one that hides the finding
  • Mixed citation styles; acknowledgments or self-references that break anonymity
  • Padding a Letter toward Article length

Output format

【Contribution stated by end of intro?】[Y/N]
【Reads past subfield + country?】jargon/institutions glossed? [Y/N]
【Abstract】word count (≤150)
【Word count】Article ~10,000 / Letter ~4,000?
【Harvard author-date + anonymized】[Y/N]
【Next】bjps-transparency-and-data

Writing for two readers at once (BJPS-specific)

Every paragraph in the introduction has two readers: the specialist who knows the frontier, and the generalist from another subfield or country who must be told why it matters. Satisfy both — name the frontier and the broad stake. A common failure is writing only for the specialist (the paper reads as parochial) or only for the generalist (the paper reads as thin). The fix is the wide-interest sentence early, followed by the precise contribution against the literature.

Calibration anchors (hedged)

  • BJPS is international: do not assume the reader knows your country's institutions, parties, or acronyms — gloss them on first use without padding the word count.
  • House style is Harvard author-date, not APSA or Chicago-generic; keep one consistent style, and remember references are excluded from the word count while footnotes and exhibits are not (待核实 exact counting rule on the live page).

Supplementary resources