There will be a Special Issue in the Journal of Development Studies featuring papers from the DSA2026 conference. If you are the presenting author of an unpublished paper accepted for this conference and it will be completed by 03 August 2026, authors were offered the chance for the paper to be considered for an exclusive JDS special issue.

Due to the very high level of interest, prospective authors are advised that the Special Issue will be highly selective. The editors will be particularly interested in papers that engage directly with the DSA2026 theme, Reimagining Development: Power, Agency, and Futures in an Uncertain World, and that offer a clear conceptual, theoretical, methodological or empirical contribution to current debates in development studies. 

Papers should move beyond descriptive case studies or general conference presentations and should demonstrate strong fit with the scope and standards of JDS. Comprehensive guidance on the standards required by JDS can be found on the journal website. 

All papers will be subject to editorial screening and the journal’s normal peer-review process, and inclusion in the DSA conference or in the Special Issue session does not guarantee publication in the Special Issue.

Any further information from the Special Issue Editorial team will be updated on this webpage. 

For those authors who wish to submit a paper elsewhere if they are not successful with the Special Issue, we suggest contacting the DSA Study Groups who often intend to work towards themed special issues. 

Those wishing to make more immediate reflections after the DSA conference are welcome to submit a DSA blog, guidelines for which can be found here. 

There are several opportunities to learn more about the Special Issue and publishing for journals. The first will be Tuesday 7 July at 4pm with the editors of the Special Issue. The second will be on Thursday 9 July at 1pm, on publication strategies for students and early career researchers- Journals. We will update this page with details of who will be available for questions on the latter session.

The DSA has hosted a number of sessions with advice for first time journal authors and you are encouraged to review these materials and submit your paper to the Special Issue.