Women's Studies International Forum (Journal) former: Women's Studies International Quarterly (1978-)

Statement:
Women's Studies International Forum (formerly Women's Studies International Quarterly, established in 1978) is a bimonthly journal to aid the distribution and exchange of feminist research in the multidisciplinary, international area of women's studies and in feminist research in other disciplines. The policy of the journal is to establish a feminist forum for discussion and debate.

The journal seeks to critique and reconceptualize existing knowledge, to examine and re-evaluate the manner in which knowledge is produced and distributed, and to assess the implications this has for women's lives.

We seek contributions from people, individually or collectively, from different countries and different backgrounds, who are engaged in feminist research inside or outside formal educational institutions. We welcome a variety of approaches and resources through the whole range of disciplines: papers geared toward action-oriented research as well as those which address theoretical methodological issues; and we encourage historical reassessments of the lives and works of women. We urge all contributors both to acknowledge the cultural and social specifics of their particular approach, and to draw out these issues in their articles.

We also invite conference reports and announcements, calls for papers, notices of new publications and reports, contacts, etc., sent in by individuals or groups in the international feminist community.

- Information from the "Directory of Women's Liberation Newletters, Magazines, Journals...", by Dena and Shaila (York, UK), c.1978:
"Set up in August '77 (1st issue May '78) because there was no other academic journal for feminist research. Set up by Permagon Press, and they then left the editor to organize things. Major outlet: libraries and individual subs. Has an advisory board of 30 women, and a group of about 6 women do the work in this country. One full time unpaid worker, and the collective is semi-closed. Aimed at women in the WLM interested in feminist research, theoretical issues. They invite contributions, sometimes asking people to write specific articles. Editorial policy: must not by mystifying, and all articles have at least 2 referees who say what will and will not be suitable for publication. About men contributing: yes, but policy is that they have to be twice as good- few qualify. They try and reflect what is going on through all feminist research, and is representative of most political affiliations. The editor has total editorial control and Permagon has total commercial control, according to the contract signed with Permagon. Expensive journal, but membership of the WRRC entitles you to a reduced rate of ₤8 p.a."