Policy Options is a forum for the informed discussion of public policy. We celebrate diverse viewpoints on the policy issues that face our country and the world. Public policy is a vast subject — it can include everything from artificial intelligence to international trade, from health care to Indigenous affairs. Because politics and public policy go hand in hand, we also publish articles that scrutinize the political approaches to major policy issues.
Our contributors include academics, independent researchers, policymakers, people in the nongovernmental and not-for-profit sectors, journalists and individuals from corporate Canada. We consider submissions from graduate students and undergraduate students who show unusual mastery of a subject. We also take submissions from people who have direct experience in the area they are writing about.
We receive far more submissions than we can use, and cannot offer detailed feedback on every article. A rejection is not necessarily a comment on your work.
We like submissions that analyze and critique policies, legislation, regulations, laws and strategies. We particularly look for articles that propose solutions and include recommendations for making public policy better.
Ideally, an article will have no more than three co-authors. Other contributions can be referenced at the bottom of the article.
Articles in Policy Options generally follow an “op-ed” style. This means the article should start with a catchy lead paragraph, include a clear premise stated near the top of the article, and continue with well-supported arguments.
We also publish reported articles by freelance journalists, but those are generally pieces commissioned from people with extensive experience on a particular beat.
Pieces written in the style of a government or think tank report, an essay or an academic journal article will not be accepted.
Articles about other countries are welcome, but we like to hear how the subject relates to Canada.
Always keep in mind that our readers are as diverse as our contributors. Submissions must be understood by a wide audience, including people who have never read about your topic. Avoid academic or industry jargon, and unpack your ideas in simple language.
Articles are thoroughly edited with these objectives in mind, and in a spirit of constructive dialogue with the writer.
Identify your sources, but don’t use footnotes or author-date citations. Use links, and embed them in the text. For sources not found online, give us the information in parentheses.
Simple figures and tables are welcome, but not too many. Please include the underlying data and the source. If your article lends itself to interesting photographs that you can provide, please let us know.
Aim for a length of 750-1,200 words. You can submit your article in English or French.
To submit an article, please e-mail the Word document to policyoptions@irpp.org.
Finally, please note that if we agree to publish your article, we will need a high-definition head shot of you and a biographical note of no longer than 30 words for our website.
Compensation for submissions
Policy Options operates on a free-access, non-commercial basis. In exchange for the insight our authors graciously share, we provide some of the best copy editing and social media promotion you will find in Canadian media. We devote our resources to making your article the best it can be, and making sure it has maximum impact. We do solicit and pay for articles from freelance journalists or professional writers.
