As an interdisciplinary journal for generalist intellectuals, Zeteo pieces are reviewed, above all, by other generalist intellectuals, and the criteria include the readability of the manuscript and its ability to speak to curious, well-educated readers outside its particular field or fields. Insofar as a submission has a specific academic focus, e.g. nineteenth century Russian literature, we will ask one or more people working in that field to give their opinion of the scholarship contained within the piece. We are not, however, looking to advance scholarship within a specific technical specialty; we are interested in pieces that bring readers into a dialogue with a set of ideas, ideally with ideas that span several academic fields.

We would also call attention to our interest in pieces that combine the personal, the political, and the intellectual. Thus, for example, there are often moments in Zeteo pieces when the author will speak quite directly about his or her personal connection to the subject under intellectual discussion. This personal connection could relate to the writer’s past experiences or identity or to political or otherwise heartfelt responses to, say, an art work or philosophical idea. This is to say that another key criteria in our review process concerns whether the work is holistic and engaged, as opposed to narrow and detached.

 

Credit

Image is of President Barack Obama with first lady Michelle Obama, and Vice President Joe Biden with wife Jill Biden, reviewing the troops at the start of the inaugural parade from the Capitol in Washington on Tuesday, Jan 20, 2009. Photograph by Manuel Balce Ceneta / AP.