Launched in December 2024, inquisitive is a quarterly intellectual magazine published by Heterodox Academy. As we prepare for the June 2026 publication of issue #7, we invite you to pitch us a contribution, particularly if you are a graduate student, faculty member, researcher, or administrator in a college or university and interested in HxA’s Open Inquiry U agenda. HxA members are particularly encouraged to pitch their ideas.

For inquisitive, we take a “small plate” intellectual approach to topics that implicate the principles and academic culture HxA advocates for in higher education: open inquiry, viewpoint diversity, and constructive disagreement. In addition to regular features (described below), each issue includes 4-7 articles tied to a single theme, although not necessarily tied to each other.

The theme for our seventh issue is “Camp.”

We seek pitches for articles and essays in the range of 300-2,000 words (excluding references). We’re interested in the whole range of potential topics on the theme of “camp” as it relates to the issues we are interested in, including open inquiry, the free exchange of ideas, intellectual freedom, institutional neutrality, viewpoint diversity, (self-)censorship, dissent, conformity, constructive disagreement, curiosity, humility, and pluralism. 

Examples of how you might engage the theme of “camp” include:

• Ideological camps within disciplines, departments, or institutions;
• (En)campments on campus;
• Personal expression within the academy;
• The theatrics of academic duties and rituals like conferences, peer-reviews, dissertation defenses, etc.;
• How pedagogy can be made camp through performance and drama;
• The university as a “camp” institution;
• Exaggeration, irony, and self-awareness in the academy. 

Don’t feel limited by these examples. We value creativity, unexpected ideas, and smart cross-talk that supersedes boundaries.

In your pitch for a theme-related contribution, please tell us all of the following:

• The topic you intend to explore (be very specific) and how it relates to the theme;
• How your chosen topic engages one or more of the issues HxA is interested in, if it isn’t already obvious;
• Your thesis (argument), if your contribution will have one;
• The approach you’ll take (data-science driven, historical, journalistic, autobiographical, employing legal analysis, etc.);
• Number of words you expect your contribution would be, excluding references (acceptable range is 300-2,000 words, with shorter/tighter recommended);
• Given what others have written on this topic, how your take is unique.

Pitches that do not address these factors may not be considered. 

Please note that inquisitive also seeks pitches for our regular features. 

Pitches for regular features need not be tied to an issue’s theme. Our regular features include: 

• Field guides to academic disciplines;
• A books column;
• “Back in the Day,” in which episodes in the history of open inquiry in higher education are recounted;
• “The Heterodox Life,” featuring first-person essays by academics (or former academics) centering on unique personal experiences that bring to life the importance of HxA’s mission.

Want to pitch a theme-related contribution or an idea for one of our regular features, or have questions? 

Write to the inquisitive team via editor@heterodoxacademy.org.

The submission deadline for pitches for issue #7 is January 6, 2026. Decisions will be made by January 19, with full submissions due by March 1 and publication in early June 2026.

Please note that inquisitive employs a rigorous editorial process to ensure accuracy, precision, and compelling prose. If your pitch is accepted, we look forward to working with you through that process.