About the Journal

Welcome to the CGJSC/ RCESSC 

The Canadian Graduate Journal of Sociology and Criminology/Revue canadienne des études supérieures en sociologie et criminologie (CGJSC/RCESSC) is a bilingual, peer-reviewed academic journal organized and maintained by graduate students in the Department of Sociology and Legal Studies at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada. Founded in 2012, the CGJSC remains committed to providing Canadian graduate and undergraduate students, post-doctoral students, and emergent scholars the opportunity to disseminate their work to a wide and diverse audience, including both academic and non-academic readers, through its open-access platform. 

About the CGJSC/ RCESSC

The Canadian Graduate Journal of Sociology and Criminology/Revue canadienne des études supérieures en sociologie et criminologie (CGJSC/RCESSC) welcomes publications that make an original empirical, theoretical, or artistic/creative contributions to the fields of sociology, criminology, and other related disciplines. This journal accepts submissions employing quantitative, qualitative, and mixed research methodologies. We encourage submissions from a broad range of theoretical  approaches and place special emphasis on interdisciplinary engagement, critical analysis, and innovative scholarship. In line with this mission, we also invite alternative and non-traditional submissions that extend beyond academic articles, such as: visual and textual media, critical commentaries, policy briefs, reflective essays/position papers, book or film reviews, poems, comics, short stories, and photographic essays. 

The CGJSC is published annually and is hosted through the University of Waterloo Library’s Open Journal System (OJS). The CGJSC’s devotion to interdisciplinary research and inclusion means that we seek to advance ideas and debates which help foster intellectual exchange and critical discussion among the social sciences. In particular, we encourage submissions that engage with topics in sociology and criminology at the intersection of the following areas of focus (amongst many others): 

  • Critical Race Theory 

  • Indigenous Studies and Decolonization 

  • Gender and Feminist Theory  

  • Postcolonialism and Transnational Studies 

  • Critical Health and Disability Studies

  • Social Justice and Education 

  • Critical Praxis, Activism, and Knowledge Mobilization

  • Critical approaches to criminal justice and social policy 

Aims and Scope 

The CGJSC is committed to promoting and amplifying the work of graduate and undergraduate students, emerging scholars, and researchers. Though we prioritize contributions from Canadian graduate students, we also invite submissions from all post-secondary students, post-docs, independent scholars, academics, activists, and artists from around the world. 

As a graduate student-driven initiative, the CGJSC endorses the participation of both Masters and PhD level students on the editorial board and in the administration of the journal. This provides graduate students with valuable work experience and the opportunity to collaborate and design a student-run journal. The CGJSC is meant to be a first step for graduate students attempting to learn the culture surrounding academic publishing, such as learning how to review papers, preparing work for publication, and developing project management and editorial skills. Our peer-review and selection process is akin to those found in leading journals. All submissions are reviewed to ensure highest research quality and rigour. Our goal is to be didactic and provide constructive feedback to all submitted articles whether accepted for publication or not

Not only is CGJSC a journal for graduate students and emergent scholars to publish their research, but also a chance to connect with other students and early career researchers across Canada and internationally. We encourage collaboration and open communication among our readers and our authors. The CGJSC is dedicated to enhancing the academic experience for all graduate students. We believe that this can be accomplished not only by providing a forum with which graduate students can publish their research, but by encouraging networking among graduate students across various universities and departments.

Mission and Objectives 

  • To provide opportunities for graduate students to publish their work in an academic peer-reviewed journal and contribute to the advancement of sociological knowledge 

  • To support the open access distribution of graduate student research to both academic and non-academic audiences interested in the social sciences 

  • To build a strong public profile for contributing graduate students, and more generally, the Department of Sociology and Legal Studies at the University of Waterloo 

  • To foster dialogue about pressing sociological issues between scholars from multiple social science disciplines within Canada and abroad 

  • To encourage authors to engage in critical scholarship through the submission of innovative, non-traditional, and radical pieces of work that challenge normative methodological approaches to research

  • To facilitate graduate student participation in the publishing process and allowing them to acquire skills important within academia, such as gaining knowledge about the technical aspects of publishing, acting as peer reviewer, being part of an editorial team, and developing networking, leadership, and project management skills