Marcos Scauso is a scholar-activist whose work focuses on decolonial thought, particularly in relation to Latin America. His academic and activist work is rooted in collaboration with Indigenous movements, examining the intersections of race, patriarchy, sexuality, and colonial legacies—especially as they shape U.S. foreign policy. Recently appointed as an Academic Editor at Third World Quarterly, Marcos is championing a new Research Notes format to amplify Global South scholarship. In this short Q&A, he shares the vision behind these transformative short-form pieces.
What are Research Notes?
Research Notes create a cutting-edge space for innovative discussion, critical dialogue, emerging ideas, and the potential to explore new languages. I am hoping they will allow scholars to push disciplinary boundaries and engage with concepts that may not yet be fully developed or theorised, especially ideas that may have been discussed for hundreds of years in other cultures and ways of knowing, but are still relatively “new” to mainstream global IR studies.
“There are many important conversations happening outside traditional disciplines, and Research Notes aims to bring those into academic publishing. As an editor and someone who came into IR through the lens of decolonial Latin American thought, I know what it’s like not to feel fully welcomed in mainstream spaces. We aim to provide a platform for voices and perspectives that challenge the norm and have something important to say, even if they don’t fit the conventional academic mould.”
Marcos Scauso
I want to emphasise that the ‘cutting-edge’ approach isn’t just about novelty, but about making room for perspectives that challenge and expand what global studies is and could be. I’m hoping that we can amplify critical voices from the Global South and open a space for debate—whether it’s about methodology, theory, empirical work, and epistemology or reflections on relationality, queer theory, cosmology, anticolonialism, and other emerging approaches.
Why do you think Research Notes are going to be helpful to the research community?
Although we haven’t published any articles yet, I’m already finding Research Notes incredibly helpful as an Academic Editor.
Firstly, I believe this particular format will help bring underrepresented discussions and debates into the academic community and beyond, reaching audiences who are used to reading more typical, traditional, and sometimes repetitive scholarship. For too long, important voices and innovative work have been overlooked. Research Notes can help bridge that gap by delving into familiar topics, and by providing an alternative methodological, theoretical, and empirical angle.
Another valuable aspect of Research Notes will be to highlight the experiences of researchers working in the field, offering practical insights on how to approach specific methods, and navigate ethical challenges. For instance, I’ve recently commissioned a piece from a researcher who has been conducting interviews with activists in violent areas of Colombia. The author was concerned for her interviewees, some of whom had been kidnapped and killed. Sharing these experiences and reflecting on the ethical responsibilities involved in our work as academics is an important contribution that Research Notes can make to the broader academic community.
The third key contribution of Research Notes would be to provide a platform for junior scholars to share their work and ideas. It offers a place for emerging voices to gain experience in the academic publishing world, and to engage with broader audiences by helping to spark new conversations in the field.
How are Research Notes different from other articles?
The big difference is that Research Notes are shorter, usually between 3,000 and 5,000 words. We are also looking for this element of innovation, but ideas do not need to be as finished or as fully developed as a full article. These notes are about starting those conversations, so the level of development can be more exploratory.
Innovation in these notes also means pushing boundaries and introducing fresh perspectives. While the format welcomes open-ended ideas and evolving arguments, submissions should still offer a meaningful contribution to the field. If a discussion simply revisits old ground without adding new insight, it may not meet the intent for this format.
Who can submit a Research Note to TWQ?
A contributor should be able to demonstrate that they have fully explored the literature. Therefore, there is some expectation that they know the field sufficiently. However, Global South Studies is very broadly defined, so I don’t have any preconceived notions on who the authors might be.
Research Notes are still peer reviewed pieces, and the quality relies on the conversation and the contribution, not necessarily on the author’s title and formal qualifications. I’ve had experiences with intellectuals from Latin America that don’t necessarily come from traditionally academic backgrounds, and their contributions to the field should not be ignored. So, I’d like to not focus on requirements, qualifications or titles, and instead focus more on the quality of the contribution.
What types of topics and themes would you like to see?
I’m very open-minded and interested in work that pushes the discipline in a pluralistic and democratic way. While it is a set of Research Notes focusing on the Global South, we are not only looking for authors who are from these regions.
What matters more is that their work speaks from the Global South—that it engages with the power dynamics, issues of inequality and global divisions, as well as the solidarity and opportunities that the term represents. It isn’t about geography alone, but about challenging dominant narratives and addressing structural issues tied to global hierarchies.
Not all work labeled as ‘innovative’ truly challenges dominant power structures—some still reflect ideas of superiority or racism rooted in the Global North. I’m especially drawn to voices that are critically aware of the power dynamics behind the term ‘Global South.’ That’s why the focus is on decolonial, postcolonial, Indigenous, queer, feminist, and green theories that emerge from, or speak to, the Global South.
Are there any topics in the pipeline that you can talk about?
Yes, one piece is from a researcher working in the field in Colombia, which I think will be especially compelling. Another explores technology and relationality, and is co-authored by two scholars. A third focuses on protest and prayer, and is written by someone working with both Indigenous and Christian movements.
Where can people find out more?
On the Global Souths Hub website, there is now a page dedicated to Research Notes, and further instructions can also be found on the TWQ website. I’m especially committed to supporting authors who are close to the topics they write about, and who are helping to create new threads of discourse around these issues.
I’ve already commissioned several pieces from scholars in the Global South, and as an editor, I see my role as more than just selecting work but actively supporting authors throughout the process to prepare their pieces for review.
Interested in finding out more? Contact Marcos by email on msscauso@cpp.edu, and Marcos will arrange a follow up call with you.
