WYE Writing, Research & Publication Pathways
From a real-world economic essay, to a data- and evidence-driven special topic, to a complete independent research paper, WYE offers learners at different stages three competition and publication opportunities that can be entered independently or in sequence.
You need not start at Level 1, nor complete all three levels; choose the entry point that best fits your current ability, interests, and research readiness.
How WYE compares with John Locke, LSESU, RES and other international competitions →
All three levels admit direct entry, with no promotion through levels required; competition results and publication decisions are independent.View the three-level constellation & comparison table ↓
The WYE Competition & Publication System
RESEARCH CONSTELLATIONThis map reads as a growth path from top to bottom: it starts with a curious citizen of the world and ends with a socioeconomic researcher able to mentor other students. All three levels admit direct entry, each leading to a different publication outlet: Level 1 leads through a regular deadline and a late window to Economic Commentary; Level 2 leads to Special Issues and connects to research volunteer contributions; Level 3 leads to the Working Paper Series. Hover a node to see it lift, click a node for details; dashed lines mark optional paths or conditional external submission, not an automatic outcome.
Choose the stage that fits you.
One cycle (prompts released 17 Aug · regular deadline 25 Sep · late window 26 Sep–2 Oct · results early Dec) → Economic Commentary
Open year-round · feedback on the 27th → Special Issues · verified research volunteer contributions
Submit in Feb → feedback & pairing → improve by May → Working Paper Series ┈→ external journals & conferences (external review required, no guarantee of acceptance)
What the lines mean: solid = direct entry or the main publication route (publication still requires editorial review); thin dashed = an optional path to go deeper; the dashed line from Working Paper to external journals & conferences marks a possible submission only, subject to external review and eligibility.
Level 1 → Level 2 → Level 3 is an optional path to go deeper, not a required progression. Strong participants at one level may get priority access to the next level’s research, editing, volunteering, or publication review, but that is never automatic admission or automatic publication; winning an award does not mean automatic publication, and work that did not win can still meet the publication bar after revision.
The thinking behind the WYE Essay Prize
Many student competitions end with a result. WYE begins with a real economic question and helps participants keep moving forward: writing, receiving feedback, developing research, and submitting strong work for publication review. We value evidence and argument over accumulated jargon, and an authentic, complete process of creation over a certificate.
Competitions, publication, volunteering & research support
Frequently Asked Questions
Must I start at Level 1?
No. All three levels admit direct entry. Level 1 → 2 → 3 is merely one optional path of deepening; choose the entry point that best fits your current ability, interests, and research readiness.
How do review and feedback differ across the three levels?
Level 1 shortlists are selected anonymously by uniformly trained university student reviewers, with practicing professors joining the final award selection; Level 2 receives staged feedback from the editorial team on the 27th of each month; Level 3 receives professor feedback and team-formation support from February to April. See each level’s page for details.
Why does Level 2 have no fixed word count or final deadline?
The length of a Level 2 piece is set by its research question, data structure, number of charts, and explanatory needs — longer does not mean higher marks. It is open year-round with rolling review, and consolidated feedback on the current batch is given on the 27th of each month; the page shows the “next feedback date,” not a countdown-style final deadline.
Why does winning not mean automatic publication?
Competitions judge the relative standing of that round’s entries; publication review judges whether a piece, after fact-checking, citation review, and revision, meets the standard for public release. Winning work may require substantial revision, and non-winning work may reach the standard after revision.
Can WYE guarantee external conference acceptance or journal publication?
No. Some Level 3 work meeting the relevant standard may receive external submission preparation support (abstract revision, JEL classification, presentation materials, and team advice), but all external submissions are subject to the host’s eligibility, review, and current-year rules. WYE has no official partnership with the AEA or any university.
Choose the competition that fits you
Registration and submission portals will be announced on each level’s page when they open.