About the role
Overview
Optima, the Annual Economic Outlook of the Department of Economics at Daulat Ram College, University of Delhi, stands as a beacon of knowledge and inspiration in the realms of finance and economics. Renowned for its impactful articles, research papers, newsletters, and the annual E-Magazine, Optima has consistently provided valuable insights to individuals passionate in domains. As we gear up for the upcoming edition, we invite students from across India to contribute their fresh perspectives, original ideas, and compelling narratives and get them published in our Annual Magazine.
Theme for the 14th Edition: The Quantum Economy
About the Theme:
A note on intellectual honesty: Quantum economics is a young and contested idea. Our strongest version of the argument says digital economies are best modelled as quantum-like information systems, using quantum probability as a mathematical tool. Critics reasonably ask what the framework predicts that behavioural economics, network theory, or Bayesian models cannot. In this edition, we choose to believe & test it-
For most of the last two centuries, economics has borrowed its imagination from classical physics. Markets were pictured as machines: stable, predictable, and tending toward equilibrium. Prices reflected intrinsic value and scarcity, agents acted independently with fixed preferences, and small changes in one place produced small, proportionate effects elsewhere. That picture served the industrial age well. It serves the twenty-first century far less well. Today's markets are dominated by intangible assets such as data, software, and brands. Algorithms trade in microseconds, a handful of platforms shape whole industries, and value often comes from who is connected to whom rather than from what is produced.
Quantum economics is a proposed paradigm for making sense of this world. It borrows the mathematical and conceptual language of quantum theory. To be clear, it does not claim that markets are made of subatomic particles. It proposes that digital economies share the features quantum theory was built to describe: irreducible uncertainty, context-dependence, deep interdependence, and outcomes that only become definite when something interacts with the system.
We'd like to clarify that we are an independent body and open to all opinions as well as interpretations of our theme.
Submission Guidelines:
- Submissions can be made in any one of the following forms: Research paper, research article, caricatures, policy analysis report, opinion piece, comparative essays, review article, or expository essay.
- All submissions should be made in Word Document format (.doc or .docx).
- The word limit of submissions is given as follows:
- Research Articles/Opinion Pieces: 1500-2000 words (excluding reference list, tables, and figures)
- Research Papers: 2500-3000 words
- Caricatures (a one-line caption would be recommended)
- All images used along with the plagiarism percentage report should also be shared in the same mail with titles as per the following convention: Organisation Name_Title of the Article_Name of the Author(s)_serial number of Image used.
- Authors must submit a 200-250 word abstract for their writing pieces by 3rd January 2027, and mail it (not required for caricatures).
- The Submission deadline for the Final Submission of write-ups is 17th January 2027.
- Kindly find the Detailed Guidelines and Suggested Topics attached below for your reference.
Writing Guidelines:
- Font to be used is Times New Roman.
- Font size of the Heading is 12 and the Font size of the Body is 10.
- Alignment should be justified.
- Naming Convention for the document - Organisation Name_Title of the Article_Name of the Author(s).
- Heading should be in Principal Case, i.e. capitalise the first letter of principal words.
- APA citation style should be followed.
- Tables should be typed, clearly labelled, and included in the article in the relevant positions.
- Images used (graph, map, etc.) should be in JPG or JPEG format and their size should not exceed 80kb.
- Superscripts or Asterisks should be placed next to relevant items, with explanations as footnotes (endnotes not allowed).
- Non-English terms should be written in Italics with appropriate explanations.
- Writers are free to employ the Bold function to highlight important parts of their pieces.
Rules:
- A Maximum of 2 authors is allowed to co-author a guest article piece.
- Cross-institutional co-authorship is allowed.
- The use of the Underline and Highlight functions is prohibited.
- Any amount of plagiarism, unless properly cited, is strictly prohibited.
- Deadline for the Abstract Submission is 3rd January 2027.
- Deadline for the final Submission of write-ups is 17th January 2027.
- Entries are to be mailed to optimadrc@gmail.com.