Allison McManus studied International Relations and French at Tufts University, where her research focused on analysis of relations between the Maghreb region (North Africa) and France; primarily she studied the lasting effects of colonialism in Algeria and Morocco on the North African immigrant populations living in France.

Allison L. McManus is a Master's candidate in the Global and International Studies program. Her research focuses on narratives of democratization in North Africa, with a special interest on the treatment of religion and street mobilization in media and academic analyses. Allison spent six months of summer and fall 2012, conducting research in Morocco on the role of the February 20th movement and the Jamiat Al Adl Wal Ihsane. In addition to her studies she contributes as an editor, translator and author at Jadaliyya.com.