EJSIR Journal of Social Science, Policy and Development
Publishes social-science research on development, public policy, institutions and societal change. Submissions should explain their conceptual framework, population or setting and methods, then relate conclusions to the evidence without overgeneralizing.
Journal focus
Research topics and contribution standards
These subject areas and editorial expectations help authors judge fit and show readers how each contribution is supported.
Research and evidence
A suitable contribution makes its research question and methods clear, then supports its conclusions with evidence appropriate to the work.
Research with a clear disciplinary contribution
Journal of Social Science, Policy and Development is a journal in the EJSIR Publisher programme, focused on Social Science, Policy and Development. Its scope is organized into academic sections covering Development Studies, Public Policy, Sociology, Political Economy, Demography, Urban & Regional Studies, Science & Technology Studies, Social Data Science, Inequality & Inclusion and Sustainable Development. This structure helps authors assess disciplinary fit and gives readers a clear route through the journal’s subject coverage.
Read the journal overview →Choose the section that fits the work
Section scopes describe the topics covered and the contribution expected from submissions.
Development Studies
This section covers development studies within social science, policy and development. It welcomes foundational questions, methodological contributions and well-supported applications that make a clear scholarly contribution. Authors should identify the problem, explain why the chosen approach is suitable, and report the sources, methods, assumptions or evidence needed for readers to assess the work.
View section scope →Public Policy
This section covers public policy within social science, policy and development. It welcomes foundational questions, methodological contributions and well-supported applications that make a clear scholarly contribution. Authors should identify the problem, explain why the chosen approach is suitable, and report the sources, methods, assumptions or evidence needed for readers to assess the work.
View section scope →Sociology
This section covers sociology within social science, policy and development. It welcomes foundational questions, methodological contributions and well-supported applications that make a clear scholarly contribution. Authors should identify the problem, explain why the chosen approach is suitable, and report the sources, methods, assumptions or evidence needed for readers to assess the work.
View section scope →Political Economy
This section covers political economy within social science, policy and development. It welcomes foundational questions, methodological contributions and well-supported applications that make a clear scholarly contribution. Authors should identify the problem, explain why the chosen approach is suitable, and report the sources, methods, assumptions or evidence needed for readers to assess the work.
View section scope →Demography
This section covers demography within social science, policy and development. It welcomes foundational questions, methodological contributions and well-supported applications that make a clear scholarly contribution. Authors should identify the problem, explain why the chosen approach is suitable, and report the sources, methods, assumptions or evidence needed for readers to assess the work.
View section scope →Urban & Regional Studies
This section covers urban & regional studies within social science, policy and development. It welcomes foundational questions, methodological contributions and well-supported applications that make a clear scholarly contribution. Authors should identify the problem, explain why the chosen approach is suitable, and report the sources, methods, assumptions or evidence needed for readers to assess the work.
View section scope →Forms of scholarly contribution
The journal considers the following types when the manuscript is appropriate to the section and meets the relevant methodological, reporting and ethics requirements.
Presents a distinct scholarly question and original findings, with methods, analysis and evidence reported in enough detail for critical assessment.
Synthesizes relevant scholarship to clarify the state of knowledge, compare interpretations and identify well-supported questions for further study.
Uses a clearly defined question and reproducible search, selection and synthesis methods, with the evidence base and limitations reported transparently.
Reports a focused result, observation or method whose concise presentation is useful to the field and supported by appropriate evidence.
Describes a practical method, instrument, workflow or technical refinement, explaining its operation, context and performance or validation.
Develops a reasoned scholarly interpretation of an important topic, distinguishing evidence from opinion and acknowledging relevant uncertainty.
Introduces a research dataset, software or other scholarly resource, documenting its provenance, structure, access conditions and quality checks.