Journal of Social Science, Policy and Development

Journal overview

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.

The journal welcomes original research article, review article, systematic review, short communication and other contributions described in its author guidance when they fit the scope. Appropriate approaches include qualitative, quantitative and mixed-methods research, comparative and historical analysis, surveys, interviews, administrative data and policy evaluation. Authors should describe sampling, instruments, context, positionality where relevant, ethics and analytical limitations. Authors should engage relevant scholarship, explain the contribution and report limitations needed for critical assessment.

Editorial assessment considers journal fit, methodological or interpretive quality, research integrity and clarity. The stated review model is double-anonymous peer review, normally with at least two independent reviewers. Publisher policies on ethics, access, authorship, conflicts, data and corrections apply alongside this journal’s scope. Submission information is provided on this site; manuscripts can be submitted only after the journal’s submission route opens.

Academic remit

The journal aims to publish research that deepens understanding of social structures, public institutions, development and policy. It welcomes empirical, theoretical and interdisciplinary work when the social-science contribution is explicit and methods are transparent. The central contribution should fit at least one of the journal’s academic sections and be meaningful to readers in social science, policy and development.

Appropriate approaches include qualitative, quantitative and mixed-methods research, comparative and historical analysis, surveys, interviews, administrative data and policy evaluation. Authors should describe sampling, instruments, context, positionality where relevant, ethics and analytical limitations. Authors should define the research question, connect the approach to the question, describe sources or materials and analytical choices, and provide enough information for critical assessment. Interdisciplinary work is welcome when its relevance to the journal is clear and the methods used for each component are explained.

Interpretations and claims should follow from the reported evidence. Authors should identify uncertainty, limitations and alternative explanations where relevant, and distinguish demonstrated results from implications or future work. Studies involving people, animals, sensitive data or protected material should describe applicable ethics, consent, privacy and permissions.

Policy conclusions without a defined evidence base, descriptive accounts without analysis, and generalizations that exceed the studied community, place or period fall outside scope. Manuscripts outside the listed sections or lacking an assessable scholarly contribution may be declined at editorial screening. The section descriptions below provide more detailed guidance on topic fit.