Journal Guide

Research Policy (RP) articles examine empirically and theoretically the interaction between innovation, technology or research, on the one hand, and economic, social, political and organizational processes, on the other. All RP papers are expected to yield findings that have implications for policy or management.Aims and Scope:Research Policy (RP) is a multi-disciplinary journal devoted to analyzing, understanding and effectively responding to the economic, policy, management, organizational, environmental and other challenges posed by innovation, technology, R&D and science. This includes a number of related activities concerned with the creation of knowledge (through research), the diffusion and acquisition of knowledge (e.g. through organizational learning), and its exploitation in the form of new or improved products, processes or services.RP is generally acknowledged to be the leading journal in the field of innovation studies, with its academic status and influence being reflected in a remarkably high 'Impact Factor' for a multi-disciplinary social science journal (please see below).Authors intending to submit a paper to RP should first check whether that paper is consistent with the journal's Editorial Strategy as detailed in the Guide for Authors. RP uses an online submission process, http://ees.elsevier.com/respol/ and all papers are subject to a 'double-blind' review process, details as in the Guide for Authors. Besides research articles and notes, RP also publishes a variety of other types of papers including Special Issues (or shorter Special Sections) occasional discussion papers on important topical issues, and book reviews, again further information in the Guide for Authors.Main Subjects Covered:Economics of Innovation/Technology/Science; Entrepreneurs/Entrepreneurship; Evolutionary or (neo-)Schumpeterian Economics; Geography of Innovation - e.g. industrial clusters; Indicators - science, technology, R&D, innovation etc.; Innovation and Sustainability; Innovation Management/Organization/Policy/Strategy; Innovation Systems - national, regional, sectoral, technological; Knowledge - creation/production, diffusion/transfer/exchange, adoption/exploitation etc.; Learning (e.g. organizational) and Experimentation; Product and Process Development; Networks - e.g. research/ R&D collaboration, university-industry links, regional clusters, supply chains; Research and Development (R&D) Management/Policy/Strategy; Research Policy; Resource-Based View of the Firm - competence/capability (e.g. absorptive, core, dynamic); Science Policy; Sociotechnical Paradigms/Regimes; Technological Paradigms/Trajectories; Technological problem-solving; Technology Management/Policy/Strategy.Impact factor:Research Policy's impact factor has increased appreciably over recent years, rising from 1.078 in 2000 to 1.536 in 2004 and 2.655 in 2008. (There was a slight drop to 2.261 in 2009 following an expansion in the number of RP articles published in 2008.) In 2008, the journal ranked 11th among the world's top journals in "Management" and 1st in the "Planning & Development" category as ranked by Thompson Reuters, Social Sciences Citation Index Index® (© Thomson Reuters Journal Citation Reports, 2008).RP's Impact factor compares extremely well with that of leading journals in the neighbouring fields of Economics (where its 2008 impact factor would place it in 10th position, up from 29th position in 2000), Political Science (where it would currently rank 2nd), Sociology (3rd), Environmental Sciences (3rd) and other interdisciplinary social science journals.

The only refereed journal of its kind to cover today's health education and health promotion issues head on with timely, substantive, and thought provoking articles for professionals working in medical care facilities, professional preparation, colleges and universities, community and public health agencies, schools, and businesses.

This internationally peer-reviewed journal, published on behalf of SEMPRE, promotes the dissemination and discussion of high quality research in music and music education. The journal encourages the interrogation and development of a range of research methodologies and their application to diverse topics in music education theory and practice.

This journal is methodological in focus, so it welcomes research syntheses on all topics in Applied Linguistics, but especially those that have a strong relevance to professional practice (e.g., language teaching, learning, and assessment).

Research syntheses, or evidence syntheses, are a type of secondary research that employs systematic, transparent, reproducible, and often pre-registered methodologies to synthesise published research ( Chong & Plonsky, 2023; Chong & Plonsky, 2024). The focus of research syntheses can be substantive (e.g., language testing, translanguaging) and/or methodological (e.g., narrative inquiry). In the field of Applied Linguistics, meta-analyses are traditionally the predominant form of research synthesis, accounting for most of the published synthetic work. Nevertheless, this journal welcomes submissions of not only meta-analyses but other emergent types of research syntheses, especially those that employ qualitative methodologies (e.g., qualitative research synthesis, scoping review, systematic literature review) as well as methodological papers on the specific stages of conducting a research synthesis.

Watch this video to understand more about what research synthesis is in Applied Linguistics. The Research Synthesis in Applied Linguistics Special Interest Group of the British Association for Applied Linguistics (BAAL) organise events on conducting research syntheses; their website also hosts relevant resources and information. 

The editorial team and publisher are not responsible for the accuracy of the translation or information written in any language other than English.