Innovation: The European Journal of Social Science Research is a social science journal on innovation, change, and transformation of organisations, institutions, and societies at large. It combines analytical and descriptive rigour with an attempt to provide and discuss solutions, visions, roadmaps as well as threat scenarios and dystopias. We consider this combination of hermeneutical analysis and application of deconstruction and construction as the cornerstone of the journal, which is open for all social and cultural sciences.
The journal is not focusing on Europe alone but publishes articles on all parts of the world. However, authors, which submit manuscripts on non-European regions, are encouraged to include a comparative chapter or paragraph with a European region, Europe at large or highlight the relevance of their research results for said regions, as we see the journal as a developer of solutions to further European integration.
European integration and enlargement pose fundamental challenges for policy, politics, citizenship, culture, and democracy. Innovation: The European Journal of Social Science Research provides a unique forum for discussing these processes. It welcomes articles on all aspects of European developments that contribute to the improvement of social science knowledge and the setting of a policy-focused European research agenda. This does not exclude theoretical reflections. For as we know: “There is nothing more practical than a good theory” (Kurt Lewin)
Our aim is to develop societal innovations, contribute to methodological innovations in the social sciences and to create solutions for Europe.
We welcome articles that can be included in the following categories:
Analyses
• Public Policy Analysis
• Polity Analysis and Multilevel Governance
• Institutional Analysis from a Societal and Political Perspective
Tools and instruments
• Managing Political and Socio-Economic Transformations
• Scenarios and Strategic Planning
Topics
• Democracy and Civil Society
• Social Structures and Integration
• Social Justice and Inequality
• Digital Transformation and the Future of Societies
• Sustainability and Ecological Modernisation
• Science-Technology-Society Relations
While generally open, our non-special issues are bound by thematic foci identified by the responsible editors. This allows to further strengthen the journal’s goal of supporting interdisciplinarity and comparative research perspectives. We expect articles in methodological terms to primarily use qualitative approaches, without excluding quantitative instruments.
Besides regular Research Articles, the journal publishes Research Notes and Research Discussions. Research Notes are typically shorter in length than articles (e.g., 1,500-3,000 words) and may involve less conventional outputs and preliminary findings, and methodological questions and concerns of on-going research projects. Research Discussions provide statements to current scientific discussions and theoretical debates (e.g., as a statement or a literature survey). In all formats, scientific standards have to be observed. The language of the journal is English only. Please make sure to indicate which category your contribution shall be attributed to.
Peer Review Process: All scientific papers in this journal undergo a rigorous peer-review process. Initially, every submitted article is evaluated by the editors. They decide to either accept it for peer-review or desk-reject it immediately if, for example, it does not fit the Aims & Scope or does not fulfil basic academic standards.
Manuscripts that are selected by the editors for further consideration undergo a double anonymzed peer review process by at least two referees. Double anonymized means that neither the authors nor the reviewers know the identity of the other part. Reviewers are members of our international Advisory Board or other experts whose work and interests are comparable to those of the work submitted. Based on the reviews the editors come to a decision (accept, minor/major revisions, reject) and inform the author.
The average review time (from submission until first post-review decision) of our journal is 4 months. The average time from submission to publication is 7 months. The length of the process can vary and heavily depends on different factors such as the timeliness of reviews or the schedule of editors.
![Sample our Social Sciences journals, sign in here to start your FREE access for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/110823/Subject-Sample-2021-Social-Sciences.jpg"})