Aims & Scope

The International Review of Public Policy (IRPP) is an inclusive and integrative open-access journal free to its authors and readers. IRPP is the flagship journal of the most important worldwide association for public policy in the social sciences, the International Public Policy Association (IPPA). IPPA sponsors a fully Open Access IRPP. Our journal encourages and celebrates diversity and inclusion in authorship and in the selection of reviewers.

Our journal is dedicated to advancing knowledge about public policy in different policy sectors and national contexts. The journal hosts contributions advancing the scholarship on theories of the policy process, policy instruments, agenda setting, decision making, policy change, policy implementation, policy evaluation, and a host of other public policy relevant issues. IRPP welcomes both comparative work and single case studies. We accept submissions with a word limit of 10,000 words, including references, footnotes, tables, and graphs.

IRPP embraces methodological pluralism, accepting contributions based on qualitative, quantitative as well as mixed methods. IRPP does not discriminate against any ontological assumption. Finally, an important aim of the journal is to publish research that has high translation value – by this, we mean policy research that makes a broad range of findings available to policy-makers, civil society organizations, pressure groups and citizens concerned about policy issues.

The IRPP is inclusive and integrative: 

• Inclusive: Public policy is a diverse field. The IRPP reflects this diversity by supporting the broadest array of approaches. We welcome contributions that address public policy issues from different disciplinary traditions, empirical and theoretical approaches, methodologies that reflect different ontological and epistemological assumptions.

• Integrative: The IRPP aims to be integrative by building bridges, making connections between different methodologies, and developing a common language between scholars. We also welcome contributions that make their research and ideas accessible to audiences different from academics.

In seeking to translate these two ideals into practice, IRPP does not discriminate against any ontological presupposition. All disciplines contributing to public policy are welcome, such as, to mention a few, ethnography, economics, political science, psychology, socio-legal studies and sociology.

The journal does not accept political/policy commentary, explanations of legislation and courts decisions, and personal opinions.

Peer Review Policy

All submissions go through rigorous double-blind peer review. Submissions to the journal undergo an initial editorial screening and, when a submission is considered appropriate, it is reviewed by at least two referees.

Once a paper is submitted by an author, the editor(s) checks the paper’s composition and arrangement against the journal’s submission guidelines. In particular, we check the presence of required sections and stylisations; that the paper is within the scope of the journal; and that it is sufficiently original and topical. If not, the paper may be rejected without being reviewed any further. A designated editor in chief will take care of the review process from this point onwards. The designated editor in chief assigns at least two Referees for manuscript review according to their expertise. The referees shall be experts in the given field and, if possible, they should not be institutionally or personally associated with the author. Referees are asked to evaluate the manuscript and provide constructive anonymised comments for the author. The paper is double-blind reviewed and recommendation sent to Editor.

As a result of the peer review process, the possible decisions are:

1. Accepted

2. Conditionally accepted

3. Revise and resubmit

4. Rejected

The editor in chief makes a final decision when appropriate consulting with the other Editors and one or more members of the Scientific Committee and sends a notification to the author. This decision is sent to the author along with any recommendations made by the referees. The above process ensures that all submissions are considered transparently, fairly and on merit.

Please follow this link to create an account and to submit a manuscript: http://www.ippapublicpolicy.org/login

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Statement

The International Review of Public Policy acknowledges the challenges faced by underrepresented and minority communities in the academic publication processes. We are committed to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion in all aspects of our journal. As such, we actively encourage submissions from scholars across a wide spectrum of institutional affiliations, nationalities, and career stages. We particularly welcome and value contributions from individuals underrepresented within academia, based on race, ethnicity, gender identity, disability, or other protected characteristics. Our mission is to create a platform that embraces and amplifies diverse voices from all corners of the globe, working together to shape impactful public policy research.

Our Editorial Board and Scientific Committee reflect the core values of diversity, equity, and inclusion. We strive to have a Board and a Committee that embody a wide range of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. Our members come from diverse institutional affiliations, continents, and stages of their careers.

IRPP Commitment to Just and Equitable Citation

The International Review of Public Policy (IRPP) acknowledges the potential replication and reinforcement of inequities in reference citations. We recognize that certain characteristics, such as gender, race, early career scholars, and scholars from underrepresented regions like the Global South, may be easier to discern in references. To actively address these disparities, we encourage authors whose manuscripts are accepted for publication in IRPP to critically evaluate their reference lists and actively include citations of equally rigorous and relevant scholarship by underrepresented minority authors.