The founding aim of Investigaciones Regionales–Journal of Regional Research was to create a prestigious journal through which to disseminate quality research carried out in the broad academic and professional field of regional, urban and territorial studies. The journal is run by the Spanish Association of Regional Science (AECR), a member of ERSA (European Regional Science Association) and RSAI (Regional Science Association International), and has the management support of the General Foundation of the University of Alcalá (FGUA). The first issue of the journal was published in the fall of 2002.
Articles and other contributions submitted to this Journal are published either in Spanish, with an abstract in English, or in English. The Editorial Board especially values works with a high added value, both in terms of methodological approach and empirical analysis.
The Journal has a multidisciplinary approach, welcoming submissions from fields such as Economics, Geography, Sociology, Land Planning and Political Science, whose scientific focus, originality and added value contribute to the dissemination of new ideas and methodological approaches, strengthening and improving the quality of the publication.
The review process of the papers submitted to the Journal follows international standards. All articles, reports and possible collaborations are appraised by the Editorial Board, which applies criteria of scientific interest and quality and requests at least two anonymous external reviews before deciding whether submissions are suitable for acceptance.
The journal has an International Scientific Council formed by leading experts from various countries who advise on the quality and scientific content of manuscripts submitted for publication. The journal also has an Advisory Board that suggests topics of interest and identifies potential collaborators, as well as participating in the review process of work submitted for publication, along with an extensive group of national and international partners.
Investigaciones Regionales-Journal of Regional Research publishes three volumes a year.
Ordinary issues are published each spring and autumn and include four sections: Articles, Scientific and methodological notes, Outlook and Debates, and Reviews of books and other publications. The first two sections include the articles and notes selected for publication which have successfully passed the review process. The section on Outlook and Debates offers special reports on recent developments or controversial findings in a particular area of research. The final section includes full reviews of new books and publications as well as forthcoming reports and books.
Special monographic issues include articles and works on a particular scientific topic or area of analysis, generally linked to meetings and seminars developed by the journal or other organizations and research centres. All papers are externally evaluated before publication. The publication of such special issues is subject to the scientific interest of the topic and the quality of the contributions.
