Keith Publications Logo Keith Publications
  Cluster 4: Social Sciences, Psychology & Humanities

Open Access Development Studies Journals (2026)

Development studies research on poverty, inequality, sustainable development, and global governance should be accessible to the policymakers, development practitioners, and communities it is meant to serve. Open access development studies journals remove subscription barriers — especially important for researchers and practitioners in the developing countries that are the subject of much development research. Keith Publications serves the development studies community openly.

Submit Your Manuscript Browse All Topics

What to Look for When Choosing a Journal

Before submitting your research, evaluate journals on these key criteria:

  • Fully open access — no reader subscription, paywall, or institutional barrier
  • Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 licence allowing broad sharing and reuse
  • Indexed in Google Scholar, CrossRef, and open access social science directories
  • Wide dissemination to both academic and practitioner audiences
  • DOI (CrossRef) assignment for permanent, citable article identification
  • Affordable APC with waiver options for eligible researchers

Recommended Journals — Cluster 4: Social Sciences, Psychology & Humanities

All journals below are published by Keith Publications — open access, peer-reviewed, and indexed for global discoverability.

  • Journal of Social and Political Sciences Research (JSPSR)

    Social sciences, political science, governance, public policy, international relations, sociology, and interdisciplinary research on social structures and political systems.

    Review: 2–4 weeks Open Access DOI (CrossRef) Google Scholar
    Social Sciences Political Science Public Policy Sociology
    Submit Manuscript View Journal
  • Journal of Psychology and Behavioral Studies (JPBS)

    Psychology, behavioural science, cognitive science, social psychology, developmental psychology, clinical psychology, counselling, and applied psychological research.

    Review: 2–4 weeks Open Access DOI (CrossRef) Google Scholar
    Psychology Behavioral Science Cognitive Science Applied Psychology
    Submit Manuscript View Journal
  • Journal of Education and Social Sciences Letters (JESSL)

    Education research, pedagogy, curriculum development, educational psychology, social sciences education, teacher training, higher education policy, and learning sciences.

    Review: 2–3 weeks Open Access DOI (CrossRef) Google Scholar
    Education Research Pedagogy Educational Psychology Social Sciences Education
    Submit Manuscript View Journal
  • Journal of Culture, Humanities and Society (JCHS)

    Humanities, cultural studies, gender studies, communication studies, media studies, social work, development studies, anthropology, history, and interdisciplinary cultural research.

    Review: 2–4 weeks Open Access DOI (CrossRef) Google Scholar
    Humanities Cultural Studies Gender Studies Communication Studies
    Submit Manuscript View Journal

Fast Publication: All Keith Publications journals complete initial review within 2–5 business days and full peer review within 2–4 weeks. Articles are published online within 5–10 days of acceptance — making us one of the fastest open access publishers in the social sciences, psychology, and humanities field.

Why Open Access Publishing Benefits Social Sciences Researchers

Open access publication is especially powerful for social sciences and humanities research. Findings on education, policy, psychology, sociology, and culture should be accessible to practitioners, policymakers, community organisations, and citizens worldwide — not just those at institutions with expensive journal subscriptions. A teacher in Kenya, a social worker in Brazil, or a community development officer in Bangladesh can access and apply your research if it is published open access. Studies consistently show that open access social sciences research articles receive significantly more downloads and citations than subscription-based equivalents.

Understanding the CC BY 4.0 Licence for Social Sciences Research

All Keith Publications journals publish under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence. This means anyone — educators, policymakers, NGO workers, journalists, or practitioners — can freely read, share, download, and adapt your research for any purpose, including commercial use, as long as they credit the original authors. This licence is endorsed by major research funders including Wellcome Trust, research councils, and government funding bodies worldwide. It maximises the societal impact of your research and fully complies with open access mandates from social science funding bodies globally.

Tips to Maximise Your Acceptance Chances

  1. Align your topic with the journal's scope — read the aims and scope carefully before submitting.
  2. Write a compelling abstract — clearly state your research question, methodology, key findings, and contribution to the field.
  3. Ensure ethical compliance — include ethics committee approval, participant consent, and positionality statements where applicable.
  4. Follow reporting standards — use APA, PRISMA, COREQ, or other appropriate guidelines for your research design and discipline.
  5. Use current and relevant references — cite recent publications alongside seminal works in your social science or humanities discipline.
  6. Follow formatting guidelines exactly — non-compliant manuscripts are often desk-rejected without peer review.
  7. State theoretical and practical implications — explain how your findings contribute to scholarly debate and/or inform policy and practice.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best open access development studies journals?
The Journal of Social and Political Sciences Research (JSPSR) from Keith Publications publishes development studies research open access — covering poverty research, development economics, international development policy, and sustainable development studies.
Can researchers in developing countries access open access development studies journals?
Yes. Open access development studies journals are freely accessible to researchers, policymakers, and practitioners in all countries — including those in the developing world where university library subscriptions to major development journals are unaffordable.
Is SDG-focused development research accepted in open access journals at Keith Publications?
Yes. Research related to the UN Sustainable Development Goals — including poverty eradication, food security, education access, gender equality, clean water, sustainable cities, and climate action — is within scope for Keith Publications open access development studies journals.
Do open access development journals accept research from developing country authors?
Yes. Keith Publications actively welcomes research from authors in developing countries and offers APC waivers and discounts for eligible researchers — recognising that the researchers who best understand development challenges often face the greatest financial barriers to publication.

Related Research Guides

Explore other research journal guides in the Social Sciences, Psychology & Humanities cluster:

Ready to Publish Your Research?

Submit your social sciences, psychology, education, or humanities manuscript to Keith Publications today. Fast peer review, open access, and global indexing — get your work published within weeks.

Submit Your Manuscript Now Contact the Editorial Team