What to Look for When Choosing a Journal
Before submitting your research, evaluate journals on these key criteria:
- Applied focus — empirical studies using real-world data and econometric methods
- Sub-field coverage — labour, health, development, industrial, environmental, and trade economics
- Methodological rigour — causal identification, natural experiments, and instrumental variables
- Open access for maximum reach to practitioners, policymakers, and applied researchers
- Fast review for time-sensitive applied economics studies
- Acceptance of microdata analysis, survey research, and field experiments
Recommended Journals — Cluster 7: Finance, Accounting & Economics
All journals below are published by Keith Publications — open access, peer-reviewed, and indexed for global discoverability.
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Journal of Financial Economics and Management
(JFEM)
Financial economics, corporate finance, investment management, financial markets, monetary policy, and the economics of financial systems and institutions.
Financial Economics Corporate Finance Investment Management Financial Markets -
Journal of Accounting and Financial Reporting
(JAFR)
Financial accounting, management accounting, auditing, corporate governance, financial reporting standards, and the intersection of accounting with regulation and public policy.
Financial Accounting Auditing Corporate Governance Financial Reporting -
International Journal of Banking and Financial Services
(IJBFS)
Banking systems, financial services regulation, fintech, digital banking, risk management, financial inclusion, and the stability of global financial institutions.
Banking Systems Financial Services Fintech Risk Management -
Economics and Social Policy Research Journal
(ESPRJ)
Applied economics, development economics, fiscal and monetary policy, social policy evaluation, labour economics, and the economics of welfare, health, and education.
Applied Economics Development Economics Fiscal Policy Social Policy
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 finance, accounting, and economics.
Core Research Areas in Applied Economics
Keith Publications applied economics journals accept research across all applied areas: labour economics — wage determination, unemployment, human capital, and labour market discrimination; health economics — healthcare financing, health behaviour, and the economics of public health; environmental and resource economics — carbon markets, environmental valuation, and natural resource management; development economics — poverty, inequality, rural economics, and microfinance; industrial economics and competition — market structure, pricing, and antitrust analysis; urban and regional economics; behavioural economics — decision-making biases and their economic implications; the economics of education; and gender economics.
Econometric Methods in Applied Economics Research
Credible causal inference is the hallmark of high-quality applied economics research. Keith Publications economics journals accept a wide range of econometric approaches: randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and field experiments; difference-in-differences and panel data methods; regression discontinuity designs; instrumental variables (IV) and two-stage least squares; synthetic control methods; and structural econometric models. Researchers should clearly justify their identification strategy and address potential endogeneity and selection bias threats to their causal claims.
Tips to Maximise Your Acceptance Chances
- Align your topic with the journal's scope — confirm your research fits the journal's finance, accounting, or economics focus area.
- Establish clear research questions — finance and economics editors expect precise, testable hypotheses or well-defined research questions.
- Address endogeneity and identification — be explicit about your causal identification strategy and its limitations.
- Use appropriate data and methodology — match your econometric or quantitative methods to your research question and data structure.
- Follow formatting guidelines exactly — non-compliant manuscripts are often desk-rejected without review.
- State practical and policy implications — explain how your findings inform investors, regulators, policymakers, or practitioners.
- Ensure robust robustness checks — include alternative specifications, subsample analyses, and placebo tests to strengthen your empirical claims.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Research Guides
Explore other research journal guides in the Finance, Accounting & Economics cluster: