What to Look for When Choosing a Journal
Before submitting your research, evaluate journals on these key criteria:
- Digital finance scope — fintech, blockchain, cryptocurrency, DeFi, and CBDCs
- Interdisciplinary scope — finance, technology, economics, law, and regulatory science
- Open access for reach to fintech practitioners, regulators, and central bankers
- Fast review for rapidly evolving digital finance research
- Acceptance of blockchain data analysis, on-chain analytics, and experimental fintech research
- Regulatory and policy relevance — research informing digital finance regulation
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 Digital Finance
Keith Publications digital finance journals accept research on: cryptocurrency markets — Bitcoin, Ethereum, and altcoin price formation, volatility, and market microstructure; decentralised finance (DeFi) — automated market makers, yield farming, liquidity provision, and DeFi risk; central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) — design, monetary policy implications, and financial stability effects; blockchain in financial services — payment systems, trade finance, cross-border payments, and smart contracts; fintech business models — neobanks, robo-advisors, InsurTech, and RegTech; open banking and API-based financial services; AI and machine learning in financial services; digital payment systems — mobile payments, real-time payments, and digital wallets; and financial inclusion through digital finance.
Central Bank Digital Currencies: The New Frontier of Digital Finance Research
Central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) represent the most significant potential transformation of monetary systems since the introduction of central banking itself. Over 100 central banks are actively exploring, piloting, or launching CBDCs — with profound implications for monetary policy transmission, financial disintermediation, payment system stability, and cross-border finance. Research on CBDC design choices (wholesale vs. retail, token-based vs. account-based), monetary policy implications, privacy and surveillance concerns, and the international monetary implications of CBDC proliferation is urgently needed. Keith Publications provides an open access platform for this critical area of monetary economics research.
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: