What to Look for When Choosing a Journal
Before submitting your research, evaluate journals on these key criteria:
- Policy analysis scope — design, implementation, evaluation, and retrospective assessment
- Methods coverage — quantitative impact evaluation, qualitative process tracing, and mixed methods
- Open access to reach policy analysts, government evaluators, and think tanks
- Fast review for policy analysis research tied to active policy cycles
- Acceptance of systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and evidence synthesis studies
- Policy domain coverage — health, education, welfare, economic, and environmental policy
Recommended Journals — Cluster 9: Public Policy, Governance & Administration
All journals below are published by Keith Publications — open access, peer-reviewed, and indexed for global discoverability.
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Public Policy and Administration Studies Journal
(PPASJ)
Public policy analysis, public administration, governance reform, government management, policy implementation, public sector innovation, and the study of governmental institutions and their effectiveness.
Public Policy Public Administration Governance Reform Policy Implementation
Fast Publication: 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 public policy and governance research.
Core Research Areas in Policy Analysis
Keith Publications policy analysis journals accept research on: policy design principles — well-being frameworks, behavioural insights, and systems thinking in policy design; cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness analysis of public programmes; randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and natural experiments in policy evaluation; quasi-experimental methods — difference-in-differences, regression discontinuity, and synthetic control; theory-based evaluation — programme theory, realist evaluation, and contribution analysis; policy process models — stages heuristic, multiple streams, advocacy coalition framework; evidence use in policymaking — how research influences policy and why it often doesn't; comparative policy evaluation across different national and sub-national contexts; regulatory impact assessment and ex ante policy evaluation; and evaluative thinking and evaluation capacity building in government.
Evidence-Based Policy: Promise and Reality
The evidence-based policy movement has grown from a radical idea in the 1990s to a mainstream aspiration of governments worldwide — with "what works" centres, randomised trial units, and evidence synthesis bodies established in dozens of countries. Yet research consistently shows that the relationship between evidence and policy is complex, non-linear, and often frustrating. Political interests, cognitive biases, institutional constraints, and the inherent complexity of social causation all limit the translation of evidence into policy. Keith Publications policy analysis journals welcome research examining both the successes and the limitations of evidence-based policy, providing a nuanced understanding of how research can most effectively inform governance.
Tips to Maximise Your Acceptance Chances
- Align your research with the journal's scope — confirm your policy domain and methodology fit the journal's published focus.
- Establish clear analytical framework — policy and governance journals expect a clearly stated analytical or theoretical framework.
- Demonstrate policy relevance — make the policy implications of your research explicit and actionable.
- Rigorous methodology — clearly describe your data sources, case selection, analytical approach, and limitations.
- Follow formatting guidelines exactly — non-compliant manuscripts often face desk rejection without review.
- Draw clear conclusions — public policy research should end with clear, evidence-based conclusions for policy and practice.
- Use current and relevant sources — include recent policy documents, official statistics, and academic literature from the last 5 years.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Research Guides
Explore other research journal guides in the Public Policy, Governance & Administration cluster: