European Journal of International Relations

European Journal of International Relations
Title	European Journal of International Relations
Discipline	International relations
Language	English
Abbreviation	EJIR
Publisher	SAGE Publications
Country	United Kingdom
Frequency	Quarterly
History	1995–present
Issn	1354-0661
Eissn	1460-3713

European Journal of International Relations is a peer-reviewed academic journal publishing scholarship on international relations, comparative politics, and transnational phenomena. Founded in the mid-1990s, it regularly presents work from scholars across Europe, North America, and beyond and engages debates linked to institutions, norms, and conflict. The journal interfaces with major research organizations, universities, and scholarly associations to shape debates in international studies and related fields.

History

The journal was established in 1995 amid institutional developments at London School of Economics, University of Cambridge, and University of Oxford that paralleled the rise of new schools in international studies following the Cold War and the Maastricht Treaty. Early editorial teams included scholars affiliated with European Consortium for Political Research, British International Studies Association, and the European University Institute. Throughout the late 1990s and 2000s the journal engaged with debates catalyzed by events such as the Rwandan genocide, the Kosovo War, and the September 11 attacks, responding through themed issues and methodological forums. Institutional links evolved to include partnerships with publishers and societies like SAGE Publications and regional research networks centered in cities such as Brussels, Berlin, and Paris. The journal’s history reflects broader disciplinary shifts including the emergence of critical theory dialogues influenced by figures associated with Frankfurt School, realist responses tracing back to thinkers connected to Harvard University, and constructivist networks tied to New York University.

Scope and focus

The journal covers empirical and theoretical work on international relations with emphases that have included security studies tied to the NATO interventions, normative analyses referencing the European Court of Human Rights and the United Nations, and research on regional governance such as the European Union and African Union. It publishes contributions addressing diplomatic history related to the Treaty of Versailles and the Yalta Conference, as well as work on transnational actors including Greenpeace, Amnesty International, and multinational corporations headquartered in cities like Geneva and Zurich. Interdisciplinary pieces draw on archives connected to institutions such as the National Archives (United Kingdom), the Library of Congress, and the French National Centre for Scientific Research. Methodological variety spans quantitative analyses inspired by datasets used by scholars at Princeton University and Stanford University, qualitative case studies involving events like the Arab Spring uprisings, and interpretive work conversant with scholarship from Columbia University and University of California, Berkeley.

Editorial structure and peer review

Editorial leadership has rotated among scholars affiliated with institutions including London School of Economics, University of Warwick, Sciences Po, and University of Edinburgh, with editorial boards drawing members from centers such as the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute and the Centre for European Policy Studies. The journal operates a double-blind peer-review system engaging reviewers from networks tied to the Royal Institute of International Affairs, the European Council on Foreign Relations, and major research universities. Manuscript processing often involves editorial offices coordinated through publisher infrastructure at SAGE Publications and collaboration with indexing partners in cities like New York and Thousand Oaks. Special issue proposals undergo editorial vetting and external review, and decisions are guided by policies comparable to those used by journals associated with the American Political Science Association and the International Studies Association.

Abstracting and indexing

The journal is listed in major abstracting services and citation databases that researchers access via university subscriptions at institutions such as University of Oxford and University of Cambridge. It appears in indexes maintained by organizations like Clarivate's Web of Science, Scopus managed by Elsevier, and subject-specific services used by scholars at King's College London and Trinity College Dublin. Libraries and catalogues including the British Library and the Bibliothèque nationale de France include holdings, and metadata for articles is supplied to discovery services used by the Max Planck Society and the Humboldt University of Berlin. Coverage in these services supports citation tracking similar to journals archived by the JSTOR project and aggregated in databases used by the European Research Council.

Impact and reception

The journal has been cited in debates alongside flagship venues from institutions like Princeton University and Columbia University and is often compared with periodicals produced by the International Studies Association and the American Political Science Association. Its impact factor and citation metrics reported by Clarivate and Scopus place it among influential European-based journals in the field, informing promotion and tenure decisions at universities such as Uppsala University and Leiden University. Reception among scholars ranges from praise for advancing critical approaches associated with thinkers tied to Yale University to critique from proponents of realist traditions linked to Georgetown University. The journal’s contribution to policy debates has been noted in briefings at institutions like the European Commission and think tanks including Chatham House.

Notable articles and special issues

Notable articles have engaged topics such as norms diffusion in the aftermath of the Cold War, security governance during the Kosovo War, and regulatory debates after the Lisbon Treaty. Special issues have focused on themes like humanitarian intervention after the Rwandan genocide, the politics of regional integration with case studies on the European Union and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and methodological reflexivity referencing the work of scholars connected to Princeton University and Columbia University. Guest editors have included academics affiliated with London School of Economics, Oxford University, and Sciences Po, and contributors have cited archival collections at institutions like the National Archives (United States) and the Imperial War Museums. The journal continues commissioning special sections that intersect with policy debates addressed by bodies such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and agencies of the United Nations.

Category:International relations journals