Population and Development Review

Population and Development Review is a peer-reviewed academic journal specializing in demography and the intersections of population with social, economic, and political institutions. Founded in 1975, the journal has published research, policy analyses, and book reviews by scholars affiliated with institutions such as Population Council (New York), United Nations Population Fund, World Bank, United Nations agencies, and major universities like Harvard University, University of California, Berkeley, London School of Economics, University of Oxford, and Columbia University. Its readership includes researchers from Princeton University, Yale University, Stanford University, University of Chicago, and policy makers at United Nations Development Programme and United Nations Economic Commission for Europe.

History

The journal was established in 1975 by the Population Council (New York) in collaboration with scholars connected to United Nations programs and international research centers such as International Union for the Scientific Study of Population and International Planned Parenthood Federation. Early editorial leadership included researchers with affiliations to Harvard University, University of California, Los Angeles, and London School of Economics who had previously worked with United Nations Population Fund and World Bank projects. Over decades the journal documented milestones like the implementation of the International Conference on Population and Development and the adoption of policy frameworks influenced by reports from United Nations Population Division, World Health Organization, and commissions linked to the European Union. Through collaborations with publishing partners such as Wiley-Blackwell and connections to academic societies including the American Sociological Association and American Economic Association, the title expanded from regional case studies to comparative analyses spanning continents covered by scholars from University of Cape Town, Peking University, University of Tokyo, and University of São Paulo.

Scope and Focus

The journal emphasizes empirical and theoretical contributions on fertility, mortality, migration, family change, aging, urbanization, and the demographic determinants of social and economic change. Articles frequently integrate data from sources like the Demographic and Health Surveys, World Fertility Survey, and national statistical offices such as United States Census Bureau, Office for National Statistics (UK), Statistics Canada, and Institute of Population and Social Security Research (Japan). Thematic issues have addressed topics connected to conferences such as the International Population Conference organized by the International Union for the Scientific Study of Population, responses to reports by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and policy debates surrounding programs run by UNICEF, World Bank Group, and Asian Development Bank. Contributors include scholars affiliated with think tanks and institutes like Brookings Institution, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, RAND Corporation, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, and universities such as Johns Hopkins University, McGill University, Australian National University, and National University of Singapore.

Editorial Structure and Publication

The editorial board has included editors and associate editors drawn from institutions including Princeton University, Brown University, Duke University, New York University, Cornell University, University of Michigan, and Ohio State University. The journal operates on a quarterly schedule with peer review managed by an editorial office connected to the Population Council (New York). It is published in partnership with commercial publishers such as Wiley-Blackwell and distributed to subscribers at academic libraries including Library of Congress, British Library, Bibliothèque nationale de France, and university libraries at University of California, University of Cambridge, and University of Melbourne. Special issues have been guest-edited by scholars associated with projects funded by foundations like the Rockefeller Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Ford Foundation.

Impact and Reception

The journal is widely cited in scholarship across demography and allied fields, with articles referenced in work by researchers at Harvard University, London School of Economics, University of Chicago, Stanford University, and policy briefs produced by United Nations Population Division, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Its influence is visible in curriculum at departments such as Department of Sociology, Harvard University, programs at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, and centers like the Population Reference Bureau and Global Health Council. Reviews and citations appear in related journals and outlets including Demography (journal), International Migration Review, The Lancet, American Journal of Sociology, and Annual Review of Sociology. The journal has been discussed at forums like the International Conference on Family Planning and workshops convened by United Nations Development Programme and national academies such as the National Academy of Sciences.

Abstracting and Indexing

The journal is indexed in major bibliographic and citation services including Web of Science, Scopus, EBSCOhost, ProQuest, and JSTOR. It is listed in disciplinary databases used by institutions such as National Library of Medicine, Institute for Scientific Information, and regional catalogues like Australian National Bibliographic Database and China National Knowledge Infrastructure. Abstracts and indexing facilitate discoverability across university repositories at Harvard Library, Yale Library, Bodleian Libraries, and digital services maintained by HathiTrust and WorldCat.

Category:Academic journals