The Economic Journal

The Economic Journal The Economic Journal is a peer-reviewed scholarly periodical founded in 1891 and published by the Royal Economic Society. Its pages have hosted contributions from figures associated with University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, London School of Economics, Harvard University, and University of Chicago, and it has engaged debates linked to developments at Bretton Woods Conference, Treaty of Versailles, and policy discussions around the Great Depression. Leading contributors have included personalities associated with John Maynard Keynes, Alfred Marshall, Arthur Pigou, Milton Friedman, and Amartya Sen.

History

The journal was established in the context of late Victorian intellectual activity surrounding Alfred Marshall and institutions such as St John's College, Cambridge and King's College, Cambridge, and it was launched with backing from members of British Association for the Advancement of Science and figures connected to Board of Trade (United Kingdom). Early editorial stewardship featured scholars who held chairs at University of Cambridge and University of London, and the journal published work engaging controversies analogous to debates at the time in Paris Peace Conference (1919–1920) and discussions influenced by the aftermath of the Franco-Prussian War and the economic implications examined in texts like The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith. During the interwar period the journal printed analyses that paralleled research agendas at institutions such as LSE and policy forums influenced by John Maynard Keynes and Alfred Marshall; its pages reflected methodological shifts seen in essays by scholars associated with University of Chicago and Columbia University. The post‑World War II era saw contributions shaped by researchers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Princeton University, and analysts engaged with outcomes of the Bretton Woods Conference and institutions such as the International Monetary Fund and World Bank. Throughout the late 20th century the journal featured work linked to figures affiliated with Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences laureates including names connected to Harvard University and Stanford University.

Scope and Content

The journal publishes original research and surveys spanning topics addressed by scholars from University College London, Yale University, Columbia University, Princeton University, and University of California, Berkeley. Articles range across microeconomic and macroeconomic themes, empirical studies associated with datasets curated at National Bureau of Economic Research, theoretical pieces in the tradition of Paul Samuelson and Kenneth Arrow, and applied work engaging institutions such as International Labour Organization or policy debates resonant with proceedings at G7 and European Union. Special issues have gathered papers arising from conferences at Royal Economic Society events and symposia linked to awardees of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences and recipients of prizes like the John Bates Clark Medal. The journal has also published methodological contributions aligning with analytical frameworks developed at Cowles Commission and conceptual debates related to works by Friedrich Hayek and Joseph Schumpeter.

Editorial Structure and Peer Review

Editorial leadership has historically been drawn from professors at University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, London School of Economics, University of Warwick, and University of Manchester. The editorial board includes associate editors and referees affiliated with departments at Stanford University, MIT, Princeton University, Yale University, and University of Chicago. Peer review follows conventional single‑ or double‑blind procedures widely used by journals publishing for societies such as Royal Economic Society and those managed by publishers connected to Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press. Manuscript workflows interact with submission systems used by periodicals that also manage outputs for organizations like American Economic Association and coordination with indexing services such as Web of Science and Scopus.

Impact and Reception

Articles published in the journal have been cited in policy reports by entities including the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and central banks such as the Bank of England and the Federal Reserve System. The journal’s influence is reflected in citation metrics used by departments at Harvard University, Princeton University, and London School of Economics, and in syllabi for courses at University of Chicago and Yale University. Its reception among scholars is comparable to that of leading periodicals associated with the American Economic Review and has been assessed in bibliometric studies undertaken at National Bureau of Economic Research and research centers at Stanford University. Debates sparked in its pages have intersected with public controversies involving policymakers connected to Chancellor of the Exchequer (UK), commissions such as the Monetary Policy Committee (Bank of England), and international negotiations similar to those at G20 summits.

Publication and Access

The journal is published by the Royal Economic Society on a regular schedule and distributed through platforms used by publishers like Oxford University Press and institutional libraries at British Library and major research universities including Harvard University and University of Oxford. Subscription access is held by academic libraries and consortia such as Research Libraries UK, while individual articles may be available via repositories maintained by scholars at RePEc and archives connected to universities like University of Cambridge and London School of Economics. The journal is indexed in bibliographic services including JSTOR and abstracted in databases used by researchers at National Bureau of Economic Research and centers at Stanford University.

Category:Academic journals Category:Economics journals Category:Publications established in 1891