Vierteljahrshefte zur Wirtschaftsforschung

Vierteljahrshefte zur Wirtschaftsforschung
Title	Vierteljahrshefte zur Wirtschaftsforschung
Discipline	Economics
Language	German
Publisher	Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung
Country	Germany
History	1953–present
Frequency	Quarterly
Issn	0042-8776

Vierteljahrshefte zur Wirtschaftsforschung is a German-language quarterly academic journal focusing on empirical and theoretical studies in economics, published by a research institute in Germany. The journal has published articles by scholars connected with major European and international institutions and has engaged with debates involving policy-makers, think tanks, central banks, and supranational organizations. It is recognized for contributions intersecting with the work of economists from universities and research centers across Berlin, Munich, Bonn, Frankfurt am Main, Cologne, Leipzig, Hamburg, Vienna, Zurich, Basel, Geneva, Lausanne, Cambridge (England), Oxford, London School of Economics, Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Princeton University, Yale University, Stanford University, University of Chicago, Columbia University and other prominent institutions.

History

The journal was established in the early postwar period amid reconstruction efforts involving economists linked to Ludwig Erhard, Konrad Adenauer, Walter Eucken, Friedrich Hayek, Milton Friedman, and European policy networks associated with Marshall Plan reconstruction. Its founding editors included economists who had connections with the Institute for Economic Research tradition and with research networks in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, and it quickly became a forum for debates involving the Bundesbank, Deutsche Bundesbank, European Central Bank, International Monetary Fund, World Bank Group, and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Over decades the journal reflected shifts linked to events such as the Treaty of Rome, European Monetary System, German reunification, Maastricht Treaty, and enlargement of the European Union.

Scope and Focus

The journal publishes work spanning empirical studies, applied econometrics, macroeconomic analysis, microeconomic theory, public finance, labor studies, industrial organization, and regional analysis. Contributors have discussed policy questions relevant to institutions such as the Bundesministerium der Finanzen, Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, European Commission, Council of the European Union, European Central Bank, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, and international agencies including the IMF and World Bank. Articles frequently engage with methods developed at universities and research centers such as CEPR, IZA Institute of Labor Economics, NBER, CESifo, Max Planck Society, Fraunhofer Society, Leibniz Association, and various university departments.

Publication and Editorial Information

Published quarterly, the journal follows peer review practices common to European social science journals and is edited by scholars affiliated with academic centers and research institutes in Germany and neighboring countries. Editorial boards have historically included professors from Humboldt University of Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, University of Cologne, University of Mannheim, TU Munich, University of Bonn, University of Hamburg, and research institute directors associated with IFO Institute, DIW Berlin, ZEW, and RWI Essen. The publisher has coordinated special issues in collaboration with institutions like the European Commission Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs, central banks, and scholarly associations such as the German Economic Association and European Economic Association. The journal accepts submissions in German and occasionally in English, with editorial policies reflecting standards used by journals like Econometrica, Journal of Political Economy, Quarterly Journal of Economics, and Review of Economic Studies.

Abstracting and Indexing

The journal is abstracted and indexed in databases and services that cover European social science literature and economics, often alongside titles indexed by RePEc, EconLit, Scopus, Social Sciences Citation Index, and regional bibliographic services in Germany and Europe. Bibliographic inclusion connects the journal's articles to citation networks involving scholars from institutions such as CNRS, INSEE, Bocconi University, University of Milan, University of Amsterdam, Tilburg University, Leiden University, KU Leuven, University of Antwerp, and other continental centers.

Notable Articles and Contributions

Over its history the journal has published influential articles addressing inflation targeting debates linked to the Bundesbank and European Central Bank, labor market reforms associated with the Hartz reforms, fiscal federalism discussions pertinent to the Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany, and regional convergence studies concerning eastern and western German states after German reunification. Contributors have included scholars who also published in outlets associated with Paul Krugman, Joseph Stiglitz, Amartya Sen, Robert Solow, Gary Becker, James Heckman, Angus Deaton, Christopher A. Sims, Robert Lucas Jr., Kenneth Arrow, John Maynard Keynes-related scholarship, and other prominent economists whose institutional affiliations span Harvard, MIT, Chicago, and major European universities.

Reception and Impact

The journal is cited in policy reports and academic literature addressing European monetary integration, structural reforms, labor policy, taxation, and welfare state dynamics, contributing to debates involving the European Court of Justice, Bundesverfassungsgericht, Council of Europe, and advisory bodies to national parliaments and cabinets. Its articles are used by researchers at think tanks like Bruegel, Chatham House, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Brookings Institution, Heritage Foundation, Peterson Institute for International Economics, and national research centers.

Access and Availability

Back issues and current volumes are available through institutional subscriptions held by university libraries at institutions such as Humboldt University of Berlin Library, Bodleian Libraries, Cambridge University Library, Harvard Library, Yale University Library, Princeton University Library, ETH Zurich Library, and research institute libraries. Access is also mediated via aggregation services used by libraries and consortia across Europe and beyond; some older articles appear in national libraries and archival collections tied to academic and governmental repositories.

Category:Economics journals