Research Policy

RESEARCH POLICY is a premier international journal dedicated to the analysis and understanding of innovation, technology, and science from a policy perspective. Published by Elsevier, the journal has an ISSN of 0048-7333 and an impressive 2026 Impact Factor of 8.9000, placing it firmly in the Q1 quartile of the JCR. This ranking underscores its status as one of the most influential and highly cited outlets in the fields of innovation studies, science policy, and management of technology. The journal’s scope is broad and interdisciplinary, encompassing the determinants and consequences of research and development, the dynamics of technological change, the economics of innovation, and the role of intellectual property. It also explores the relationship between innovation and economic growth, sustainability, and social welfare, as well as the design and evaluation of public policies for science and technology. RESEARCH POLICY primarily publishes original research articles, alongside occasional review articles and special issues that synthesize emerging themes. The target audience includes academic researchers in economics, management, political science, and sociology, as well as policymakers, technology analysts, and R&D managers in public and private sectors. A notable feature is its commitment to rigorous empirical and theoretical work, often employing quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-methods approaches. The journal does not typically offer open access as a default, but authors have the option to publish open access under a Creative Commons license. With its consistently high impact factor and top-quartile ranking, RESEARCH POLICY is widely regarded as the leading journal for scholarship on the policy dimensions of science, technology, and innovation.