Journal Profile & Submission Guide

Proceedings of DRS: Scopus, Scope & Submission Guide

Proceedings of DRS is the publication series associated with the Design Research Society’s conference proceedings, particularly its international biennial DRS conference series. The supplied Scopus source record identifies it as a Book Series with Scopus Source Record ID 21101309790. The ISSN International Centre separately confirms the title Proceedings of DRS, the variant title Proceedings of Design Research Society, and ISSN 2398-3132.

This distinction matters for authors. Proceedings of DRS should not be approached as if it were a conventional journal with year-round manuscript intake and a permanent journal-style author portal. Publication is normally connected to a specific Design Research Society conference edition, theme, track, call for papers, deadline, template and peer-review cycle. Researchers should therefore evaluate both the scholarly fit of the series and the practical requirements of the specific DRS conference to which they plan to submit.

Quick Answer: What Is Proceedings of DRS?

Proceedings of DRS is an online conference-proceedings series published by the Design Research Society (DRS), a learned society founded in 1966 to promote and develop design research. The DRS Digital Library archives conference volumes and individual papers, including the biennial DRS International Conference series.

The series covers the broad discipline of design research rather than a single narrow specialism. Recent proceedings include research on design methods, participatory design, design education, technology, ethics, sustainability, service and interaction design, design for social change, health, materials, futures and interdisciplinary design practice. The DRS Digital Library states that the biennial international conferences use a rigorous peer-review process for research-paper submissions.

The supplied record links Proceedings of DRS to Scopus Source ID 21101309790. Because Scopus coverage, source status and metrics can change, authors should confirm the live Scopus profile before using the series to satisfy institutional publication requirements.

Key Takeaways

• Publisher: Design Research Society.
• Source type: Book Series in the supplied source record; it functions as a conference-proceedings publication series rather than a conventional rolling-submission journal.
• ISSN: 2398-3132, confirmed by the ISSN International Centre.
• Scopus: the supplied source record gives Scopus Source Record ID 21101309790; verify current coverage and metrics directly in Scopus before submission.
• Scope: broad, international design research across theory, methods, practice, education, technology, policy, ethics, sustainability and related interdisciplinary areas.
• Peer review: DRS states that its international conference research papers undergo rigorous peer review and follow publication-ethics and malpractice policies.
• Open access: the DRS Digital Library is an open-access hub; recent paper records display Creative Commons licences.
• Submission model: authors submit to a specific conference edition and track, so deadlines, templates, paper categories, fees and final-publication requirements must be checked for that edition.

Journal Information at a Glance

What This Page Covers

• what Proceedings of DRS is and how it differs from a standard journal;
• publisher, ISSN, source type and Scopus identification;
• the academic scope and types of design-research contributions represented;
• peer review, open access, ethics and publication model;
• what can and cannot be verified about metrics, fees and acceptance rates;
• how conference-based submission works and what authors should verify for the current edition;
• how to judge manuscript-to-track fit and strengthen publication readiness;
• how Contentxprtz can support authors ethically without promising acceptance.

Methodology and Sources

This profile was prepared from the supplied source record and authoritative publication sources, with priority given to the Design Research Society, the DRS Digital Library and the ISSN International Centre. The DRS library confirms the structure and role of the conference collections, the peer-review statement for the biennial conference series, recent DOI-based paper records and Creative Commons licence information. The ISSN record confirms the title, title variant, online medium, UK record and ISSN 2398-3132.

Journal and proceedings metadata can change. Scopus coverage, source metrics, conference themes, track descriptions, author templates, registration requirements, editorial teams, licensing and schedules should be reconfirmed immediately before submission. Where a current metric or policy could not be verified from a suitable authoritative source, this guide says so rather than estimating a value.

What Is Proceedings of DRS?

Proceedings of DRS is best understood as a scholarly record of Design Research Society conference activity. DRS describes itself as a learned society dedicated to promoting and developing design research, and its Digital Library serves as an archive and open-access library for the field. The library includes bound conference volumes as well as individually discoverable conference papers, with the biennial international conference series extending back to the early development of the discipline.

The series is academically important because design research is inherently plural. It may examine how designing is studied, how design knowledge is produced, how people participate in design processes, how technologies reshape design practice, how designed systems affect society, and how design can respond to environmental, political, organisational, health, educational and cultural challenges. DRS proceedings therefore bring together contributions that may look very different methodologically while remaining connected through an explicit design-research contribution.

For a researcher deciding where to publish, that breadth creates both opportunity and responsibility. A manuscript does not become a strong DRS fit merely because it mentions design. The paper should demonstrate why the research question matters to design-research scholarship, how the method generates credible knowledge, and what new understanding, framework, method, evidence, critique or implication the work offers to the design community.

Proceedings of DRS Aims and Scope

The broad aim of the DRS conference ecosystem is to advance and communicate research across the discipline of design. The DRS Digital Library describes the DRS International Conferences as representing the general discipline of design research. Individual conference editions then organise this broad field through themes, tracks and calls that reflect emerging issues in research and practice.

Across recent proceedings, the scope visibly includes theoretical, empirical, methodological and practice-based work. Examples in the 2026 proceedings cover ethics in design practice, digital welfare systems, posthuman approaches, care, social justice and human–AI workflows. Earlier volumes explicitly frame design research at the intersections of research, practice, education and policy. This indicates a community that values not just designed artefacts, but also critical inquiry into how design operates and what consequences it creates.

Topics that can fall within the broader DRS scope

• design research methods and methodological innovation;
• participatory design, co-design and community-engaged design;
• service design, interaction design, user experience and human-computer interaction where the design-research contribution is clear;
• design education, doctoral design research and pedagogy;
• design ethics, responsibility, justice, inclusion, power and values;
• sustainable, circular, regenerative and more-than-human design;
• healthcare, public-service, civic and social design;
• design futures, speculative and critical design;
• artificial intelligence, digital technologies and sociotechnical systems;
• materials, making, craft and embodied knowledge;
• design policy, organisations, innovation and professional practice;
• history, theory, philosophy and discourse in design research.

These are not a substitute for the current conference call. A topic that belongs broadly to design research may still be a poor fit for a particular track if the paper does not engage with that track’s questions, community or expected contribution.

Proceedings of DRS Objectives and Scholarly Role

The proceedings provide a citable record of peer-reviewed conference scholarship and help researchers observe how design-research conversations develop over time. The DRS Digital Library states that its content goes back to early DRS conferences and that individual papers and conference volumes are archived for discovery and citation. Recent papers carry DOIs, making individual contributions persistent and referenceable.

For early-career researchers and PhD scholars, proceedings can provide a route to present work to an international design-research audience, receive peer feedback and contribute to a themed scholarly conversation. However, institutional rules differ: some universities count peer-reviewed conference papers differently from journal articles, and some doctoral or promotion frameworks require specific source types or indexing status. Authors should therefore check their institution’s rules before treating any conference proceedings publication as equivalent to a journal publication.

Is Proceedings of DRS Indexed in Scopus?

The primary input supplied for this profile gives Scopus Source Record ID 21101309790 and a direct Scopus source link. This supports identifying the correct source when titles overlap or when a university requires the exact source record rather than a name-only search.

Scopus status should still be treated as time-sensitive. Before submitting—or before claiming that a publication satisfies a Scopus requirement—open the source profile and confirm the current coverage years, status, source type and metrics. Do not rely on an old screenshot, cached ranking site or third-party quartile page.

What authors should verify in Scopus

• source title and Source ID 21101309790;
• current active/inactive status and coverage years;
• source type shown in the live record;
• CiteScore and CiteScore percentile if currently available;
• subject categories and any quartile/percentile information relevant to your institution;
• whether the specific publication year you are targeting falls within current coverage.

Current Metrics: CiteScore, SJR, SNIP, Quartile and Impact Factor

Metrics are among the most searched questions about Proceedings of DRS, but they should not be guessed. A current authoritative CiteScore, SJR, SNIP or quartile value was not independently verified for this guide from a directly accessible official metric record. Researchers should therefore check the live Scopus source page and, where required, the relevant official metric platform for the reporting year that matters to their institution.

A Journal Impact Factor should also not be assumed simply because a source is indexed elsewhere. Proceedings of DRS is presented in the supplied data as a book series and operates as conference proceedings. If a university specifically requires a Clarivate Journal Impact Factor, verify whether that requirement even applies to this source type and request the exact acceptable evidence from the institution.

What Types of Papers Are Published?

The DRS Digital Library separates recent biennial conference material into categories such as research papers and editorials, and individual paper records provide abstracts, keywords, DOI information and conference-track context. The exact submission categories available to authors vary by conference edition.

For practical purposes, a researcher should not assume that a paper type accepted in one DRS edition will be offered unchanged in the next. The current call may distinguish full research papers from other contribution formats, theme-track contributions or special formats. The call is the governing source for length, review eligibility and publication outcome.

Who Should Consider Submitting?

Proceedings of DRS may be a strong target for researchers whose work makes a substantive contribution to design research and whose timing aligns with an open DRS conference call. Potential contributors include doctoral candidates, design faculty, interdisciplinary researchers, design practitioners conducting research, HCI and technology researchers with a design contribution, social scientists working through design methods, and professionals studying design practice or systems.

A manuscript is more likely to fit when it does more than report a project. It should explain the research problem, position the work in relevant literature, justify the method, present analyzable evidence, discuss limitations, and articulate what the design-research community can learn from the study.

How to Evaluate Manuscript Fit Before Submission

Manuscript and Submission Requirements

Because Proceedings of DRS is conference-based, there is no single permanent manuscript specification that should be presented as universally current. Authors should use the official instructions for the specific DRS conference edition and track. Older templates are useful for orientation only.

Before formatting, confirm these items

• submission deadline and time zone;
• paper category and track;
• word or page limit;
• official Word/LaTeX or other template;
• anonymous-review requirements and what identifying information must be removed;
• abstract and keyword limits;
• reference style and DOI presentation;
• figure resolution, captions, permissions and accessibility requirements;
• supplementary-file rules;
• AI-use, authorship, conflict-of-interest and research-ethics disclosures where applicable;
• camera-ready revision requirements after acceptance;
• presenter registration and attendance obligations, if any.

As a practical publication-readiness step, build the paper in the current template early rather than trying to compress a finished manuscript at the deadline. Conference page limits often require authors to make sharper decisions about research framing, evidence and contribution.

Peer Review and Editorial Process

The DRS Digital Library explicitly states that DRS International Conferences follow a rigorous peer-review process for research paper submissions and comply with DRS publication ethics and malpractice policies. That is the strongest series-level statement that can be made without converting conference-specific procedures into permanent rules.

Exact reviewer counts, anonymity models, rebuttal opportunities, desk-screening criteria and timelines can change by edition. The 2024 conference gives a useful historical example: DRS reported 869 full-paper submissions, 78 desk rejections, 791 papers sent through rigorous peer review, and 386 accepted papers. The resulting 44.4% acceptance figure belongs to DRS2024 and should not be extrapolated as a permanent rate.

Open Access, Licensing and Publication Fees

The DRS Digital Library describes itself as an open-access hub, and recent individual DRS paper records display Creative Commons licences. For example, DRS2026 research-paper records show a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International licence. Earlier volumes may display different licence variants, so authors should inspect the licence attached to the specific publication rather than assuming one licence applies to every year.

A standard journal-style APC was not verified for the series. Conference publication may nevertheless be linked to registration, attendance or other edition-specific conditions. These are not the same thing as a standing APC. Authors should check the current conference’s registration and publication rules before budgeting.

Publication Ethics

DRS publishes a conference publication-ethics and publication-malpractice policy, and its biennial conference-series page states that conferences comply with these policies. Authors should therefore approach submission with the same research-integrity standards expected in scholarly publishing: original work, accurate attribution, appropriate authorship, transparent methods, honest reporting, conflict disclosure where relevant, and responsible treatment of human participants or sensitive data.

Although a particular conference edition may issue more detailed guidance, researchers should not submit substantially the same manuscript simultaneously to incompatible venues, should not fabricate or manipulate data, and should ensure permissions for copyrighted or participant-derived material. If generative AI or automated tools were used, follow the current DRS/conference disclosure rules and retain author responsibility for all submitted content.

Common Reasons a Paper May Be Unsuitable

• the manuscript is about a designed product but does not make a research contribution;
• the paper fits design generally but not the selected conference track;
• the research question is unclear or disconnected from the evidence;
• methodological detail is insufficient for reviewers to assess credibility;
• the literature review does not position the work in relevant design-research scholarship;
• the contribution is asserted rather than demonstrated;
• the paper reads like a project report, consultancy case study or promotional description;
• ethical approvals, consent or sensitive-data handling are inadequately explained where relevant;
• the paper ignores the current template, anonymisation rules or length limits;
• the manuscript is submitted after the conference deadline or to an inappropriate category.

How to Prepare a Stronger DRS-Aligned Manuscript

1. Start with the contribution, not the conference name

Write one sentence that states what the paper adds to design research. If that sentence describes only what was designed, revise it until it expresses new knowledge, a method, evidence, framework, critique or transferable implication.

2. Read recent papers from the relevant track

Use the DRS Digital Library to inspect recent abstracts, methods, keywords and contribution styles. This is a better fit test than relying only on a broad conference theme.

3. Make the method inspectable

Whether the study is qualitative, quantitative, research-through-design, participatory, speculative, historical or mixed-method, explain enough for reviewers to understand how claims were produced.

4. Connect findings to design-research literature

A strong discussion does more than repeat results. It shows how the findings support, complicate, extend or challenge existing scholarship.

5. Respect the conference form

Within a limited paper length, every paragraph needs a job. Remove generic background, repeated claims and decorative descriptions that do not help reviewers evaluate the contribution.

6. Build ethical transparency into the manuscript

If the work involves participants, communities, sensitive contexts or generated data, explain consent, approvals, risks, researcher role and limitations as appropriate to the study.

Practical Submission Readiness Checklist

How Contentxprtz Can Support Publication Readiness

Contentxprtz can support researchers preparing for a DRS conference with ethical, author-led publication assistance. Relevant support may include manuscript assessment, academic editing, proofreading, ESL language polishing, argument-flow improvement, journal or conference fit review, formatting to the current template, reference consistency checks, figure-caption and table-language editing, and reviewer-response editing after a decision.

The author remains responsible for the research, data, interpretations, citations, originality, ethics and final submission. Contentxprtz does not guarantee conference acceptance, publication, Scopus indexing, citations or peer-review outcomes. The goal is to help the researcher present valid work more clearly and in closer alignment with the verified requirements of the target venue.

Explore Contentxprtz journal publication services

Summary: Is Proceedings of DRS a Good Fit?

Proceedings of DRS is a Design Research Society conference-proceedings series with confirmed ISSN 2398-3132 and a supplied Scopus Source Record ID of 21101309790. It represents a broad, international design-research community and publishes peer-reviewed conference scholarship across theoretical, empirical, methodological and practice-based areas.

It may be a good target when your work makes a clear contribution to design research and fits the theme or track of an open DRS conference. It may be a poor target when you need a conventional journal article for a specific institutional requirement, when your manuscript lacks a research contribution, or when the current conference timing and format do not fit your project.

Before submitting, verify the live Scopus record, the current conference call, paper category, template, review requirements, registration conditions and licensing terms. Those edition-specific details are more important than generic advice.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Proceedings of DRS indexed in Scopus?

The supplied Scopus source record identifies Proceedings of DRS with Source Record ID 21101309790. Because Scopus coverage and source metrics can change, researchers should open the current Scopus source profile before relying on the record for a university, PhD, promotion, or funding requirement.

What is the ISSN of Proceedings of DRS?

The ISSN International Centre confirms ISSN 2398-3132 for Proceedings of DRS, with the title variant Proceedings of Design Research Society. The record identifies the medium as online and the country as the United Kingdom.

Is Proceedings of DRS a journal?

The supplied source type is Book Series. In practice, Proceedings of DRS is the publication series used for Design Research Society conference proceedings, especially the DRS biennial international conference series. Authors should therefore follow the call, track, deadline, template, and review process for the relevant conference rather than looking for a rolling journal-submission workflow.

Who publishes Proceedings of DRS?

Proceedings of DRS is published by the Design Research Society, a learned society founded in 1966 that promotes and develops design research. The DRS Digital Library hosts conference volumes and individual papers.

What subjects does Proceedings of DRS cover?

The DRS biennial conference represents the general discipline of design research. Published work spans areas such as design methods, design practice, design education, participatory and co-design, service and interaction design, design ethics, sustainability, policy, technology, healthcare, social change, futures, materials, and interdisciplinary design research.

What is the peer-review process for DRS conference papers?

The DRS Digital Library states that DRS International Conferences use a rigorous peer-review process for research-paper submissions and comply with DRS publication ethics and malpractice policies. Exact reviewer numbers, stages, anonymity model, and decision dates can vary by conference edition and should be checked in that edition’s call and author guidance.

What is the acceptance rate for Proceedings of DRS?

There is no single stable acceptance rate for the whole series. DRS reported that for DRS2024, 869 full papers were submitted, 78 were desk rejected, 791 underwent peer review, and 386 were accepted, corresponding to 44.4% for that conference. This should not be treated as a standing acceptance rate for future DRS editions.

Is Proceedings of DRS open access?

The DRS Digital Library is an open-access library. Recent DRS papers display Creative Commons licences, including CC BY-NC 4.0 for DRS2026 examples. The precise licence for a paper or volume should be checked on its record because licence terms can differ across years or collections.

Does Proceedings of DRS charge an APC?

A conventional journal-style article processing charge could not be verified for the series. Conference participation or registration requirements may apply for accepted papers, and these are edition-specific. Authors should check the relevant DRS conference registration and publication conditions rather than assuming a standard APC.

What manuscript format should I use for Proceedings of DRS?

Use the official template and author instructions for the specific DRS conference edition and track to which you are submitting. Requirements can change between editions, so do not reuse an old template without checking the current call. Confirm length, anonymisation, file format, figure handling, references, supplementary material, and final-camera-ready instructions.

How do I know whether my manuscript fits Proceedings of DRS?

A strong fit usually requires a clear contribution to design research, a research question or design-research problem that matters to the conference community, a defensible method, transparent evidence, and an explicit contribution. Authors should also compare their work with recent papers in the relevant DRS track because each conference edition may organise its scope through different themes and tracks.

Can Contentxprtz guarantee acceptance in Proceedings of DRS?

No. Contentxprtz can ethically support manuscript assessment, editing, proofreading, language polishing, formatting, reference consistency, cover or submission materials where relevant, and reviewer-response editing. Editorial support cannot guarantee acceptance, peer-review outcomes, indexing, citations, or publication.

Authoritative Sources and Further Verification

• DRS Digital Library — About
• DRS Biennial Conference Series
• DRS Conference Volumes
• ISSN International Centre record 2398-3132
• DRS documents, including publication ethics resources
• Scopus Source Record 21101309790

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