Research Policy: Scopus Indexing, Metrics, Scope and Submission Guide

Key Takeaways for Researchers

• Publisher: Elsevier; the journal insights page identifies North-Holland as the publishing imprint.
• Indexing: Elsevier lists Scopus and the Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI); supplied Scopus Source ID: 22900.
• Current publisher-displayed metrics: CiteScore 15.0 and Impact Factor 8.0; verify the current reporting year/category directly in Scopus and JCR.
• Scope: innovation, technology, R&D and science connected to economic, policy, management, organizational and societal processes.
• Peer review: double anonymized; suitable papers are typically sent to at least two independent reviewers.
• Article types: Research Articles, Research Notes, Discussion Papers, commissioned Book Reviews, Special Issues and Special Sections.
• Publishing model: hybrid. Elsevier currently lists a gold OA APC of USD 4,430 excluding taxes; the subscription route has no publication fee.

Research Policy Journal Information at a Glance

The table separates verified publisher information from values that should be checked in the current database record. That distinction is especially important for quartiles, SJR and SNIP, which can change by reporting year and category.

What This Page Covers

• Aims, scope and subject fit
• Scopus and other indexing
• CiteScore and Impact Factor
• Article types and length
• Double-anonymized peer review
• Manuscript preparation rules
• Open access and publication fees
• Submission and revision workflow
• Ethical publication readiness

Methodology and Source Note

This profile was prepared from the supplied Scopus source identifiers and current authoritative publisher information. The principal evidence comes from the official Research Policy journal page, the official Guide for Authors, the journal’s Elsevier journal insights page, the Research Policy FAQs, the supplied Scopus source profile, and Elsevier’s publishing policies.

Metrics, APCs, indexing coverage, editorial teams and author requirements can change. Values described as “current” here were checked on 10 August 2026. Where an authoritative numerical value for SJR, SNIP or quartile was not exposed in the sources used, this guide deliberately leaves it unclaimed.

Aims, Scope and the Kind of Research Research Policy Seeks

Research Policy is centered on innovation studies rather than on “policy” in a generic sense. The official scope describes a multidisciplinary journal concerned with the creation of knowledge through research, the diffusion and acquisition of knowledge, and the exploitation of knowledge in products, processes and services. Its articles examine how innovation, technology or research interacts with economic, social, political, managerial and organizational processes.

A crucial editorial expectation is that papers should produce implications for policy or management. A technically sound paper on technology adoption, for example, may still be a weak fit if it does not show why its findings matter for innovation management, science or technology policy, organizational strategy, research systems, or related decision-making.

Officially represented subject areas

Elsevier lists subject areas that include Economics and Econometrics, Management Science and Operations Research, Business and International Management, Management of Technology and Innovation, and Strategy and Management. The journal’s scope adds a more specific innovation-studies vocabulary, including:

• Economics of innovation, technology and science
• Entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial processes
• Innovation systems at national, regional, sectoral and technological levels
• Innovation management, organization, policy and strategy
• R&D management, policy and strategy
• Science policy and research policy
• Knowledge creation, diffusion, transfer, adoption and exploitation
• University–industry links, R&D collaboration and innovation networks
• Geography of innovation, clusters and regional innovation
• Innovation and sustainability, transitions and sociotechnical change
• Technology management, technological trajectories and problem-solving
• Firm capabilities, learning, experimentation and resource-based perspectives

What may fall outside scope?

As an editorial interpretation of the stated aims, a manuscript is more likely to struggle if innovation or technology is merely a background setting rather than the analytical subject. A generic marketing, finance, operations or information-systems paper may be better suited elsewhere unless it develops a clear innovation-studies contribution and connects results to policy or management. Likewise, a descriptive case with little theoretical, empirical or policy contribution may not match the journal’s expectations.

Understanding Its Scopus Coverage and Journal Metrics

Research Policy is currently presented by Elsevier as a Scopus-indexed journal. The supplied source record identifies Scopus Source ID 22900, while the publisher also lists SSCI, SJR and SNIP among its abstracting/indexing information. For formal doctoral or institutional requirements, the safest practice is to open the live Scopus source page and save the current record showing status and coverage.

High citation indicators may suggest strong visibility within a field, but they do not establish manuscript fit. A manuscript that falls outside the journal’s editorial strategy can still be rejected at initial screening regardless of the journal’s metrics.

What Does Research Policy Publish?

The current Guide for Authors identifies several distinct contribution types. Choosing the right one affects expected length and structure.

The journal FAQ explicitly confirms that Research Policy is not limited to empirical research. Conceptual, theoretical and exploratory contributions can fit, provided the paper makes a strong contribution to the journal’s field and meets its editorial expectations.

Is Research Policy a Good Match for Your Manuscript?

A strong fit usually has three layers: topic fit, contribution fit and reader fit. The manuscript should address a recognized innovation-studies question; advance theory, evidence, method or policy understanding; and speak to the journal’s interdisciplinary audience.

Before submitting, compare your paper with several recent Research Policy articles using similar theories, data and methods. Recent 2026 content on the publisher site includes work on green industrial policy, crowdfunding, social-enterprise trademarks, work-from-home innovation, scientific novelty and technology search. These examples show breadth, but they also reinforce a common requirement: the innovation or knowledge process itself is analytically central.

Preparing and Submitting a Manuscript

The journal’s current submission requirements are specific enough that authors should prepare for double-anonymized review from the beginning. The title page and anonymized manuscript are separate files, and the journal asks for editable source files.

Core manuscript requirements

• Prepare editable source files. Word submissions should use .doc or .docx; LaTeX uses .tex. A PDF alone is not an acceptable source file.
• Create a separate title page. Include article title, authors, affiliations, acknowledgements, declaration of interest, corresponding-author address and email.
• Anonymize the main manuscript. The manuscript should contain the paper, references, figures and tables without author names, affiliations or other identifying information.
• Keep the abstract concise. The current limit is 250 words, with a clear purpose, principal results and conclusions.
• Add 1–7 English keywords. Use terms that represent the actual study rather than broad promotional phrases.
• Submit highlights. The journal requires 3–5 bullet highlights, each no more than 85 characters including spaces.
• Address research data. Research Policy applies Elsevier’s Option C data policy: deposit and link relevant research data, or explain why data cannot be shared.

Structure, references and declarations

The guide asks for clearly defined and numbered sections and subsections. It also uses CRediT contributor roles for author-contribution reporting. Funding sources and competing interests must be disclosed appropriately.

At initial submission, the journal does not impose strict reference formatting as long as the bibliography is complete and internally consistent. The guide recommends DOIs where available. Authors should nevertheless check the live author instructions because reference and production requirements may be updated.

What Happens After You Submit?

Research Policy follows a double-anonymized review model. Editors first assess whether the submission is suitable for the journal. If it passes editorial screening, it is typically sent to at least two independent reviewers for expert assessment. Editors are responsible for the decision.

Elsevier’s journal insights currently report 20 days from submission to first decision, 109 days to decision after review, 427 days from submission to acceptance and 15 days from acceptance to online publication. These are historical journal-level insights, not promised timelines. A particular paper may move faster or slower depending on editorial screening, reviewer availability, revision rounds and the complexity of the manuscript.

Open Access, APCs and Subscription Publishing

Research Policy is a hybrid journal. Authors can choose gold open access or the subscription route. The publisher currently lists an open-access APC of USD 4,430 excluding taxes; the final amount may be reduced when applicable. Authors choosing the subscription route are not charged a publication fee according to the current journal page.

Because APCs and institutional agreements can change, verify the final amount during submission. Do not assume that an earlier fee, a third-party website or another Elsevier journal’s charge applies to Research Policy. If your funder requires a particular Creative Commons license, also check the current license options before making the publishing choice.

Ethics, Authorship and Responsible Submission

The journal follows Elsevier’s publishing-ethics framework. Submission implies that the work is not under consideration elsewhere, has not been published previously except in accepted prior forms such as a preprint or thesis, and has been approved by all authors and responsible authorities.

Authorship should reflect substantial contributions to the study and manuscript, and the author list should be settled carefully before submission. The guide also requires disclosure of competing interests and funding. Where generative AI or AI-assisted tools have been used in manuscript preparation beyond basic grammar, spelling or reference tools, Elsevier requires a declaration describing the tool and reason for use; AI tools cannot be listed as authors.

For researchers receiving professional editing, the ethical boundary is straightforward: editing can improve clarity, structure, language, references and adherence to journal requirements, but it should not fabricate data, invent citations, manipulate peer review or conceal authorship responsibility.

Publication-Readiness Checklist for Research Policy

How Contentxprtz Can Support Ethical Publication Readiness

Preparing for Research Policy involves more than language correction. A manuscript may need stronger alignment between its research question, innovation-studies contribution, empirical or theoretical design, discussion and policy or management implications. Contentxprtz can support journal publication readiness, academic editing, proofreading, formatting, reference consistency, cover-letter polishing and reviewer-response editing.

The service does not control peer review and cannot guarantee acceptance or publication. Editorial decisions remain solely with Research Policy’s editors and reviewers. Professional support is most useful when it helps researchers communicate their own evidence, analysis and contribution more clearly and comply with legitimate journal requirements.

Reviewed by

Dr. Laura Stein

Researcher & Editorial Content Professional

Dr. Laura Stein is a researcher, writer, and editorial professional who develops trustworthy content with depth, clarity, and readability. Her writing reflects careful research, strong editorial standards, and a commitment to presenting information in a polished and authoritative manner.