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The Policy Studies Journal (PSJ) is a peer-reviewed quarterly academic journal dedicated to public policy processes, governance, and theoretical policy analysis. Established in 1972, the journal is published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the Policy Studies Organization (PSO) and the American Political Science Association’s (APSA) Public Policy Section, with editorial hosting at Syracuse University.
What It Is
The Policy Studies Journal is an international scholarly journal that publishes theoretically grounded empirical research on the public policy process. Established in autumn 1972 (Volume 1, Issue 1) by the Policy Studies Organization at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, PSJ has served as a central venue for scholars testing and developing theories of policy formulation, adoption, implementation, and evaluation.
Unlike trade magazines or broad public affairs commentaries, the journal focuses strictly on academic public policy scholarship. Articles frequently explore established conceptual frameworks, such as the Advocacy Coalition Framework (ACF), Multiple Streams Framework (MSF), Punctuated Equilibrium Theory (PET), Policy Feedback Theory, and Narrative Policy Framework (NPF). In addition to standard research articles, the journal publishes dedicated symposia on emerging policy domains and co-produces the “Art of Science” quarterly podcast series with its editorial host, examining manuscript lifecycles for early-career researchers.
Who Runs It and What It Covers
The governance and editorial operation of the Policy Studies Journal involves three collaborating entities:
- Sponsoring Organizations: The Policy Studies Organization (PSO), headquartered in Washington, DC, and the Public Policy Section of the American Political Science Association (APSA) co-sponsor the publication.
- Publisher: Wiley (Blackwell Publishing) handles production, digital distribution, platform hosting, and archival preservation. According to the Crossref metadata registry, PSJ maintains over 3,500 registered digital object identifiers (DOIs) dating from 1972 to the present.
- Editorial Office: The journal’s editorial leadership is institutionally hosted by the Center for Policy Design and Governance (CPDG) at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.
The substantive scope of PSJ encompasses comparative public policy, public administration, regulatory decision-making, and sector-specific policy studies (including environmental governance, healthcare reform, energy transitions, and technology policy). Research published in the journal must demonstrate a distinct theoretical contribution to the policy sciences rather than purely descriptive reporting of an administrative event.
How to Search or Use It
Authors and researchers interacting with the Policy Studies Journal follow structured platform workflows across Wiley Online Library and Wiley Author Services for discovery and manuscript submission:
- Access the Journal Portal: Navigate to the official Policy Studies Journal page on the Wiley Online Library platform to locate current volume tables of contents, Early View advance articles, and issue archives.
- Verify Aims and Scope: Review the specific author guidelines to verify that the proposed manuscript centers on theoretical mechanisms of the policy process rather than purely prescriptive advice.
- Format the Manuscript: Prepare text, citations, and figures according to publisher formatting requirements. The journal enforces a rigorous double-anonymous peer review workflow; authors must remove all institutional markers, acknowledgments, and self-identifying citations from the primary text.
- Prepare Compliance Documentation: Align data availability statements with established publisher data-sharing policies, providing public repository links or explicit data retention notices.
- Sign In to ScholarOne: Locate the “Submit an Article” link on the journal page, which directs to the journal’s dedicated ScholarOne Manuscripts portal. Log in or create an author profile linked to an authenticated ORCID iD.
- Complete Submission Metadata: Upload the anonymized manuscript, title page with author affiliations, abstract, and keywords. Designate corresponding author details and provide conflict of interest declarations.
- Track Editorial Progress: Monitor the manuscript through editorial triage, reviewer invitation, peer evaluation, and editorial revision decisions directly within the author dashboard.
Strengths and Limits
Understanding where the Policy Studies Journal excels and where its boundaries lie helps scholars determine if it is the appropriate venue for their work.
Strengths:
- Theoretical Rigor: Widely recognized among the premier journals for testing theories of the policy process, providing high visibility among public policy theorists.
- Established Indexing: Consistently indexed in major scientific databases, including Clarivate Web of Science (Social Sciences Citation Index / SSCI), Scopus (ranked in Quartile 1 for Public Administration and Political Science), and the National Library of Medicine (NLM Catalog ID 100969799).
- Flexible Publishing Model: Operates as a hybrid journal, meaning publication is entirely free under standard subscription agreements, while offering an optional open access pathway.
- Transformative Agreements: Authors affiliated with institutions participating in Wiley “read and publish” agreements (such as Projekt DEAL or Jisc) can publish open access without individual out-of-pocket costs.
Limits:
- Selectivity and Turnaround: High submission volume across public administration and political science translates into competitive acceptance rates and rigorous multi-round revisions.
- Not Purely Descriptive: Empirical studies without a clear contribution to generalizable policy theory or framework testing are routinely rejected during initial editorial triage.
- Hybrid APC Expenses: For authors choosing open access without institutional agreement coverage, the standard article processing charge (APC) ranges between $3,860 and $4,460 USD. Because PSJ is a hybrid journal rather than a fully open-access journal, standard low-income country fee waivers (e.g., Research4Life) do not automatically apply.
- Not in DOAJ: Because the journal operates primarily on a subscription model with an optional open-access component, it is not indexed in the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ).
Alternatives
Researchers evaluating publication outlets or literature sources in public policy and governance can compare the Policy Studies Journal with several closely related peer-reviewed journals:
| Journal | Publisher & Sponsoring Org | Core Focus & Scope | Publishing Model | Primary Indexing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Policy Studies Journal (PSJ) | Wiley / Policy Studies Organization & APSA | Public policy processes, theoretical frameworks (ACF, MSF, PET), empirical governance | Hybrid (Free subscription option; Wiley OnlineOpen APC) | Scopus (Q1), Web of Science (SSCI), NLM Catalog |
| Journal of Policy Analysis and Management (JPAM) | Wiley / Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management (APPAM) | Quantitative policy analysis, economic evaluation, program impact, public management | Hybrid (Free subscription option; open access APC) | Scopus (Q1), Web of Science (SSCI) |
| Review of Policy Research (RPR) | Wiley / Policy Studies Organization | Politics and policy of science, technology, environment, energy, and innovation | Hybrid (Free subscription option; open access APC) | Scopus (Q1/Q2), Web of Science (SSCI) |
| Policy Studies | Taylor & Francis | Comparative public policy, international governance, public policy reform | Hybrid (Free subscription option; open access APC) | Scopus, Web of Science (ESCI) |
| Journal of Public Policy | Cambridge University Press | Integration of political science and economics applied to public policy problems | Hybrid (Free subscription option; open access APC) | Scopus (Q1), Web of Science (SSCI) |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Policy Studies Journal and Policy Studies?
While their titles are similar, they are separate journals produced by different publishers. The Policy Studies Journal (PSJ) is published by Wiley on behalf of the Policy Studies Organization and APSA, focusing heavily on theoretical policy frameworks. Policy Studies is published by Taylor & Francis and focuses on broader comparative and international policy reform.
Is Policy Studies Journal peer reviewed?
Yes. All original research articles and symposia submitted to the Policy Studies Journal undergo double-anonymous peer review, where the identities of authors and external reviewers are concealed throughout the evaluation.
What are the ISSN numbers for Policy Studies Journal?
According to the official Crossref and publisher registry, the print ISSN is 0190-292X and the electronic (online) ISSN is 1541-0072.
Does Policy Studies Journal charge submission or publication fees?
No. Submitting to and publishing in the Policy Studies Journal is completely free under the standard subscription publication route. Authors only incur fees if they proactively choose the optional Wiley OnlineOpen Gold open access route to make their article freely available immediately upon publication.
How does open access work for Policy Studies Journal?
PSJ is a hybrid journal. Authors opting for Gold open access pay an article publication charge, typically between $3,860 and $4,460 USD depending on currency and regional price lists. However, authors affiliated with universities possessing Wiley read-and-publish agreements often receive automatic APC coverage through their institutional library.
Sources
- Crossref Metadata Registry. “Policy Studies Journal (ISSN 0190-292X, 1541-0072).” Publisher record and DOI deposits. Accessed 2026-11-09. https://api.crossref.org/journals/1541-0072
- National Library of Medicine. “Policy Studies Journal: The Journal of the Policy Studies Organization.” NLM Catalog Record ID 100969799. Accessed 2026-11-09. https://eutils.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/eutils/esummary.fcgi?db=nlmcatalog&id=100969799
- American Political Science Association (APSA). “Policy Studies Organization: Related and Cognate Associations.” Official directory record. Accessed 2026-11-09. https://apsanet.org/resources/for-the-public/political-science-organizations/related-cognate-associations/policy-studies-organization/
- Syracuse University, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. “Center for Policy Design and Governance: Research Initiatives & Policy Studies Journal.” Accessed 2026-11-09. https://www.maxwell.syr.edu/research/center-for-policy-design-and-governance
- Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ). “Journal Search Record: ISSN 1541-0072 / 0190-292X.” Total indexed: 0 (verified hybrid status). Accessed 2026-11-09. https://doaj.org/api/v2/search/journals/1541-0072
- Wiley Author Services. “Open Access Licensing, Author Compliance, and Hybrid Journal Publishing.” Accessed 2026-11-09. https://authors.wiley.com/
