About the Journal

The Journal of Geoeconomics is dedicated to the analysis of the use of economic means for power-political purposes. The Journal publishes both original research and policy-oriented insights.

The aim of the Journal of Geoeconomics is to provide a timely outlet for empirical findings and insights regarding the increasing use of economic instruments for purposes of security, influence, coercion, and strategic competition. While the Journal's central focus is on understanding and documenting the behaviour of states, contributions analysing the responses and strategies of non-state actors, notably corporations, are also welcome.

The Journal welcomes a wide range of disciplinary and methodological approaches, from econometric analyses to qualitative case studies. 

Uniquely, the Journal aims to be a pioneer in developing new types of publications aimed at generating value for both academic and policy communities of interest. To that end, the Journal also publishes short-form Case Studies, Data Insights, Exercises & Simulations, and Foresight Analyses.

Additionally, the Journal also publishes long-form Policy Reports. This category is aimed at facilitating the transformation of long-form research reports (e.g. as produced in the context of research projects) into peer-reviewed publications.

The Journal of Geoeconomics is an open access and peer reviewed Journal. 

Types of Articles

The Journal of Geoeconomics publishes:

 

Original Research Articles & Reviews (Maximum 10,000 words). Original empirical research or comprehensive reviews of existing literature, debates, and emerging trends in geoeconomics.

 

Short Research Articles (Maximum 5,000 words) Manuscripts with a more limited scope than full research Articles. They may present new datasets, offer concise empirical tests of existing theories with fresh data, or replicate prior research using novel methods that alter the original findings.

 

Policy Reports (Maximum 10,000 words). Systematic, long-form evaluations of applied questions of policy or strategy faced by state or non-state actors. The Policy Reports category is designed to offer an outlet to authors who have completed major project deliverables, e.g. in the context of a research grant, that address questions of high policy relevance.

 

Policy Proposals (Maximum 3,500 words). Presentation of a specific policy proposal. [Note: this category replaces the previous "Policy Brief" category]. Policy Proposals should be forward-looking and address critical policy challenges faced either by state or non-state actors. Authors should motivate their proposals based on a clear problem statement; an outline of alternative courses of action (including doing nothing); objective criteria and supporting evidence by which the authors choose the course of action they recommend; the application of those criteria and a presentation and discussion of the resulting recommendation and its main implications.

 

Cases & Insights (Maximum 2,500 words).

 

        • Data Insights
          Short empirical notes surfacing novel patterns, anomalies, or overlooked regularities in quantitative data.

        • Case Studies
          Compact, fact-driven accounts of discrete geoeconomic decisions or events —such as coercive diplomacy, retaliatory sanctions, or economic pressure campaigns—anchored in verifiable sources and presenting a clear chronology of events.

        • Exercises and Simulations
          Summary findings of simulations, exercises, and wargames that yield insights about possible behaviours and trajectories in situations of tension or crisis.

        • Foresight Analyses
          Summary findings of scenario-based foresight analyses that explore possible future geoeconomic trajectories, risks, and inflection points.

Book reviews (up to 1,000 words). By invitation only.

*Word counts are inclusive of tables and figure captions, but exclude the list of references and online appendices

Open Access Policy

This is a fully open access journal which means that all content is freely available without charge to the user or his/her institution. Users are allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles, or use them for any other lawful  purpose, without asking prior permission from the publisher or the author. This is in accordance with the BOAI definition of open access.

Article Publishing Charges

  • The Journal of Geoeconomics will publish accepted submissions under an Open Access model.

  • Submissions accepted before December 31, 2025, will be published free of charge (Diamond Open Access).

  • From 2026 onwards, the Journal will transition to a mixed revenue model, incorporating Article Processing Charges (APCs) and actively seeking external funding.

Open Access Licensing and Copyright

Articles are published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. Most authors can choose between CC BY and CC BY-NC Creative Commons Licenses, though certain funders mandate a particular type of CC license is used. Copyright in the article is vested with the Author under the terms of the Creative Commons. Creative Commons (CC) licenses play an important role in facilitating Gold Open Access publishing. They provide a legal framework for giving users the ability to freely view, download and distribute content. Creative Commons FAQs

Authors who publish with the Journal agree to the following terms:

  1. Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in the Journal of Geoeconomics.

  2. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in the Journal of Geoeconomics.

Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).

Indexing

Indexing of the Journal of Geoeconomics is supported by Simon Fraser University's PKP Publishing Services which facilitates in the dissemination of our publications via Crossref, DOAJ, and the following academic databases including:

Additional indexes and platforms also reach the breadth of non-academic practitioners and analysts who also form a critical part of the geoeconomics ecosystem. 

Archiving

All articles published are archived via the PKP Preservation Network (PN) which provides free preservation services for OJS journals. For more information on the PKP Preservation Network, see https://pkp.sfu.ca/pkp-pn/. Under Creative Commons authors are not restricted from self-archiving in additional repositories or on their website. As a result, open access is allowed for all versions of the article.

Peer Review Policy

The Journal of Geoeconomics maintains the highest standards of peer review while increasing the efficiency of the process. All research articles published undergo full peer review,  key characteristics of which are listed below:

  • All research articles are reviewed by at least two suitably qualified experts.
  • All publication decisions are made by the Editors-in-Chief on the basis of the reviews provided.
  • Members of the Editorial Board lend insight, advice and guidance to the Editors-in-Chief generally and to assist decision  making on specific submissions.
  • Managing Editors, Associate Editors and Editorial Assistants provide the administrative support that allows the Journal of Geoeconomics to maintain the integrity of peer review while delivering rapid turnaround and maximum efficiency to authors, reviewers and editors.

The Journal of Geoeconomics employs a rigorous double-blind peer review process to ensure the highest standards of academic and policy-oriented scholarship. Typically, manuscripts are reviewed by two independent academic experts, with additional input from policy community experts as needed. This approach guarantees that publications are not only academically robust  but also highly relevant to contemporary policy debates. Reviewers are required to adhere to the Journal's Ethics Policy, including observing COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) guidelines. Reviewers and editorial staff are expected to remain vigilant for any signs of misconduct and report concerns to the editorial office immediately.

The Journal of Geoeconomics is committed to a timely and efficient peer-review process:

  • Our goal is to provide authors with an initial decision within 6 to 8 weeks of submission.
  • To streamline the review process and minimize redundancy, we encourage authors who have previously submitted their manuscript to another journal and undergone peer review to share the decision letters and reviewer reports (where confidentiality allows). This helps our editors assess the work more efficiently. However, the editorial team reserves the right to seek additional reviews, and in most cases, at least one further review will be conducted.
  • Authors may opt for a no-revision review, ensuring they will not receive a decision requiring substantial revisions. Manuscripts needing major changes under this option will be rejected rejected rather than sent back for revision.

Our approach aims to uphold the integrity of scholarly publishing while making the review process as transparent and efficient as possible.

Ethics & Disclosures

The Journal of Geoeconomics upholds the highest standards of integrity in all published content. All content published in the Journal of Geoeconomics undergoes rigorous peer review. The Journal upholds The Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines for handling potential research misconduct. It is committed to thoroughly investigating any allegations to safeguard research integrity. The Journal has a clear policy on competing interests to ensure transparency and uphold ethical research practices.

 

Authors submitting to the Journal of Geoeconomics must adhere to international, national, and institutional guidelines on research reporting. This is particularly crucial for studies involving human or animal subjects, their data, or biological materials, as well as matters related to informed consent.

 

Using text, data, figures, or images without proper acknowledgment or permission constitutes plagiarism, as does paraphrasing text, concepts, or ideas without appropriate citation. Additionally, self-plagiarism—where an author reuses their own previously published text, data, or ideas without proper reference—is also considered a form of ethical misconduct. Altering or inventing data, and unauthorized use of others' work are also strictly prohibited.  Any instances of ethical violations will be addressed seriously and handled in accordance with COPE guidelines. 

 

In accordance with COPE’s stance on the use of AI tools like ChatGPT in research publications, the Journal of Geoeconomics adheres to the following policy:

  • AI tools cannot be credited as authors since they are not legal entities and, therefore, cannot take responsibility for submitted work or declare conflicts of interest.
  • If AI tools are utilized at any stage of manuscript preparation, authors must disclose their use in the ScholarOne system, specifying which tools were used, their role, and the sections they influenced.
  • Authors bear full responsibility for the content of their manuscript, including any material generated by AI, and are accountable for any violations of COPE guidelines.

Authors are encouraged to review the COPE Position Statement on Authorship and AI Tools for further guidance.

 

The Journal of Geoeconomics welcomes submissions that include material previously incorporated into a PhD or other academic thesis, provided it was published according to the awarding institution’s requirements. Consistent with COPE guidelines, if such a manuscript is accepted for publication, authors must include a footnote clearly stating the degree to which the article incorporates material from their unpublished thesis. Generally, a thesis consists entirely of original, unpublished research; authors holding copyright over their thesis content retain the right to publish it subsequently, irrespective of whether the thesis is accessible through an institutional repository or available under licenses permitting reuse, such as Creative Commons. If any part of the thesis involves co-authorship, all co-authors must consent to submission for publication. The original thesis must be properly acknowledged and cited as the source within the publication.