editing the Journal of European Public Policy

Abstract

The Journal of European Public Policy was launched to fill a perceived intellectual gap in the market for European public policy research. It appears to have been a success but some luck was needed, good academic contacts, and a publisher willing to take a risk by committing quite large sums of money up front. Referees are hugely important for the success of a journal but this does not mean that editors should not occasionally exercise their own judgement. Evaluation and ranking of journals is a complex and unreliable process. Thus, the market is probably the best judge. If a journal sells well and subscriptions are rising it is probably ok! Submission fees seem a bad idea as authors already work for no pay. Payment for referees might work but is it really necessary? Finally, let us have more journals and more competition for our work.