Coming Soon! NEW APPAM Journal: the Journal of Policy Implementation & Evaluation (JPIE)
We’re excited to introduce The Journal of Policy Implementation & Evaluation (JPIE), a new journal from APPAM! For more than a decade, APPAM has explored the need for an additional scholarly outlet to complement its flagship journal, The Journal of Policy Analysis & Management (JPAM). Submissions to JPAM have more than doubled over the past ten years, and as acceptance rates have declined, this growth signals strong demand for another high-quality venue serving scholars of public policy and management. At the same time, the field has seen growing interest in research that delivers focused, policy-relevant insights - work that speaks directly to implementation challenges, program design, evaluation findings, and emerging policy issues.
While JPAM remains the premier outlet for comprehensive and fully developed scholarly contributions, there is clear value in a complementary journal that features shorter, peer-reviewed articles with a targeted scope and a direct emphasis on policy design, implementation, and evaluation.
JPIE is designed to meet that need.
What Is JPIE?
The Journal of Policy Implementation & Evaluation (JPIE) will publish short-form, peer-reviewed articles that provide timely insights into policy implementation, analysis, and evaluation. JPIE sits at the intersection of rigor and relevance: articles will bring the best available evidence to bear on pressing public problems, offering insights that are informative and actionable—without claiming to be the final word. Submissions should be focused, clearly written, and oriented toward real-world impact. JPIE articles are expected to be descriptive and pointed, with an emphasis on public relevance rather than purely academic contribution. The goal is to inform policy conversations now, when evidence is needed most. JPIE will serve as a platform for academic researchers and public- and private-sector practitioners from a wide range of disciplines to share timely, relevant, and publicly impactful research on policy design, implementation, evaluation, and translation.
Who Should Submit to JPIE?
JPIE welcomes submissions from scholars across disciplines, including economics, political science, public administration, public management, public policy, sociology, and related fields. The journal is open to studies examining a broad range of policies, programs, take-up, and trends in the populations they serve. A wide variety of methodological approaches are encouraged, including causal, experimental, quasi-experimental, mixed-methods, and descriptive designs. JPIE is written for a global policy audience, while remaining accessible and useful to policymakers and practitioners.
How will JPIE Work?
JPIE will be a quarterly, online journal. It will be a hybrid journal; some articles will be subscription-based, and some will be open access.
Submission Guidelines
- Manuscripts must be original work
- They can be no longer than 7,000 words, and each exhibit (table, figure, or illustration) reduces the maximum number of words by 200
- The maximum number of exhibits (tables or figures) is 5
- Each submission must include a one-page, structured summary of research questions, results, and implications for policy and practice
Peer Review
- Process Reviews are limited to one round of revisions
- Authors are asked to respond to revisions recommended by the editor and external reviews and then the editor decides whether to accept or reject the revised article without further consultation with external reviewers
Interaction with JPAM
JPIE will complement Journal of Policy Analysis & Management (JPAM) while maintaining a clear and distinct identity. The journal will publish shorter, peer-reviewed research articles centered on well-defined policy questions, implementation challenges, and empirical insights with direct relevance for policy and practice. JPIE is intentionally different from JPAM’s Policy Insights section. Policy Insights consists of brief, non–peer-reviewed essays (up to 3,000 words) designed to stimulate discussion and debate on important policy issues. These pieces typically provide descriptive overviews of trends, explore underlying causes, propose policy ideas, or offer perspective-driven commentary.
JPIE will feature longer research articles that are not advocacy pieces and that more commonly present new empirical evidence. All JPIE submissions will undergo peer review and are intended to contribute rigorous, policy-relevant analysis that informs decision-making while remaining accessible to a broad policy audience.
What’s Next?
We are currently inviting Letters of Interest (LOIs) from prospective Editors. LOIs are due by April 1. Individuals who submit an LOI will be invited to respond to a full Request for Proposals (RFP), which will include detailed financial information.
We anticipate launching JPIE in early 2027. Please stay tuned for a series of launch activities, forthcoming submission information, and additional opportunities to engage with and support the new journal.