Aims and scope
The Intercontinental Journal of Social Sciences (IJSS) is an interdisciplinary, open-access journal dedicated to advancing comparative, cross-regional, and globally situated social science research. The journal places particular emphasis on scholarship that examines social phenomena across continents, cultures, and socio-political systems, with a strong orientation towards contexts in the Global South, transnational spaces, and under-represented communities.
Rather than serving as a purely descriptive outlet, IJSS prioritises research that connects theory with lived realities, interrogates power relations, and speaks directly to policy, practice, and social transformation. The journal welcomes work that challenges dominant paradigms, introduces decolonial and critical perspectives, and amplifies voices and cases that are often marginalised in mainstream social science publishing.
Distinctive niche and special focus
What sets IJSS apart is its explicit intercontinental and justice-oriented focus, with particular interest in:
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Comparative and cross-national analyses that move beyond single-country perspectives
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Social issues examined through Global South, postcolonial, decolonial, and Indigenous lenses
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Research that bridges local realities and global processes, such as globalisation, digitalisation, climate change, and migration
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Studies that link empirical evidence to policy implications, community engagement, or social intervention
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Methodologically plural work, including mixed methods, ethnography, participatory research, and context-sensitive quantitative approaches
IJSS is especially receptive to submissions that rethink established theories, adapt them to diverse socio-cultural settings, or develop new conceptual frameworks grounded in non-Western experiences.
Thematic coverage
The journal welcomes contributions in, but not limited to, the following areas:
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Social inequality, stratification, and social mobility
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Cultural anthropology, ethnography, and everyday social practices
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Political ideology, governance, and public institutions
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Economic development, welfare systems, and social policy
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Psychological theories of personality, behaviour, and social cognition
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Gender studies, feminist scholarship, and intersectionality
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Race, ethnicity, and intergroup relations
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Migration, displacement, diaspora, and transnational identities
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Environmental sociology, climate change, and sustainability justice
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Social justice, human rights, and civic participation
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Urban and rural transformations
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Mental health, well-being, and social support systems
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Education systems, educational inequality, and policy analysis
These themes are indicative rather than restrictive. Interdisciplinary, boundary-crossing submissions are strongly encouraged.
Article types and special issues
IJSS publishes:
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Original empirical research articles
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Theoretical and conceptual papers
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Systematic and critical review articles
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Context-rich case studies
The journal also publishes themed special issues on pressing or emerging global social concerns, particularly those with intercontinental relevance or strong societal implications.
Publishing model and review process
IJSS operates under a fully open-access model, ensuring that all published research is freely available to scholars, practitioners, policymakers, and the wider public. All submissions are subject to a rigorous double-blind peer review process to ensure academic quality, methodological soundness, and theoretical contribution.
The journal is published bimonthly, offering a timely yet robust platform for international scholarly exchange.