About the Journal

Aims & Scope

Exchanges: The Interdisciplinary Research Journal (ISSN 2053-9665) is a scholar-led, peer-reviewed, open access, interdisciplinary, online-only journal dedicated to the publication of high-quality work by researchers in all disciplines. Launched in 2013 by the University of Warwick with the subtitle The Warwick Research Journal, from 2018 the title embraced a new brand as Exchanges: The Interdisciplinary Research Journal. This reflected the increasingly international and diverse nature of its Editorial Board and author community. The title particularly attracts innovative research articles from emerging domain experts and early career researchers, but also seeks to publish scholarly work by authors who combine research with academic teaching or other professional employment. 

A brief history, chronicling the journal's inception and development is also available. Additional information on Exchanges is also available on the Institute of Advanced Study's (IAS) site.

Publisher & Funding Model

All principal work on the journal is entirely funded by the IAS, University of Warwick, and supported by the labour of contributing editors. The IAS acts as the publisher, on behalf of the University, but grants and devolves full editorial independence to the Managing Editor-in-Chief and their team. Additionally, Exchanges is robustly counter-capital in operation, and as such does not accept any advertisements or other paid-for insertions.

Publishing Schedule

Regular issues of Exchanges are published twice annually, in spring and summer, typically in late April and October. Articles accepted for publication (post-review) normally appear in the next regular issue of the journal available. Since 2020, special issues are published at various other times of year in addition to these two regular issues.

Open Access & Publication Fees

Exchanges fully embraces the tenants of diamond open access (Fuchs & Sandoval, 2013). This means all articles are free to access to readers at publication and there are no fees (e.g., article processing charges (APC)) to be paid by authors. 

Peer Review

For articles seeking publication via the peer review route, the journal uses a double-anonymised, editor-mediated and journal facilitated peer-review model to ensure quality assurance. You can read more about this approach in our guidance to peer reviewers. Articles submitted under the editorial review categories (e.g., critical reflections, conversations and book review formats) still undergo a rigorous scoping consideration followed by an extended editorial review, and will likely be subject to revision requests.

Funder Mandates

Exchanges is compliant with most/all open access funder mandates and requirements. Where an author may be unsure, we are happy to seek to accommodate any additional requirements to the best of our abilities on request.

Board & Management

Exchanges is overseen by a Managing Editor-in-Chief, Dr Gareth J Johnson, based at the Institute of Advanced Study, University of Warwick, UK. Exchange’s international Editorial Board, comprised of early career researchers from Warwick and its global research partners, provide advice and editorial contributions in support of the Editor-in-Chief’s work. Associate editors are recruited to contribute to occasional special themed issues’ production. 

Calls for participation on the Board, to fill vacancies or develop its composition, are periodically issued by the Editor-in-Chief via social media, announcements, editorials and via local researcher networks. However, speculative approaches from interested post-graduate and early career researchers are welcomed at any time.

Mission

Exchanges’ mission is to encourage intellectual exchange and debate across research communities. The title seeks to contribute to increasing authors’ impact and esteem capital located within disseminating research publications to an explicitly interdisciplinary audience. This is achieved through providing a quality assured platform for publishing articles from all academic disciplines, especially interdisciplinary work, intended for consultation by cross-disciplinary audiences. Exchanges is additionally committed to providing a readily accessible and supportive environment through which both authors and editors can develop superior academic writing and publishing skills. Two issues of Exchanges are normally published annually (spring and autumn), although additional special themed issues may be produced where sufficient material becomes available or where an external collaboration exists. 

Readership

Given the varied range and subjects of articles published in Exchanges, our anticipated readership is considerably broad. It is likely interview and critical review articles are especially valued by doctoral students and early career researchers, given the guidance and insights into research discourse and literature they provide. Ideally, we encourage authors to pitch their manuscripts towards a readership incorporating researchers drawn from across a spectrum of research traditions, but also the more academically minded public. We anticipate the original research articles kinds we publish will be of most value to readers draw from the author’s disciplines. However, because of our interdisciplinary approach, we anticipate scholars situated within closely related subjects would also find these papers accessible. Regular readers are encouraged to register for publication alerts and updates from the journal.

Journal Policies

Indexing

Exchanges and its articles are currently indexed in various online information resources including: 

The Editor-in-Chief welcomes approaches from reputable organisations to further increase the visibility of our contents within their indexes.