Journals

This list highlights some of the principal academic journals and periodicals in the forced migration and humanitarian fields. Both open access and subscription-based titles are referenced under the following topics: forced migration & statelessness; health; humanitarian assistance; law; and migration. 

See also: PRIO's Guide to Migration Journals

FORCED MIGRATION & STATELESSNESS

Open access/freely available:

Forced Migration Review
(Refugee Studies Centre) [info]
- "Through FMR, authors from around the world analyse the causes and impacts of displacement; debate policies and programmes; share research findings; reflect the lived experience of displacement; and present examples of good practice and recommendations for policy and action." Edited, but not peer-reviewed.

Journal of Internal Displacement (EV Research Inc.) [info]
- "[A] scholarly and inter-disciplinary platform for raising the profile of displaced populations through discussions, critical dialogue, emerging themes, reflections and explorations on a wide range of topics and regions around the globe." Peer-reviewed.

Oxford Monitor of Forced Migration (Independent) [info]
- Student-run publication, with shorter policy/law/field analyses and longer academic articles. Edited but not peer-reviewed.

Refuge: Canada's Journal on Refugees (Centre for Refugee Studies, York University) [info]
- "[P]rovides analytical, reflective, and probing articles from a wide range of disciplinary and regional perspectives, presenting writing of academics, policy-makers, and practitioners in the field of forced migration." Peer-reviewed.

Refugee Watch: A South Asian Journal on Forced Migration (Mahanirban Calcutta Research Group) [info]
- A journal with a scholar-activist approach towards a wide range of forced migration issues. Peer-reviewed.

Statelessness and Citizenship Review (Univ. of Melbourne & Institute on Statelessness and Inclusion) [info]
- This is "the first journal to be entirely dedicated to advancing the understanding of statelessness and related citizenship phenomena and challenges, helping to meet the growing demand for the exchange of ideas and knowledge among scholars in the blossoming field of statelessness studies."

Subscription-based:

Journal of Immigrant & Refugee Studies (Taylor & Francis) [info]
- "[C]overs both migration and refugee studies, with a truly global coverage, across continents and topics. The journal publishes full-length theoretical and empirical research discussing migration governance, migrant/refugee integration, and related policies and practices. The journal privileges international and comparative perspectives but also accepts case studies focusing on specific groups, regions, or countries. Both quantitative and qualitative methodological approaches are welcome." Peer-reviewed.

Journal of Refugee Studies (Oxford Univ. Press) [info]
- [P]rovides a forum for exploration of the complex problems of forced migration and national, regional and international responses. The Journal covers all categories of forcibly displaced people. Contributions that develop theoretical understandings of forced migration, or advance knowledge of concepts, policies and practice are welcomed from both academics and practitioners." Peer-reviewed.

Refugee Survey Quarterly (Oxford Univ. Press) [info]
- "[F]ocuses on the challenges of forced migration from multidisciplinary and policy-oriented perspectives...[and] provides a vehicle for wide-ranging analyses and exploration of forced migration related issues. The RSQ also acts as an authoritative forum for the dissemination of ideas and expertise between the academic community, policy- and decision-makers, and practitioners." Peer-reviewed.

HEALTH

Open access/freely available:

Conflict and Health (BioMed Central) [info]
- Publishes a range of article types that "focus on the intricate relationship between conflict and health, and how health interventions in war zones may contribute to peace." Peer-reviewed.

Intervention:  Journal of Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Conflict Affected Areas (ARQ International) [info]
- "[A] peer-reviewed journal for mental health professionals, counsellors, psycho-social workers and community workers working with victims of armed conflict. Intervention publishes articles relevant for professionals working in areas of armed conflict, but also for those working with refugees from areas of armed conflict in Europe, Australia, North-America etc."

Torture Journal: Journal on Rehabilitation of Torture Victims and Prevention of Torture (International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims) [info]
-  Aim is "to provide a multidisciplinary forum for the exchange of original research among professionals concerned with the biomedical, psychological and social interface of torture." Peer-reviewed.

Subscription-based:

International Journal of Migration, Health & Social Care (Emerald Publishing Group) [info]
- A "peer-reviewed, multidisciplinary journal focusing on how international migration relates to health and social care issues, including mental health."

Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health (Springer) [info]
- "An international forum for the publication of peer-reviewed original research pertaining to immigrant health."

HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE

Open access/freely available:

Humanitarian Exchange Magazine (Humanitarian Practice Network) [info]
- "[F]eatures articles on practical experience, institutional initiatives and policy developments." Edited, but not peer-reviewed.

Journal of Humanitarian Affairs (Manchester Univ. Press) [info]
- Aim is to "contribute to current thinking around humanitarian governance, policy and practice with academic rigour and political courage. The journal will challenge contributors and readers to think critically about humanitarian issues that are often approached from reductionist assumptions about what experience and evidence mean." Includes peer-reviewed articles.

Journal of International Humanitarian Action (NOHA/Springer) [info]
- "Provides a forum for practitioners, policy-makers and academics to highlight contemporary challenges, to critically reflect upon current practices, and to ultimately advance the field of humanitarian action." Peer-reviewed.

Journal on Education in Emergencies (INEE) [info]
- "[P]ublishes groundbreaking and outstanding scholarly and practitioner work on education in emergencies (EiE), defined broadly as quality learning opportunities for all ages in situations of crisis, including early childhood development, primary, secondary, non-formal, technical, vocational, higher and adult education." Includes peer-reviewed articles.

Subscription-based:

Disasters (Wiley) [info]
- A "peer-reviewed quarterly journal reporting on all aspects of disaster studies, policy and management. It provides a forum for academics, policymakers and practitioners to publish high-quality research and practice concerning natural catastrophes, anthropogenic disasters, complex political emergencies and protracted crises around the world. The journal promotes the interchange of ideas and experience, maintaining a balance between field reports, case study articles of general interest and academic papers."

LAW

Open access/freely available:

Georgetown Immigration Law Journal (Georgetown Univ.) [info]
- "[D]edicated to exploring and critically analyzing international and domestic events as they shape the field of immigration law. Each issue features articles by scholars and legal practitioners, as well as a significant number of student notes and a section reviewing current developments in immigration." Student-edited. Full-text issues are available as of vol. 32 (Fall 2017). 

International Review of the Red Cross (ICRC/Cambridge University Press) [info] [info]
- "[A] forum for debate on international humanitarian law and humanitarian action and policy, during armed conflict and other situations of violence." Peer-reviewed. Issues of the Review are open access on ICRC's site (the first link), but behind a paywall (requires a fee or subscription) on the CUP site (second link).

Subscription-based:

European Journal of Migration and Law (Brill/Nijhoff) [info]
- "[A] quarterly journal on migration law and policy with specific emphasis on the European Union, the Council of Europe and migration activities within the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe. This journal differs from other migration journals by focusing on both the law and policy within the field of migration, as opposed to examining immigration and migration policies from a wholly sociological perspective." Peer-reviewed.

International Journal of Refugee Law (Oxford Univ. Press) [info]
- "The journal is an essential tool for academics, policymakers and practitioners concerned with the protection of refugees and other forced migrants. It publishes high-quality articles on issues at the forefront of the law on forced migration, rigorous analysis of refugee law jurisprudence and State practice, as well as scholarship on the history and evolution of refugee law. It also contains summaries of recent key cases from around the world and important documents relating to international protection." Peer-reviewed.

Journal of Immigration, Asylum & Nationality Law (Bloomsbury) [info]
- "Essential reading for anyone who needs to keep abreast of the numerous and significant developments in immigration law and practice, It contains high quality original articles as well as expert commentaries and practice notes, all of which are delivered in a clear and accessible format. It also reflects the increasingly important European and international dimension of immigration law, giving news and views from around the world."

Journal of International Humanitarian Legal Studies (Brill/Nijhoff) [info]
-  "[A] peer reviewed journal aimed at promoting the rule of law in humanitarian emergency situations and, in particular, the protection and assistance afforded to persons in the event of armed conflicts and natural disasters in all phases and facets under international law."

MIGRATION

Open access/freely available:

African Human Mobility Review (Scalabrini Inst.) [info]
- "An interdisciplinary peer-reviewed on-line journal created to encourage and facilitate the study of all aspects (socio-economic, political, legislative and developmental) of human mobility in Africa."

Comparative Migration Studies (IMISCOE/Springer) [info]
- "An international, peer-reviewed journal for comparative research in the field of migration, integration and ethnic studies."

Journal on Migration and Human Security (Center for Migration Studies) [info]
- "A peer-reviewed public policy publication" that "seeks to publish rigorous and well-argued papers that can significantly inform and contribute to the US and international policy debates on migration."

Migration and Society (Berghahn Journals) [info]
- "[A]n interdisciplinary peer-reviewed journal advancing debate about emergent trends in all types of migration. We invite work that situates migration in a wider historical and societal context, including attention to experiences and representations of migration, critical theoretical perspectives on migration, and the social, cultural, and legal embeddedness of migration. Global in its scope, we particularly encourage scholarship from and about the global South as well as the North."

Migration Information Source (Migration Policy Institute) [info]
- Online journal that "provides fresh thought, evidence-based analysis, & data on international migration and refugee trends."

Migration Policy Practice (IOM & Eurasylum) [info]
- "[P]rovides a vehicle for policymakers to reflect and write on their day-to-day policy practice, their decisions and their experience, and to share such insights with like-minded colleagues nationally and internationally." Not peer-reviewed; overseen by an editorial board comprised of policymakers.

Migration Politics [info]
- New journal that "publishes peer-reviewed scholarly contributions on the politics involved in representing, controlling and managing migration." Peer-reviewed.

QRP: Quarterly on Refugee Problems – AWR Bulletin (Association for the Study of the World Refugee Problem) [info]
- This journal began publication in 1954 but was discontinued from 2013 to 2021. It returned in 2022 as an open access journal. Its objective is to "foster the global, interdisciplinary discourse between academics and practitioners to provide theoretical and practical answers to questions related to forced or voluntary migration." Peer-reviewed.

REMHU: Revista Interdisciplinar da Mobilidade Humana (Centro Scalabriniano de Estudos Migratórios) [info]
- The journal's mission is to "provide broad and deep interdisciplinary analysis on current human mobility issues for the academic world, and intellectuals and workers involved in pastoral and migratory policies." Edited, but not peer-reviewed.

Revue Européenne des Migrations Internationales (Université de Poitiers) [info]
- "This journal aims to publish both empirical and theoretical research work on different subjects which take into account international migration and inter-ethnic relationships. While it favors the geographical area of Europe, the journal is open to other areas and other migratory systems throughout the world." Note: This is a delayed open access journal; articles become freely available after a year.

Zeitschrift für Migrationsforschung = Journal of Migration Studies (Univ. of Osnabrück) [info]
- This new journal "offers a forum for the scholarly examination of the background and conditions of spatial movements of people in the past and present as well as of social change induced by migration processes in contexts of origin, transit and destination. The contributions present new findings from various disciplines and fields of research, discuss concepts or formulate theoretical proposals." Articles can be submitted in either German or English. Editor reviewed.

Subscription-based:

Asian and Pacific Migration Journal (SAGE Journals) [info]
- "[F]irst peer-reviewed journal devoted to migration issues in the Asia Pacific. APMJ features articles that examine human mobility in the region from an interdisciplinary perspective. The journal publishes research and analysis on the socio-demographic, economic, political, psychological, historical, legislative and religious aspects of human migration and refugee movements from and within Asia."

International Journal of Migration & Border Studies (Inderscience Publishers) [info]
- "[P]eer-reviewed journal which offers a forum for disciplinary and inter-disciplinary research concerning conceptual, theoretical, empirical and methodological dimensions of migration and border studies. It aims to bring together a diverse range of international scholars and practitioners to advance knowledge, improve practice, and act as a definitive source on migration and border issues."

International Migration (Wiley) [info]
-  A "refereed, scientific journal on migration issues as analysed by demographers, geographers, economists, sociologists, political scientists and other social scientists from all parts of the world. It covers the entire field of policy relevance in international migration, giving attention not only to a breadth of topics reflective of policy concerns, but also attention to coverage of all regions of the world. Issues related to the entire ‘migration cycle’ from origin, transit, host, destination, and return and reintegration are all relevant to the journal."

International Migration Review (SAGE Journals) [info]
- "[A]n interdisciplinary journal created to encourage and facilitate the study of all aspects of sociodemographic, historical, economic, political, legislative, spatial, social, and cultural aspects of human mobility. It is internationally regarded as the principal journal in the field facilitating the study of human migration, ethnic group relations, and refugee movements. Through an interdisciplinary approach and from an international perspective, IMR provides the single most comprehensive forum devoted exclusively to the analysis and review of international population movements." Peer-reviewed.

Journal of Ethnic & Migration Studies (Taylor & Francis) [info]
- "[P]ublishes the results of first-class research on all forms of migration and its consequences, together with articles on ethnic conflict, discrimination, racism, nationalism, citizenship and policies of integration. Contributions to the journal, which are all fully refereed, are especially welcome when they are the result of original empirical research that makes a clear contribution to the field of migration."

Journal of International Migration & Integration (Springer) [info]
- A "multidisciplinary peer-reviewed scholarly journal that publishes original research papers and policy discussions that enhance the understanding of immigration, settlement and integration and that contribute to policy development."

Journal of Migration History (Brill) [info]
- The first journal to specialize in this focus area, JMH "publishes articles that combine methods, theories and insights from the social sciences, archaeology, anthropology, genetics, linguistics, and economics [and] studies that emphasize connectivity, tying in with the vibrant field of global history." 

Migration Studies (Oxford Univ. Press) [info]
- "[A]n international refereed, online only journal dedicated to advancing scholarly understanding of the determinants, processes and outcomes of human migration in all its manifestations. It furthers this aim by publishing original scholarship from around the world."