Information for authors

Article types

Type	Typical length	Notes
Research article	8,000–12,000 words	Including text, notes, and captions; appendices extra.
Policy synthesis	4,000–7,000 words	By invitation or after presubmission enquiry; fewer equations expected.
Replication / comment	Variable	Must materially clarify or correct record on a UK-focused finding.
Book review	1,500–2,500 words	Commissioned by the review editor; unsolicited pitches welcome.

Submission checklist (anonymised review)

• Remove author names, affiliations, and acknowledgements from the manuscript file.
• Self-citations should read “Author (year)” in the text and be masked in the reference list.
• Supplementary files should not reveal identity (file metadata stripped).
• If working-paper identifiers disclose authors, cite them only in the separate cover letter.
• Upload a non-anonymised cover letter disclosing conflicts, funding, and IRB details.

File preparation

Preferred production route is LaTeX using the journal class file (to be distributed with the launch). High-quality PDF is acceptable at initial submission if LaTeX source will follow at acceptance. Figures should be vector (PDF/EPS) where possible; photographs minimum 300 dpi at print width.

The abstract should be 150–200 words, non-technical, and state the UK-specific motivation explicitly. Provide 3–5 JEL codes and 5 keywords. A short “policy relevance in 150 words” box is optional for empirical work but encouraged for accepted macro and public-finance papers.

Data, code, and materials

Authors must upload replication packages at acceptance unless data are legally restricted. Acceptable hosts include Zenodo, the Harvard Dataverse, and institutional repositories with versioned DOIs. For ONS SRS or similar secure environments, provide exact variable construction scripts and simulated output where disclosure rules allow; editors may request independent verification letters.

Code should run in a documented environment (conda environment.yml, Docker, or plain Stata/R logs). Reviewers receive access during revise-and-resubmit when doing so does not break anonymity.

A standalone peer review policy covers independence, timelines, and appeals in more detail.

Peer review workflow

1. Desk review — typically two weeks; faster when obviously out of scope.
2. Referee invitation — we ask for reports within six weeks; reminders at day 35.
3. Decision letter — editor summarises required changes; major revisions receive another round.
4. Acceptance — conditional on satisfying technical editor and data editor sign-off.

We encourage referee diversity: early-career scholars serve where senior colleagues recommend them, and editors monitor load across institutions. Coercive citation is editorial misconduct; contact the publisher integrity line if asked to add irrelevant references.

Charges

No submission fees. Article processing charges are not planned for the opening volume; any future cost-recovery model will be disclosed 12 months in advance and waived for authors without institutional support on a declared case-by-case basis.

Appeals

Appeals of desk rejections are rarely overturned but may be considered with evidence of procedural mishandling. Appeals of rejections after review require a single concise memo addressing referees; the editor-in-chief decides whether to reopen or uphold.