Application deadline: 6th November 2026.
The Regional Studies Association seeks to appoint one Early Career Editor to the journal Area Development and Policy.
Apply for the role by filling out the form
About the role
Early Career Editor (one position available)
The Early Career Editor appointment is open to candidates who are within five years of the date on their PhD certificate as of 6th November 2026. The Early Career Editor will join the existing team of Editors in managing the peer review of general submissions in their area of expertise, enhancing the journal’s reputation as a world-leading publication in the field of regional studies, and ensuring that it is in a position to attract the best authors and papers for its readership.
The appointment is a mentored role and will normally have a fixed term of three years after which it will be re-advertised. Re-application as the Early Career Editor is not permitted as this position is designed to offer capacity building and training within the academy.
About the journal
Area Development and Policy (ADP) publishes high quality, original academic research examining the economic, political, cultural and geographical contexts which play a fundamental role in shaping and developing regions, cities and rural areas.
ADP concentrates on issues relating to developing and emerging economies and welcomes submissions from all major world regions. ADP places an emphasis on research which examines the role of diverse institutional configurations and values at both national and regional levels within developing and emerging economies and believes that theories should derive from the experiences of these countries and regions and not necessarily from the (possibly exceptional) experiences of, in particular, Western Europe and North America.
ADP is dedicated to expanding common ground while accepting differences, improving mutual communication and increasing cooperation and shared learning. To be accepted, a paper must adhere to a high standard of scholarship and make an important and original contribution to this field.
The journal is indexed in Clarivate Analytics’ Social Sciences Citation Index and Scopus. See the journal website https://www.tandfonline.com/journals/rard20/about-this-journal#aims-and-scope for more details.
The journal is supported by an editorial office, which oversees submissions and the peer-review process. It is available online to all categories of Regional Studies Association members and is sold to a large subscriber base by the Publisher, Routledge. The journal is available singly to subscribers or as part of a pack with other RSA journals including Regional Studies, Territory, Politics, Governance; Spatial Economic Analysis; and Finance and Space. The Association also publishes Regional Studies, Regional Science which is a gold open access journal.
Key Skills and Attributes
Interested candidates are invited to submit a manifesto (maximum 2000 words) setting out:
- Their ideas for the journal, including but not limited to:
- the historic and future strengths of the journal and its place in regional studies, broadly defined;
- article types (review, commissioned, etc.);
- special issue topics;
- sections within the journal;
- article length and other general instructions to authors;
- how the journal can have impact and be made more relevant to policy makers.
- Any existing editorial experience and in particular any experience of managing the peer review processes. Any knowledge of legal and ethical issues in scholarly publishing should be outlined.
- Any institutional support available, including any time allowance to undertake the editorial role.
Full CVs should be attached – these may be in summary form but should give enough information to demonstrate embeddedness in the field, e.g. information about networks, conferences attended, relevant publications, professional memberships, etc.
Application instructions
The selection of the new Early Career Editor will be made by the Regional Studies Association Board in the light of recommendations from the Regional Studies Association’s Journals Committee. The appointed candidate will begin their term as Early Career Editor on the 1st of January 2027.
The successful candidate will be expected to join the RSA as a member throughout their term. Current non-members may apply. Further details on are available from the Regional Studies Association Office or from the Association website at https://www.regionalstudies.org/about/memberships/.
Interested applicants with questions about the journal are invited to contact Tom Merriweather, RSA Head of Publishing, tom.merriweather@regionalstudies.org
Closing date: No later than 5pm (GMT) on the 6th November 2026.
Apply for the role by filling out the form
Journal pledge
The journal is committed to ensuring diversity, equity and inclusion within its editorial team and decision making processes. All applications will be treated as strictly confidential, and each will be judged on its merits without bias for seniority of institutional affiliation. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, ancestry, national origin, religion, or religious creed, mental or physical disability, medical condition, genetic information, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, military or protected veteran status, citizenship, or other protected characteristics.
Did you know
Joining a Taylor & Francis journal as an Editor or Board member brings many personal and professional benefits.
Find more roles in your subject area with our Editor Recruitment search tool.