Transnational Corporations is a longstanding policy-oriented, refereed research journal on issues related to investment, multinational enterprises and development.
It is an official journal of the United Nations, managed by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). As such it has global reach, a strong development policy imprint and high potential for impact beyond the scholarly community.
There are no fees or article processing charges associated with submitting to or publishing in Transnational Corporations. All articles of the online version of the journal are open access and free to read and download for everyone.
Aims and scope
The journal aims to advance academically rigorous research to inform policy dialogue among and across the business, civil society and policymaking communities. Its central research question – feeding into policymaking at subnational, national and international levels – is how cross-border investment, international production, multinational enterprises and other international investment actors affect sustainable development. The journal invites contributions that provide state-of-the-art research on the impact of multinational enterprises and other international investors, considering the economic, legal or social aspects, among others.
The journal welcomes submissions from a variety of disciplines, including international business, innovation, development studies, international law, economics, political science, international finance, political economy and economic geography. Interdisciplinary work is especially welcomed. The journal embraces both quantitative and qualitative research methods, and multiple levels of analyses at the macro, industry, firm or individual/group level.
Transnational Corporations aims to provide a bridge between academia and the policymaking community. It publishes academically rigorous and impactful contributions to evidence-based policy analysis and policymaking, including lessons learned from experiences in different societies and economies, in both developed- and developing-country contexts. It welcomes contributions from the academic community, policymakers, research institutes, international organizations and others.
The journal publishes original research articles, perspective papers, state-of-the art review articles, point-counterpoint essays, research notes and book reviews.
In addition, UNCTAD Insights articles feature original research by UNCTAD staff, frequently conducted in collaboration with researchers from other organizations, universities and research institutions. The aim of the UNCTAD Insights articles is to advance and support research on investment and development, in line with UNCTAD’s work programme, catalysing further work and helping to set a policy-relevant research agenda.
Unique benefits for authors: direct impact on policymaking processes
Through UNCTAD’s network of investment stakeholders, the journal reaches a large audience of academics, business leaders and policymakers around the world. UNCTAD’s role as the focal point in the United Nations system for investment issues guarantees that the journal’s content gains significant visibility and contributes to debates in global conferences and intergovernmental meetings, including the biennial World Investment Forum and the Investment, Enterprise and Development Commission.
The research published in Transnational Corporations feeds directly into UNCTAD programmes related to investment for development, including its flagship product, the annual World Investment Report, and its technical assistance work (investment policy reviews, investment promotion and facilitation, and investment treaty negotiations) in more than 160 countries and regional organizations.
The journal thus provides a unique avenue for authors’ academic work to contribute to, and have an impact on, national and international policy-making.
