About this journal

Aims and scope

The Journal of Deliberative Democracy (JDD) is an interdisciplinary, peer-reviewed open‑access journal dedicated to advancing the study of deliberative and participatory democracy. Situated at the intersection of theory, empirical research, and democratic innovation in action, JDD provides a forum for rigorous scholarship and critical reflection grounded in real‑world democratic practice.

JDD is committed to bridging academic and practical knowledge, and to enabling conversations across disciplinary, sectoral, and geographical boundaries. It publishes cutting‑edge research that engages with normative theories of deliberation while remaining attentive to how deliberative ideals are interpreted, contested, and realised in concrete political contexts.  JDD seeks to foster sustained dialogue not only between researchers but also practitioners, policymakers, and civil society actors.

A defining feature of JDD is its strong normative commitment to the core values of deliberative democracy, such as inclusivity, equity, and collective learning. The journal recognises that these ideals often sit in tension with the realities of academic publishing and treats deliberative democratic values not only as objects of study, but also as guiding principles for editorial practice. 

We aim to promote research and publishing practices that strengthen inclusion, transparency and impact. 

Inclusion 
JDD is committed to broadening participation in academic publishing and to strengthening voices and perspectives that have historically been marginalised within the field. The journal actively seeks contributions from scholars and practitioners beyond Western‑based academia, supports Early Career Researchers, and values diverse intellectual traditions, epistemologies, and methodological approaches. Efforts to diversify and decolonise knowledge production underpin the journal’s editorial orientation. We have launched regular Special Feature papers, through which the journal seeks to enhance the global visibility of deliberative and participatory practices, particularly those emerging in regions and political contexts that remain under‑represented in academic debates.  

Transparency 
JDD aims to be at the forefront of ethical research and publication practices. The journal actively promotes open access research, transparency, research integrity, and methodological reflexivity, including through study protocols and reflections on innovative or adapted methods for researching and practising deliberative and participatory processes. By doing so, the journal seeks to support cumulative knowledge building, replicability, and critical engagement with how democratic innovations are studied and evaluated. 

Impact 
JDD is committed to strengthening both the academic and societal impact of research on deliberative democracy. The journal encourages engagement with related disciplines, including political science, public policy, public administration, urban governance, and human geography, and it supports interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary dialogue through dedicated thematic issues. Beyond academia, JDD aims to serve as a key venue for research and practice on democratic innovations. Through its Reflections from the Field section, the journal actively invites contributions that also speak to practitioners and policymakers. The Journal is also home to the Deliberative Democracy Digest, publishing short non-academic articles on a monthly basis  to facilitate knowledge exchange across the field.

As participatory and deliberative processes continue to expand across democratic and non‑democratic settings, and across different levels of governance, JDD aims to play a central role in deepening understanding of these developments, advancing normative and empirical scholarship, amplifying marginalised perspectives, and fostering dialogue across disciplines and sectors. Through this work, the journal contributes to widening the scope, reach, and democratic impact of citizen participation and deliberation worldwide. 

The journal is committed to research integrity and ethical publications.

The journal is supported by the newDemocracy Foundation, the Deliberative Democracy Consortium and the International Association for Public Participation. It is hosted at the Centre for Deliberative Democracy at the University of Canberra, Australia and published by University of Westminster Press, London, United Kingdom.

Editors: Hans Asenbaum, University of Canberra, Australia, Sonia Bussu, University of Birmingham, United Kingdom, Franziska Maier, University of Stuttgart, Germany, Lucy J. Parry, University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom, Hannah Werner, University of Zurich Switzerland.

Publication Frequency: One online issue per year. The journal operates on a continuous article publication (CAP) model enabling articles to publish as fast as possible.

ISSN: 2634-0488 | Email | LinkedIn


Open access and copyright policy

This journal provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge. It operates on a 'diamond' open access free to publish, free to read model meaning there are no Author Processing Charges (APCs) payable and content is accessible to anyone with an internet connection anywhere in the world. This approach complies with the University of Westminster Press's commitment to non-profit, mission-driven, ethical open access.

Authors of articles published remain the copyright holders and grant third parties the right to use, reproduce, and share the article under a Creative Commons license agreement.

Indexing, archiving and preservation

The journal’s publisher, University of Westminster Press, makes content discoverable and accessible through indexing services. Content is also archived around the world to ensure long-term availability.

The Journal of Deliberative Democracy is indexed by the following services:

To ensure permanency of all publications, this journal also utilises CLOCKSS, and LOCKSS archiving systems to create permanent archives for the purposes of preservation and restoration.

In addition, this journal is available for harvesting via OAI-PMH.

If the journal is not indexed by your preferred service, please contact us or alternatively please make an indexing request directly with the service.

Sponsors

The Journal of Deliberative Democracy is published with the support of the newDemocracy Foundation, the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2), and the Deliberative Democracy Consortium.

History

This journal was previously published as the International Journal for Public Participation (2007-2010) and, in November 2010, merged with the Journal for Public Deliberation as a joint venture between the Deliberative Democracy Consortium and IAP2. This initiative aimed to extend the discourse in the field benefiting from first-hand experience of public participation practitioners.

In 2020, the journal was relaunched as the Journal of Deliberative Democracy.

Funding for the migration of back content was provided by Åbo Akademi and Centre for Deliberative Democracy and Global Governance.