Futures

Scope & Guideline

Envisioning the Path Forward

Introduction

Welcome to your portal for understanding Futures, featuring guidelines for its aims and scope. Our guidelines cover trending and emerging topics, identifying the forefront of research. Additionally, we track declining topics, offering insights into areas experiencing reduced scholarly attention. Key highlights include highly cited topics and recently published papers, curated within these guidelines to assist you in navigating influential academic dialogues.
LanguageEnglish
ISSN0016-3287
PublisherELSEVIER SCI LTD
Support Open AccessNo
CountryUnited Kingdom
TypeJournal
Convergefrom 1968 to 2024
AbbreviationFUTURES / Futures
Frequency10 issues/year
Time To First Decision-
Time To Acceptance-
Acceptance Rate-
Home Page-
Address125 London Wall, London EC2Y 5AS, ENGLAND

Aims and Scopes

The journal 'Futures' serves as a multidisciplinary platform focusing on the exploration and examination of future possibilities across various domains, emphasizing the importance of foresight in addressing contemporary global challenges. It is dedicated to advancing knowledge in futures studies, scenario planning, and participatory methodologies to foster transformative change and sustainability.
  1. Futures Studies and Scenario Planning:
    The journal emphasizes the development and application of futures studies methodologies, including scenario planning, to facilitate understanding and preparation for potential future developments across social, environmental, and technological landscapes.
  2. Sustainability and Environmental Futures:
    Research published in 'Futures' often addresses sustainability challenges, exploring innovative solutions and pathways to achieve sustainable futures in various contexts, including urban planning, agriculture, and climate change mitigation.
  3. Participatory Approaches and Community Engagement:
    A significant focus is placed on participatory methodologies that involve stakeholders in the foresight process, enabling diverse voices to shape future narratives and enhance collective decision-making.
  4. Interdisciplinary Perspectives:
    The journal promotes interdisciplinary research that integrates insights from various fields such as sociology, economics, environmental science, and technology studies, fostering a holistic understanding of future challenges.
  5. Ethics and Social Justice in Future Making:
    'Futures' addresses ethical considerations and social justice issues related to future scenarios, advocating for inclusive and equitable approaches to future planning and decision-making.
The journal 'Futures' has seen a rise in various innovative themes and interdisciplinary approaches, reflecting current global concerns and the evolving nature of futures studies. These emerging themes are critical for researchers and practitioners alike as they navigate the complexities of future planning.
  1. Climate Resilience and Adaptation:
    Recent publications increasingly focus on climate resilience strategies, emphasizing the need for adaptive approaches to mitigate the impacts of climate change on communities and ecosystems.
  2. Social Justice and Equity in Futures Planning:
    There is a growing trend towards integrating social justice and equity considerations into futures research, ensuring that diverse perspectives are included in the decision-making processes.
  3. Technological Impact and Ethics:
    Emerging discussions around the ethical implications of new technologies, such as artificial intelligence and biotechnology, are gaining traction, reflecting a critical examination of their societal impacts.
  4. Decolonizing Futures Studies:
    A notable increase in research aimed at decolonizing futures studies is evident, focusing on indigenous knowledge systems and alternative epistemologies to inform future narratives.
  5. Urban Futures and Sustainable Development:
    The journal is increasingly addressing urban futures, exploring sustainable urban development through innovative practices like participatory planning and nature-based solutions.

Declining or Waning

While 'Futures' continues to thrive in several research areas, certain themes have shown a decline in prominence over recent years. This waning focus may reflect shifts in societal priorities or the evolving landscape of futures studies.
  1. Traditional Economic Growth Models:
    There appears to be a decreasing emphasis on traditional economic growth paradigms, as the journal increasingly critiques such models in favor of sustainability and degrowth approaches.
  2. Technological Determinism:
    Research that uncritically embraces technological advancements without considering their societal implications is less frequently published, signaling a shift towards more nuanced discussions around technology's role in shaping futures.
  3. Single-Disciplinary Approaches:
    The journal has moved away from studies that isolate a single discipline in examining future scenarios, favoring interdisciplinary research that combines insights from multiple fields.
  4. Futures of Conventional Energy Sources:
    Papers focusing on the future of conventional energy sources like fossil fuels have declined, as the discourse increasingly centers around renewable energy and sustainable alternatives.
  5. Short-term Projections without Contextual Analysis:
    There is a noticeable reduction in studies that offer short-term projections without deep contextual analysis, as the journal encourages comprehensive explorations of complex systems over simplistic forecasts.

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