Knowing our authors, knowing our impact, knowing our audience: the future of Environment and Planning C

Abstract

Over nearly thirty years Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy (EPC) has been publishing agenda-defining papers on a number of topics related to government and policy in the broad sense. We examine what has been published, assess the impact it has made, and identify who the main audiences have been. The analysis reveals that EPC has made significant improvements in the diversity of the geographical origin of its submissions and publications, and in terms of impact, but that there is still room for improvement in both respects. We find that the multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary nature of EPC is one of its main strengths but possibly also one of its weaknesses. We conclude that it should remain a research-driven journal which seeks to advance both multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary debates on a wide range of pressing contemporary policy issues arising from the governance of the economy, society, and the environment