Focus and Scope

GAIA is a peer-reviewed inter- and transdisciplinary journal for scientists and other interested parties concerned with the causes and analyses of environmental and sustainability problems and their solutions.

Topics

Biodiversity | Climate Change | Ecosystem Services | Environmental Governance | Environmental Planning | Environmental Policy | Land Use (Change) | Natural Resources Management | Real-world laboratories / Living labs | Research Integration and Implementation | Socio-Ecological Systems | Sustainability Science | Sustainable Energy Systems | Sustainability in Higher Education | Transdisciplinarity | Transdisciplinarity in Higher Education | Transformation / Transition Research

Section Policies

Forum

In the Forum section, original papers are published including essays, pointed expressions of opinion and reactions to articles that have appeared in recent GAIA issues. As such, the Forum aims to challenge current understandings by providing a “forum” to articulate substantiated opinions and controversial issues, to identify new problems, and to establish actual contexts.

Generally, articles are double-blind peer reviewed.

Articles – including references – should not exceed the length of 24,000 characters (including spaces).

Forum section editors: Tobias Mickler, Martina Blum, Ulrike Sehy

Research

The Research section of GAIA contains three categories of texts:

  1. Original scientific articles of environmental and sustainability research. Research papers should not – including ref­erences – exceed the length of 32,000 char­acters (including spaces).
  2. Review articles that place environmental problems and development in a broader context. General review papers are usually written upon invitation and in agreement with the editorial office. Authors who wish to submit review papers on their own initiative are advised to contact the editorial office in advance. Review papers should not – including ref­erences – exceed the length of 40,000 char­acters (including spaces).
  3. Design Reports which focus on the configuration of inter- and transdisciplinary research projects in terms of their research and communication design. Design Reports discuss the underlying reasoning for the project design and critically present the design principles. Design Reports are a GAIA-specific format. Design Reports should not – including ref­erences – exceed the length of 25,000 char­acters (including spaces).

All articles are subjected to a double-blind peer review and cross-read by at least one person foreign to the subject.

Research section editors: Martina Blum, Almut Joedicke

Books

The Books section is dedicated to the presentation, discussion and review of new publications relevant to GAIA ’s subject matter. Contributions to the Books section are usually written upon invitation and in agreement with the editorial office. Authors intending to write a book review on their own initiative are advised to contact the editorial office in advance.

Articles are examined by at least one of the editors of GAIA. If required, further expertise is requested.

Articles should not exceed the length of 3,800 characters (including spaces).

Book section editors: Tobias Mickler

Special Issues / Focus Sections

GAIA publishes a maximum of one special issue (SI) per year.

  • Special issues are produced and published independently of the regular GAIA issues. They are published through the collaboration of both GAIA editors and guest editors. Editorial and production costs of special issues will be borne by the guest editor(s).
  • There is the option of publishing a special issue online only (SI online only).

GAIA publishes a maximum of two focus sections per year.

  • These focus sections appear within regular GAIA issues. They are published through the collaboration of both GAIA editors and guest editors. Additional expenses to cover editorial and production services will be borne by the guest editor(s).

If you are interested in publishing a special issue or a focus section, please contact the editorial office at gaia@oekom.de.

Information on conditions and fees can be found >here.