About the Journal

NordSTEP welcomes theoretically rigorous papers that discuss and contribute to educational policy research. The journal calls for papers that analyse politics, policy making, the intersection of policies and practices, and the political nature of everyday encounters in formal and informal education from early childhood education to higher education and continuous learning. The journal publishes both theoretical and empirical papers across the spectrum. Articles published in the journal are not limited to the Nordic educational space, but should relate to, elaborate on, or be of relevance to the Nordic region and Nordic scholarship. In addition to original research articles the journal encourages submissions of high quality manuscripts including literature reviews and theoretical discussions, book reviews, responses/critiques and invited commentaries.

Intended readership: Researchers in educational sciences

Aims and scope

What we look for

NordSTEP is interested in submissions that:

  • offer a clear, original, and analytically grounded contribution to educational research;
  • engage with The North of Europe explicitly as an empirical setting, a comparative frame, a policy arena, a historical trajectory, or a conceptual problem space;
  • demonstrate strong theoretical, conceptual, and/or methodological development;
  • situate their case, data, or argument within a wider transnational, comparative, or North European context;
  • connect meaningfully to broader debates in educational research and to questions of relevance for education in national, regional and global contexts.


NordSTEP is not interested in submissions that:

  • offer limited originality or analytical contribution and remain largely descriptive;
  • show weak or insufficient theoretical, conceptual, or methodological grounding;
  • focus on a single case or setting without clarifying its broader relevance for education within or beyond the North of Europe;
  • are better suited to a generalist education journal than to a journal focused on educational research in relation to the North of Europe.