The Asian Journal of Applied Economics (AJAE) is an international, peer-reviewed journal dedicated to publishing rigorous research that applies economic theory and modern empirical methods to address real-world economic issues. The journal’s primary focus is on challenges and opportunities relevant to Asia and emerging economies, placing them within a broader global context.

AJAE aims to provide a premier scholarly platform for high-quality applied economic research that offers robust empirical evidence, critical syntheses of existing knowledge, and concrete policy-relevant insights. We seek contributions that analyze complex, evolving issues related to growth, development, integration, and structural transformation through country-specific, regional, cross-country, and comparative perspectives.

The journal welcomes empirical and policy-oriented studies across a wide range of applied economics fields. Areas of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Macroeconomics and Growth: Economic growth determinants, business cycle dynamics, inflation, monetary and fiscal policy, and macroeconomic stability in emerging markets.

• Development and Inequality: Development economics, poverty dynamics, income and wealth inequality, structural change, and inclusive growth strategies.

• International Economics: International trade, global value chains (GVCs), foreign direct investment (FDI), international finance, and regional economic integration.

• Financial Economics: Financial development, banking systems, financial markets, corporate finance, and macro-financial linkages.

• Labor and Human Capital: Labor market dynamics, employment, wages, education, health economics, and human capital accumulation.

• Sectoral and Resource Economics: Agricultural economics, environmental and resource economics, energy economics, and climate change policy.

• Public Policy and Political Economy: Public finance, taxation, public policy evaluation, economic impact analysis, and political economy of reforms.

• Digital and Behavioral Economics: Digital economy, technological innovation, and applied behavioral economics relevant to development constraints.

AJAE prioritizes studies utilizing rigorous methodological approaches, including advanced econometric analysis, panel data methods, time-series analysis, experimental (RCTs) and quasi-experimental designs, as well as other robust quantitative approaches.

Note: While the journal prioritizes original empirical research, AJAE also welcomes rigorous, critical review articles that offer significant conceptual integration or policy insights relevant to the region. (We generally do not publish book reviews or purely theoretical papers without empirical grounding.)

Readership

AJAE is intended for academic researchers, graduate students, policymakers, and practitioners with an interest in applied economic analysis, particularly in the context of Asia and emerging economies.

Types of Articles

AJAE accepts the following types of articles:

Research Articles (recommended length: approximately 6,000–10,000 words)
Research articles present original and structured investigations conducted in accordance with accepted academic standards in economics. Manuscripts should clearly define the research problem, hypothesis, or research questions and establish well-articulated objectives. Appropriate theoretical frameworks, data sources, and empirical or analytical methodologies—including econometric, quantitative, or mixed-method approaches—must be employed. Data analysis and interpretation should be rigorous and transparent. Conclusions should directly address the stated objectives and demonstrate a clear contribution to applied economics, policy analysis, or real-world economic problem-solving.

Review Articles (recommended length: approximately 6,000–10,000 words)
Review articles provide scholarly syntheses, critical evaluations, or analytical discussions of existing literature, theories, methodologies, or policy frameworks in applied economics. Such articles should go beyond descriptive summaries by offering critical insights, conceptual integration, or comparative perspectives that advance understanding of the field. Review articles are expected to identify research gaps, methodological issues, or implications for future research, policy formulation, or professional practice. Submissions of this type are considered at the discretion of the editorial team.

Language

AJAE prioritizes English-language publications to maximize international accessibility, scholarly visibility, and academic impact.

English Submissions Authors submitting in English must ensure their manuscripts meet high standards of clarity, grammatical accuracy, and academic proficiency. Manuscripts with significant language issues may be returned before review. Professional language editing prior to submission is highly recommended, particularly for authors whose primary language is not English.

Thai Submissions AJAE also accepts manuscripts submitted in Thai. To ensure accessibility for the journal’s international readership, Thai-language manuscripts must adhere to the following requirements:

• Extended Abstract: Authors must provide an extended English abstract (approximately 800 words) comprehensively summarizing the study’s background, objectives, methodology, key findings, and main implications.

• Bilingual Elements: All tables, figures, figure captions, and references within Thai manuscripts must be presented exclusively in English.

Please refer to the journal’s Author Guidelines for detailed instructions regarding manuscript preparation for both languages.

Peer Review Process

AJAE operates a rigorous double-blind peer review process to ensure the quality, originality, and integrity of published research. All manuscripts are initially screened by the Editor-in-Chief or a designated Handling Editor to assess their relevance to the journal’s aims and scope, academic merit, methodological soundness, and compliance with ethical and formatting requirements. Manuscripts that do not meet these criteria may be rejected without external review.

Manuscripts that pass the initial screening are reviewed by at least two independent external reviewers with relevant subject-matter expertise. The identities of authors and reviewers are concealed throughout the review process. Reviewers are independent of the authors’ institutions and are not members of the editorial staff.

Based on reviewers’ reports, the editorial decision may be acceptance, minor revision, major revision, or rejection. When revisions are requested, authors must submit a revised manuscript together with a detailed response to reviewers’ comments. Revised manuscripts may be returned to reviewers for further evaluation, particularly in cases of major revision. Final publication decisions are made by the Editor-in-Chief in consultation with the editorial team and are based solely on academic merit.

A detailed overview of the peer-review workflow is available on the journal’s Peer Review Process page.

Publication Frequency

AJAE is published twice a year in online format:

• Issue 1: January – June
• Issue 2: July – December

Publication Fee Policy

AJAE is a fully open-access journal committed to the dissemination of high-quality academic research in applied economics. The journal does not charge any fees at any stage of the publication process. There are no submission fees, article processing charges (APCs), publication fees, or page charges.

AJAE is financially supported by the Center for Applied Economics Research, Faculty of Economics, Kasetsart University, Thailand. All publication-related costs are covered by the sponsoring institution. Editorial decisions are made exclusively on the basis of academic merit and are not influenced by financial considerations.

Open Access and Archiving

AJAE is an open-access journal, providing free and immediate access to all published articles. Readers may read and download articles without subscription or payment.

The journal is published and archived on the Thai Journal Online (ThaiJO) platform, maintained by the Thai Journal Citation Index (TCI) Centre, to ensure long-term preservation and accessibility of its content.

Copyright and Licensing

AJAE is published by the Center for Applied Economics Research, Faculty of Economics, Kasetsart University, which holds the copyright of all articles published in the journal.

All published articles are distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution–NonCommercial–NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND). This license allows users to copy and share the published work in its original form for non-commercial purposes, provided that proper attribution is given.

Any modification, adaptation, or commercial use of the published content requires prior permission from the copyright holder.

Ownership and Management

AJAE is owned and published by the Center for Applied Economics Research, Faculty of Economics, Kasetsart University, Thailand.

The Center provides institutional support and resources necessary to ensure high academic and ethical standards, including rigorous peer review, professional editorial management, and open-access dissemination. The journal is managed by the Editor-in-Chief, in collaboration with the Editorial Board and editorial team, who are responsible for editorial policy, peer review, and publication decisions in accordance with the academic mission and governance framework of the Faculty of Economics, Kasetsart University.

Revenue Sources

AJAE is financially supported by the Center for Applied Economics Research, Faculty of Economics, Kasetsart University, Thailand. Institutional funding is used to support editorial operations, publication management, and continuous quality improvement.

The journal does not rely on author fees, subscriptions, or commercial income. All revenue sources are transparent and do not influence editorial decisions. Manuscripts are evaluated solely on the basis of scholarly quality, originality, and relevance.

Advertising and Direct Marketing

AJAE is committed to maintaining editorial independence and academic integrity. The journal does not engage in commercial advertising that could compromise its scholarly mission.

Any advertising or promotional activities, if undertaken, are clearly separated from editorial content and have no influence on editorial decision-making. Direct marketing activities, such as calls for papers, are conducted professionally, transparently, and in compliance with applicable data protection and privacy regulations.

AI Tool Policy

AJAE recognizes the increasing use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in academic research and writing. The journal permits the use of AI tools for language editing, proofreading, or technical assistance, provided that such use does not replace scholarly judgment or intellectual contribution by the authors.

AI tools must not be listed as authors. Authors remain fully responsible for the originality, accuracy, integrity, and ethical standards of their submitted work. The editorial team reserves the right to request clarification regarding the use of AI tools when necessary.

Publication Malpractice 

AJAE is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics and takes all forms of academic misconduct seriously.

Manuscripts are screened for plagiarism and unethical practices. Publication malpractice includes, but is not limited to, plagiarism, redundant or duplicate publication, data fabrication or falsification, citation manipulation, and inappropriate authorship practices. Allegations of misconduct are investigated in accordance with recognized ethical guidelines, and appropriate actions may be taken depending on the severity of the case.

Journal History

The Asian Journal of Applied Economics has a continuous publication history dating back to 1994. The journal was originally established under the title Kasetsart University Journal of Economics (ISSN 0858-9291).

Beginning with Volume 17, Issue 1 (January–June 2010), the journal was renamed Applied Economics Journal (AEJ) to reflect its expanded focus on applied economic research. During this period, the journal was published under ISSN 2568-9124 (Print) and ISSN 2568-9132 (Online) and continued under this title until Volume 30, Issue 1 (January–June 2023).

From Volume 30, Issue 2 (July–December 2023) onward, the journal adopted its current title, Asian Journal of Applied Economics, and has been published under ISSN 2985-1610 (Online). Throughout its evolution, the journal has maintained a regular publication schedule and strengthened its editorial standards, international orientation, and commitment to high-quality applied economics research.