Editorial

Citation

Ayala, L. and Picazo-Tadeo, A.J. (2019), "Editorial", Applied Economic Analysis, Vol. 27 No. 79, pp. 1-2. https://doi.org/10.1108/AEA-09-2019-014

Editorial introduction: from Revista de Economía Aplicada to Applied Economic Analysis

In 1993, a group of more than a hundred economics professionals and researchers from nearly 40 Spanish universities founded Revista de Economía Aplicada (REA). REA was launched as a thrice-yearly scientific publication open to all fields of applied economic analysis. Ever since its foundation, the journal has sought to provide a vehicle for the dissemination of research aimed at enhancing our understanding of the real world by applying the principles of economic analysis. In its early days, the focus was primarily on the Spanish economy. Over the course of more than a quarter of a century, REA has published over 500 scientifically rigorous research papers in the field of economics. The journal has always taken an integrative approach, while tackling a wide range of topics, all with the ultimate aim of providing the academic community with a series of scientific contributions that shed light on relevant economic issues.

A decade and a half after its launch, REA was included in the Economics category of the Social Citation Index, and was assigned its first impact factor in 2008. That moment marked the beginning of a fruitful new phase, during which time the journal raised its visibility among the international scientific community and new collaborators joined the editorial board to continue the work of ensuring the journal's scientific quality. In parallel to its activity as a scientific publication, in recent decades, REA has promoted the Applied Economics Meeting (originally called Encuentro de Economía Aplicada); the first edition was held in June 1998 and it has just celebrated its twenty-second edition. The Applied Economics Meeting is an annual scientific meeting organized by different Spanish universities, which regularly brings together about 200 national and international researchers in the field of economics.

In 2017, the Asociación Libre de Economía (ALdE) took over the management and publishing of REA. ALdE was created in 2002 on the initiative of a large group of professors of Applied Economics at Spanish universities. Their aim was to facilitate and encourage the teaching and research tasks that comprise the role of a university. In the nearly two decades since its creation, ALdE has continually striven to maintain and strengthen ties with other associations in the field of economics, both inside and outside Spain. On the international stage, ties with European Union and Ibero-American countries are prioritized.

From the moment ALdE took over the management of REA, those in charge set themselves the goal of driving forward the internationalization of the journal, among other objectives. This process recently culminated with the journal being incorporated into the Emerald Publishing Group. With an eye to ensuring the journal's further integration in the scientific community and its dissemination at the international level, this new phase has involved renaming Revista de Economía Aplicada as Applied Economic Analysis. What remains unchanged, however, is the essence of the journal, its objectives and, of course, the desire to serve as a vehicle for the international dissemination of rigorous research in the field of Applied Economic Analysis. Moreover, to continue serving the scientific community as well as possible, and to maintain the previous REA publication model, Applied Economic Analysis was created as an open access journal supported and funded by ALdE.

As Editors-in-Chief of Applied Economic Analysis in this new phase that begins with the publication of volume 27 (issue 79), we would like to thank the Emerald Group for the trust it has placed in our project. Likewise, we would like to take this opportunity to express our sincere gratitude to all those – founders, editors, associate editors, referees, authors and administrative staff – who have contributed in one way or another to the growth of the journal since its launch more than a quarter of a century ago. Finally, we would like to invite colleagues and members of the international scientific community to celebrate the inception of Applied Economic Analysis with us, by sending us their best work.