The International Review of Education – Journal of Lifelong Learning

The International Review of Education – Journal of Lifelong Learning (IRE) – one of two UNESCO academic journals – is a peer-reviewed journal of education that publishes research articles on lifelong learning policy and practice. Special consideration is given to papers on adult education, non-formal education and literacy, or on formal education viewed through the lens of lifelong learning.

History

The International Review of Education was founded in 1931 by the distinguished educationist Friedrich Schneider of the University of Cologne. He and Paul Monroe, of Teachers College at Columbia University, were its first editors. It featured articles on international comparative education in German, English and French. Notwithstanding breaks in publication between 1943 and 1947, and between 1951 and 1955, the IRE is considered the world’s longest-running journal of international education. In 1955, the journal was adopted by the UNESCO Institute for Education in Hamburg, and thus began its current incarnation. The first editorial expressed the journal’s mandate in clear terms: “The International Review of Education will provide a meeting-place for men and women from every country whose thoughts and actions deserve the attention of educationists throughout the world.” From its inception, this journal set out to address and involve not only educationists, but also researchers in other fields, as well as policymakers and practitioners of education.

Aims and scope

The International Review of Education – Journal of Lifelong Learning is a double-blind peer-reviewed journal, appearing six times per year with articles in English and French. The Journal is published by Springer Science+Business Media and edited by a team at the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) under the guidance of an Editorial Board composed of distinguished international scholars and experts.

Since 2012, the IRE has shifted its focus from comparative education to lifelong learning, as reflected in the addition of the subtitle Journal of Lifelong Learning. Priority is given to submissions on adult education, non-formal education and literacy, or on formal education viewed through the lens of lifelong learning.
The IRE aims to foster scholarly exchange on lifelong learning from all regions of the world, particularly developing and transition countries. In addition to inviting submissions from authors for its general issues, the IRE also publishes regular guest-edited special issues on key and emerging topics in lifelong learning, adult education, non-formal education and literacy.

Reach and impact

The IRE reaches more than 8,000 institutional subscribers in all regions of the world. The readership of the IRE is truly international. The largest proportion of readers (based on IP address) are based in Asia and the Pacific (31%), followed by Europe (25%), Africa (19%) and North America (18%). IRE has recorded an annual average of 74,000 article downloads per year over the period 2010–2014. The IRE is ranked in the highest category in Qualis (Brazil), the Norwegian Scientific Index (Norsk vitenskapsindeks) and the European Reference Index for the Humanities and the Social Sciences (ERIH PLUS).

Instructions for Authors

Please read our Aims and Scope and Instructions for Authors before submitting your paper.