About the Journal

Focus and Scope

Laboratorium: Russian Review of Social Research is an international, interdisciplinary academic platform for critical discussion of the processes and phenomena taking place in the post-Soviet space. Since its founding in 2009, the journal has devoted considerable attention to investigations of post-Soviet transformations. Of particular relevance today are the rethinking and reevaluation of the depth and scale of the processes of post-Soviet transformations, which have become part of the broad conceptual framework of postcolonial studies. The postsocialist space, including Russia, remains an important focus for the journal, but the global nature and scale of the ongoing changes significantly expand the geography for possible publications and call for intercultural and interregional comparisons.

The journal is primarily interested in publishing research carried out using qualitative methodology and mixed methods. Laboratorium works toward advancing dialogue among different social science disciplines and accepts texts in any discipline of social sciences including (but not limited to) sociology, cultural anthropology, political science, social geography, cultural studies, gender studies, sociolinguistics, and social history. The journal also seeks to contributes to the advancement of modern research approaches and methods of critical qualitative research, welcoming publications that explore questions of qualitative methodology of social research.

The journal publishes research articles, essays, thematic reviews, discussions, field notes, and book reviews. All research articles undergo double-blind peer review.

Only texts that have not been published elsewhere and are not under review in other journals are accepted for consideration. Submissions may be in English or Russian.

Text Genres

Laboratorium considers for publication texts in either Russian or English across all the genres listed below. We consider only original texts that have not published elsewhere previously and that are not under consideration for publication by other journals or publishing houses. All texts must be submitted through the Laboratorium website with the appropriate genre designation. All texts have to be formatted in accordance with the journal guidelines. Only research articles undergo the process of double-blind peer review. Texts published in other sections of the journal are reviewed in-house and therefore do not need to be anonymized.

Research Articles

A research article can be grounded in an empirical study or in an analysis of a theoretical or a methodological problem. An article must be situated in theoretical debates or discussions and must present its conclusions in dialogue with them. An article text must contain empirical proof of the main argument and have a clear structure. Research articles should aim for up to 9,000 words, including footnotes but excluding bibliography.

Essays

The focus of an essay is generally a question, proposition, or reflection. An essay may be based on the results of an empirical investigation or be entirely centered on a theoretical or methodological question. Like a research article, an essay must feature convincing argumentation. Unlike the research article, an essay allows for a more free writing style and a less rigid structure. Essays should aim for up to 7,000 words, including footnotes but excluding bibliography.

Field Notes

In the "Field Notes" section we publish texts that reflect on the processes and aspects of field research. These can be thoughts about choosing source materials, applying methods, data collection, or attempts to analyze such data. These texts focus on discussing issues that arise during the fieldwork stage of research. These discussion are meant to contribute to broad debates and conversations about the different phases and types of fieldwork. A field note must specific about theoretical and methodological area to which it is contributing. The journal is interested in both stand-alone field notes and "special sections" of field notes that offer a multidimensional discussion of a particular problem, project, and/or method. These texts should aim for 4,000–5,000 words, including footnotes but excluding bibliography. (A special section should not exceed 15,000 words).

Review Articles

This section of the journal publishes analytical reviews of relevant academic literature on research pertaining to a specific topic. Literature reviews should aim for 9,000 words, including footnotes but excluding bibliography.

Book Reviews

We consider for publication reviews of academic books in the fields such as history, sociology, anthropology, and cultural studies published no longer than 5 years ago, that make a notable contribution to their respective disciplines or to the production of knowledge about the transformations of the post-Soviet environments. In addition to the overview of the monograph's structure and goals, the review has to familiarize the readers with the academic discussions within which the book is situation. Book reviews should aim for no more than 1,700 words.

Peer Review Process

Unless outright rejected by the editors, all submissions of research article manuscripts undergo at least one round of double-blind peer review. In most cases, revisions of different degrees are required of the authors. After the revisions are complete, submissions may be sent to reviewers for a second round of reviews.

Final decisions on publication are made on the basis of external reviews but always remain at the discretion of the editors. Articles commissioned by Laboratorium: Russian Review of Social Research are not guaranteed publication, as they undergo the same process and are judged by the same criteria as unsolicited submissions.

The article may be returned to you for revision in an edited and/or reformatted version; in this case, please use that version. You will be able to authorize any editorial changes before layout. Before publication, you will receive proofs of your article along with a copyright transfer agreement. No major changes can be made at this point.

Publication Frequency

Laboratorium: Russian Review of Social Research is published three times a year in print and electronic versions.

If you wish to be notified by email on publication of an issue of the journal, please register with the journal as a reader here.

If you wish to subscribe to this journal or to purchase individual back copies (print versions), please contact us via laboratorium@soclabo.org.

Open Access Policy

This journal provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge.

The journals does not charge submission or publication fees. Authors receive no honoraria.

Referencing and Indexing of Laboratorium: Russian Review of Social Research Content

From the inception of the journal, its editors have always made concerted efforts to get Laboratorium: Russian Review of Social Research included in Russian and international abstracting and indexing services. As of today, the journal is included in the following databases and electronic library systems:

  • Scopus
  • Web of Science (ESCI)
  • CEEOL (Central and Eastern European Online Library)
  • Cyberleninka
  • East View
  • EBSCO
  • eLIBRARY
  • Integrum Media
  • ProQuest

Publication Ethics

Laboratorium: Russian Review of Social Research is committed to following fair and professional practices in all aspects of its operation. The goal of the journal is to facilitate exchange of scientific knowledge across borders and across disciplines in the social sciences; we aim to publish original research based on empirical studies that is of interest and value to the international intellectual community. The editors of the journal adhere to codes of ethical conduct accepted by international professional organizations of social scientists, in particular by the American Sociological Association and expect similar from its authors and reviewers.

The following are basic rules and standards for the journal’s editors, authors, and reviewers.

Editors:

  • ensure fair, confidential, timely review process;
  • make unbiased editorial decisions based strictly on academic merits of submitted materials regardless of commercial, ideological, or personal interests;
  • pursue and publicize author and reviewer misconduct;
  • are cognizant of potential conflicts of interest.

Authors:

  • submit original work that has not been published by or submitted for publication to another print or electronic journal or book;
  • do not engage in plagiarism or any inappropriate data fabrication and manipulation;
  • guarantee their research was conducted in ethically and responsibly, without hazard to their subjects;
  • appropriately acknowledge contribution of everyone who participated in production of research and its reporting;
  • disclose relevant sources of funding and any conflicts of interest;
  • clearly and fully describe their methodologies and, whenever possible, retain data and pertinent documentation so that their findings can be confirmed by others.

Reviewers:

  • disclose any potential conflict of interest, including knowledge of manuscript’s authorship;
  • promptly, confidentially, and objectively review article manuscripts;
  • respect the proprietary rights of authors on their research (even if it remains unpublished).
 

Journal's History

The idea to create a bilingual journal of social research emerged in 2006 by group of sociologists (Saint Petersburg, Russia). It took almost three years to publish the first issue, which came out in 2009. For the first two years the journal was run by editor-in-chief Mischa Gabowitsch (Einstein Forum, Germany). In December 2010, in order to maximize the journal’s dynamism and flexibility, the editorial board was reorganized: the position of editor-in-chief was abolished. Now the coeditors take turns as lead editors for each issue; in the case of thematic issues, they collaborate with a guest editor. Since 2023 Laboratorium is published by the Institute for European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies (IERES) at George Washington University in cooperation with the Centre for Independent Social Research (founder and in 2009–2023 official publisher of the journal).