Publishing replications in the International Journal for Re-Views in Empirical Economics (IREE)
Practical guide
What is IREE?
IREE is the abreviation of “International Journal for Re-Views in Empirical Economics”. IREE is the first journal in economics dedicated to the publication of replication studies. The ZBW has initiated and designed IREE to support replication studies in economics.
URL: www.iree.eu
What can I publish in IREE?
In IREE, we publish replications from the fields of microeconomics, macroeconomics, operations research, management, finance, and of experiments. We also accept submissions from disciplines closely related to economics.
Must a replication in IREE falsify the original results?
No. Publication of a replication in IREE does not depend on the results of the replication study. All replication results can be of interest to the economics community. While a failed replication can indicate a need for further discussion, a successful replication can support the robustness and generalisability of a result.
Do authors need to pay for publishing in IREE?
IREE is an Open Access e-journal and does not demand author fees.
Is IREE listed?
Yes, IREE is listed with the American Economic Association (AEA), the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) and RePEc.
Why does economic research need a replication journal?
The replication of empirical findings is a fundamental principle of good scientific practice. Replication studies are a scientific tool for identifying robust and reproducible findings. Only robust findings should be generalised and used for evidence-based policy consulting.
Nevertheless, at present replications are only rarely published by economics journals. Authors of replication studies are thus finding it hard to gain recognition for their work, which immensely reduces the incentives for this important type of studies. The situation affects the credibility of economic research, which has been debating the “replication crisis” for many years now. This is the reason why the ZBW founded International Journal for Re-Views in Empirical Economics (IREE).
Who finances IREE?
At the beginning, the project was funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG). At present, IREE is financed by the Joachim Herz Foundation and the ZBW – Leibniz Information Centre for Economics.
Who can submit articles to IREE?
High-quality submissions are the lifeblood of our journal and the key to securing future funding. We welcome submissions from all empirical economists, be they prominent and established researchers or PhD candidates and early career researchers.
Can students also submit papers to IREE?
Yes, absolutely! Many master and PhD programmes include replications in their study and PhD degree regulations as part of empirical training. Students and PhD candidates therefore should consider IREE as a publishing option for their replication studies. If these papers meet our quality standards, they can be published in IREE independent of their results. Please take note of our guidelines.
What are current publications in IREE like?
Our list of published studies includes replications of papers published in renowned journals. Among these are:
- American Economic Review,
- Quarterly Journal of Economics,
- American Economic Journal: Applied Economics,
- Review of Economics and Statistics,
- Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics,
- and others.
Publications in IREE are disseminated via EconStor, RePEc and the ReplicationWiki and thus receive further digital visibility. You can find a list of the published replication studies here.
For more information about IREE please visit our website: www.iree.eu. If you have any questions, please contact our Managing Editor Dr Martina Grunow at iree@zbw.eu.
Would you like to know more about replications in economics?
Then you might find these interesting:
Replication studies and their value for society
Replications are hard work that pays off
Date: May 2021
Questions, comments and notes are welcome at open-science@zbw.eu