Aims and Scope

The journal is concerned with extending and integrating the study of economics with disciplines within the natural and social sciences, as well as the humanities. IJTR is a journal where alternative frameworks can be disseminated and argued to develop a unifying vision of an economic paradigm that realistically portrays economic systems as a whole.  We feel that there needs to be a revolution in the field of economics, to develop new approaches to real world problems.  Because economics is intertwined in almost every field of research, we are looking for transdisciplinary research.  If science wishes to contribute to solving these real world issues, transdisciplinary collaboration and communication becomes necessary.  Therefore, IJTR is a platform for the practice of transdisciplinary research.

As such, IJTR is a journal for article submissions on epistemological issues such as:  (1) Sustainability, (2) Social Multicriteria Evaluations, (3) Ecological Economics and the Biophysical Foundations of Economics, (4) Systems Research, and (5) Complexity and Post Normal Science.  If your research does not fall into these broad categories, then IJTR is not the place to submit your article.  The journal is for the constructive argument and the development of alternative ways to govern sustainability.  Furthermore, we seek research articles from colleagues in fields other than economics on how economic systems really work.

For those in fields not related to economics who may not know what the above means, here is a brief explanation. In spite of recent advances in the field, economic theory and policy is still rooted in unrealistic models of consumer and firm behavior, leaving little room for critical and reflective thought. These traditional economic models involve the following fundamental assumptions which are not open to discussion: (1) People have rational preference among outcomes that can be identified and associated with a value, (2) individuals maximize utility and firms maximize profits, (3) People act independently on the basis of full and relevant information.  Economists use these assumptions to understand the allocation of scarce resources among alternative ends. If these models are applied to decisions concerning sustainability issues, many of these policies will lead to dangerous and irreversible changes.  We believe the field is rapidly changing away from these models and assumptions and intend to use this journal as a conduit to accelerate this transformation. 

Therefore, the IJTR is methodologically open, providing a place for alternative, critical, and transdisciplinary research.