Contributions to Higher Education Research
Orientation, themes and target groups
Contributions to Higher Education Research (Beiträge zur Hochschulforschung) is a prominent academic journal in the field of higher education research in German-speaking countries. While the majority of articles are published in German, submissions in English are equally welcome. The journal, available in both open access and print format, is characterised by its high-quality standards, broad thematic spectrum, and extensive reach. It combines academic rigour with practical relevance and invites submissions from various disciplines and approaches.
The journal has a long tradition, being established in 1979 and transitioning to biannual publication in 2023. It covers a wide range of topics in higher and tertiary education, including research at institutional, regional, and systemic levels, both in national and international perspective.
Key areas of interest include:
- Governance of higher education and research institutions
- Steering, management, and leadership in higher education
- Digitalization and artificial intelligence in higher education and research
- Funding of higher education
- Quality assurance and performance measurement
- Curriculum reform, degree programs, and the student experience
- Transitions between school, higher education, and the labour market
- Research and academic careers, including early career researchers
- Gender inequality in academia
- The relationship between higher education, research, and industry
- Internationally comparative higher education research
- Science research
The journal publishes various article formats, including research articles based on quantitative or qualitative empirical analysis or comparative studies, literature surveys, standpoints, and insights into practice. All articles – except standpoints – undergo a rigorous double-blind peer review process. The journal serves as a platform for the exchange of research results and as a forum for higher education researchers and practitioners. Each year, the journal publishes one issue that reflects the entire spectrum of higher education research and one special issue, for which a call for papers is usually announced. Manuscripts in German or English can be submitted at any time to beitraege (at) ihf.bayern.de.
The journal is directed at researchers interested in questions related to higher education and its development, as well as practitioners in higher education and research policy, administration, leadership, and management. An editorial advisory board provides strategic advice and academic support to the journal. The board includes the following members: Prof. Dr. Isabell Welpe (Technical University of Munich & IHF), Prof. Dr. Georg Krücken (University of Kassel, INCHER), Prof. Dr. Monika Jungbauer-Gans (University of Hannover & DZHW), Prof. Dr. Simon Marginson (University of Oxford), Prof. Dr. Katrin Auspurg (Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München), PD Dr. Dr. Lutz Bornmann (Max-Planck-Gesellschaft), Prof. Dr. Yvette Hofmann (Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München) and Dr. Lydia Hartwig (formerly IHF).
If you would like to be notified when new issues of the open access journal are released, please send an email to publikationen (at) ihf.bayern.de. If you prefer to receive the print version of the journal free of charge, kindly let us know at the same address, and we will include you in our mailing list. You are also welcome to access our archive at any time at www.bzh.bayern.de.