Info for authors

Free access to UNU-WIDER research is well established. The WIDER Working Paper Series is an electronic series, and all papers are free to everyone to download. In line with its open access publishing policy initiated in early 2016, UNU-WIDER journal special issues are published on full (gold) open access journal articles, as are many UNU-WIDER single journal articles published in academic journals which fulfil certain publishing metrics. Books published since 2016 in the WIDER Studies in Development Economics series under Oxford University Press imprint are also on full open access, free to anyone to read.

Copyright of any work performed by any individual engaged under a consultant contract or institutional contractual agreement is vested in the United Nations University/UNU-WIDER, unless otherwise formally agreed in writing between the parties. Holding copyright on its commissioned research allows UNU-WIDER to effectively negotiate with publishers and journal editors for the best possible publication outlet for a collection of studies and helps open access administrative processes should UNU-WIDER select that publishing option. If UNU-WIDER holds no future publication plans for a commissioned study copyright can be transferred to the author(s); as per publishing protocol, any later publication should carry due acknowledgement of UNU-WIDER as the original commissioning institute.

UNU-WIDER only commissions original research which has not been published elsewhere. To help ensure the quality and originality of research, all submitted studies are run through the iThenticate software prior to publication.

WIDER Working Paper Series

In January 2010, UNU-WIDER introduced the revamped WIDER Working Paper Series, which features working papers posted online aimed to stimulate discussion and to elicit feedback. It is deliberately a broad series to accommodate different types of studies and research methods. Each working paper is registered with an individual ISBN and a digital object identifier (DOI) to enable citation and library referencing. Freely available for downloading, WIDER Working Papers remain the core dissemination channel for the institute’s research. The scale and coverage of the series reflect its productivity and the size of its global network. Over the years, it has consistently provided an effective means for developing country researchers and others to put their work in front of a global audience.

WIDER WP style guidelines for authors (pdf) | WIDER studies template for authors (zip)
LaTeX guidelines (pdf) | Package iconWIDER WP LaTeX template v1.5 (zip)

WIDER Background Note Series

UNU-WIDER launched the WIDER Background Note (BN) Series in early 2020, filling a gap for shorter studies that are more informative than explorative in nature.

BN concept note and guidelines for authors (pdf) | WIDER studies template for authors (zip)

WIDER Technical Note Series

The WIDER Technical Note (TN) Series launched early 2021, caters to the needs of a technical audience who are active users of our research outputs. As such, TNs communicate highly detailed technical information that provides an in-depth understanding of existing research produced by UNU-WIDER and can facilitate future research that builds on UNU-WIDER’s technical outputs—such as datasets, specific-use data compilations, models, or software solutions.

TN concept note and guidelines for authors (pdf) | WIDER studies template for authors (zip)

WIDER Reports

UNU-WIDER publishes reports on a variety of topics, summarizing large amounts of information and facts in an organized and communicative format.

Reports concept note and author guidelines (pdf)

Letters of Agreement

Selected non-contracted and non-remunerated (co-)authors of research studies are requested to transfer copyright of their research to UNU-WIDER through a Letter of Agreement. UNU-WIDER must give prior permission before co-authors are added to a commissioned study, and they will be expected to submit a Letter of Agreement by agreeing to the following text:

Single author

I, ……….., author of the paper entitled ……….. hereby agree that UNU‐WIDER may publish and distribute the paper freely, with UNU‐WIDER copyright. This copyright transfer covers publishing in the UNU‐WIDER Working Paper series as well as any subsequent UNU‐WIDER publication, such as in a journal or a book. Publication of the paper arranged by the author will carry an acknowledgement of UNU‐WIDER at all times, and will require beforehand written agreement from UNU‐WIDER.

I, …………, confirm that I am the copyright holder of the above-mentioned paper and am in a position to sign over the copyright to UNU-WIDER.

In addition, we require the following information for institutional purposes and internal statistical information only (Please refer to Privacy Statement)

  • Date of birth (dd/mm/yyyy)
  • Nationality
  • Degree
  • Gender
  • Country of residence
  • Affiliation
  • Email

Author/Co-author

I, ……….., confirm that I am a co‐author with ……….. of the paper entitled ……….. and hereby agree that UNU‐WIDER may publish and distribute the paper freely, with UNU‐WIDER copyright. This copyright transfer covers publishing in the UNU‐WIDER Working Paper series as well as any subsequent UNU‐WIDER publication, such as in a journal or a book. Publication of the paper arranged by the author(s) will carry an acknowledgement of UNU‐WIDER at all times, and will require beforehand written agreement from UNU‐WIDER.

I, …………, confirm that I am one of the copyright holders of the above-mentioned paper and am in a position to sign over my share of the copyright to UNU-WIDER.

In addition, we require the following information for institutional purposes and internal statistical information only (Please refer to Privacy Statement)

  • Date of birth (dd/mm/yyyy)
  • Nationality
  • Degree
  • Gender
  • Country of residence
  • Affiliation
  • Email

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    Frequently asked questions

    UNU-WIDER only publishes research which has been formally commissioned by the institute as part of its mandated research programme.

    How can I find UNU-WIDER publications?
    UNU-WIDER publications are easily found on the publications page on the institute’s website. The search function is easy to navigate, and caters for more advanced searching across specific time ranges, topics, types of publication, etc. In addition, many major universities and central libraries hold print copies of UNU-WIDER books, and some more recent UNU-WIDER books are freely available on full open access (easily searchable on the publications page).

    Are UNU-WIDER publications peer reviewed?
    All UNU-WIDER books and journal articles/special issues are (primarily double-blind) peer reviewed by external experts within a given area of expertise. While WIDER Working Papers are not externally peer reviewed, they are reviewed in-house by a researcher/project focal point to ensure academic publishing standards are maintained.

    Where can I find guidelines for preparing studies for UNU-WIDER?
    When preparing your study for UNU-WIDER, please follow the guidelines available above (see “WIDER Working Paper Series”). This will considerably reduce the time required to finalize the studies for eventual publication.

    I would like to add a non-remunerated co-author to my paper. How can I do that?
    UNU-WIDER’s prior consent and a copyright release statement (see “Letters of Agreement”) are required before a co-author can be added.

    I think my contract for writing a research paper is completed after final payment?
    While payment of the fee will be made upon delivery of all agreed outputs, the final version of the publication may not be complete at that point. After payment has been made, researchers may be asked to:

    1. Respond to reasonable requests by the publisher and editors with respect to finalization of the publication.
    2. Participate in a knowledge-sharing event.
    3. first
    4. second

    Can I reuse content from UNU-WIDER publications?
    UNU-WIDER employs a fair use policy for reasonable reproduction of UNU-WIDER copyrighted content—such as the reproduction of a table or a figure, and/or text not exceeding 400 words—with due acknowledgement of the original source, without requiring explicit permission from the copyright holder. However, note that this policy covers neither third-party content included in the publications nor non-WIDER-copyrighted publications. For permission to reuse, please contact the rights holder.

    If you wish to reuse/republish an entire publication or large parts of a publication, please contact the publication team at publications@wider.unu.edu.

    Additional information on licenses and copyright here: /about/copyright