About journal

The scientific journal “MAZOVIA Regional Studies” is a quarterly. The subsequent volumes are published annually in March, June, September and December; additionally, the English volume “MAZOVIA Regional Studies” Special Edition is issued once a year.

The idea of the Publisher is to make the journal widely available. The paper edition (ISSN of the paper edition: 1689-4774), which is the primary version of the periodical, is wholly distributed free of charge to the state academic institutions, to the research institutes, as well as to the majority of Mazovia libraries. All articles in the electronic edition (ISSN of the online editions: 2543-4373) are published in the so-called open access enabling unrestricted use of content thereof by scientists, members of the self-government, entrepreneurs and all interested parties, which favours further scientific advancement, as well as the implementation of the existing solutions on the local level.

The Journal is characterised by a multidisciplinary approach to the choice of the subject matter of the articles, which have a common denominator, i.e. the regional policy, ensuing from the nature of the Publisher and his/her specialisation. Among the texts published, articles on the mission of science in a broad sense predominate, above all with a focus on regional studies, in particular in terms of self-government actions for the development of local communities.

The texts in the journal are divided into three categories, i.e. I. Analyses and Studies, II. Self-government and III. Miscellaneous.I. Analyses and Studies contains scientific articles, studies such as case studies, research papers, literature reviews, presentations and analyses of novel solutions (conceptual papers) and information on the state of the art of scientific research on public and regional policy (general review).II. Self-government contains scientific papers on local self-government units, analyses, studies and expertise prepared by the self-government units or cooperating experts.III. Miscellaneous contains book reviews, biographical notes of men of merit for Mazovia and for the state, as well as information on matters of importance from the point of view of regional policy.

Articles are published primarily in Polish with abstracts in Polish and English. The most interesting articles of the year are translated and issued in the English volume of the “MAZOVIA Regional Studies” Special Edition and additionally presented during the “European Week of Regions and Cities” event, taking place in October in Brussels.

Subject matter of the journal

The two-part title of the journal may suggest that the subject matter is limited to Mazovia; however, the published content is not limited to Mazovian Voivodeship-related matters. As the subtitle of the journal, Regional Studies, suggests, the periodical covers a wide range of comparative studies and analyses, including both Mazovia and the remaining regions of Poland, Europe, as well as other regions of the Earth. The Editorial Office pays attention not only to the theoretical and academic-scientific aspects of the presented materials but also to their applicability.

The subject area of the articles published is quite diverse, although regional policy dominates. The Editorial Office accepts materials pertaining to spatial management, regional planning, urban planning and architecture, urban policy, transport network and infrastructure, environmental protection and landscape architecture, protection of monuments and national heritage, sustainable development, territorial integrity and development of rural areas, use of European funds, experience and problems of self-government operating at local and regional level. Demographic change and the ageing of the population, poverty and social exclusion, unemployment and health service top the issues up.

In 2012, the “MAZOVIA Regional Studies” was included in Part B of the List of Scientific Journals held by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education on the basis of the Oridinance of the Minister of Science and Higher Education on the Criteria and Procedures for Awarding Scientific Categories to Scientific Institutions of 13th July 2012.

The Journal was ranked as follows in each of the following years:

2011 – 2 points;2012 – 2 points;2013 – 3 points;2014 – 3 points;since 2015 – 6 points.

Since 2023, the journal has been on the list of Scientific Journals and Reviewed Materials from International Conferences, maintained pursuant to Article 267 (3) of the Law on Higher Education and Science of 20th July 2018, with the rank of 20 points.

The “MAZOVIA Regional Studies” is also ranked in the IC Journals Master List ranking, an international indexation database of scientific journals, held by Index Copernicus Sp. z o.o.

In each of the following years, the Journal was ranked as follows:

2012 – 3.5 points;2013 – 3.34 points;2014 – 5.04 points (change in the calculation of scores: ICV 2014: 45.81);2015 – ICV: 55.37 points;2016 – ICV: 59.35 points;2017 – ICV: 66.54 points;2018 – ICV: 68.59 points;2020 – ICV: 76.27 points;2021 – ICV: 82.36 points;2022 – ICV: 77.06 points;2023 – ICV: 76.31 points.

The “MAZOVIA Regional Studies” is indexed in the following databases:

Bazhum  – Humanities Journal Database;CEJSH – The Central European Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities;Crossref;ERIH PLUS – European Reference Index for the Humanities and Social Sciences;Index Copernicus International World of Journals;PBN  – Polish Scientific Bibliography;DOI number search engine (DOI number of the periodical: 10.21858/msr).

The Publisher of the periodical “MAZOVIA Regional Studies” is the Mazovian Office of Regional Planning in Warsaw which is the organisational unit of the Mazovian Voivodeship self-government.

The Mazovian Office of Regional Planning specialises in regional policy and spatial development. It carries out, among others, work related to drafting of the Spatial Development Plan for the Mazovian Voivodeship and the Development Strategy for the Mazovian Voivodeship, as well as studies, analyses and reports on regional development and spatial planning. It is the Publisher of a number of books and monographs on subject matter in line with its operation profile, as well as of the publishing series “MAZOVIA Analyses and Studies”.

For more information on the work of the Mazovian Office of Regional Planning in Warsaw, please visit the website of the Mazovian Office of Regional Planning in Warsaw.

The Publisher is a member of the international association of publishers Crossref – Publishers International Linking Association Inc. (PILA) and has an individual DOI (digital object identifier) number. The DOI number of the Mazovian Office of Regional Planning in Warsaw is 10.21858. Each text published in the “MAZOVIA Regional Studies” gets a digital object identifier, which does not depend on the physical location of the document, but it is thereto assigned for good so that it guarantees permanent access. All articles of the periodical begin with the following sequence 10.21858.

The current operation of the Mazovian Office of Regional Planning, including the operation of the Editorial Office and publication of the journal “MAZOVIA Regional Studies”, is financed from the budget of the Mazovian Voivodeship. The Mazovian Office of Regional Planning does not charge Authors for editing, proofreading, reviewing and any other actions leading to publication of the article.

Access to the journal “MAZOVIA Regional Studies” is also free of charge. The whole printing of the journal is distributed free of charge to key research centres in the country, i.e. state academic institutions and research institutes, as well as some of the libraries located in the Mazovian Voivodeship. The electronic edition of the journal is shared in the so-called open access, which means that all articles are available on the website in digital form, under royalty-free licence with provisions identical to the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 licence pattern (also known as CC BY-SA). Articles published on the journal website may be used free of charge, but derivate works may be distributed only under a licence identical to that under which the original article had been disclosed. Articles are available for electronic download under the Online editions tab.

Information on copyright is available under the Copyright tab.

If you are interested in receiving a paper volume of the journal, please contact the Editorial Office.

Publisher’s contact data:

Mazowieckie Biuro Planowania Regionalnego w Warszawie

ul. Nowy Zjazd 1, 00-301 Warszawa

Phone number: +48 22 518 49 00 – Administration

Phone number: +48 22 518 49 34 – Editorial Office

The idea of issuing a Mazovian journal was born in 2005. During the 1st Mazovian Forum, which took place on 26th April 2005, the Marshal of the Mazovian Voivodeship, Adam Struzik, pointed out the need for cooperation between the Mazovian regional self-government and the scientific community. It was then that the idea of issuing a journal to disseminate the achievements of Mazovian scientists and to address issues related to Mazovia emerged. The idea was put into practice by Professor Zbigniew Strzelecki, Ph.D., the Office Director of the Mazovian Office of Spatial Planning and Regional Development in Warsaw, who later became the first Editor in chief of the journal. As early as October that year, the Voivodeship Government made a decision to establish a scientific periodical under the name of “Mazovian Studies”. Unfortunately, it was impossible to register the so-called journal, as it has already being issuing by a private university in Mazovia. The decision to change the name of the periodical to “MAZOVIA Regional Studies” was thus made. As a result, on 19th December 2005, the Regional Council of the Mazovian Voivodeship passed a Resolution on the Change of the Bylaw of the Mazovian Office of Spatial Planning and Regional Development in Warsaw, by virtue of which the Office became the Publisher of the journal, and the Office Director – Editor in chief. In 2006, by virtue of the Resolution of the Regional Council of the Mazovian Voivodeship, the name of the Office was changed into Mazovian Office of Regional Planning in Warsaw, a name which still remains in force today. On 9th October 2007, the “MAZOVIA Regional Studies” was entered in the Court Register of Journals and Periodicals held by the District Court for Warszawa-Praga in Warsaw, 3rd Civil Division, under No. Pr.1968.

The first volume of the journal “MAZOVIA Regional Studies” was printed at the end of 2008.

Although it was initially planned that “MAZOVIA Regional Studies” would be issued as a quarterly, for the first few years it was published in a biannual cycle, which resulted in the magazine having to be reregistered as early as 2008. The plans were finally finalised in 2017 and, since then, four issues per year have been issuing regularly.

In 2012, due to a change of the registered office of the Publisher and Editorial Office, the journal underwent reregistration. “MAZOVIA Regional Studies” was entered in the Court Register of Journals and Periodicals held by the District Court in Warsaw, 7th Civil Division, under No. Pr.18297.

In the same year, the journal was included in Part B of the list of scientific journals held on the basis of the Ordinance of the Minister of Science and Higher Education on the Criteria and Procedures for Awarding Scientific Categories to Scientific Units of 13th July 2012.

In 2015, the Mazovian Office of Regional Planning in Warsaw joined the Publishers International Linking Association Inc. (PILA) and received a DOI (digital object identifier) number. Since then, all published articles have been receiving a unique digital object identifier, which guarantees durability and provides a permanent link despite changes in metadata or in the location of files.

“MAZOVIA Regional Studies” is also entered in the ISSN register held by the Department of Journals of the National Library of Poland, under No. ISSN 1689-4774. The online editions have ISSN 2543-4373.

Changes in subject matter of the journal

“MAZOVIA Regional Studies” was created to promote the effects of the work of Mazovian scientific centres, the achievements of researchers from the Mazovia region and the publications of research results pertaining to Mazovia development. Originally, the subject matter of the materials was approached freely, i.e. it was sufficient to link the authors or the issue, which they were discussing, to the Mazovian Voivodeship. Since 2014, due to the specific nature of the Publisher and his/her specialisation in spatial planning and regional development, the subject matter of the materials has been focused on public policy sciences, a discipline belonging to the field of social sciences, officially recognised in Poland since 1st October 2011. Over the years, however, it has been recognised that the narrowing of the subject matter and subject area hinders the journal development, given the diversity of topics related to regional policy.

Currently, the periodical covers a wide range of comparative studies and analyses, including both Mazovia and the remaining regions of Poland, Europe, as well as other regions of the Earth, pursuant to the subtitle, i.e. REGIONAL STUDIES. The journal presents, among others, case studies aimed at identifying good practice, benchmarks in the field of regional policy and the research and development sphere, and it thus has not only scientific research values but also implementation values. Although the main title of the journal, i.e. MAZOVIA, may suggest otherwise, the content is not limited to issues concerning only the Mazovian Voivodeship.

The structure of the “MAZOVIA Regional Studies” is divided in three sections: I. Analyses and Studies, containing peer reviewed scientific articles; II. Self-government, containing articles associated with activities undertaken by self-governments; and III. Miscellaneous, containing short review materials.

The texts are published in Polish with abstracts in English; although occasionally in the first issues the titles were also in English. Since 2015, the most interesting articles of a given year have been translated and issued in an English volume and additionally presented during the “European Week of Regions and Cities” event, taking place yearly in October in Brussels. Originally, within the year, 3 Polish volumes and 1 English volume were published. Since 2021, besides 4 Polish volumes, the English volume “MAZOVIA Regional Studies” Special Edition has been issuing with numbering distinct from the Polish volume.

Editors in chief

The honourable function of the first Editor in chief of the periodical “MAZOVIA Regional Studies” was performed by Professor Zbigniew Strzelecki, Ph.D., then Office Director of the Mazovian Office of Regional Planning in Warsaw and Head of the Department of Regional and Spatial Development at the Collegium of Socio-Economics of the Warsaw School of Economics in Warsaw. It was largely due to the Professor’s initiative and efforts that the journal was brought into existence.

In January 2016, the task of Editor in chief was entrusted to Adriana Barbara Cieślak, Ph.D., Eng. of Architecture, then Head of the planning team at the Institute of Architecture and Urban Planning at the Faculty of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Environmental Engineering of the Łódź University of Technology.

Continuously, since 2018, the Editor in chief of the periodical has been Professor Krzysztof Opolski, Ph.D., from the Academic Department of Management and Information Technology of the Faculty of Economic Sciences of the University of Warsaw. Professor Opolski specialises in management in the public sector, as well as in financial institutions and enterprises, banking and finance, competitiveness and marketing.