Founded in 2003, the London Review of Education (LRE) was established by the Institute of Education (IOE), now at UCL (University College London), to provide a dedicated space for rigorous, policy-relevant educational research.

Over its two decades it has undergone a profound transformation – from a traditional subscription model facing closure, to a thriving open access publication recognised for its global reach and academic impact. This case study details the journal’s development, challenges and recent growth, highlighting how editorial commitment, institutional support and integration into UCL Press combined to secure its long-term success.

Founding, Vision, and Early Development

LRE was launched under the leadership of the then IOE director, Professor Geoff Whitty, as a platform that sought to be a published embodiment of the IOE’s excellence in educational research. Its founding editorial outlined a clear ambition: to promote debate about educational issues and problems, as well as to act as an important additional conduit for their advancement and resolution. It aimed to mirror the scholarly influence and academic rigour of established education journals such as the Oxford Review of Education and the Cambridge Journal of Education.

Initially published by Carfax, then Routledge and later Taylor & Francis, the journal maintained a relatively small subscription base and steady publication record but struggled to build the momentum to reach its full potential. Without sustained investment or broader visibility, the journal struggled to compete within a crowded subscription-based publishing landscape.

Editorial Adaptation and Strategic Development

In 2013, LRE’s then Editor Dr Paul Temple proposed a bold move: taking the journal in-house at the IOE’s own press, IOE Press, to be published open access. The transition in 2014/15 to free open access was a pivotal moment for LRE, at a time when few education journals operated on a fully open model, and many of those that did would charge authors to publish OA. This commitment to free access and greater equity in scholarly publishing laid essential groundwork for future sustainability and alignment with the evolving norms in scholarly publishing.

Even after the flip to open access, LRE faced the continued challenge of attracting submissions. To address this the editorial board introduced ‘special features’, allowing for thematic collections and proactive content development, which the journal still uses to this day. This approach attracted more submissions and a wider readership. Though the term “feature” was non-standard in academic publishing, it was adopted to retain flexibility and avoid delays. While the strategy brought greater editorial clarity and growth in publication numbers, it was not until the journal moved into UCL Press’s publishing environment that it began to realise its full potential.

Integration into UCL Press: a turning point

The IOE became UCL’s Faculty of Education and Society in 2014. When IOE Press merged with UCL Press six years later, LRE was incorporated into the UCL Press Diamond Open Access Journals programme, marking a significant turning point in the journal’s development.

The merger brought improved infrastructure, such as migration onto UCL Press’s systems, providing a more intuitive navigation experience for its global readers, greater flexibility around how it could publish new and cutting-edge research, and improved efficiencies for authors, reviewers and Editors. It also enabled a more hands-on management of the journal and allowed for the continuous publication model LRE benefits from today.

Growth and Recognition

Since joining UCL Press, LRE has experienced dramatic growth in reach and performance. Annual article downloads increased from 15,000 in 2019 to over 629,000 in 2023 – a more than 40-fold increase in just four years. As of mid-2025, downloads for the current year have already exceeded 365,000, showing continued strength.

The journal received its first Impact Factor (IF) in 2023 with a score of 1.5, rising to 1.9 in 2024. In 2025, the IF stands at 1.1, with the journal now ranked in Q3 of the Education & Educational Research category. While this recent change reflects fluctuations common in citation-based metrics, it also underscores the importance of looking beyond single-year impact factors when assessing a journal’s trajectory. LRE’s long-term growth in reach, visibility and author engagement point to the strength of its editorial board, editorial strategy and the stability provided by its partnership between the IOE and UCL Press.

Reflections on Success

The successful transformation of the London Review of Education is the result of sustained editorial commitment, timely strategic decisions and the capabilities of a dedicated institutional publisher. The move to open access in 2014 safeguarded the journal’s continuity, upholding its founding mission, and its integration into UCL Press in 2020 enabled it to grow significantly and to thrive as a Diamond Open Access journal.

LRE’s journey demonstrates how a combination of editorial resilience and robust infrastructure can revitalise a journal. It also illustrates the value of mission-aligned university presses in supporting scholarly world class research communication, particularly in disciplines that may be underserved by commercial publishers.

Looking Ahead

The London Review of Education remains committed to advancing inclusive, policy-engaged, interdisciplinary educational research. As part of the UCL Press portfolio it continues to evolve as a leading voice in the field, remaining open, accessible and responsive to the landscape of educational scholarship.

About the journal

The London Review of Education is a fully open-access, peer-reviewed journal that provides a diversity of perspectives on all types, sectors and phases of education. It is free to read and free to write for; there are no article processing charges.

Diamond Open Access Journal LRE