British Journal for the Philosophy of Science


British Journal for the Philosophy of Science is a peer-reviewed, academic journal of philosophy, owned by the British Society for the Philosophy of Science and published by Oxford University Press. The journal publishes work that uses philosophical methods in addressing issues raised in the natural and human sciences.

Overview

The leading international journal in the field, BJPS publishes outstanding new work on a variety of traditional and 'cutting edge' topics, from issues of explanation and realism to the applicability of mathematics, from the metaphysics of science to the nature of models and simulations, as well as foundational issues in the physical, life, and social sciences. Recent topics covered in the journal include the epistemology of measurement, mathematical non-causal explanations, signalling games, the nature of biochemical kinds, and approaches to human cognitive development, among many others. The journal seeks to advance the field by publishing innovative and thought-provoking papers, discussion notes and book reviews that open up new directions or shed new light on well-known issues.
The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science receives over 500 submissions a year. It is fully compliant with the RCUK open access policy, and is a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics.
In 2016, book reviews were moved to online-only publication in the BJPS Review of Books.
The journal also runs a blog, Auxiliary Hypotheses.

Editorial board

Past editors include J. O. Wisdom, Alexander Bird, Peter Clark, Mary Hesse, James Ladyman, Imre Lakatos, and David Papineau.

Editors-in-Chief

Professor Steven French and Dr Wendy Parker

Deputy Editor

Dr Elizabeth Hannon

Associate Editors



Steven French & Michela Massimi2011-2017
Alexander Bird & James Ladyman2005-2011
Peter Clark1999-2004
David Papineau1993-1998
G M K Hunt1986-1993
Donald A. Gillies1983-1985
John Worrall1980-1981
John W. N. Watkins & John Worrall1974-1979
Imre Lakatos 1971-1973
David Hugh Mellor1969-1971
Mary Hesse & David Hugh Mellor1969
Mary Hesse1965-1969
John Oulton Wisdom1956-1964
Alistair Cameron Crombie1950-1955


The BJPS Popper Prize

The prize is awarded to the best paper appearing in The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science as determined by the Editors-in-Chief and the BSPS Committee. The prize includes a £500 award to the winner.

History of the prize

The Sir Karl Popper Essay Prize was originally established at the wish of the late Dr Laurence B. Briskman, formerly of the Department of Philosophy, University of Edinburgh, who died on 8 May 2002, having endowed an essay prize fund to encourage work in any area falling under the general description of the critical rationalist philosophy of Karl Popper. Briskman was greatly influenced by Popper, who remained the dominant intellectual influence on his philosophical outlook throughout his career. While originally open for submissions, since 2011 the prize is only awarded to papers having appeared in The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science. The endowment ended in 2017, at which point the BSPS took over funding the prize. The decision was also taken to widen the prize's remit, to include all papers published in the BJPS and not just those concerned with Popper's work. At the same time, the prize's name was changed to the BJPS Popper Prize.

Previous winners

Impact factor

The 2017 impact factor for BJPS was 2.053, while its five-year impact factor was 2.188, making it the leading philosophy of science journal, 3rd in the Science Citation Index, and 4th in the Social Science Citation Index.
YearImpact Factor
20181.768
20172.053
20161.985
20151.738
20141.281
20131.017
20120.919
20111.097
20101.048
20091.109
20080.867
20070.884
20060.689