About the Journal

The Bangladesh Rural Development Studies (BRDS) is a peer-reviewed, multidisciplinary academic journal dedicated to advancing knowledge and practice across all dimensions of rural development. The journal serves as an authoritative scholarly platform bridging researchers, academicians, practitioners, and policymakers to exchange cutting-edge insights, critical debates, and empirical evidence in rural transformation. BRDS welcomes original research articles, comprehensive review papers, policy analyses, research notes, and field-level operational case studies covering theoretical, empirical, and applied rural development issues. The journal accepts diverse, rigorous research methodologies—including quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-method designs.

The journal particularly encourages interdisciplinary contributions addressing sustainable integrated rural development aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Relevant thematic areas include, but are not limited to:

  • Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resource Management: Sustainable agronomy, soil and crop management, precision farming, and biodiversity conservation.
  • Water Resources and Irrigation Engineering: Hydrology, watershed management, irrigation efficiency, and agricultural water security.
  • Agro-Processing, Post-Harvest Management, and Value Chains: Agricultural commercialization, post-harvest losses, market infrastructure, and rural supply chain logistics.
  • Rural Livelihoods, Poverty Alleviation, and Food Security: Socio-economic resilience, income diversification, agrarian transition, and vulnerability mitigation.
  • Education, Capacity Building, and Human Capital: Rural pedagogy, vocational training, skill development, and youth empowerment.
  • Rural Entrepreneurship and Financial Inclusion: Microfinance, rural banking, cooperative models, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and rural market systems.
  • Climate Change Adaptation, Resilience, and Disaster Risk Reduction: Environmental vulnerability, eco-friendly farming practices, community-based disaster management, and green technologies.
  • Social Sciences, Public Policy, and Local Governance: Decentralization, community-driven development, gender dynamics, institutional economics, and local government administration.
  • Public Health, Nutrition, and WASH: Rural healthcare delivery, maternal/child nutrition, water, sanitation, and hygiene interventions.
  • ICT, Smart Agriculture, and Geospatial Technologies: Digital agricultural extension, remote sensing, GIS mapping, IoT applications, and digital inclusion in rural settings.

Review Process:

BRDS typically seeks two peer reviews per manuscript submission. In cases of conflict between those two reviews, a third opinion or that of one of the editors may be sought. In some cases, the editors may decide to return manuscripts to authors prior to review with preliminary comments designed to improve the manuscript's chances of eventual acceptance. Authors requested to suggests two potential reviewers, providing full contact address and e-mail details. These reviewers must not have a conflict of interest involving the authors or paper, and the editorial board has the right to not use any reviewers suggested by authors.

Section structure

Authors are suggested to present their articles in the section structure:

  • Title: Concise, informative, and relevant to rural development, socio-economic dynamics, agriculture, or governance. Avoid abbreviations and formulas.
  • Author Information: Full names of all authors, institutional affiliations, addresses, and the designated corresponding author’s email address.
  • Abstract: A structured, self-contained summary of 150 to 250 words covering the research problem/background, principal objectives, research methodology/design, major empirical findings, and policy implications. Citations and undefined acronyms must be avoided.
  • Keywords: Provide 4 to 6 relevant keywords representing the core subject matter for indexing purposes, separated by semicolons or commas.
  • Introduction: Outline the context and rationale of the study, relevant literature, research gap, specific research questions or hypotheses, and the operational objectives of the research.
  • Materials and Methods: Detail the study location, sampling framework, sample size, data collection procedures (primary/secondary sources, survey instruments, PRA/RRA tools), analytical models, econometric/statistical tests, or qualitative frameworks to ensure reproducibility.
  • Results and Discussion: Present findings clearly with supporting tables, graphs, and figures. Interpret results critically in the context of the underlying research questions, compare findings with prior empirical studies, and discuss underlying mechanisms and practical implications.
  • Conclusion: Synthesize the core findings, highlight concrete policy recommendations for rural development, state practical implications, and identify limitations with directions for future empirical research.
  • Acknowledgments (Optional): Recognize funding agencies, research grants, institutional support, or individuals who contributed logistically to the research.
  • References: List all cited sources alphabetically according to the designated style (APA 7th Edition). Ensure every citation in the text appears in the reference list and vice versa.     

Publication Frequency

Bangladesh Rural Development Studies (BRDS) is published twice in a year. The average time between submission and final decision is maximum 6 months depending on reviewing process.

Open Access Policy

This journal provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge.

Article Processing Fees

Our journal is free to everyone. Full text of all the contents is always available. There is no article processing charges (APCs) or submission charges. Our readers can copy, distribute, and use their attributed research for non-commercial purpose free of charge. Our journal retains copyright of the articles through a Creative Commons CC BY License Attribution.

Source of Support

Funded by Rural Development Academy (RDA), Bogura, Bangladesh.

Publisher

Rural Development Academy (RDA), Bogura