This is a multi-disciplinary journal that seeks to broaden understanding of the processes that advance or impede human development. Articles published here take a variety of viewpoints including political, economic, sociological and anthropological perspectives. The journal benefits an international readership of academics and practitioners and it is the official journal of the European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI).

Published five times per year, The European Journal of Development Research includes a peer-reviewed mixture of regular and special-themed issues. Popular recent articles include: Value Chain Upgrading and the Inclusion of Smallholders in Markets; Elaborated Theory of Inclusive Development; and China's Private Enterprises in Africa and the Implications for African Development.

The editors of the journal understand development to be an ongoing process that affects all communities, societies, states and regions. The journal does not have a geographical bias. Studies published here are chosen for their relevance to researchers and practitioners studying human development in different environments. Although most papers examine the challenges that face developing countries, others stress the important lessons to be derived from the experiences of regions in the developed world.

The European Journal of Development Research presents articles that propose policy and developmental tools by analyzing empirical evidence, whether qualitative, quantitative or anecdotal.