About the Journal

Sustainability, Trade and Digital Finance (STDF)

Sustainability, Trade and Digital Finance (STDF) is an international, peer-reviewed, open-access scholarly journal committed to advancing high-quality research on the interconnected fields of sustainability, international trade, digital finance, capital markets, asset management, and value creation. The journal provides a platform for academics, practitioners, policymakers, and industry professionals to disseminate innovative research that contributes to sustainable economic development and responsible business practices in an increasingly digital global economy.

Focus and Scope

The journal publishes original research articles, review papers, conceptual papers, methodological studies, policy analyses, and case studies that advance knowledge and practice in finance, economics, accounting, management, international business, and related disciplines.

Areas of interest include, but are not limited to:

  • Sustainability and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) practices
  • Sustainable finance, climate finance and green investment
  • International trade, trade policy and global value chains
  • Digital finance, FinTech, blockchain, digital payments and central bank digital currencies
  • Capital markets, financial market development and market efficiency
  • Asset management, portfolio management, wealth management and sustainable investing
  • Corporate finance, investment efficiency and capital allocation
  • Corporate governance, accountability and financial reporting quality
  • Corporate value creation, firm performance and value-based management
  • Artificial intelligence, machine learning and data analytics in finance and trade
  • Financial inclusion, entrepreneurship and SME financing
  • Risk management and financial resilience
  • Circular economy, sustainable production and responsible consumption
  • Sustainable infrastructure finance and the blue economy
  • Public policy, institutional quality and sustainable economic transformation

Open Access Policy

STDF is an open-access journal. All published articles are freely and permanently available online immediately upon publication without subscription or access charges. Readers may read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of articles, provided appropriate credit is given to the original authors and the journal.

Peer Review Process

The journal operates a rigorous double-anonymous peer-review process. Each manuscript is subjected to an initial editorial assessment before being reviewed by at least two independent experts. Editorial decisions are based on originality, methodological rigour, theoretical contribution, practical relevance, and adherence to ethical publishing standards.

Publication Ethics

STDF is committed to the highest standards of publication ethics and follows internationally recognised principles of integrity, transparency, and responsible research. Authors are expected to submit original work that has not been published or simultaneously submitted elsewhere. Plagiarism, data fabrication, data falsification, duplicate publication, and unethical research practices are not tolerated.

Copyright and Licensing

Authors retain copyright of their published work while granting the journal the right of first publication. Articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) licence unless otherwise stated, permitting unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium provided the original work is properly cited.

Archiving

The journal is committed to the long-term preservation of published content. Published articles will be archived through recognised digital preservation services, including the PKP Preservation Network (PKP PN). Additional preservation arrangements, including LOCKSS and CLOCKSS, may be adopted as the journal develops.

Sponsorship

The journal is published independently. Any institutional support, sponsorship, or partnerships will be disclosed transparently on the journal website. Editorial decisions are made independently of any sponsor or funding organisation.

Privacy Statement

Names, email addresses and other personal information entered into this journal site will be used exclusively for the stated purposes of the journal and will not be made available for any other purpose or to any third party except where required for the operation of the journal or by law.

Publication Frequency

STDF publishes articles on a continuous basis within scheduled issues to ensure timely dissemination of high-quality research.

Audience

The journal serves researchers, academics, postgraduate students, practitioners, financial institutions, investors, regulators, policymakers, international organisations and business leaders interested in sustainability, finance, trade and digital transformation.

Vision

The vision of Sustainability, Trade and Digital Finance is to become a globally recognised scholarly journal that promotes interdisciplinary research, informs evidence-based policy, and advances sustainable economic development through excellence in research, innovation and responsible publishing.