Applied Developmental Science

Aims & Scope

The focus of this multidisciplinary journal is the synthesis of research and application to promote positive development across the life span and across the globe.

The journal publishes research that generates knowledge about human development that informs public dialogue, social policy, and preventive and development optimizing interventions.

The applied developmental science orientation is defined by three conjoint emphases.

The applied aspect reflects its direct implication for what individuals, families, practitioners, and policymakers do.

The developmental aspect emphasizes a focus on systematic and successive changes within individual and social systems that occur across the life span.

The science aspect underscores the need to use a range of research methods to collect reliable and objective information in a systematic manner to test the validity of theory and application.

The convergence of these three aspects leads to a fostering of a reciprocal relationship between theory and application as a cornerstone of applied developmental science, one wherein empirically based, developmental theory not only guides intervention strategies and social policy, but is influenced by the outcome of these activities.

Furthermore, the convergence calls for a multidisciplinary perspective aimed at integrating information from biological, medical, social, and behavioral science disciplines.

View Aims & Scope

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Metrics & Ranking

Impact Factor

Year	Value
2025	1.5
2024	1.70

SJR (SCImago Journal Rank)

Year	Value
2024	1.032

Quartile

Year	Value
2024	Q1

Journal Rank

Year	Value
2024	4579

Journal Citation Indicator

Year	Value
2024	339

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Abstracting & Indexing

Journal is indexed in leading academic databases, ensuring global visibility and accessibility of our peer-reviewed research.

• Scopus
• Google Scholar
• Web of Science

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Subjects & Keywords

Journal’s research areas, covering key disciplines and specialized sub-topics in Psychology and Social Sciences, designed to support cutting-edge academic discovery.

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Most Cited Articles

The Most Cited Articles section features the journal's most impactful research, based on citation counts. These articles have been referenced frequently by other researchers, indicating their significant contribution to their respective fields.

• Implications for educational practice of the science of learning and development

  Citation: 1103

  Authors: Linda, Lisa, Channa, Brigid, David

• The Development of Purpose During Adolescence

  Citation: 713

  Authors: William, Jenni, Kendall

• Early Childhood Education: Young Adult Outcomes From the Abecedarian Project

  Citation: 658

  Authors: Frances A., Craig T., Elizabeth, Joseph, Shari

• Features of Pre-Kindergarten Programs, Classrooms, and Teachers: Do They Predict Observed Classroom Quality and Child-Teacher Interactions?

  Citation: 588

  Authors: Robert, Carollee, Margaret, Donna, Richard, Diane, Oscar

• What Exactly Is a Youth Development Program? Answers From Research and Practice

  Citation: 430

  Authors: Jodie L., Jeanne

• Contribution of Developmental Assets to the Prediction of Thriving Among Adolescents

  Citation: 396

  Authors: Peter C., Peter L., Nancy, Dale A.

• When and What Parents Tell Children About Race: An Examination of Race-Related Socialization Among African American Families

  Citation: 389

  Authors: Diane, Lisa

• The School's Role in Developing Civic Engagement: A Study of Adolescents in Twenty-Eight Countries

  Citation: 385

  Authors: Judith

• Defining the Boundaries of Early Adolescence: A User's Guide to Assessing Pubertal Status and Pubertal Timing in Research With Adolescents

  Citation: 371

  Authors: Lorah D., Ronald E., Hermi Rojahn, Frank

• Fathers' Influence on Their Children's Cognitive and Emotional Development: From Toddlers to Pre-K

  Citation: 370

  Authors: Natasha J., Jacqueline D., Catherine

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