About the Journal
Acciones e Investigaciones Sociales is a peer-reviewed, Diamond Open Access scientific journal (no APCs / no publication fees) published by the Faculty of Social Work and Social Sciences at the University of Zaragoza (Spain).
Scope and Topics:
Currently, its objective focuses on the dissemination of original and innovative research in the social field, both nationally and internationally. Submissions are accepted across four fundamental areas:
- Social Work, Social Services, and Social Intervention: welfare state, social vulnerability, social inclusion, social exclusion, social policies, and applied sociology.
- Labour Relations & Employment: human factors at work, organizational behavior, people management, sustainability at work, labour market, employment law, sociology and psychology of work, and occupational welfare.
- Social Economy & Third Sector: cooperatives, non-profit organizations, and community development.
- Cross-Disciplinary Studies and Social Challenges: gender and equality studies, migration and diversity, the digital divide in social services, and public policy impact evaluation.
Submissions are accepted from the following disciplines: Social Work, Sociology, Anthropology, Social Psychology, Social Education, Legal Sciences/Labor Law, and Economic and Business Sciences applied to the work environment.
In addition, the journal features the following key editorial characteristics for authors:
- Publishing Model: Continuous publication (Annual volume).
- Access: 100% Free Open Access (No Article Processing Charges - No APC).
- Peer Review: Double-blind peer review process.
- Languages: Spanish and English.
Since 2013, the journal has been continuously published on an annual basis.
The journal has not revenue sources and does not use advertising nor direct marketing activities.
Official Channels and Social Media:
We invite you to follow our official profiles to stay updated on the journal's latest news, newly published articles, calls for papers, and academic events:
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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ais-uz/
Official Website: https://papiro.unizar.es/ojs/index.php/ais/es/index
ISSN-e 2340-4507
ISSN 1132-192X
DOI 10.26754/ojs_ais/23404507
Current Issue
No. 48 (2026): Special issue: The Transformation of Social Services in Comparative Perspective: Trends and Reform Strategies in Response to Emerging Social Risks
The Welfare State has historically served, and continues to serve, as a foundational framework for the construction and articulation of protective “meshes” and “networks” designed to uphold the rights associated with citizenship. These rights are rooted in the principles of the social state, anchored in its fundamental pillars, in social policy interventions, and in systems of social protection which aim not merely to secure minimum standards, but to provide the necessary foundations for human development and social well-being.
The scope and depth of the Welfare State are reflected in the design and implementation of policies and programmes that respond to evolving social demands, as well as in the critical debates surrounding their delivery: child and family protection; support for individuals with functional limitations in performing daily activities; the inclusion of socially vulnerable groups; non-contributory economic protection; responses to social and cultural diversity; and the institutionalisation or deinstitutionalisation of care.
These transformations exert a direct influence on the configuration and operational frameworks of social service systems, which are currently confronted with significant structural challenges and intensifying pressures on their welfare and assistance functions. Key among these challenges are population ageing, shifts in family structures, the intensification of migration processes, transformations in productive systems, and the deepening of social exclusion dynamics. These emergent and increasingly complex social risks require urgent and multidimensional responses, informed by gender-sensitive, intergenerational, and socially invested perspectives.
In this context, the social services system is undergoing a series of reform processes which, nonetheless, are highly heterogeneous in terms of strategic orientation, intensity, and resource allocation, largely as a result of the system's strong decentralisation. This special issue aims to present an analytical and critical perspective on the transformative potential of these reform initiatives, drawing from diverse territorial experiences. The objective is to assess the system’s capacity to address the aforementioned social risks and to identify potential pathways for advancing the broader national-level reflection and policy revision process.
Published:
2026-06-15
Full Issue
Special issue 48 AIS: The Transformation of Social Services in Comparative Perspective: Trends and Reform Strategies in Response to Emerging Social Risks
Open Access statement
Acciones e Investigaciones Sociales is an open access journal, which means that all content is available free of charge and at no cost to the user or their institution. Users may read, download, copy, distribute, print, search or link to the full text of articles, or use them for any other lawful purpose, without seeking prior permission from the publisher or author. Acciones e Investigaciones Sociales is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0
