Outside In: Unconventional Pathways to Innovation

Call for Papers – Special Issue: “Outside In: Unconventional Pathways to Innovation”

Journal: Research Policy
Publisher: Elsevier
Submission deadline: 15 July 2026

Overview

This special issue—published by Elsevier—explores the role of "outsider innovators" in shaping progress. While innovation is often viewed as the domain of central hubs and established institutions, this issue investigates how individuals, organizations, and ideas from the periphery—geographic, social, or categorical—spark breakthrough change. It challenges traditional innovation paradigms by analyzing how outsiders navigate resistance, build legitimacy, and exert disproportionate impact on industry and society.

Key Research Themes

• Geography & Periphery: Examining how distance from central hubs drives creativity and how peripheral actors overcome resource and visibility barriers.

• Legitimacy & Recognition: The "outsider puzzle"—how non-traditional actors identify audiences, secure support, and translate unconventional ideas for mainstream consumption.

• Dark Side of Outsiderness: Critical analysis of risks, cautionary tales, and potential for deviant behavior when innovation lacks systemic oversight.

• External Shocks & Crises: How disruptions (e.g., pandemics, regulatory shifts) create windows of opportunity for peripheral innovators to challenge incumbents.

• Networks, Ecosystems & HR Strategy: Harnessing outsider talent through strategic networks, inclusive organizational cultures, and deliberate HR practices.

• Linguistic Translation: The micro-mechanisms by which outsiders translate their "foreign" vernacular into the institutional language of the target field.

Submission Details

• Submission window: 01 June 2026 – 15 July 2026.

• Submission portal: https://www.editorialmanager.com/respol/

• Special Instructions: You must select the special issue title during the submission process.

• Submission Standards: Research Policy invites high-quality conceptual and empirical research. Manuscripts must adhere strictly to the journal’s Author Guidelines.

Guest Editor Team

• Gino Cattani, New York University (gc59@stern.nyu.edu)

• Simone Ferriani, University of Bologna / City St George’s, University of London (simone.ferriani@unibo.it)

• Monika Kackovic, University of Amsterdam (m.kackovic@uva.nl)

• Kirstin Martinus, University of Western Australia (kirsten.martinus@uwa.edu.au)

Why This Issue Matters

Innovation ecosystems are becoming increasingly complex, and the traditional "center-out" model of progress is no longer sufficient. This issue provides a high-visibility academic forum to synthesize the dynamics of peripheral innovation, offering critical insights for policymakers, organizational strategists, and researchers looking to foster diverse, inclusive, and disruptive growth.

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