The Journal of Rural Social Sciences (JRSS) is the official peer-reviewed journal of the Southern Rural Sociological Association. JRSS is focused on disseminating scholarly works that build knowledge and have the potential to inform development practice and policy across social, economic, cultural, and environmental domains.

JRSS welcomes manuscripts that propose, critique, and elaborate on theories, methodologies, and pedagogies; report empirical research, including original studies, meta-studies, and systematic reviews; and critically analyze programs and policies that may impact life across the rural-urban continuum. Although work that focuses on the rural Southern United States is always sought, JRSS also considers studies focused in other regions and countries around the world. Studies that engage issues relevant to understanding rural issues by connecting local and global perspectives are of particular interest.