Founded in 1980, the CJDS remains the only Canadian scholarly journal devoted exclusively to the study of international development. It is published quarterly by the Canadian Association for the Study of International Development (CASID), in partnership with Routledge.

The Canadian Journal of Development Studies is a peer-reviewed, interdisciplinary, bilingual forum for critical research and reflection on the complex problems of international development theory, policy and practice. The CJDS publishes articles and review essays, and the Journal aims to keep readers informed with occasional commentaries, practical notes and reviews of recent books and other media on international development. The CJDS is global in its outlook and encourages contributions from scholars and practitioners around the world.

The CJDS is edited at the University of British Columbia's Okanagan Campus (UBC-O), where the editorial administration is also housed. The CJDS is published with support from CASID and with the assistance of grants from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. 

As of March 1, 2021, all new articles published in the CJDS are available open access following a 12 month embargo period.

Peer Review Policy: All research articles in this journal have undergone rigorous peer review, based on initial editor screening and double-anonymous peer review.