Proposte e ricerche primarily focuses on economic and social history from the Middle Ages to the contemporary period. Its main geographical area of interest is Italy and the Mediterranean, although comparative perspectives involving other regions and historical periods are also welcomed.

Rural history, the history of inland and peripheral areas, industrial history, and the history of maritime and commercial relations constitute the journal's principal fields of interest. At the same time, contributions from other areas of inquiry are equally welcome and will be considered of interest, including urban history, the history of minorities, labour history, environmental history, historical demography, and family history. More generally, the journal welcomes research in all fields where economic phenomena and ideas intersect with the social and cultural experiences of past societies.