Journal rankings · indicator year 2021
Choose a field to open its ranking, or a journal to find its row in its subfield’s list.
Subfield ranking · 2021
Health journal rankings 2021
55 ranked journals · Subfield in Social Sciences
Health has 55 ranked journals in 2021. Its median journal scores above the world average: OJR 1.07 against 1.00, up 0.04 on 2020. A journal needs OJR 1.50 to reach Q1. The top three are Journal of Health and Social Behavior, Social Science & Medicine, and Psychosocial Intervention.
Ranks and citation indicators: 2021. Journal access status and listed APC: source snapshot September 23, 2026.
Journals whose main subfield sits in this category and that published at least 30 citable documents (articles, reviews and conference papers) in 2018–2020, the window the 2021 score is computed on.
The OpenJournalRank Indicator (OJR) is a free, publicly available metric of a journal’s field-normalized citation impact, computed from open OpenAlex citation data. It compares citations to a journal’s papers from the previous three years with the world average for papers of the same subfield, year and type, so 1.00 is the world average and values can be compared across fields. It is computed with the NCI3 method.
The middle OJR among ranked journals in this category: half score higher, half lower. 1.00 is the world average for papers of the same subfield, year and type.
The dot is this category, the solid tick is the median of all ranked journals and the dashed line is the world average.
Share of ranked journals in this category that are fully open access, so every paper is free to read. Hybrid journals, which sell subscriptions and open single papers for a fee, are not counted.
Median list price of the article processing charge, in US dollars, among ranked journals in this category that list a price above zero. Journals with a listed APC of $0 and journals with no known price are left out of this median. The At a glance table below gives a second median that includes the $0 prices.
Subfields of Social Sciences (22)
55 ranked journals
Filters
Rank is the position by OJR within the list on screen; 1 is the highest. | OJR is field-normalized 3-year citation impact: 1.00 is the world average for papers of the same subfield, year and type, so values compare across fields. The badge is the journal’s quartile in this list. | Citations per paper over a two-year window, counted from OpenAlex. It is not field-normalized, so compare it only between journals of the same field. ▲ or ▼ is the change from 2020. This is OpenJournalRank’s own count, not Clarivate’s Journal Impact Factor. | Citable documents (articles, reviews and conference papers) published in 2018–2020, the window the 2021 OJR is computed on. A journal needs at least 30 to be ranked. | Share of the journal’s 2018–2020 papers that are free to read in any open-access form. The green OA tag next to a title marks a fully open-access journal. | List price of the article processing charge in US dollars. “$0 listed” means the listed price is zero; a dash means no price is listed. | The line is the journal’s OJR from 2012 to 2021. | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1Journal of Health and Social BehaviorSAGE Publishing · United States | 3.26Q1 | 4.88 0.22 up from 2020 | 107 | 44% | $3,900 | ||
2Social Science & MedicineElsevier BV · United Kingdom | 2.61Q1 | 6.42 1.41 up from 2020 | 1,790 | 63% | $3,800 | ||
3Psychosocial InterventionOAColegio Oficial de Psicólogos de Madrid · Spain | 2.10Q1 | 5.31 0.14 up from 2020 | 65 | 100% | — | ||
4SSM - Population HealthOAElsevier BV · United Kingdom | 2.07Q1 | 5.07 1.36 up from 2020 | 479 | 100% | $2,930 | ||
5Journal of Urban HealthSpringer Science+Business Media · United States | 1.95Q1 | 7.06 3.15 up from 2020 | 249 | 100% | $4,790 | ||
6Journal of Epidemiology & Community HealthBMJ · United Kingdom | 1.90Q1 | 6.51 2.35 up from 2020 | 583 | 75% | — | ||
7Psychology of ViolenceAmerican Psychological Association · United States | 1.79Q1 | 2.93 0.07 up from 2020 | 165 | 41% | — | ||
8Journal of the Egyptian Public Health AssociationOALippincott Williams & Wilkins · Egypt | 1.78Q1 | 4.39 1.93 up from 2020 | 59 | 100% | $2,290 | ||
9European Journal of AgeingSpringer Science+Business Media · Germany | 1.74Q1 | 4.02 1.05 up from 2020 | 140 | 99% | $3,190 | ||
10Homicide StudiesSAGE Publishing · United States | 1.65Q1 | 2.88 0.53 up from 2020 | 63 | 15% | $3,650 | ||
11Journal of Family ViolenceSpringer Science+Business Media · Netherlands | 1.60Q1 | 4.41 2.05 up from 2020 | 273 | 51% | $4,090 | ||
12Health Sociology ReviewTaylor & Francis · Australia | 1.59Q1 | 4.43 3.40 up from 2020 | 69 | 36% | — | ||
13Journal of Behavioral MedicineSpringer Science+Business Media · United States | 1.57Q1 | 4.75 1.89 up from 2020 | 272 | 69% | $4,790 | ||
14Violence Against WomenSAGE Publishing · United States | 1.50Q1 | 2.63 0.15 down from 2020 | 347 | 33% | $3,650 | ||
15Therapeutic Advances in Vaccines and ImmunotherapyOASAGE Publishing · United Kingdom | 1.42Q2 | 3.81 2.19 down from 2020 | 32 | 100% | — | ||
16Psychology of Religion and SpiritualityAmerican Psychological Association · United States | 1.41Q2 | 2.45 0.48 down from 2020 | 190 | 15% | — | ||
17Violence and GenderMary Ann Liebert, Inc. · United States | 1.40Q2 | 2.26 0.12 down from 2020 | 103 | 10% | — | ||
18Public HealthElsevier BV · United Kingdom | 1.40Q2 | 5.70 2.89 up from 2020 | 969 | 62% | $3,130 | ||
19Research on AgingSAGE Publishing · United Kingdom | 1.34Q2 | 2.97 0.76 up from 2020 | 115 | 40% | $4,150 | ||
20Health Promotion PerspectivesOATabriz University of Medical Sciences · Iran | 1.32Q2 | 4.48 2.11 up from 2020 | 138 | 100% | — | ||
21Human Vaccines & ImmunotherapeuticsOATaylor & Francis · United States | 1.27Q2 | 5.11 1.94 up from 2020 | 1,155 | 100% | $3,175 | ||
22Journal of Aging and HealthSAGE Publishing · United States | 1.25Q2 | 2.37 0.08 up from 2020 | 259 | 59% | $4,400 | ||
23The International Journal of Aging and Human DevelopmentSAGE Publishing · United States | 1.25Q2 | 2.31 0.20 up from 2020 | 160 | 30% | $3,650 | ||
24Journal of Religion and HealthSpringer Science+Business Media · Netherlands | 1.21Q2 | 3.46 1.55 up from 2020 | 597 | 50% | $3,290 | ||
25International Journal for the Psychology of ReligionRoutledge · United States | 1.19Q2 | 2.92 0.18 up from 2020 | 68 | 25% | — | ||
26Injury EpidemiologyOABioMed Central · Germany | 1.17Q2 | 2.45 0.36 down from 2020 | 158 | 100% | $2,290 | ||
27Revista Panamericana de Salud PúblicaOAPan American Health Organization | 1.12Q2 | 3.73 1.71 up from 2020 | 472 | 100% | — | ||
28Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public HealthOAElsevier BV · Australia | 1.07Q2 | 3.21 0.62 up from 2020 | 289 | 100% | $2,600 | ||
29Vaccine XOAElsevier BV · Netherlands | 1.07Q3 | 4.12 0.63 up from 2020 | 61 | 100% | $2,440 | ||
30Global Social WelfareSpringer Science+Business Media · Switzerland | 1.05Q3 | 1.92 0.61 up from 2020 | 85 | 43% | $2,290 | ||
31Journal of Interpersonal ViolenceSAGE Publishing · United Kingdom | 0.94Q3 | 2.18 0.20 up from 2020 | 1,529 | 33% | $3,900 | ||
32Mental Health Religion & CultureTaylor & Francis · United Kingdom | 0.83Q3 | 2.44 0.90 up from 2020 | 225 | 23% | — | ||
33Violence and VictimsSpringer Nature · United States | 0.74Q3 | 1.29 0.37 down from 2020 | 212 | 16% | — | ||
34Journal of Health Care ChaplaincyTaylor & Francis · United Kingdom | 0.71Q3 | 1.64 0.22 down from 2020 | 58 | 28% | — | ||
35Journal for the Study of SpiritualityTaylor & Francis · United Kingdom | 0.70Q3 | 1.58 0.65 up from 2020 | 50 | 25% | — | ||
36Journal of Religion & Spirituality in Social Work Social ThoughtTaylor & Francis · United States | 0.69Q3 | 0.92 0.01 down from 2020 | 84 | 15% | — | ||
37Spirituality in Clinical PracticeAmerican Psychological Association · United States | 0.68Q3 | 2.00 0.75 up from 2020 | 70 | 5% | — | ||
38Archive for the Psychology of ReligionSAGE Publishing · United Kingdom | 0.63Q3 | 1.65 0.32 up from 2020 | 52 | 11% | $3,650 | ||
39Pastoral PsychologySpringer Science+Business Media · Netherlands | 0.57Q3 | 0.88 0.06 up from 2020 | 118 | 31% | $3,090 | ||
40Journal of Muslim Mental HealthOAMichigan Publishing · United States | 0.57Q3 | 0.62 0.06 down from 2020 | 32 | 100% | — | ||
41Journal of Religion Spirituality & AgingTaylor & Francis · United States | 0.53Q3 | 1.26 0.28 up from 2020 | 70 | 20% | — | ||
42International Journal of Children s SpiritualityRoutledge · United Kingdom | 0.51Q3 | 1.10 0.53 up from 2020 | 80 | 12% | — | ||
43Partner AbuseSpringer Nature · United States | 0.51Q4 | 1.39no change | 72 | 5% | — | ||
44BMC ProceedingsOABioMed Central · United Kingdom | 0.49Q4 | 2.48 0.71 up from 2020 | 93 | 100% | $2,290 | ||
45Journal of Spirituality in Mental HealthTaylor & Francis · United States | 0.44Q4 | 1.56 0.66 up from 2020 | 66 | 18% | — | ||
46Journal of Pastoral Care & Counseling Advancing theory and professional practice through scholarly and reflective publicationsSAGE Publishing · United States | 0.41Q4 | 0.95 0.28 up from 2020 | 135 | 29% | $3,650 | ||
47Journal of Psychology and TheologySAGE Publishing · United Kingdom | 0.39Q4 | 0.69 0.01 up from 2020 | 89 | 9% | $3,650 | ||
48Current Trauma ReportsSpringer Science+Business Media · Switzerland | 0.34Q4 | 0.59 0.62 down from 2020 | 98 | 17% | $4,090 | ||
49International Journal of Translational Medical Research and Public HealthGlobal Health and Education Projects, Inc. · United States | 0.32Q4 | 1.09 0.84 up from 2020 | 35 | 93% | — | ||
50Journal of Applied Research on Children Informing Policy for Children at RiskChildren at Risk · United States | 0.26Q4 | 0.32 0.31 down from 2020 | 48 | 100% | — |
Subfields of Social Sciences, with Health highlighted.
- Sociology and Political Science1,377
- Education762
- Political Science and International Relations333
- Communication75
- Gender Studies64
- Safety Research57
- Health55
- Public Administration52
- Urban Studies51
- Transportation50
- Law48
- Linguistics and Language48
- Demography42
- Library and Information Sciences41
- Anthropology38
- Geography, Planning and Development33
- Cultural Studies7
- Development4
- General Social Sciences3
- Human Factors and Ergonomics1
- Archeology0
- Life-span and Life-course Studies0
Journals
Citations made in 2021. Corpus-wide, 87.7% of core-journal articles and reviews published that year have at least one matched reference; the share varies by journal and field.
11 additional Health journals with metrics are unranked under this release’s eligibility rules: a journal needs at least 30 citable documents in 2018–2020, at least 80% of them with a subfield, and a positive world-average expectation. Ranks are within the whole category; filters hide rows without re-ranking. OJR excludes self-citations.
At a glance
Indicator year: 2021. Publication window: 2018–2020. How these summaries are calculated
- Ranked journals
- 55
- Window papers (baseline)
- 40,811 +31.1% from indicator year 2018
- Median OJR
- 1.074 -3.4% from indicator year 2018
- Rising journals (2025)
- 3
Window papers are the baseline paper population: citable papers (articles, reviews and conference papers) from 2018–2020 in all journals of the world-average baseline, including non-core journals, counted by each paper’s own subfield. They are not the papers of the ranked journals alone.
| Measure | Year series | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ranked journals | 26 | 28 | 29 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 34 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 38 | 40 | 43 | 47 | 45 | 50 | 52 | 53 | 52 | 53 | 54 | 55 | 54 | 55 | 56 | 53 | |
| Window papers (baseline) | 7,122 | 8,015 | 8,583 | 9,226 | 9,628 | 10,256 | 10,891 | 11,827 | 12,973 | 14,517 | 15,820 | 17,136 | 18,694 | 20,642 | 22,973 | 25,184 | 27,537 | 29,507 | 31,138 | 32,975 | 35,666 | 40,811 | 49,073 | 55,188 | 57,921 | 56,328 | |
| Median OJR | 0.70 | 0.60 | 0.77 | 0.5185 | 0.5180 | 0.38 | 0.59 | 0.86 | 0.89 | 0.97 | 1.09 | 0.9995 | 0.94 | 0.93 | 1.10 | 1.067 | 0.96 | 1.064 | 1.111 | 1.060 | 1.04 | 1.074 | 1.080 | 1.057 | 1.079 | 1.113 |
How to read these rankings
- OJR, the OpenJournalRank Indicator
- A field-normalized 3-year citation impact, computed from OpenAlex with the NCI3 method. It divides the citations a journal’s papers received by the world average for papers of the same subfield, year and type, so 1.00 is the world average and 2.00 means twice as many citations as expected. Because it is normalized, it can be compared across fields. Read the methodology
- Quartiles
- Q1 to Q4 split the ranked journals of the list you are viewing into four equal groups by OJR. A journal’s quartile depends on the list: the same journal can be Q1 in its subfield and Q2 among all journals.
- Impact factor (2-year)
- Citations per paper over a two-year window, counted from OpenAlex. It is easy to compare with familiar impact factors but is not field-normalized, so compare it only within a field. It is not Clarivate’s Journal Impact Factor. Why it differs from the Journal Impact Factor
- Rank ranges
- Each rank in the latest year carries a likely range from 1,000 resamples of the journal’s papers. Where two journals’ ranges overlap, the data cannot tell them apart, so treat neighbouring ranks as ties.