Journal rankings · indicator year 2023
Choose a field to open its ranking, or a journal to find its row in its subfield’s list.
Field ranking · 2023
Social Sciences journal rankings 2023
3,144 ranked journals · Field in Social Sciences
Social Sciences has 3,144 ranked journals in 2023. Its median journal scores above the world average: OJR 1.19 against 1.00, down 0.01 on 2022. A journal needs OJR 2.10 to reach Q1. The top three are Qualitative Research in Psychology, Higher Education for the Future, and American Journal of Qualitative Research.
Ranks and citation indicators: 2023. 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 2020–2022, the window the 2023 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 in Social Sciences (22)
Up to Social Sciences3,144 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 2022. This is OpenJournalRank’s own count, not Clarivate’s Journal Impact Factor. | Citable documents (articles, reviews and conference papers) published in 2020–2022, the window the 2023 OJR is computed on. A journal needs at least 30 to be ranked. | Share of the journal’s 2020–2022 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 2014 to 2023. | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1Qualitative Research in PsychologyTaylor & Francis · United States | 17.28Q1 | 3.64 18.11 down from 2022 | 66 | 65% | — | ||
2Higher Education for the FutureSAGE Publishing · India | 13.84Q1 | 33.88 8.26 up from 2022 | 43 | 44% | $3,400 | ||
3American Journal of Qualitative ResearchOAUnited States | 13.72Q1 | 23.75 18.75 up from 2022 | 97 | 100% | — | ||
4International Journal of Information ManagementElsevier BV · Netherlands | 13.11Q1 | 23.50 3.41 down from 2022 | 386 | 48% | $3,990 | ||
5Journal of Educational Technology SystemsSAGE Publishing · United Kingdom | 11.87Q1 | 9.22 30.21 down from 2022 | 70 | 50% | $3,400 | ||
6Policy Reviews in Higher EducationTaylor & Francis · United Kingdom | 11.09Q1 | 3.15 6.12 down from 2022 | 31 | 67% | — | ||
7QMiP BulletinBritish Psychological Society | 10.69Q1 | 27.53 27.24 up from 2022 | 51 | 30% | — | ||
8Contemporary Security PolicyTaylor & Francis · United Kingdom | 10.40Q1 | 7.41 3.59 down from 2022 | 69 | 65% | — | ||
9Communication Methods and MeasuresTaylor & Francis · United States | 10.27Q1 | 10.42 6.08 down from 2022 | 47 | 55% | — | ||
10Policy and SocietyOAElsevier BV · United Kingdom | 10.05Q1 | 9.26 5.24 down from 2022 | 97 | 100% | $1,634 | ||
11International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher EducationOASpringer Nature · Switzerland | 9.91Q1 | 18.76 1.92 up from 2022 | 183 | 100% | $0 listed | ||
12European Journal of Teacher EducationTaylor & Francis · United Kingdom | 9.15Q1 | 4.74 8.79 down from 2022 | 191 | 65% | — | ||
13Government Information QuarterlyElsevier BV · United States | 8.85Q1 | 11.92 0.33 up from 2022 | 214 | 54% | $4,360 | ||
14American Political Science ReviewCambridge University Press · United States | 8.55Q1 | 8.58 0.55 down from 2022 | 377 | 93% | $3,550 | ||
15West European PoliticsTaylor & Francis · United Kingdom | 8.41Q1 | 7.27 0.65 down from 2022 | 193 | 90% | — | ||
16Tourism GeographiesTaylor & Francis · United Kingdom | 8.39Q1 | 4.99 13.69 down from 2022 | 166 | 64% | — | ||
17Educational PsychologistRoutledge · United States | 8.33Q1 | 20.78 10.00 up from 2022 | 71 | 42% | — | ||
18American Journal of Political ScienceWiley · United States | 7.91Q1 | 7.33 0.79 up from 2022 | 236 | 71% | $4,100 | ||
19The Internet and Higher EducationElsevier BV · United States | 7.84Q1 | 12.40 1.02 down from 2022 | 80 | 27% | $4,120 | ||
20Journal of Interactive MarketingSAGE Publishing · United States | 7.80Q1 | 6.64 8.60 down from 2022 | 105 | 55% | $5,400 | ||
21Journal of Destination Marketing & ManagementElsevier BV · Netherlands | 7.75Q1 | 11.95 0.35 up from 2022 | 246 | 40% | $4,320 | ||
22Tourism ManagementElsevier BV · Netherlands | 7.74Q1 | 13.93 2.19 down from 2022 | 470 | 44% | $4,690 | ||
23Computers & EducationElsevier BV · United States | 7.74Q1 | 15.18 1.01 down from 2022 | 563 | 49% | $5,190 | ||
24Journal of Research in Interactive MarketingEmerald Publishing Limited · United Kingdom | 7.64Q1 | 14.67 4.04 up from 2022 | 135 | 7% | — | ||
25American Sociological ReviewSAGE Publishing · United Kingdom | 7.61Q1 | 8.99 1.60 down from 2022 | 125 | 59% | $3,900 | ||
26Political CommunicationTaylor & Francis · United States | 7.50Q1 | 7.23 2.06 down from 2022 | 124 | 50% | — | ||
27International SecurityThe MIT Press · United States | 7.46Q1 | 5.94 0.30 down from 2022 | 75 | 85% | — | ||
28Journal of Sustainable TourismTaylor & Francis · United Kingdom | 7.20Q1 | 9.71 3.22 down from 2022 | 495 | 55% | — | ||
29Technology in SocietyElsevier BV · United States | 7.17Q1 | 15.07 2.61 up from 2022 | 859 | 46% | $3,660 | ||
30European Journal of Information SystemsPalgrave Macmillan · United Kingdom | 7.13Q1 | 9.40 4.64 down from 2022 | 172 | 60% | — | ||
31Annals of Tourism ResearchElsevier BV · United Kingdom | 7.08Q1 | 9.87 3.93 down from 2022 | 485 | 54% | $4,060 | ||
32European Journal of Political ResearchOAWiley · United Kingdom | 6.84Q1 | 4.80 1.58 down from 2022 | 194 | 86% | $3,550 | ||
33Qualitative PsychologyAmerican Psychological Association · United States | 6.73Q1 | 13.66 7.80 up from 2022 | 72 | 17% | — | ||
34Brock Education JournalOABrock University · Canada | 6.68Q1 | 2.70 7.18 down from 2022 | 48 | 100% | — | ||
35RELC JournalSAGE Publishing · United Kingdom | 6.61Q1 | 6.66 1.33 up from 2022 | 202 | 50% | $3,650 | ||
36Comparative Political StudiesSAGE Publishing · United States | 6.55Q1 | 6.44 0.40 down from 2022 | 223 | 65% | $3,900 | ||
37Tourism Management PerspectivesElsevier BV · Netherlands | 6.54Q1 | 9.03 3.40 down from 2022 | 348 | 45% | $3,780 | ||
38DemocratizationTaylor & Francis · United Kingdom | 6.52Q1 | 5.36 0.78 up from 2022 | 242 | 49% | — | ||
39European Review of Social PsychologyTaylor & Francis · United Kingdom | 6.50Q1 | 16.60 5.89 up from 2022 | 37 | 87% | — | ||
40Hague Journal on the Rule of LawSpringer Science+Business Media · Netherlands | 6.46Q1 | 4.38 2.14 up from 2022 | 54 | 92% | $2,590 | ||
41Educational ResearcherSAGE Publishing · United States | 6.46Q1 | 7.59 2.18 down from 2022 | 206 | 40% | $2,500 | ||
42Journal of Hospitality Marketing & ManagementTaylor & Francis · United States | 6.44Q1 | 16.14 3.26 up from 2022 | 112 | 22% | — | ||
43International Journal of STEM EducationOASpringer Science+Business Media · Germany | 6.43Q1 | 10.43 1.38 down from 2022 | 186 | 100% | $2,090 | ||
44International Journal for Educational IntegrityOABioMed Central · Australia | 6.42Q1 | 11.39 1.88 up from 2022 | 69 | 100% | $1,290 | ||
45Computers in Human BehaviorElsevier BV · Netherlands | 6.40Q1 | 12.66 0.36 down from 2022 | 1,115 | 45% | $3,780 | ||
46Information & ManagementElsevier BV · Netherlands | 6.34Q1 | 11.19 1.11 up from 2022 | 298 | 35% | $4,540 | ||
47Sociological TheorySAGE Publishing · United States | 6.21Q1 | 6.50 0.69 down from 2022 | 47 | 37% | $3,900 | ||
48Human Behavior and Emerging TechnologiesOAWiley · United States | 6.21Q1 | 4.80 12.21 down from 2022 | 221 | 100% | $840 | ||
49European SocietiesOARoutledge · United Kingdom | 6.20Q1 | 2.89 10.01 down from 2022 | 146 | 66% | — | ||
50Minds and MachinesSpringer Science+Business Media · Netherlands | 6.17Q1 | 6.36 4.96 down from 2022 | 98 | 86% | $3,290 |
Subfields of Social Sciences, compared.
- Sociology and Political Science1,403
- Education732
- Political Science and International Relations334
- Communication73
- Gender Studies66
- Safety Research59
- Health55
- Transportation53
- Public Administration52
- Urban Studies52
- Linguistics and Language49
- Law45
- Library and Information Sciences41
- Demography40
- Anthropology38
- Geography, Planning and Development33
- Cultural Studies9
- Development4
- General Social Sciences4
- Human Factors and Ergonomics1
- Life-span and Life-course Studies1
- Archeology0
Journals
Citations made in 2023. Corpus-wide, 88.9% of core-journal articles and reviews published that year have at least one matched reference; the share varies by journal and field.
680 additional Social Sciences journals with metrics are unranked under this release’s eligibility rules: a journal needs at least 30 citable documents in 2020–2022, 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: 2023. Publication window: 2020–2022. How these summaries are calculated
- Ranked journals
- 3,144
- Window papers (baseline)
- 2,148,493 +22.0% from indicator year 2020
- Median OJR
- 1.187 -9.8% from indicator year 2020
- Rising journals (2025)
- 134Comparison-group list (134)
Window papers are the baseline paper population: citable papers (articles, reviews and conference papers) from 2020–2022 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 | 1,406 | 1,451 | 1,539 | 1,622 | 1,698 | 1,765 | 1,844 | 1,932 | 2,018 | 2,111 | 2,231 | 2,335 | 2,450 | 2,548 | 2,662 | 2,755 | 2,851 | 2,959 | 2,994 | 3,028 | 3,056 | 3,141 | 3,149 | 3,144 | 3,107 | 3,066 | |
| Window papers (baseline) | 443,953 | 481,120 | 524,797 | 573,040 | 615,403 | 666,449 | 723,952 | 792,817 | 867,532 | 946,631 | 1,027,940 | 1,103,353 | 1,185,358 | 1,256,728 | 1,323,833 | 1,400,086 | 1,483,492 | 1,554,301 | 1,600,611 | 1,663,801 | 1,760,718 | 1,914,483 | 2,065,185 | 2,148,493 | 2,214,535 | 2,302,259 | |
| Median OJR | 0.86 | 0.91 | 0.92 | 0.97 | 1.03 | 1.09 | 1.16 | 1.30 | 1.365 | 1.382 | 1.43 | 1.42 | 1.40 | 1.377 | 1.356 | 1.352 | 1.353 | 1.346 | 1.31 | 1.33 | 1.32 | 1.23 | 1.194 | 1.187 | 1.18 | 1.20 |
| Measure | Category statistic | Eligible population |
|---|---|---|
| Journal self-citation share | Median: 4.7% | 1,882 journals |
| Retracted papers per 1,000 | Pooled rate: 0.498 per 1,000 | 1,610 journals |
| Output growth | Median: -2.6% | 2,852 journals |
| Open access share | Median: 58.5% | 3,066 journals |
| Listed APC (USD) | Median including $0 listed prices: $3,400 | 1,164 ranked journals with a known listed price, including $0 listed prices |
| International collaboration share | Median: 18.2% | 2,785 journals |
| Review share | Median: 0.0% | 3,066 journals |
| Articles-only OJR | Median: 1.22 | 3,041 journals |
| Uncited share | Median: 44.4% | 3,066 journals |
| Citation concentration | Median: 49.7% | 3,059 journals |
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.