Rising Social Sciences journals compared with their field
These are the Social Sciences journals whose OJR rose faster than the median journal of their field between 2022 and 2025, by +10% or more relative to that median and by at least 2 standard errors. 134 journals qualify.
Between indicator years 2022 and 2025, the median OJR change among 1,129 eligible Social Sciences journals was about -6%, taking the median on a log scale (the group ratio below).
Ordered by the lower bound of the relative-change range at two standard errors, highest first, then higher z (the signed difference in standard errors), then title. How trajectory is calculated (traj-v1)
| Journal | OJR 2022 → 2025 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. | Change relative to Social Sciences median (2 SE range) | z (standard errors) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Environmental Policy and Law | 0.20 → 0.77 | +303.3% (+140.2% to +577.2%) | 5.4 |
| Landscape Architecture Frontiers | 0.20 → 0.56 | +196.1% (+109.6% to +318.2%) | 6.3 |
| Disability Studies Quarterly | 0.52 → 1.82 | +269.0% (+80.1% to +656.1%) | 3.6 |
| Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education | 0.36 → 0.90 | +162.4% (+79.3% to +283.9%) | 5.1 |
| M/C Journal | 0.32 → 0.90 | +198.1% (+75.2% to +407.2%) | 4.1 |
| European Security | 2.39 → 5.75 | +155.0% (+65.9% to +292.1%) | 4.4 |
| PoLAR Political and Legal Anthropology Review | 0.36 → 1.08 | +220.5% (+65.5% to +520.6%) | 3.5 |
| Journal of Higher Education Theory and Practice | 0.31 → 0.60 | +107.3% (+62.5% to +164.5%) | 6.0 |
| Review of Policy Research | 1.27 → 2.74 | +128.2% (+60.1% to +225.1%) | 4.7 |
| Politische Vierteljahresschrift | 0.88 → 2.26 | +173.0% (+58.7% to +369.6%) | 3.7 |
| Asian journal of social science | 0.41 → 1.08 | +175.9% (+56.5% to +386.5%) | 3.6 |
| The Journal of Public Space | 0.25 → 0.73 | +215.3% (+52.2% to +553.2%) | 3.2 |
| Journal of Family Studies | 0.93 → 1.83 | +107.1% (+50.7% to +184.4%) | 4.6 |
| JCMS Journal of Common Market Studies | 3.62 → 6.32 | +84.9% (+47.4% to +131.8%) | 5.4 |
| Sociology of Sport Journal | 0.90 → 1.81 | +112.3% (+46.9% to +206.8%) | 4.1 |
| Journal of Interpersonal Violence | 1.06 → 1.62 | +61.3% (+45.2% to +79.3%) | 9.1 |
| Journal of Contemporary European Studies | 1.46 → 2.80 | +102.5% (+44.5% to +183.8%) | 4.2 |
| Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory | 2.83 → 5.50 | +106.1% (+43.4% to +196.3%) | 4.0 |
| Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights | 2.61 → 4.41 | +79.0% (+41.7% to +126.0%) | 5.0 |
| Information Research | 0.44 → 0.88 | +110.5% (+41.7% to +212.9%) | 3.8 |
| The British Journal of Politics and International Relations | 2.45 → 4.65 | +101.1% (+41.1% to +186.7%) | 3.9 |
| Journal of Human Rights Practice | 0.91 → 2.01 | +133.1% (+40.9% to +285.9%) | 3.4 |
| Sport Ethics and Philosophy | 0.61 → 1.37 | +136.1% (+40.3% to +297.2%) | 3.3 |
| New Directions for Student Services | 0.26 → 0.56 | +128.3% (+34.9% to +286.3%) | 3.1 |
| Journal of Sport Management | 1.67 → 2.86 | +81.3% (+34.8% to +143.8%) | 4.0 |
| Library Hi Tech | 1.35 → 2.34 | +83.8% (+34.3% to +151.7%) | 3.9 |
| Journal of Latinos and Education | 0.71 → 1.22 | +82.7% (+33.4% to +150.3%) | 3.8 |
| Canadian Journal of Nursing Research | 0.98 → 1.81 | +95.5% (+33.3% to +186.7%) | 3.5 |
| Res Publica | 0.73 → 1.42 | +106.9% (+32.8% to +222.5%) | 3.3 |
| Review of Education | 1.14 → 2.19 | +103.9% (+32.1% to +214.7%) | 3.3 |
| Journal of Money Laundering Control | 1.46 → 2.48 | +79.4% (+29.5% to +148.6%) | 3.6 |
| Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research | 2.73 → 4.21 | +62.9% (+29.2% to +105.5%) | 4.2 |
| Political Geography | 2.91 → 4.84 | +75.8% (+28.9% to +139.7%) | 3.6 |
| European Political Science | 1.60 → 3.18 | +110.2% (+28.5% to +243.7%) | 3.0 |
| Teachers College Record The Voice of Scholarship in Education | 1.59 → 2.49 | +66.0% (+28.2% to +114.9%) | 3.9 |
| Information Systems Frontiers | 3.40 → 5.43 | +69.0% (+27.7% to +123.4%) | 3.8 |
| Economic and Industrial Democracy | 1.00 → 1.71 | +80.2% (+25.9% to +157.8%) | 3.3 |
| The Qualitative Report | 1.01 → 1.97 | +105.8% (+25.6% to +237.2%) | 2.9 |
| Daedalus | 1.95 → 3.48 | +89.1% (+25.4% to +185.1%) | 3.1 |
| Educational Policy | 2.02 → 3.29 | +72.5% (+25.3% to +137.3%) | 3.4 |
| The China Quarterly | 2.27 → 3.80 | +76.9% (+24.2% to +152.0%) | 3.2 |
| Ethical Theory and Moral Practice | 0.76 → 1.28 | +79.2% (+23.8% to +159.4%) | 3.2 |
| British Journal of Sociology of Education | 2.34 → 3.72 | +68.5% (+23.7% to +129.6%) | 3.4 |
| SHS Web of Conferences | 0.93 → 1.23 | +39.8% (+23.4% to +58.4%) | 5.4 |
| The Australian Educational Researcher | 2.08 → 3.32 | +69.2% (+22.7% to +133.3%) | 3.3 |
| Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice | 1.75 → 3.03 | +82.6% (+22.6% to +172.0%) | 3.0 |
| Geopolitics | 3.04 → 5.03 | +75.0% (+22.3% to +150.5%) | 3.1 |
| Journal of Political Ecology | 0.98 → 1.73 | +87.2% (+21.9% to +187.5%) | 2.9 |
| Communication & Society | 1.09 → 1.86 | +81.7% (+21.4% to +171.7%) | 3.0 |
| Teaching & Learning Inquiry The ISSOTL Journal | 1.28 → 2.39 | +97.3% (+20.7% to +222.7%) | 2.8 |
| Journal of Chinese Political Science | 2.65 → 4.46 | +78.2% (+20.6% to +163.4%) | 3.0 |
| International Feminist Journal of Politics | 1.58 → 2.80 | +87.1% (+20.6% to +190.3%) | 2.9 |
| Information Technology and People | 3.24 → 4.44 | +45.1% (+19.4% to +76.3%) | 3.8 |
| Revista Española de Sociología | 0.58 → 0.98 | +79.0% (+19.2% to +168.7%) | 2.9 |
| The British Journal of Social Work | 0.87 → 1.18 | +44.6% (+19.1% to +75.5%) | 3.8 |
| Journal of Youth Studies | 1.89 → 2.67 | +49.6% (+19.1% to +87.9%) | 3.5 |
| The Journal of the Economics of Ageing | 1.70 → 2.72 | +68.8% (+16.7% to +144.0%) | 2.8 |
| New Directions for Community Colleges | 0.58 → 1.05 | +90.3% (+16.7% to +210.5%) | 2.6 |
| The International Spectator | 2.12 → 3.35 | +67.8% (+16.5% to +141.6%) | 2.8 |
| Applied Linguistics | 3.09 → 5.07 | +73.4% (+16.1% to +159.0%) | 2.7 |
| Applied Linguistics Review | 2.77 → 4.82 | +84.4% (+16.0% to +193.0%) | 2.6 |
| Social Epistemology | 1.46 → 2.29 | +66.5% (+15.8% to +139.3%) | 2.8 |
| International Studies Review | 2.73 → 4.32 | +67.2% (+15.8% to +141.4%) | 2.8 |
| Journal of Social Work | 0.97 → 1.51 | +65.6% (+15.6% to +137.1%) | 2.8 |
| AJIL Unbound | 0.74 → 1.27 | +81.2% (+15.5% to +184.3%) | 2.6 |
| Assessing Writing | 4.04 → 7.18 | +88.4% (+15.4% to +207.7%) | 2.6 |
| Human Rights Quarterly | 0.67 → 1.25 | +97.5% (+14.9% to +239.7%) | 2.5 |
| International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology | 0.85 → 1.12 | +40.2% (+13.6% to +72.9%) | 3.2 |
| The Sociological Review | 2.14 → 3.02 | +49.7% (+13.1% to +98.1%) | 2.9 |
| Journal of Immigrant & Refugee Studies | 1.35 → 2.02 | +57.7% (+12.9% to +120.3%) | 2.7 |
| Corporate Communications An International Journal | 1.76 → 2.50 | +49.7% (+12.5% to +99.3%) | 2.8 |
| Public Administration | 3.14 → 4.33 | +46.2% (+12.4% to +90.1%) | 2.9 |
| International Journal of Early Years Education | 1.12 → 1.62 | +52.3% (+12.0% to +107.1%) | 2.7 |
| EDULEARN proceedings | 0.27 → 0.33 | +31.4% (+11.5% to +55.0%) | 3.3 |
| Alberta Journal of Educational Research | 0.16 → 0.36 | +132.7% (+11.4% to +386.0%) | 2.3 |
| Social Science Research | 2.28 → 3.27 | +51.7% (+11.1% to +107.3%) | 2.7 |
| AI & Society | 1.99 → 2.71 | +44.5% (+10.5% to +89.0%) | 2.7 |
| Governance | 2.81 → 3.99 | +50.4% (+10.2% to +105.3%) | 2.6 |
| Journal of Knowledge Management | 4.86 → 6.09 | +32.7% (+9.5% to +60.8%) | 2.9 |
| International Journal of Sports Marketing and Sponsorship | 1.59 → 2.12 | +41.6% (+9.4% to +83.2%) | 2.7 |
| Australian Journal Of International Affairs | 1.68 → 2.52 | +59.3% (+9.3% to +132.2%) | 2.5 |
| Science education international | 0.97 → 1.56 | +70.7% (+9.1% to +167.2%) | 2.4 |
| International Journal of ADVANCED AND APPLIED SCIENCES | 0.35 → 0.45 | +36.6% (+8.9% to +71.5%) | 2.8 |
| World Englishes | 2.66 → 4.50 | +79.2% (+8.7% to +195.3%) | 2.3 |
| Proceedings of the International AAAI Conference on Web and Social Media | 4.36 → 5.61 | +36.3% (+8.5% to +71.2%) | 2.7 |
| Computers Environment and Urban Systems | 2.83 → 4.08 | +53.0% (+8.3% to +116.1%) | 2.5 |
| European Journal of Ageing | 1.83 → 2.61 | +51.2% (+8.2% to +111.4%) | 2.5 |
| Politics & Policy | 1.40 → 2.09 | +58.6% (+7.9% to +133.0%) | 2.4 |
| Journal of Refugee Studies | 1.47 → 2.01 | +44.7% (+7.7% to +94.5%) | 2.5 |
| The American Sociologist | 0.74 → 1.25 | +77.7% (+7.6% to +193.5%) | 2.3 |
| Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development | 3.93 → 5.03 | +35.5% (+7.5% to +70.8%) | 2.6 |
| Electronic Commerce Research | 2.59 → 3.53 | +44.4% (+7.5% to +94.0%) | 2.5 |
| Zeitschrift für Arbeitswissenschaft | 0.37 → 0.65 | +88.7% (+7.3% to +231.6%) | 2.3 |
| International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management | 4.87 → 5.91 | +28.5% (+6.8% to +54.6%) | 2.7 |
| Strategic Study of CAE | 0.45 → 0.59 | +41.4% (+6.8% to +87.3%) | 2.5 |
| Sexualities | 1.13 → 1.47 | +38.0% (+6.0% to +79.6%) | 2.4 |
| World Review of Political Economy | 0.28 → 0.52 | +96.4% (+6.0% to +264.1%) | 2.2 |
| Linguistics and Education | 3.17 → 4.28 | +43.0% (+6.0% to +92.9%) | 2.4 |
| International Review for Spatial Planning and Sustainable Development | 0.37 → 0.52 | +51.7% (+6.0% to +117.2%) | 2.3 |
| Small Wars and Insurgencies | 1.08 → 1.59 | +55.7% (+5.9% to +129.1%) | 2.3 |
| Urban Education | 1.86 → 2.44 | +38.8% (+5.9% to +82.1%) | 2.4 |
| International Journal for Crime Justice and Social Democracy | 0.97 → 1.41 | +54.2% (+5.8% to +124.7%) | 2.3 |
| International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education | 9.74 → 13.92 | +51.2% (+5.8% to +116.2%) | 2.3 |
| Social Indicators Research | 2.19 → 2.54 | +23.1% (+5.8% to +43.3%) | 2.7 |
| GRUR International | 0.23 → 0.41 | +88.8% (+5.6% to +237.8%) | 2.2 |
| Comparative European Politics | 3.77 → 6.04 | +69.5% (+5.5% to +172.3%) | 2.2 |
| Proceedings of Business and Economic Studies | 0.13 → 0.20 | +57.7% (+5.4% to +136.0%) | 2.3 |
| Women s Studies International Forum | 1.53 → 2.03 | +40.6% (+5.3% to +87.8%) | 2.4 |
| Deviant Behavior | 1.17 → 1.47 | +32.9% (+4.8% to +68.5%) | 2.4 |
| Universal Access in the Information Society | 1.59 → 2.17 | +44.8% (+4.8% to +100.0%) | 2.3 |
| Journal of Language Teaching and Research | 0.97 → 1.31 | +43.0% (+4.2% to +96.3%) | 2.3 |
| Journal of Curriculum Studies | 3.20 → 4.95 | +63.7% (+3.9% to +157.7%) | 2.2 |
| Global Public Health | 1.22 → 1.52 | +31.8% (+3.9% to +67.2%) | 2.3 |
| Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy | 1.13 → 1.66 | +55.7% (+3.9% to +133.2%) | 2.2 |
| Global Knowledge, Memory and Communication | 1.29 → 1.67 | +37.1% (+3.9% to +80.8%) | 2.3 |
| Journal of College Student Retention Research Theory & Practice | 1.35 → 1.80 | +40.7% (+3.7% to +91.0%) | 2.2 |
| Educational Studies | 1.34 → 2.29 | +80.2% (+3.4% to +214.2%) | 2.1 |
| American Anthropologist | 1.61 → 2.31 | +52.2% (+3.2% to +124.4%) | 2.2 |
| Journal of International Migration and Integration / Revue de l integration et de la migration internationale | 1.45 → 1.93 | +40.6% (+3.1% to +91.8%) | 2.2 |
| Journal of Philosophy of Education | 1.40 → 1.92 | +45.1% (+2.9% to +104.6%) | 2.2 |
| East European Politics and Societies and Cultures | 1.31 → 1.87 | +51.0% (+2.5% to +122.6%) | 2.1 |
| Futures | 1.70 → 2.07 | +28.8% (+2.2% to +62.2%) | 2.2 |
| Violence Against Women | 1.20 → 1.39 | +22.3% (+2.1% to +46.5%) | 2.2 |
| Community Development | 1.28 → 1.82 | +50.7% (+1.9% to +122.8%) | 2.1 |
| Journal of Research in Science Teaching | 3.69 → 4.48 | +28.7% (+1.8% to +62.6%) | 2.2 |
| Australian Social Work | 0.84 → 1.18 | +49.9% (+1.5% to +121.4%) | 2.1 |
| Information Systems Research | 3.10 → 3.67 | +25.3% (+1.5% to +54.7%) | 2.1 |
| Society | 0.51 → 0.77 | +57.5% (+1.4% to +144.7%) | 2.1 |
| British Journal of Special Education | 0.55 → 1.19 | +129.0% (+1.3% to +417.9%) | 2.0 |
| L Anthropologie | 0.71 → 1.10 | +62.8% (+0.9% to +162.7%) | 2.0 |
| British Journal of Sociology | 2.43 → 3.06 | +33.5% (+0.9% to +76.5%) | 2.1 |
| International Review for the Sociology of Sport | 1.88 → 2.43 | +36.8% (+0.8% to +85.7%) | 2.1 |
| Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy | 1.69 → 2.56 | +60.9% (+0.6% to +157.5%) | 2.0 |
| Youth & Society | 1.26 → 1.56 | +31.6% (+0.5% to +72.4%) | 2.0 |
How to read this list
Relative change = journal OJR ratio ÷ median group ratio − 1. The journal ratio is its OJR in 2025 divided by its OJR in 2022. The group ratio is the median of those ratios among eligible journals of the field, taken on a log scale: with an even number of journals, it is the geometric mean of the two middle ratios rather than their average.
Indicator year 2022 counts citations to papers published 2019–2021; indicator year 2025 counts citations to papers published 2022–2024. The two publication cohorts do not overlap.
A journal is listed when it is ranked, its relative change is +10% or more, and the change is at least 2 standard errors above zero (z ≥ 2), so the low end of its two-standard-error range is zero or above.
Large relative changes often start from very low scores: the top journal’s OJR rose from 0.20 to 0.77, still below the world average of 1.00. Relative to the median journal of its field, its change was +303.3%.