Journal profile
Alternate routes a journal of Critical Social Research
ISSN 0702-8865 · eISSN 1923-7081 · Athabasca University Press · Canada
Alternate routes a journal of Critical Social Research: diamond open access (no APC); no APC; review about 22 weeks (community reports); 7 articles in 2025.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Alternate routes a journal of Critical Social Research is published by Athabasca University Press. By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Political Economy and Marxism, Labor Movements and Unions and Canadian Identity and History, together about 34.2% of its articles. Its main subfields are Sociology and Political Science. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Alternate Routes is dedicated to providing a dynamic and inclusive platform for critical social research and interdisciplinary inquiry. We recognize the value of diverse theoretical frameworks and methodological approaches, and actively encourage submissions from a broad spectrum of contributors, including academics, labour organizers, and community-based researchers. Our commitment is to amplify voices that critically engage with and challenge prevailing structures of power, inequality, and injustice. As a publicly accessible academic journal, Alternate Routes prioritizes work that is both provocative and thought-provoking—work that advances or disrupts existing understandings of historical and contemporary social, political, and economic issues. We strive to foster dialogue across disciplinary and social boundaries, bridging scholarly analysis with real-world struggles and experiences. In addition to full-length research articles, the journal publishes a variety of formats including review essays inspired by previously published material, in-depth interviews that highlight diverse perspectives, incisive commentaries on current debates, and critical book reviews. Through this diverse content, Alternate Routes seeks to create a vibrant space for intellectual exchange, activism, and collective reflection.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Political Economy and MarxismSocial Sciences16.5%
- Labor Movements and UnionsSocial Sciences10.4%
- Canadian Identity and HistorySocial Sciences7.4%
- Employment, Labor, and Gender StudiesSocial Sciences6.3%
- Marxism and Critical TheoryArts and Humanities5.8%
- Economic and Social IssuesSocial Sciences4.6%
- Gender and Feminist StudiesSocial Sciences4.3%
- Social Policy and Reform StudiesSocial Sciences3.9%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
Database indexing
DOAJLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- h-index
- 13OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 19OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 0OpenAlex ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 0%LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 395 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 14 | 14 | 0 |
| 2025 | 7 | 7 | 132 |
| 2024 | 11 | 11 | 117 |
| 2023 | 12 | 12 | 161 |
| 2022 | 5 | 5 | 127 |
| 2021 | 10 | 10 | 122 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
- Average review time (community reports)
- about 22 weeksLetPub ·
- Submission to publication (journal-reported)
- about 22 weeksDOAJ ·
- Peer review
- Double anonymous peer reviewDOAJ
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Diamond open access (no APC)DOAJ
Every article is open access and authors pay no article processing charge.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DOAJ | No APC | No | CC BY-NC-ND | |
| LetPub | No APC | No | — | |
| Publisher website | Yes, amount not published | — | — |
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
Article types accepted2
- articlesArticles Alternate Routes invites submissions of original, rigorous research articles that make substantive contributions to critical social research and interd…Length not stated
- interventionsInterventions feature concise, accessible essays that bring critical perspectives to bear on global challenges.Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAuthorship, License & copyright
- Authorship
Copyright retained by authors Model summary
The copyright for the articles published in this journal is retained by the authors, with first publication rights granted to the journal.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Copyright Notice
Creative Commons Attribution/Non-Commercial/No Derivative Works Canada licence; copyright retained by authors with first publication rights granted to the journal. Model summary
Articles are published in Alternate Routes: A Journal of Critical Social Research under the Creative Commons "Attribution/Non-Commercial/No Derivative Works" Canada licence. The copyright for the articles published in this journal is retained by the authors, with first publication rights granted to the journal. By virtue of their appearance in this open access journal, articles may be used, with p…
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Athabasca University Press
- Country or region
- Canada
- Language
- English
- ISSN
- 0702-8865
- Electronic ISSN
- 1923-7081
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 36, Issue 1 (2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Aims & Scope ↗DOAJ
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
- APC information ↗DOAJ
- Open access statement ↗DOAJ
- License & copyright ↗DOAJ
- Peer review process ↗DOAJ
- Editorial board ↗LetPub
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Alternate routes a journal of Critical Social Research
How long does peer review take at Alternate routes a journal of Critical Social Research?
Authors report an average review time of about 22 weeks. Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
Which databases index Alternate routes a journal of Critical Social Research?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Alternate routes a journal of Critical Social Research is indexed in DOAJ.
Is Alternate routes a journal of Critical Social Research open access, and what is the APC?
Alternate routes a journal of Critical Social Research is a diamond open-access journal (no APC). It charges no article processing charge.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, OpenAlex, DOAJ, Publisher website; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-26). Last updated: .