Journal profile · SOCIAL SCIENCES, INTERDISCIPLINARY
Applied Research in Quality of Life
ISSN 1871-2584 · eISSN 1871-2576 · Springer Nature · 6 issues per year
Applied Research in Quality of Life: CAS Zone 3 · Sociology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 2.73; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,190; median 184 days to acceptance (91 articles, last 24 months); 121 articles in 2025; indexed in SSCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Applied Research in Quality of Life is published by Springer Nature and is in Zone 3 of Sociology in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction, Health disparities and outcomes and Employment and Welfare Studies, together about 44.2% of its articles. Its main subfields are Clinical Psychology. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Applied Research in Quality of Life (ARQOL) is the official journal of the International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies (ISQOLS). The Journal aims to publish rigorous and innovative papers that contribute to the understanding, assessment and enhancement of quality of life. We welcome conceptual, methodological, and empirical papers dealing with quality-of-life issues from around the world, spanning the diverse disciplines of the social sciences. The Journal is multidisciplinary in focus and provides an essential platform for applied work that connects scientific evidence with practical relevance. All approaches that directly engage with quality of life or well-being are welcomed, such as subjective, eudaimonic, and psychological well-being, human development, well-being domains (e.g., financial, social, or family well-being), community well-being, and quality-of-life indices with objective indicators. Studies that do not directly address quality of life or well-being, or that merely adopt a narrow focus on more specific determinants or aspects of quality of life alone without focusing on applied quality of life, are outside the scope of the Journal. Studies with data and code transparency are strongly preferred by the editors of ARQOL.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): SOCIAL SCIENCES, INTERDISCIPLINARY
Editor-in-chief Martijn HendriksPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 7 in mainland China (about 8%); most named United States 17, Mainland China 7, Hong Kong, China 6, Taiwan, China 5, Germany 5 (86 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Psychological Well-being and Life SatisfactionPsychology25.2%
- Health disparities and outcomesSocial Sciences13.6%
- Employment and Welfare StudiesHealth Professions5.4%
- Resilience and Mental HealthPsychology4.7%
- Intergenerational Family Dynamics and CaregivingSocial Sciences4.2%
- Optimism, Hope, and Well-beingPsychology4.1%
- Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional DevelopmentPsychology3.6%
- Psychological and Temporal Perspectives ResearchPsychology3.4%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Sociology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Sociology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Social Sciences, Interdisciplinary | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Sociology Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Sociology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Social Sciences, Interdisciplinary | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Sociology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Sociology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Social Sciences, Interdisciplinary | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SSCIScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
SCIEPsycINFOCurrent ContentsPublisher website
Other: Google Scholar, EBSCO, ProQuest, Dimensions, CNKI, Baidu, Naver, OCLC, Portico, CLOCKSS, RePEc
As the journal's website lists them, not checked against each database; for Web of Science editions the records above apply.
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
- Impact factor
- 2.73LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 2.7Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 3.4Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 6.2LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.96LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.22LetPub ·
- h-index
- 77OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 765OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 3.05OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 7.4%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 42.7%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 117LetPub ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 781,100Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 1,658 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 141 | 69 | 55 |
| 2025 | 121 | 64 | 328 |
| 2024 | 143 | 67 | 853 |
| 2023 | 129 | 66 | 1,166 |
| 2022 | 112 | 71 | 1,586 |
| 2021 | 130 | 80 | 2,496 |
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
Review time from article dates manuscript dates registered with Crossref · to
184 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 129 days – 263 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 21 days (91 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 209 days
- Sample
- 91 articles with submission and acceptance dates (299 in the window); the latest was accepted on
Only articles that were accepted and published are counted, not the time spent on rejected manuscripts, so this usually runs longer than a publisher's "time to first decision".
Other sources
- Submission to first decision
- 5 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Double anonymous peer reviewPublisher website
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
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 3,190 / EUR 2,590 / GBP 2,290 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | Yes, amount not published | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
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)
Open calls for papers1, by deadline
Publisher websiteWhat to prepare5 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- 150–250 words
- Keywords
- ≥ 4
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 10,000 words
- Reference style
- APA
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
Article types accepted2, with length limits
- book reviewApplied Research in Quality of Life welcomes concise, critical reviews of recently published books relevant to quality-of-life research and policy. Reviews shou…main text ≤ 1,200 words
- editorialDouble-blind peer review This journal follows a double-blind reviewing procedure. This means that the author will remain anonymous to the reviewers throughout p…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints
- AI use Generative AI Images
Please check Springer’s policy on generative AI images and make sure your work adheres to the principles described therein. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Authorship principles
These guidelines describe authorship principles and good authorship practices to which prospective authors should adhere to. Authorship clarified The Journal and Publisher assume all authors agreed with the content and that all gave explicit consent to submit and that they obtained consent from the responsible authorities at the institute/organization where the work has been carried out, before th…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Disclosures and declarations
All authors are requested to include information regarding sources of funding, financial or non-financial interests, study-specific approval by the appropriate ethics committee for research involving humans and/or animals, informed consent if the research involved human participants, and a statement on welfare of animals if the research involved animals (as appropriate). The decision whether such …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability Data availability statements
Authors should read the journal's Research data policy; research data encouraged to be archived in repositories. Model summary
All original research must include a data availability statement. This statement should explain how to access data supporting the results and analysis in the article, including links/citations to publicly archived datasets analysed or generated during the study. Please see our full policy here. If it is not possible to share research data publicly, for instance when individual privacy could be com…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics Compliance with Ethical Standards
Manuscripts must be original, not under consideration elsewhere, and approved by co-authors and responsible authorities. Model summary
To ensure objectivity and transparency in research and to ensure that accepted principles of ethical and professional conduct have been followed, authors should include information regarding sources of funding, potential conflicts of interest (financial or non-financial), informed consent if the research involved human participants, and a statement on welfare of animals if the research involved an…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Copyright transfer
Authors will be asked to transfer copyright of the article to the Publisher (or grant the Publisher exclusive publication and dissemination rights). This will ensure the widest possible protection and dissemination of information under copyright laws.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access publishing
To find out more about publishing your work Open Access in Applied Research in Quality of Life, including information on fees, funding and licences, visit our Open access publishing page. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Double-blind peer review
Double-blind peer review; authors must anonymize manuscripts and associated materials. Model summary
This journal follows a double-blind reviewing procedure. This means that the author will remain anonymous to the reviewers throughout peer review. It is the responsibility of the author to anonymize the manuscript and any associated materials. Author names, affiliations and any other potentially identifying information should be removed from the manuscript text and any accompanying files (such as …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints
Editable source files required at every submission and revision; manuscript text in .docx or LaTeX. Model summary
Please ensure you provide all relevant editable source files at every submission and revision. Failing to submit a complete set of editable source files will result in your article not being considered for review. For your manuscript text please always submit in common word processing formats such as .docx or LaTeX.
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
- Springer Nature
- Frequency
- 6 issues per year
- ISSN
- 1871-2584
- Electronic ISSN
- 1871-2576
- Society / sponsor
- International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 21, Issue 4 (August 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Applied Research in Quality of Life
What CAS zone is Applied Research in Quality of Life in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Applied Research in Quality of Life is in Zone 3 of Sociology, and in Zone 3 of the minor category Social Sciences, Interdisciplinary. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 2 of Sociology. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Applied Research in Quality of Life?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 2.73; CiteScore 6.2, h-index 77.
How long does peer review take at Applied Research in Quality of Life?
Based on the dates recorded on 91 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 184 days (interquartile range 129–263 days). 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.
What are the manuscript requirements of Applied Research in Quality of Life?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: 150–250 words; Keywords: ≥ 4; Manuscript length: ≤ 10,000 words; Reference style: APA; Suggested reviewers: Optional. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Where are the editorial board members of Applied Research in Quality of Life based?
Of the 86 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 7 (about 8%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (17), Mainland China (7) and Hong Kong, China (6). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Applied Research in Quality of Life?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Applied Research in Quality of Life is indexed in SSCI and Scopus. The journal's website also lists SCIE, PsycINFO and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Applied Research in Quality of Life open access, and what is the APC?
Applied Research in Quality of Life is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,190.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, OpenAlex, 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 2026-08-25). Last updated: .