Journal profile · Social Sciences-Urban Studies
Asia-Pacific Journal of Regional Science
ISSN 2509-7954 · Springer Nature · 3 issues per year
Asia-Pacific Journal of Regional Science: CAS Zone 4 · Economics (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 1.9 (journal website); hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,490; median 157 days to acceptance (91 articles, last 24 months); 40 articles in 2025; indexed in ESCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Asia-Pacific Journal of Regional Science is published by Springer Nature and is in Zone 4 of Economics in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Regional Economics and Spatial Analysis, Fiscal Policy and Economic Growth and Energy, Environment, Economic Growth, together about 30.2% of its articles. Its main subfields are Economics and Econometrics. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
The Asia-Pacific Journal of Regional Science expands the frontiers of regional science through the diffusion of intrinsically developed and advanced modern, regional science methodologies throughout the Asia-Pacific region. Articles published in the journal foster progress and development of regional science through the promotion of comprehensive and interdisciplinary academic studies in relationship to research in regional science across the globe. The journal’s scope includes articles dedicated to theoretical economics, positive economics including econometrics and statistical analysis and input–output analysis, CGE, Simulation, applied economics including international economics, regional economics, industrial organization, analysis of governance and institutional issues, law and economics, migration and labor markets, spatial economics, land economics, urban economics, agricultural economics, environmental economics, behavioral economics and spatial analysis with GIS/RS data education economics, sociology including urban sociology, rural sociology, environmental sociology and educational sociology, as well as traffic engineering. Manuscripts on the margins of this scope may also be considered if they use innovative methods from fields such as statistics and econometrics, and successfully show how these approaches may also be applied to regional sciences. The journal provides a unique platform for its research community to further develop, analyze, and resolve urgent regional and urban issues in Asia, and to further refine established research around the world in this multidisciplinary field. The journal invites original articles, proposals, and book reviews. The Asia-Pacific Journal of Regional Science is a new English-language journal that spun out of Chiikigakukenkyuu, which has a 45-year history of publishing the best Japanese research in regional science in the Japanese language and, more recently and more frequently, in English. The development of regional science as an international discipline has necessitated the need for a new publication in English. The Asia-Pacific Journal of Regional Science is a publishing vehicle for English-language contributions to the field in Japan, across the complete Asia-Pacific arena, and beyond. Content published in this journal is peer reviewed (Double Blind).
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Social Sciences-Urban Studies
Editor-in-chief Yoshiro HiganoPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 27 in mainland China (about 21%); most named Japan 39, Mainland China 27, United States 10, India 8, South Korea 4 (129 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Regional Economics and Spatial AnalysisEconomics, Econometrics and Finance11.5%
- Fiscal Policy and Economic GrowthEconomics, Econometrics and Finance11%
- Energy, Environment, Economic GrowthEconomics, Econometrics and Finance7.7%
- Economic Growth and ProductivityEconomics, Econometrics and Finance6%
- Global trade and economicsEconomics, Econometrics and Finance5%
- Spatial and Panel Data AnalysisEconomics, Econometrics and Finance4.4%
- Environmental Impact and SustainabilityEnvironmental Science4.2%
- Land Use and Ecosystem ServicesEnvironmental Science4%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Economics Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Economics | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Economics | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Environmental Studies | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Regional & Urban Planning | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Economics Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Economics | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Economics | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Environmental Studies | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Regional & Urban Planning | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
Database indexing
ESCIScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
Google Scholar, EBSCO, ProQuest, Dimensions, CNKI, Baidu, Astrophysics Data System, Naver, OCLC, Portico, CLOCKSS, RePEcPublisher website
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 (publisher) 2025
- 1.9Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 2Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 4.9LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 4.9Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.48LetPub ·
- SJR (publisher)
- 0.83Publisher website ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.83LetPub ·
- SNIP (publisher)
- 4.5Publisher website ·
- h-index
- 27OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 115OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 2.78OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 5.3%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 14.96%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 38LetPub ·
- Articles per year (publisher)
- 2,025Publisher website ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 119,500Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 446 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 37 | 6 | 10 |
| 2025 | 40 | 12 | 126 |
| 2024 | 42 | 9 | 195 |
| 2023 | 51 | 14 | 465 |
| 2022 | 49 | 26 | 579 |
| 2021 | 43 | 16 | 665 |
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
157 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 125 days – 223 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 28 days (91 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 199 days
- Sample
- 91 articles with submission and acceptance dates (93 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
- 4 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 3,490 / EUR 2,790 / GBP 2,490 | — | — |
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)
What to prepare4 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- 150–250 words
- Keywords
- ≥ 4
- Reference style
- Author–date
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
Article types accepted1
- 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
- AI use Generative AI Images
LLMs do not satisfy authorship criteria; LLM use must be documented in the Methods section; AI-assisted copy editing need not be declared. Model summary
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
Authors must disclose financial or non-financial competing interests. Model summary
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
Research data should be archived in data repositories where possible. Model summary
Before submitting research datasets as Supplementary Information, authors should read the journal’s Research data policy. We encourage research data to be archived in data repositories wherever possible.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics Compliance with Ethical Standards
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
Permission from copyright owners is required for previously published material. Model summary
Authors wishing to include figures, tables, or text passages that have already been published elsewhere are required to obtain permission from the copyright owner(s) for both the print and online format and to include evidence that such permission has been granted when submitting their papers.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access publishing
To find out more about publishing your work Open Access in Asia-Pacific Journal of Regional Science, 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 submit a separate title page. 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 ·
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
- 3 issues per year
- ISSN
- 2509-7954
- Print ISSN
- 2509-7946
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗LetPub
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Asia-Pacific Journal of Regional Science
What CAS zone is Asia-Pacific Journal of Regional Science in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Asia-Pacific Journal of Regional Science is in Zone 4 of Economics, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Economics / Environmental Studies / Regional & Urban Planning. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 3 of Economics. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Asia-Pacific Journal of Regional Science?
The journal's website gives an impact factor of 1.9 (2025); this is the journal's own figure, as LetPub lists none for it; CiteScore 4.9, h-index 27.
How long does peer review take at Asia-Pacific Journal of Regional Science?
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 157 days (interquartile range 125–223 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 Asia-Pacific Journal of Regional Science?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: 150–250 words; Keywords: ≥ 4; Reference style: Author–date; 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 Asia-Pacific Journal of Regional Science based?
Of the 129 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 27 (about 21%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Japan (39), Mainland China (27) and United States (10). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Asia-Pacific Journal of Regional Science?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Asia-Pacific Journal of Regional Science is indexed in ESCI and Scopus.
Is Asia-Pacific Journal of Regional Science open access, and what is the APC?
Asia-Pacific Journal of Regional Science is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,490.
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 2026-08-26). Last updated: .