Journal profile · ASIAN STUDIES
BULLETIN OF THE SCHOOL OF ORIENTAL AND AFRICAN STUDIES-UNIVERSITY OF LONDON
ISSN 0041-977X · eISSN 1474-0699 · Cambridge University Press
BULLETIN OF THE SCHOOL OF ORIENTAL AND AFRICAN STUDIES-UNIVERSITY OF LONDON: CAS Zone 3 · Sociology (2025 upgraded edition); hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,550; 71 articles in 2025; indexed in AHCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
BULLETIN OF THE SCHOOL OF ORIENTAL AND AFRICAN STUDIES-UNIVERSITY OF LONDON is published by Cambridge University Press 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 Chinese history and philosophy, Eurasian Exchange Networks and Islamic Studies and History, together about 26.6% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
The Bulletin of SOAS is the leading interdisciplinary journal on Asia, Africa and the Middle East and has been an outlet for research in the arts and humanities since 1917. It carries unparalleled coverage of the languages, cultures, textual traditions and civilisations of these regions from ancient times to the turn of the twentieth century. Publishing peer-reviewed articles of the highest academic standard by international authors, it also features an extensive and influential book reviews section.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): ASIAN STUDIES
Editor-in-chief Ayman ShihadehPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 2 in mainland China (about 12%); most named United Kingdom 7, Mainland China 2, France 2, United States 1, India 1 (17 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Chinese history and philosophySocial Sciences9.2%
- Eurasian Exchange NetworksSocial Sciences8.8%
- Islamic Studies and HistorySocial Sciences8.7%
- Archaeology and Historical StudiesArts and Humanities8%
- African history and culture analysisSocial Sciences6.7%
- Historical and Linguistic StudiesSocial Sciences5.7%
- Indian and Buddhist StudiesArts and Humanities5.6%
- Linguistics and language evolutionArts and Humanities5%
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 | Asian Studies | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Sociology Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Sociology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Asian Studies | Zone 1 |
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 | Asian Studies | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
AHCIScopusLetPub
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
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 0.7LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.24LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.92LetPub ·
- h-index
- 65OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 705OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 0.17OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 0%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 53.85%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 34LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 18,043 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 33 | 15 | 1 |
| 2025 | 71 | 27 | 13 |
| 2024 | 69 | 36 | 16 |
| 2023 | 80 | 29 | 24 |
| 2022 | 73 | 19 | 105 |
| 2021 | 106 | 20 | 58 |
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.
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 3,550 / GBP 2,460 | — | — |
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)
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteOpen access
- Open access Open access articles
Latest issue Most cited All issues Topics FirstView articles Most read
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
- Cambridge University Press
- ISSN
- 0041-977X
- Electronic ISSN
- 1474-0699
- Society / sponsor
- School of Oriental and African Studies
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about BULLETIN OF THE SCHOOL OF ORIENTAL AND AFRICAN STUDIES-UNIVERSITY OF LONDON
What CAS zone is BULLETIN OF THE SCHOOL OF ORIENTAL AND AFRICAN STUDIES-UNIVERSITY OF LONDON in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, BULLETIN OF THE SCHOOL OF ORIENTAL AND AFRICAN STUDIES-UNIVERSITY OF LONDON is in Zone 3 of Sociology, and in Zone 2 of the minor category Asian Studies. 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.
Where are the editorial board members of BULLETIN OF THE SCHOOL OF ORIENTAL AND AFRICAN STUDIES-UNIVERSITY OF LONDON based?
Of the 17 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 2 (about 12%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United Kingdom (7), Mainland China (2) and France (2). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index BULLETIN OF THE SCHOOL OF ORIENTAL AND AFRICAN STUDIES-UNIVERSITY OF LONDON?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, BULLETIN OF THE SCHOOL OF ORIENTAL AND AFRICAN STUDIES-UNIVERSITY OF LONDON is indexed in AHCI and Scopus.
Is BULLETIN OF THE SCHOOL OF ORIENTAL AND AFRICAN STUDIES-UNIVERSITY OF LONDON open access, and what is the APC?
BULLETIN OF THE SCHOOL OF ORIENTAL AND AFRICAN STUDIES-UNIVERSITY OF LONDON is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,550.
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: .