Journal profile · PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
Commonwealth Journal of Local Governance
ISSN 1836-0394 · UTS ePRESS · Australia
Commonwealth Journal of Local Governance: CAS Zone 4 · Management (2025 upgraded edition); diamond open access (no APC); no APC; review about 24 weeks (community reports); 9 articles in 2025; indexed in ESCI.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Commonwealth Journal of Local Governance is published by UTS ePRESS and is in Zone 4 of Management in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Local Government Finance and Decentralization, Public Policy and Administration Research and Community Development and Social Impact, together about 32.6% of its articles. Its main subfields are Political Science and International Relations. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
The aim of the Commonwealth Journal of Local Governance is to strengthen the research 'voice' of local government in the Commonwealth by the focussed dissemination of local government ideas and practices within the sector. It does this by providing a forum for researchers and practitioners who have affiliation or interest in Commonwealth nations. The Commonwealth e-Journal of Local Governance journal is auspiced by the Commonwealth Local Government Forum (UK), edited by Cardiff University(UK), and published by UTS Centre for Local Government (University of Technology, Sydney, Australia). Key Editorial Priorities: Improving local governance Local government as an agent of development Concepts of local democracy, citizenship and community participation/empowerment Strategic leadership and planning Traditional leadership and local government, or alternative sites of authority Improving local governance (better systems, efficiency, effectiveness, ethics etc) Decentralisation and re-centralisation Municipal finance and capacity (including aid management) Global issues and local government: climate change, health, economic transformation, urbanisation etc Social inclusion (including gender equity and poverty alleviation) Performance measurement and management Inter-government relations
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named United Kingdom 4, India 3, South Africa 3, Canada 1 (11 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Local Government Finance and DecentralizationSocial Sciences15.3%
- Public Policy and Administration ResearchSocial Sciences9.4%
- Community Development and Social ImpactEconomics, Econometrics and Finance7.9%
- Urban and Rural Development ChallengesSocial Sciences7.3%
- Legal Issues in South AfricaSocial Sciences7.1%
- Local Economic Development and PlanningSocial Sciences6.3%
- Political Systems and GovernanceSocial Sciences4.5%
- Public-Private Partnership ProjectsBusiness, Management and Accounting4.3%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Management Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Management | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Public Administration | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Management Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Management | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Public Administration | 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
ESCIDOAJLetPub
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
- 21OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 65OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 0.75OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 20%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 100%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 7LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 341 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 9 | 9 | 3 |
| 2024 | 11 | 11 | 12 |
| 2023 | 11 | 11 | 12 |
| 2022 | 21 | 21 | 71 |
| 2021 | 18 | 18 | 137 |
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 24 weeksLetPub ·
- Submission to publication (journal-reported)
- about 24 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 | |
| LetPub | No APC | No | — | |
| Publisher website | No APC | — | — |
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 prepare2 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- 100–200 words
- Reference style
- Harvard
Article types accepted14
- book reviewBook ReviewLength not stated
- case studiesCase studies – detailing analysis of best practice, examples of innovation, accounts of work or initiatives, positive and/or otherwise for others to learn fromLength not stated
- commentaryCommentaryLength not stated
- conference reportsConference Reports – an overview of a relevant conference with a focus on sessions or keynotes of relevance to the readership or aims of the journalLength not stated
- editorialEditorialLength not stated
- in-country reviewsIn-country Reviews – an outline of trends developments in local government in a place, region or countryLength not stated
- literature reviewsLiterature reviews – the critical examination of scholarly literature of relevance to the sector.Length not stated
- news and reviewsNews and Reviews – Industry news, a recently read or new book, text or themed journal issue, or one suggested by the Editorial Board.Length not stated
- opinion or commentaryOpinion or Commentary – your view about a current issue or experience of current topics related to local government in the CommonwealthLength not stated
- papersPapers – presenting results from scholarly enquiriesLength not stated
- policy and practicePolicy and PracticeLength not stated
- practitioner reportsPractitioner reports – an outline of a project or initiative with a focus on findings and lessonsLength not stated
- research and evaluation (peer-reviewed)Research and Evaluation (peer-reviewed)Length not stated
- work in progressWork in Progress – an outline of current or ongoing research or activities either for networking purposes or knowledge sharingLength not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteConflicts of interest, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Plagiarism
- Conflicts of interest Conflicts of Interest
Our editors are required to declare any potential competing interests in undertaking their editorial duties. In cases where a manuscript is submitted by a colleague at their own institution or from their resesarch networks, editors will remove themselves from the decision-making process. A co-editor, or an external trusted expert, with no such connections, is then asked to act as the editor for th…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics Handling of Suspected Misconduct
Issues of suspected misconduct will be handled in accordance with the guidelines set out by the COPE Code of Conduct for Journal Editors.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Copyright Notice
Copyright: authors retain copyright, first publication license CC BY Model summary
Authors who submit articles to this journal from 31st March 2014 for publication, agree to the following terms: a) Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share and adapt the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open Access Policy
This journal provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge. This journal has no submission or article processing charges. Authors of published articles remain the copyright holders and grant others the right to use, reproduce, adapt and share their articles according to the Creative…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer Review Process
Complaints procedure: contact Editorial Assistant April Pham (thao.pham@clgf.org.uk); escalation to Prof Alison Brown or UTS ePRESS; COPE Code of Conduct referenced Model summary
All articles submitted to the Commonwealth Journal of Local Governance are reviewed by at least two independent readers who are qualified experts in the subject field. Authors and reviewers remain anonymous during this process. Reviewers' recommendations are taken into consideration by the editors in determining publication and revisions. For further information on best practice peer review proces…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Plagiarism Plagiarism
This journal automatically runs all submissions received through iThenticate anti plagiarism software.
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
- UTS ePRESS
- Country or region
- Australia
- Language
- English
- ISSN
- 1836-0394
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Aims & Scope ↗LetPub
- APC information ↗DOAJ
- Open access statement ↗DOAJ
- License & copyright ↗DOAJ
- Peer review process ↗LetPub
- Editorial board ↗LetPub
- Plagiarism policy ↗DOAJ
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Commonwealth Journal of Local Governance
What CAS zone is Commonwealth Journal of Local Governance in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Commonwealth Journal of Local Governance is in Zone 4 of Management, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Public Administration. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 4 of Management. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
How long does peer review take at Commonwealth Journal of Local Governance?
Authors report an average review time of about 24 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.
What are the manuscript requirements of Commonwealth Journal of Local Governance?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: 100–200 words; Reference style: Harvard. 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 Commonwealth Journal of Local Governance based?
Of the 11 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United Kingdom (4), India (3) and South Africa (3). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Commonwealth Journal of Local Governance?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Commonwealth Journal of Local Governance is indexed in ESCI and DOAJ.
Is Commonwealth Journal of Local Governance open access, and what is the APC?
Commonwealth Journal of Local Governance 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: .