Journal profile · PSYCHOLOGY, EDUCATIONAL
Contemporary Educational Psychology
ISSN 0361-476X · eISSN 1090-2384 · Elsevier
Contemporary Educational Psychology: CAS Zone 1 · Education (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal); impact factor 4.38; hybrid open access; APC about USD 4,720; review about 347 days (submission to acceptance, publisher); 83 articles in 2025; indexed in SSCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Contemporary Educational Psychology is published by Elsevier and is in Zone 1 of Education in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Education, Achievement, and Giftedness, Innovative Teaching and Learning Methods and Educational Strategies and Epistemologies, together about 27% of its articles. Its main subfields are Developmental and Educational Psychology. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Contemporary Educational Psychology publishes empirical research from around the globe that substantively advances, extends, or re-envisions the ongoing discourse in educational psychology research and practice. Publishable manuscripts must be grounded in a rich, inclusive theoretical and empirical framework that gives way to critical and timely questions facing educational psychology. Further, general and specific questions should be closely linked to the selected methodological approach and authors should include actionable implications for education research and practice. In all cases, accepted manuscripts will advance cutting edge theoretical and methodological perspectives that address critical and timely education questions.The journal welcomes rigorously conducted qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods contemporary empirical research within educational psychology. The journal also aims to publish research that employs participant samples representative of the intended population and engaged in authentic teaching or learning contexts, through either formal or informal settings. The journal highly encourages empirical research that exemplifies values of inclusion within education.In addition to novel, empirical studies rooted in primary data or data sources, submissions may include:Purposeful replication studies designed to extend our understanding of fundamental relationships or processes,Measurement or validation studies that include a second, related empirical study that aligns with the editorial goals outlined above,Meta-analyses that have clear implications for teaching and learning, andSelf-report studies involving novel respondents, methodologies, and/or situated in unique contexts.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): PSYCHOLOGY, EDUCATIONAL
Editorial board by country: 6 in mainland China (about 4%); most named United States 74, Germany 11, New Zealand 9, Canada 7, Mainland China 6 (134 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Education, Achievement, and GiftednessPsychology11.3%
- Innovative Teaching and Learning MethodsPsychology8.4%
- Educational Strategies and EpistemologiesPsychology7.3%
- Motivation and Self-Concept in SportsPsychology7.2%
- Reading and Literacy DevelopmentPsychology6.8%
- Diverse Scientific and Economic StudiesEconomics, Econometrics and Finance5.7%
- Human auditory perception and evaluationEngineering5.6%
- Visual and Cognitive Learning ProcessesPsychology5.5%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Education Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Education | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Psychology, Educational | Zone 2 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Education Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Education | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Psychology, Educational | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Psychology Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Psychology | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Psychology, Educational | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
Database indexing
SSCIScopusLetPub
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
- Impact factor
- 4.38LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 4.4Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 7.9LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 7.9Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.86LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.89LetPub ·
- h-index
- 190OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 1,482OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 4.42OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 4.5%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 36.23%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 74LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 2,376 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 42 | 32 | 19 |
| 2025 | 83 | 44 | 308 |
| 2024 | 53 | 31 | 460 |
| 2023 | 81 | 32 | 1,193 |
| 2022 | 82 | 30 | 1,691 |
| 2021 | 76 | 24 | 2,601 |
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
Publisher-reported review time from the journal's website
347 dayssubmission to acceptance
The publisher's own definition applies; dates from this journal's articles in the last 24 months are not available yet, so the publisher's figure is used.
Figures by source
- Submission to first decision
- 23 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 107 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 347 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 3 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 4,720 / EUR 4,420 / GBP 3,780 / JPY 585,420 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 4,030 | — | — |
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 prepare7 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- 1–7
- Reference style
- APA
- First submission
- Free format: the journal's layout is not required
- Highlights
- Required
- Graphical abstract
- Optional
- Not considered
- title
Article types accepted1
- registered reportThis journal supports Registered Reports as article type, allowing you to have your research reviewed and pre-registered prior to conducting your experiments. P…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints
- AI use Declaration of generative AI use
Authors must declare the use of generative AI tools in the manuscript preparation process upon submission of the paper.Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies (“AI tools”) have been rapidly adopted in research and scholarly publishing, offering significant benefits while requiring clear standards for responsible and transparent use.Authors preparing a manuscript for this journal may use AI tool…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Group authorship
Group authorship refers to the attribution of an article to a defined and named group of authors whose members have contributed to the work. Examples include research consortia, clinical trial groups, collaborative networks, task forces or working groups, expert panels or consensus groups, and participatory research groups. Group authorship must be declared on the title page at submission. When av…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Declaration of competing interests
All authors must disclose any financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence or bias their work. Examples of potential competing interests include:EmploymentConsultanciesStock ownershipHonorariaPaid expert testimonyPatent applications or registrationsGrants or any other fundingAffiliation with the journal as an Editor or Advisory Board …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability
Data statement is encouraged at submission. Model summary
To foster transparency, you are encouraged to state the availability of any data at submission.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright License options
Authors will be offered open access user license options which will determine how you, and third parties, can reuse your open access article. We advise that you review these options and any funding body license requirements before selecting a license option.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access
We refer you to our open access information page to learn about open access options for this journal.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer review
Double anonymized peer review is used. Model summary
This journal follows a double anonymized review process. Your submission will initially be assessed by our editors. If your submission is deemed suitable, it will typically be sent to be reviewed by a minimum of two reviewers for an independent expert assessment of the scientific quality. The decision as to whether your article is accepted or rejected for publication will be made by our editors.Re…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprints
Preprint sharing is allowed and does not count as prior publication. Model summary
Preprint sharingAuthors may share preprints in line with Elsevier's article sharing policy. Sharing preprints, such as on a preprint server, will not count as prior publication.We advise you to read our policy on multiple, redundant or concurrent publication. In support of Open Science, this journal offers its authors a free preprint posting service on SSRN, Elsevier’s preprint and early research …
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
- Elsevier
- ISSN
- 0361-476X
- Electronic ISSN
- 1090-2384
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Contemporary Educational Psychology
What CAS zone is Contemporary Educational Psychology in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Contemporary Educational Psychology is in Zone 1 of Education, and in Zone 2 of the minor category Psychology, Educational; it is a Top journal. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 1 of Education. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Contemporary Educational Psychology?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 4.38; CiteScore 7.9, h-index 190.
How long does peer review take at Contemporary Educational Psychology?
The publisher reports about 347 days (submission to acceptance). 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 Contemporary Educational Psychology?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 1–7; Reference style: APA; First submission: Free format: the journal's layout is not required; Highlights: Required; Graphical abstract: 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 Contemporary Educational Psychology based?
Of the 134 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 6 (about 4%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (74), Germany (11) and New Zealand (9). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Contemporary Educational Psychology?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Contemporary Educational Psychology is indexed in SSCI and Scopus.
Is Contemporary Educational Psychology open access, and what is the APC?
Contemporary Educational Psychology is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 4,720.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex; 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: .