Journal profile · LITERATURE
Critique Studies in Contemporary Fiction
ISSN 0011-1619 · eISSN 1939-9138 · Taylor & Francis
Critique Studies in Contemporary Fiction: CAS Zone 3 · Literature (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 0.3 (journal website); hybrid open access; APC charged, amount not published; review about 62 days (first decision after review, publisher); acceptance rate 12% (journal website); 93 articles in 2025; indexed in AHCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Critique Studies in Contemporary Fiction is published by Taylor & Francis and is in Zone 3 of Literature in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Contemporary Literature and Criticism, Narrative Theory and Analysis and Themes in Literature Analysis, together about 38.4% of its articles. Its main subfields are Literature and Literary Theory. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Since its inception in the 1950s, Critique has consistently identified the most notable novelists of our time. Readers go to Critique for critical essays on new authors with emerging reputations. We now consider “contemporary” literature to be by any author who made their career in or after the 1950s. Our focus is on adult or literary fiction in the form of novels, short stories, hypertext, and graphic fiction, originally published in or available translated into English. While we do not publish essays about theory, we welcome theoretically informed approaches to contemporary fiction; the essays we publish draw on existing scholarship and emphasize the analysis of contemporary fiction. We publish articles on fiction from cultures around the world, on topics or approaches such as postcolonial literature, immigration, migration, environment, science, psychology, social issues, politics and history, communications theory, sci-fi and fantasy, humor, absurdity, modernism, postmodernism, feminist themes and women authors, and literature’s intersection with film––with the emphasis on exploring their representation in contemporary fiction.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): LITERATURE
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Contemporary Literature and CriticismArts and Humanities24.4%
- Narrative Theory and AnalysisArts and Humanities7.7%
- Themes in Literature AnalysisArts and Humanities6.3%
- Short Stories in Global LiteratureArts and Humanities5.6%
- Crime and Detective Fiction StudiesArts and Humanities4.7%
- Gothic Literature and Media AnalysisSocial Sciences4.7%
- Postcolonial and Cultural Literary StudiesArts and Humanities3.8%
- American and British Literature AnalysisArts and Humanities3.8%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Literature Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Literature | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Literature | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Literature Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Literature | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Literature | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Literature Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Literature | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Literature | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
JCR / CiteScore quartiles on the journal's website
- CiteScore Q1 · 2025
Publisher-reported: JCR figures are Clarivate's and CiteScore figures Scopus's to confirm; both are a different system from the CAS zones.Publisher website
Database indexing
AHCIScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
Current ContentsPublisher website
Other: Abstracts in English Studies, Annual Bibliography of English Language and Literature, EBSCOhost Online Research Databases, Book Review Index Online, Humanities Index, International Bibliography of Book Reviews (IBR), International Bibliography of Periodical Literature (IBZ), MLA International Bibliography, Periodical Abstracts Research (PerAbs), Research Alert
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
- 0.3Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 0.4Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 0.8LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher) 2025
- 0.8Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.28LetPub ·
- SJR (publisher) 2025
- 0.28Publisher website ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.3LetPub ·
- SNIP (publisher) 2025
- 1.3Publisher website ·
- h-index
- 23OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 114OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 0.35OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 33.3%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 12.13%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 91LetPub ·
- Downloads per year (publisher)
- 143,000Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 2,259 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 79 | 18 | 9 |
| 2025 | 93 | 24 | 27 |
| 2024 | 81 | 28 | 52 |
| 2023 | 71 | 24 | 74 |
| 2022 | 71 | 14 | 89 |
| 2021 | 51 | 7 | 54 |
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
62 daysfirst decision after review
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
- Acceptance rate (publisher)
- 12%Publisher website ·
- Submission to first decision
- 4 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 62 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 11 daysPublisher 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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)
Article types accepted1
- research articleResearch Article | Published online: 14 Sep 2026Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteOpen access
- Open access Open access
Hybrid open access journal, part of Taylor & Francis Open Select publishing program. Model summary
Critique: Studies in Contemporary Fiction is a hybrid open access journal that is part of the Taylor & Francis Open Select publishing program, giving you the option to publish open access. Publishing open access means that your article will be free to access online immediately on publication, increasing the visibility, readership, and impact of your research. Why choose open access? Increase the d…
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
- Taylor & Francis
- ISSN
- 0011-1619
- Electronic ISSN
- 1939-9138
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 67, Issue 4 (2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Critique Studies in Contemporary Fiction
What CAS zone is Critique Studies in Contemporary Fiction in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Critique Studies in Contemporary Fiction is in Zone 3 of Literature, and in Zone 3 of the minor category Literature. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 3 of Literature. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Critique Studies in Contemporary Fiction?
The journal's website gives an impact factor of 0.3 (2025); this is the journal's own figure, as LetPub lists none for it; CiteScore 0.8, h-index 23.
How long does peer review take at Critique Studies in Contemporary Fiction?
The publisher reports about 62 days (first decision after review); the journal's website gives an acceptance rate of 12%. 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.
Which databases index Critique Studies in Contemporary Fiction?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Critique Studies in Contemporary Fiction is indexed in AHCI and Scopus. The journal's website also lists Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Critique Studies in Contemporary Fiction open access, and what is the APC?
Critique Studies in Contemporary Fiction is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC charged, amount not published.
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 2026-08-26). Last updated: .