Journal profile · AREA STUDIES
East Asia
ISSN 1096-6838 · eISSN 1874-6284 · Springer Nature · 4 issues per year
East Asia: CAS Zone 3 · Sociology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 1.6 (journal website); hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,290; median 120 days to acceptance (49 articles, last 24 months); 26 articles in 2025; indexed in ESCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
East Asia is published by Springer Nature 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 International Relations and Foreign Policy, China's Socioeconomic Reforms and Governance and Korean Peninsula Historical and Political Studies, together about 26.2% of its articles. Its main subfields are Sociology and Political Science. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
East Asia, formerly the Journal of Northeast Asian Studies, is the first journal to examine the interplay between politics and culture underlying major developments in China, Japan, Korea, and the Pacific Rim. It is distinguished by a unique, transnational approach to political, economic, and cultural issues. Focusing on the continuing influence these nations exert upon each other, this international quarterly examines the competition, assimilation, and tensions that now shape events in the region, and will for years to come.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): AREA STUDIES
Editor-in-chief Gordon C.K.Publisher website
Editorial board by country: 2 in mainland China (about 4%); most named United Kingdom 15, United States 13, Hong Kong, China 4, Canada 3, Singapore 3 (50 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- International Relations and Foreign PolicySocial Sciences11.2%
- China's Socioeconomic Reforms and GovernanceSocial Sciences7.8%
- Korean Peninsula Historical and Political StudiesSocial Sciences7.2%
- International Development and AidSocial Sciences6.9%
- Japanese History and CultureSocial Sciences6.2%
- Hong Kong and Taiwan PoliticsSocial Sciences6.2%
- Chinese history and philosophySocial Sciences6%
- Legal and Regulatory AnalysisSocial Sciences4.9%
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 | Area Studies | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Sociology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Sociology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Area Studies | Zone 3 |
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, Naver, OCLC, Portico, CLOCKSSPublisher 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
- 1.6Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 1.2Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 4.1LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.56LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.25LetPub ·
- h-index
- 32OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 161OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 2.08OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 6.2%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 33.33%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 25LetPub ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 156,200Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 736 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 16 | 4 | 1 |
| 2025 | 26 | 7 | 34 |
| 2024 | 22 | 9 | 98 |
| 2023 | 25 | 15 | 207 |
| 2022 | 16 | 8 | 120 |
| 2021 | 28 | 16 | 231 |
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
120 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 88 days – 160 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 15 days (49 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 143 days
- Sample
- 49 articles with submission and acceptance dates (51 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
- 5 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 3,290 / EUR 2,690 / GBP 2,390 | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
Other charges and waivers (author guidelines)
- Colour charges
- For color in the print version, authors will be expected to make a contribution towards the extra costs.
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
- Numbered, in order of citation
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Plagiarism
- AI use Generative AI Images
LLMs cannot be authors; AI use must be documented 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
Competing interests disclosure required 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 Data availability statements
Data and code availability expected Model summary
All original research must include a data availability statement. This statement should explain how to access data supporting the results and analysis in the article, including links/citations to publicly archived datasets analysed or generated during the study. Please see our full policy here. If it is not possible to share research data publicly, for instance when individual privacy could be com…
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 Copyright
Permissions required for third-party material Model summary
Open Choice articles do not require transfer of copyright as the copyright remains with the author. In opting for open access, the author(s) agree to publish the article under a Creative Commons license. Details of the OA licences offered to authors can be found on the individual journal website, in the journal's How to publish with us guide. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access publishing
To find out more about publishing your work Open Access in East Asia, including information on fees, funding and licences, visit our Open access publishing page. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Plagiarism
Plagiarism screening Model summary
The journal may use software to screen for plagiarism
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
- 4 issues per year
- ISSN
- 1096-6838
- Electronic ISSN
- 1874-6284
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 43, Issue 3 (September 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about East Asia
What CAS zone is East Asia in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, East Asia is in Zone 3 of Sociology, and in Zone 3 of the minor category Area Studies. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 3 of Sociology. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of East Asia?
The journal's website gives an impact factor of 1.6 (2025); this is the journal's own figure, as LetPub lists none for it; CiteScore 4.1, h-index 32.
How long does peer review take at East Asia?
Based on the dates recorded on 49 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 120 days (interquartile range 88–160 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 East Asia?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: 150–250 words; Keywords: ≥ 4; Reference style: Numbered, in order of citation; 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 East Asia based?
Of the 50 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 2 (about 4%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United Kingdom (15), United States (13) and Hong Kong, China (4). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index East Asia?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, East Asia is indexed in ESCI and Scopus.
Is East Asia open access, and what is the APC?
East Asia is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,290.
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: .