Journal profile · LITERATURE
Essays in Criticism
ISSN 0014-0856 · eISSN 1471-6852 · Oxford University Press
Essays in Criticism: CAS Zone 3 · Literature (2025 upgraded edition); hybrid open access; APC about USD 4,981; 28 articles in 2025; indexed in AHCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Essays in Criticism is published by Oxford University Press 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 Poetry Analysis and Criticism, Samuel Beckett and Modernism and Modernist Literature and Criticism, together about 42.3% of its articles. Its main subfields are Literature and Literary Theory. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Founded in 1951, by F. W. Bateson, Essays in Criticism soon achieved world-wide circulation, and is today regarded as one of Britain's most distinguished journals of literary criticism … Find out more
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): LITERATURE
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named United Kingdom 2, United States 1 (3 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Poetry Analysis and CriticismArts and Humanities21%
- Samuel Beckett and ModernismArts and Humanities11.8%
- Modernist Literature and CriticismArts and Humanities9.5%
- Shakespeare, Adaptation, and Literary CriticismArts and Humanities6.1%
- Irish and British StudiesSocial Sciences6%
- Contemporary Literature and CriticismArts and Humanities5.5%
- Literature: history, themes, analysisArts and Humanities4.8%
- Medieval Literature and HistoryArts and Humanities3.5%
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 2 |
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
Database indexing
AHCIScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
Current ContentsPublisher website
Other: ProQuest
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
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 0.1LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.1LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0LetPub ·
- h-index
- 37OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 159OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 0.06OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 0%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 23.33%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 23LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 3,085 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 14 | 5 | 0 |
| 2025 | 28 | 4 | 1 |
| 2024 | 26 | 6 | 3 |
| 2023 | 30 | 12 | 1 |
| 2022 | 36 | 13 | 12 |
| 2021 | 24 | 3 | 5 |
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
- Peer review
- Single-anonymous peer reviewPublisher website · model-extracted
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 4,981 | — | — | |
| 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)
What to prepare2 items from the author guidelines
- Reference style
- Author–date
- Templates
- Word
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAuthorship, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review
- Authorship
Corresponding authors receive a free access link to their article upon publication. Model summary
All corresponding authors will be provided with a free access link to their article upon publication.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Copyright
Authors must grant an exclusive licence to Oxford University Press as a condition of publication. Model summary
It is a condition of publication in the Journal that authors grant an exclusive licence to Oxford University Press. This ensures that request from third parties to reproduce articles are handled efficiently and consistently and will also allow the article to be as widely disseminated as possible. In assigning copyright, authors may use their own material in other publications provided that the Jou…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open Access
The journal offers a standard licence or an open access licence. Model summary
Essays in Criticism offers the option of publishing under either a standard licence or an open access licence. Please note that some funders require open access publication as a condition of funding. If you are unsure whether you are required to publish open access, please do clarify any such requirements with your funder or institution. Should you wish to publish your article open access, you sho…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review
Manuscripts may be screened, including with third-party services, to detect integrity issues such as inappropriate image alteration and papermill activity. Model summary
Manuscripts may also be screened, including with services provided by third parties, to help detect integrity issues such as inappropriate image alteration and papermill activity.
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
- Oxford University Press
- ISSN
- 0014-0856
- Electronic ISSN
- 1471-6852
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 76, Issue 2 (April 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Essays in Criticism
What CAS zone is Essays in Criticism in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Essays in Criticism 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 are the manuscript requirements of Essays in Criticism?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Reference style: Author–date; Templates: Word. 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 Essays in Criticism based?
Of the 3 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United Kingdom (2) and United States (1). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Essays in Criticism?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Essays in Criticism is indexed in AHCI and Scopus. The journal's website also lists Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Essays in Criticism open access, and what is the APC?
Essays in Criticism is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 4,981.
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: .