Journal profile · Multiple
Global Social Challenges Journal
ISSN 2752-3349 · Bristol University Press · United Kingdom
Global Social Challenges Journal: CAS Zone 1 · Sociology (2026 Xinrui edition); impact factor 3.5 (journal website); diamond open access (no APC); no APC; review about 14 weeks (community reports); 27 articles in 2025; indexed in ESCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Global Social Challenges Journal is published by Bristol University Press and is classed under Sociology in the CAS Journal Ranking. By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Sustainability and Climate Change Governance, Water Governance and Infrastructure and Interdisciplinary Research and Collaboration, together about 25.2% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
How can we reimagine society in an era of climate change, pandemic, hunger, poverty, questions of racial, ethnic and gender justice and other pressing global societal challenges? Significant threats and dangers lie ahead of us, but so do opportunities, as new ways of being, thinking and doing emerge. This new fully Open Access journal aims to facilitate thinking about these positive new trajectories and to become the journal of choice to address the complexities of global social challenges across disciplines and fields. It is the first such journal to be based in the social sciences, while also engaging with research from humanities, arts and STEM. Including marginalised, minority and Indigenous world views, the journal is an important home for research which contributes to the creation of alternative futures that acknowledge past injustices and are socially and environmentally just and sustaining. It also welcomes conceptual and methodological developments which expand our thinking and enable greater understanding. The Global Social Challenges Journal facilitates the publication of multi-, inter- and transdisciplinary research internationally within and beyond academia as well as welcoming single-discipline work. Engaging with innovative and critical perspectives, including decolonial and southern epistemologies and their relationship with those of the Global North, it responds directly to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and encompasses co-production and other participatory approaches. The journal recognises new methodologies, offering a range of novel and more traditional outputs. Highly accessible, impactful and policy-facing, it hopes to foster dialogue between academics, policy makers, thought leaders, NGOs, practitioners and the public. By publishing fully Open Access evidence-based, collaborative work in the collective interest through a not-for-profit university press, the journal enables the sharing of knowledge needed to help build a fairer world, across and for the Global South and North.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Multiple
Editor-in-chief Mo HamzaPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 1 in mainland China (about 11%); most named United Kingdom 3, Sweden 2, Mainland China 1, India 1, Australia 1 (9 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Sustainability and Climate Change GovernanceEnvironmental Science11.2%
- Water Governance and InfrastructureSocial Sciences7.5%
- Interdisciplinary Research and CollaborationDecision Sciences6.5%
- Global Health and SurgeryMedicine4.7%
- Participatory Visual Research MethodsSocial Sciences4.7%
- Tourism, Volunteerism, and DevelopmentSocial Sciences4.7%
- Conservation, Biodiversity, and Resource ManagementEnvironmental Science3.7%
- Environmental Education and SustainabilityEnvironmental Science3.7%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Sociology Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Sociology | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Environmental Studies | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Social Issues | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Social Sciences, Interdisciplinary | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
Database indexing
ESCIScopusDOAJLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
Web of SciencePublisher 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
- 3.5Publisher website ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2024
- 3.6Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 3.4Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 5.4LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher) 2025
- 5.4Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.95LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.58LetPub ·
- h-index
- 13OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 19OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 2OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 2.9%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 98.41%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 22LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 111 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 27 | 27 | 5 |
| 2025 | 27 | 27 | 32 |
| 2024 | 29 | 29 | 129 |
| 2023 | 17 | 17 | 247 |
| 2022 | 11 | 11 | 238 |
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 14 weeksLetPub ·
- Submission to publication (journal-reported)
- about 14 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, CC BY-SA, CC BY-ND, CC BY-NC, CC BY-NC-SA, CC BY-NC-ND | |
| LetPub | GBP 1,500 | Yes | — | |
| Publisher website | No APC | — | — |
Other charges and waivers (author guidelines)
- Other fees
- No other fees
- Page charges
- No page charges
- Submission fee
- No submission fee
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
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 8,500 words
- Templates
- Word
- First submission
- Free format: the journal's layout is not required
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
- Graphical abstract
- Optional
- Cover letter
- Required
Article types accepted7, with length limits
- debatesDebates: Debates address contemporary matters of concern, strategies for change or forms of organisation that respond to global social challenges, where there i…Length not stated
- editorialAll submissions are first desk-reviewed by members of the editorial team who will assess whether the manuscript fits the aims and scope as well as the quality s…Length not stated
- interventionsInterventions are our shorter (3500 word) publication format.Length not stated
- policy and practicePolicy and practice: Policy and practice submissions explore the processes of knowledge exchange, co-production and impact that widen the research community and…Length not stated
- provocationsProvocations: A provocation is a genre of writing that stimulates or incites new ways of thinking and acting, sketches a new trajectory or links different field…Length not stated
- research article8,500 words (excluding references) for Research Articles and 3,500 words for Interventions (policy and impact; debates; provocationsmain text ≤ 3,500 words
- research articlesResearch articles: Submissions should reflect the themes, aims and scope of the journal, including conceptual and methodological pieces which further debate and…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteData availability, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review
- Data availability Data availability statement
Encourages data sharing via public repository and a Data Availability Statement. Model summary
In the humanities and social sciences, data sharing can support transparency of research methods, allow others to build on published work, and provide credit to the data creator in the form of citations. Global Social Challenges Journal encourages authors to share their data and materials via a public repository. When you submit a manuscript which is based on data (either qualitative or quantitati…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics
Member of COPE; follows COPE guidance on misconduct. Model summary
At Bristol University Press we are committed to upholding the highest standards of review and publication ethics in our journals. Bristol University Press is a member of and subscribes to the principles of the Committee of Publication Ethics (COPE), and will take appropriate action in cases of possible misconduct in line with COPE guidance.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Copyright and clearing permissions
Published under CC BY or CC BY-NC licences; copyright remains with authors. Model summary
The Global Social Challenges Journal is published Open Access by Bristol University Press. Articles are considered for publication on the understanding that on acceptance the author(s) grant(s) Bristol University Press the right and licence to first publication of the article. Bristol University Press will publish the article under either CC BY or CC BY-NC Creative Commons licences, unless otherwi…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open Access and Article Processing Charges
The journal currently operates on a Diamond Open Access basis. This means that authors who submit to the journal will be able to publish their articles and special collections free of charge. We are continuing to seek funding to support our Diamond model by participating in the Lyrasis Open Access Community Investment Program (OACIP). The program's goal is to help match libraries, consortia, acade…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Editorial review process
Desk review by editorial team; double-anonymous peer review by at least two referees. Model summary
All submissions are first desk-reviewed by members of the editorial team who will assess whether the manuscript fits the aims and scope as well as the quality standards of the journal. Submissions will be checked for consistency with the journal’s aims and scope. Submissions that are selected to be sent out for review will be evaluated through double-anonymous peer review by at least two referees.…
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
- Bristol University Press
- Country or region
- United Kingdom
- Language
- English
- ISSN
- 2752-3349
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Aims & Scope ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
- APC information ↗DOAJ
- Open access statement ↗DOAJ
- License & copyright ↗DOAJ
- Peer review process ↗LetPub
- Editorial board ↗LetPub
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Global Social Challenges Journal
What CAS zone is Global Social Challenges Journal in?
In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 1 of Sociology. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Global Social Challenges Journal?
The journal's website gives an impact factor of 3.5 (2025); this is the journal's own figure, as LetPub lists none for it; CiteScore 5.4, h-index 13.
How long does peer review take at Global Social Challenges Journal?
Authors report an average review time of about 14 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 Global Social Challenges Journal?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Manuscript length: ≤ 8,500 words; Templates: Word; First submission: Free format: the journal's layout is not required; Suggested reviewers: Optional; Graphical abstract: Optional; Cover letter: Required. 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 Global Social Challenges Journal based?
Of the 9 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 1 (about 11%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United Kingdom (3), Sweden (2) and Mainland China (1). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Global Social Challenges Journal?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Global Social Challenges Journal is indexed in ESCI, Scopus and DOAJ. The journal's website also lists Web of Science; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Global Social Challenges Journal open access, and what is the APC?
Global Social Challenges Journal 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, Publisher website, DOAJ; 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: .