Journal profile · Multiple
Human Studies
ISSN 0163-8548 · eISSN 1572-851X · Springer Nature · 4 issues per year
Human Studies: CAS Zone 3 · Philosophy (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 1.17; hybrid open access; APC about USD 2,290; median 150 days to acceptance (48 articles, last 24 months); 56 articles in 2025; indexed in SSCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Human Studies is published by Springer Nature and is in Zone 3 of Philosophy in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Phenomenology and Existential Philosophy, Philosophy, Ethics, and Existentialism and Language, Discourse, Communication Strategies, together about 31.7% of its articles. Its main subfields are Sociology and Political Science. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Human Studies is an international quarterly journal dedicated primarily to take forward and enlarge the dialogue between philosophy and the human sciences. Therefore, the journal addresses theoretical and empirical topics as well as philosophical investigations in different areas of the human sciences. Phenomenological perspectives and hermeneutical orientations within the social sciences, broadly defined, are the primary focus and frame for published papers. Human Studies benefits from scholars working in a variety of fields and who seek a forum to address these issues, in order to bridge the gap between philosophical and other modes of inquiry in the human sciences. Considering this as the main conceptual aim of Human Studies, its wide-ranging interdisciplinary coverage includes contributions from sociology, philosophy, ethnomethodology, anthropology, history, semiotics, interaction studies, political science, and qualitative social research. A particular accent is set upon communication possibilities between these different perspectives. Thus, interdisciplinary approaches using phenomenology as starting point and reference in trying to analyze and explain the social reality are encouraged and welcome. Both established lines of interpretation and contemporary questions can be used either as basis or subject-matter. Human Studies is the official journal of the Society for Phenomenology and the Human Sciences (SPHS).
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Multiple
Editor-in-chief Martin EndressPublisher website
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named United States 14, Germany 6, Japan 2, Taiwan, China 1, United Kingdom 1 (27 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Phenomenology and Existential PhilosophyPsychology13.5%
- Philosophy, Ethics, and ExistentialismArts and Humanities9.9%
- Language, Discourse, Communication StrategiesArts and Humanities8.4%
- Critical Theory and PhilosophySocial Sciences7%
- Language, Metaphor, and CognitionPsychology5.7%
- Contemporary Sociological Theory and PracticeSocial Sciences4.5%
- Legal and Regulatory AnalysisSocial Sciences4.3%
- Linguistic, Cultural, and Literary StudiesSocial Sciences4.3%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Philosophy Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Philosophy | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Ethics | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Sociology | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Philosophy Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Philosophy | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Ethics | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Sociology | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Philosophy Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Philosophy | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Ethics | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Sociology | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SSCIScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
SCIEERIH PLUSCurrent ContentsPublisher website
Other: Google Scholar, EBSCO, ProQuest, Dimensions, CNKI, Baidu, Naver, OCLC, Portico, CLOCKSS
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
- 1.17LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 1.2Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 1.3Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 2.2LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.48LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.43LetPub ·
- h-index
- 67OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 471OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 1.63OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 16.7%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 59.31%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 49LetPub ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 277,100Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 1,809 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 40 | 28 | 4 |
| 2025 | 56 | 34 | 40 |
| 2024 | 68 | 49 | 224 |
| 2023 | 47 | 28 | 174 |
| 2022 | 41 | 22 | 219 |
| 2021 | 50 | 26 | 396 |
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
150 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 105 days – 259 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 35 days (87 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 199 days
- Sample
- 48 articles with submission and acceptance dates (106 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
- 4 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 2,290 / EUR 3,190 | — | — |
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)
Open calls for papers1, by deadline
Publisher websiteWhat to prepare5 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- 150–250 words
- Keywords
- ≥ 4
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 9,000 words
- Reference style
- Author–date
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
Article types accepted1
- editorialDouble-blind peer review This journal follows a double-blind reviewing procedure. This means that the author will remain anonymous to the reviewers throughout p…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Plagiarism
- AI use Generative AI Images
LLMs do not satisfy authorship criteria; 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
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
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
COPE member Model summary
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
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 Human Studies, including information on fees, funding and licences, visit our Open access publishing page. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Double-blind peer review
Double-blind peer review Model summary
This journal follows a double-blind reviewing procedure. This means that the author will remain anonymous to the reviewers throughout peer review. It is the responsibility of the author to anonymize the manuscript and any associated materials. Author names, affiliations and any other potentially identifying information should be removed from the manuscript text and any accompanying files (such as …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Plagiarism
Plagiarism screening software may be used 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
- 0163-8548
- Electronic ISSN
- 1572-851X
- Society / sponsor
- Society for Phenomenology and the Human Sciences
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 49, Issue 2 (June 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Human Studies
What CAS zone is Human Studies in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Human Studies is in Zone 3 of Philosophy, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Ethics / Sociology. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 3 of Philosophy. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Human Studies?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 1.17; CiteScore 2.2, h-index 67.
How long does peer review take at Human Studies?
Based on the dates recorded on 48 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 150 days (interquartile range 105–259 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 Human Studies?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: 150–250 words; Keywords: ≥ 4; Manuscript length: ≤ 9,000 words; Reference style: Author–date; 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 Human Studies based?
Of the 27 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (14), Germany (6) and Japan (2). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Human Studies?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Human Studies is indexed in SSCI and Scopus. The journal's website also lists SCIE, ERIH PLUS and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Human Studies open access, and what is the APC?
Human Studies is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 2,290.
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: .