Journal profile · INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
International Affairs
ISSN 0020-5850 · eISSN 1468-2346 · Oxford University Press
International Affairs: CAS Zone 1 · Sociology (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal); impact factor 4.91; hybrid open access; APC about USD 4,936; 315 articles in 2025; indexed in SSCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
International Affairs is published by Oxford University Press and is in Zone 1 of Sociology in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Historical and Contemporary Political Dynamics, International Relations and Foreign Policy and Global Peace and Security Dynamics, together about 25.2% of its articles. Its main subfields are Political Science and International Relations. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
The official journal of Chatham House, the Royal Institute of International Affairs. Publishes content across the entire discipline of international
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named Germany 4, Japan 1, India 1 (6 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Historical and Contemporary Political DynamicsArts and Humanities10.1%
- International Relations and Foreign PolicySocial Sciences8.4%
- Global Peace and Security DynamicsSocial Sciences6.8%
- European history and politicsSocial Sciences6.3%
- Historical Geopolitical and Social DynamicsSocial Sciences5.6%
- International Development and AidSocial Sciences5.2%
- International Law and Human RightsSocial Sciences4.7%
- Vietnamese History and Culture StudiesSocial Sciences4.6%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Sociology Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Sociology | Zone 1 |
| Minor | International Relations | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Sociology Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Sociology | Zone 1 |
| Minor | International Relations | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Sociology Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Sociology | Zone 1 |
| Minor | International Relations | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
Database indexing
SSCIScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
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
- 4.91LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 7.9Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 7.9LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 2.1LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 3LetPub ·
- h-index
- 246OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 7,294OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 4.05OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 8%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 56.3%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 111LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 36,813 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 149 | 38 | 17 |
| 2025 | 315 | 82 | 502 |
| 2024 | 333 | 94 | 2,708 |
| 2023 | 345 | 125 | 3,729 |
| 2022 | 313 | 92 | 4,344 |
| 2021 | 244 | 61 | 5,383 |
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.
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 | GBP 3,743 | — | — |
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.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press
- ISSN
- 0020-5850
- Electronic ISSN
- 1468-2346
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 102, Issue 5 (September 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about International Affairs
What CAS zone is International Affairs in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, International Affairs is in Zone 1 of Sociology, and in Zone 1 of the minor category International Relations; it is a Top journal. 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 International Affairs?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 4.91; CiteScore 7.9, h-index 246.
Where are the editorial board members of International Affairs based?
Of the 6 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Germany (4), Japan (1) and India (1). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index International Affairs?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, International Affairs is indexed in SSCI and Scopus.
Is International Affairs open access, and what is the APC?
International Affairs is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 4,936.
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: .