Journal profile · SOCIAL SCIENCES, INTERDISCIPLINARY
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR THE SEMIOTICS OF LAW-REVUE INTERNATIONALE DE SEMIOTIQUE JURIDIQUE
ISSN 0952-8059 · eISSN 1572-8722 · Springer Nature · 6 issues per year
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR THE SEMIOTICS OF LAW-REVUE INTERNATIONALE DE SEMIOTIQUE JURIDIQUE: CAS Zone 3 · Sociology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 1 (journal website); hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,090; median 65 days to acceptance (68 articles, last 24 months); 166 articles in 2025; indexed in ESCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR THE SEMIOTICS OF LAW-REVUE INTERNATIONALE DE SEMIOTIQUE JURIDIQUE 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 Law in Society and Culture, Legal Language and Interpretation and Comparative and International Law Studies, together about 43% of its articles. Its main subfields are Law. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
The International Journal for the Semiotics of Law is a leading global platform for scholarship in legal semiotics. As an interdisciplinary forum, the journal is committed to fostering dialogue among scholars, practitioners, and institutions engaged in the study of meaning-making in legal contexts. Our goal is to bridge diverse fields of expertise and promote advanced, critical inquiry into the symbolic, linguistic, and interpretive dimensions of law. We welcome original, high-quality research articles that engage with semiotic theory and analysis from a broad range of perspectives.Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:• Rhetoric and legal discourse• History of legal and political thought• Philosophy of language• Pragmatics and sociolinguistics• Hermeneutics and interpretation• Deconstruction and post-structuralist theory• Visual semiotics and legal iconography• Law and literature• Law and aesthetics• Psychoanalysis and the legal subject• Legal theory and jurisprudenceWe particularly encourage contributions that apply innovative methodologies, challenge established paradigms, or develop interdisciplinary connections between law and the humanities or social sciences.Languages and Peer ReviewSubmissions are accepted in both English and French. All manuscripts undergo a rigorous double-blind peer review process, coordinated through our online submission system. Our international editorial board and reviewer network ensure that each submission receives expert and fair evaluation.Special Issues and Thematic CollectionsThe journal also welcomes proposals for special issues. These issues provide a venue to explore emerging research themes, interdisciplinary collaborations, and current debates in legal semiotics. Proposals should include a thematic outline, rationale, and a preliminary list of contributors, and may be directed to the Editor-in-Chief.Publication Model and Open AccessTo reduce delays in publication, accepted articles are published online-first ahead of print. Authors may also choose Open Choice to make their work freely available through open access, in compliance with institutional and funder requirements.Whether as an author, reviewer, or guest editor, we invite you to engage with the International Journal for the Semiotics of Law as a dynamic space for critical thought and scholarly innovation in the study of law and meaning.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): SOCIAL SCIENCES, INTERDISCIPLINARY
Editor-in-chief Anne WagnerPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 3 in mainland China (about 4%); most named Poland 10, United States 8, United Kingdom 7, Italy 7, Canada 5 (85 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Law in Society and CultureSocial Sciences25.9%
- Legal Language and InterpretationSocial Sciences8.8%
- Comparative and International Law StudiesSocial Sciences8.3%
- Judicial and Constitutional StudiesSocial Sciences6.7%
- Translation Studies and PracticesArts and Humanities5.6%
- linguistics and terminology studiesArts and Humanities4.2%
- Legal Education and Practice InnovationsSocial Sciences3.4%
- European and International Law StudiesSocial Sciences3.4%
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 | Social Sciences, Interdisciplinary | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Sociology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Sociology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Social Sciences, Interdisciplinary | 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
ERIH PLUSPublisher 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 (publisher) 2025
- 1Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 1Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 2.8LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.32LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.13LetPub ·
- h-index
- 33OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 231OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 1.41OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 30%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 47.84%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 160LetPub ·
- Articles per year (publisher)
- 2,025Publisher website ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 638,000Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 1,960 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 172 | 72 | 44 |
| 2025 | 166 | 76 | 301 |
| 2024 | 152 | 78 | 346 |
| 2023 | 124 | 68 | 558 |
| 2022 | 81 | 55 | 535 |
| 2021 | 73 | 46 | 470 |
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
65 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 43 days – 85 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 20 days (100 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 87 days
- Sample
- 68 articles with submission and acceptance dates (378 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 3,090 / EUR 2,490 / GBP 2,190 | — | — |
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
- ≤ 15,000 words
- Reference style
- Numbered, in order of citation
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
Article types accepted7
- 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
- original paperOriginal Papers : Original papers should ideally critique, apply or otherwise engage with semiotics or related theory and models of analyses, or with rhetoric, …Length not stated
- original papersOriginal Papers : Original papers should ideally critique, apply or otherwise engage with semiotics or related theory and models of analyses, or with rhetoric, …Length not stated
- reviewOriginal Papers : Original papers should ideally critique, apply or otherwise engage with semiotics or related theory and models of analyses, or with rhetoric, …Length not stated
- review essaysReview Essays: Review Essays denote an authoritative, balance, and scholarly survey aimed at informing a broader readership of developments in a field in which …Length not stated
- surveyOriginal Papers : Original papers should ideally critique, apply or otherwise engage with semiotics or related theory and models of analyses, or with rhetoric, …Length not stated
- viewpointOriginal Papers : Original papers should ideally critique, apply or otherwise engage with semiotics or related theory and models of analyses, or with rhetoric, …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, Trial registration / reporting guidelines
- AI use Generative AI Images
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
Length of paper Model summary
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
Data transparency 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
Retrospective ethics approval 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 International Journal for the Semiotics of Law - Revue internationale de Sémiotique juridique, 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 ·- Trial registration / reporting guidelines Clinical Trial Registration
The World Health Organization (WHO) definition of a clinical trial is "any research study that prospectively assigns human participants or groups of humans to one or more health-related interventions to evaluate the effects on health outcomes". The WHO defines health interventions as “A health intervention is an act performed for, with or on behalf of a person or population whose purpose is to ass…
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
- 6 issues per year
- ISSN
- 0952-8059
- Electronic ISSN
- 1572-8722
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 39, Issue 6 (August 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗LetPub
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR THE SEMIOTICS OF LAW-REVUE INTERNATIONALE DE SEMIOTIQUE JURIDIQUE
What CAS zone is INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR THE SEMIOTICS OF LAW-REVUE INTERNATIONALE DE SEMIOTIQUE JURIDIQUE in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR THE SEMIOTICS OF LAW-REVUE INTERNATIONALE DE SEMIOTIQUE JURIDIQUE is in Zone 3 of Sociology, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Social Sciences, Interdisciplinary. 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 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR THE SEMIOTICS OF LAW-REVUE INTERNATIONALE DE SEMIOTIQUE JURIDIQUE?
The journal's website gives an impact factor of 1 (2025); this is the journal's own figure, as LetPub lists none for it; CiteScore 2.8, h-index 33.
How long does peer review take at INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR THE SEMIOTICS OF LAW-REVUE INTERNATIONALE DE SEMIOTIQUE JURIDIQUE?
Based on the dates recorded on 68 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 65 days (interquartile range 43–85 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 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR THE SEMIOTICS OF LAW-REVUE INTERNATIONALE DE SEMIOTIQUE JURIDIQUE?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: 150–250 words; Keywords: ≥ 4; Manuscript length: ≤ 15,000 words; 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 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR THE SEMIOTICS OF LAW-REVUE INTERNATIONALE DE SEMIOTIQUE JURIDIQUE based?
Of the 85 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 3 (about 4%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Poland (10), United States (8) and United Kingdom (7). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR THE SEMIOTICS OF LAW-REVUE INTERNATIONALE DE SEMIOTIQUE JURIDIQUE?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR THE SEMIOTICS OF LAW-REVUE INTERNATIONALE DE SEMIOTIQUE JURIDIQUE is indexed in ESCI and Scopus. The journal's website also lists ERIH PLUS; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR THE SEMIOTICS OF LAW-REVUE INTERNATIONALE DE SEMIOTIQUE JURIDIQUE open access, and what is the APC?
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR THE SEMIOTICS OF LAW-REVUE INTERNATIONALE DE SEMIOTIQUE JURIDIQUE is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,090.
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: .