Journal profile · CRIMINOLOGY & PENOLOGY
International Journal of Comparative and Applied Criminal Justice
ISSN 0192-4036 · eISSN 2157-6475 · Taylor & Francis
International Journal of Comparative and Applied Criminal Justice: CAS Zone 4 · Sociology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 1.6 (journal website); JCR Q2 (journal website); hybrid open access; APC charged, amount not published; median 181 days to acceptance (45 articles, last 24 months); acceptance rate 21% (journal website); 25 articles in 2025; indexed in ESCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
International Journal of Comparative and Applied Criminal Justice is published by Taylor & Francis and is in Zone 4 of Sociology in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Crime Patterns and Interventions, Criminal Justice and Corrections Analysis and Crime, Illicit Activities, and Governance, together about 45.7% of its articles. Its main subfields are Sociology and Political Science. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
The International Journal of Comparative and Applied Criminal Justice ( IJCACJ) publishes original, theoretically engaged, empirical or applied research in Criminal Justice and Criminology that informs scholars and policy-makers around the globe. The IJCACJ seeks to provide a forum for rigorous, critical analyses and review of crime and justice problems globally, their causes and associated effects, and strategies for alleviation and prevention. Theoretical approaches and methodologies from related disciplines such as Sociology, Psychology, Political Science, Economics, Organization and Management studies or Health and Environmental sciences are welcome. The IJCACJ is one of the best-known, most widely read international criminal justice journals and has included contributions from over 80 countries and five continents. The Journal primarily publishes original research articles but also publishes reviews and commentaries on significant books or crime issues. Special issues are also published periodically to cover, in greater depth, significant themes and programs of research. All research articles published in the Journal are appraised by the Editor-in-Chief, and, if found suitable for further consideration, are sent for anonymous peer review to independent, expert referees. Submission is online via ScholarOne Manuscripts.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): CRIMINOLOGY & PENOLOGY
Editor-in-chief Sheila MaxwellPublisher website
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Crime Patterns and InterventionsSocial Sciences20.7%
- Criminal Justice and Corrections AnalysisSocial Sciences15.4%
- Crime, Illicit Activities, and GovernanceSocial Sciences9.7%
- Policing Practices and PerceptionsSocial Sciences8.1%
- Wildlife Conservation and Criminology AnalysesEnvironmental Science6.3%
- Psychopathy, Forensic Psychiatry, Sexual OffendingPsychology3.9%
- Sex work and related issuesSocial Sciences3.1%
- Intimate Partner and Family ViolenceSocial Sciences3%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Sociology Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Sociology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Criminology & Penology | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Sociology Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Sociology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Criminology & Penology | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
JCR / CiteScore quartiles on the journal's website
- JCR Q2 · best quartile · 2025
- CiteScore Q1 · 2025
Publisher-reported: JCR figures are Clarivate's and CiteScore figures Scopus's to confirm; both are a different system from the CAS zones.Publisher website
Database indexing
ESCIScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
ProQuest, Criminal Justice Abstracts, NCJRS Abstracts Database, Bibliography of Asian Studies (Online), Current Abstracts, Legal Source, SocINDEX, Proquest Criminal Justice Database, Proquest Criminology CollectionPublisher 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
- 1.6Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 1.6Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 3.2LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher) 2025
- 3.2Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.5LetPub ·
- SJR (publisher) 2025
- 0.5Publisher website ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.35LetPub ·
- SNIP (publisher) 2025
- 1.35Publisher website ·
- h-index
- 41OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 241OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 0.92OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 6.2%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 11.11%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 23LetPub ·
- Downloads per year (publisher)
- 81,000Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 1,131 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 20 | 12 | 6 |
| 2025 | 25 | 9 | 17 |
| 2024 | 17 | 7 | 34 |
| 2023 | 19 | 8 | 90 |
| 2022 | 24 | 5 | 186 |
| 2021 | 36 | 10 | 342 |
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
181 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 151 days – 265 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 10 days (45 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 193 days
- Sample
- 45 articles with submission and acceptance dates (52 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
- Acceptance rate (publisher)
- 21%Publisher website ·
- Submission to first decision
- 34 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 96 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 8 daysPublisher 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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)
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteOpen access, Peer review
- Open access Open access
International Journal of Comparative and Applied Criminal Justice is a hybrid open access journal that is part of the Taylor & Francis Open Select publishing program, giving you the option to publish open access. Publishing open access means that your article will be free to access online immediately on publication, increasing the visibility, readership, and impact of your research. Why choose ope…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review
All research articles are appraised by the Editor-in-Chief and, if suitable, sent for anonymous peer review to independent expert referees. Model summary
All research articles published in the Journal are appraised by the Editor-in-Chief, and, if found suitable for further consideration, are sent for anonymous peer review to independent, expert 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
- Taylor & Francis
- ISSN
- 0192-4036
- Electronic ISSN
- 2157-6475
- Society / sponsor
- Michigan State University School of Criminal Justice
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 50, Issue 3 (2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about International Journal of Comparative and Applied Criminal Justice
What CAS zone is International Journal of Comparative and Applied Criminal Justice in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, International Journal of Comparative and Applied Criminal Justice is in Zone 4 of Sociology, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Criminology & Penology. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 2 of Sociology. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of International Journal of Comparative and Applied Criminal Justice?
The journal's website gives an impact factor of 1.6 (2025); this is the journal's own figure, as LetPub lists none for it; CiteScore 3.2, h-index 41.
How long does peer review take at International Journal of Comparative and Applied Criminal Justice?
Based on the dates recorded on 45 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 181 days (interquartile range 151–265 days); the journal's website gives an acceptance rate of 21%. 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 JCR quartile is International Journal of Comparative and Applied Criminal Justice in?
The journal's website gives JCR Q2 (best quartile). JCR quartiles are Clarivate's to confirm and a different system from the CAS zones; in the CAS ranking the journal is in Zone 4 of Sociology.
Which databases index International Journal of Comparative and Applied Criminal Justice?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, International Journal of Comparative and Applied Criminal Justice is indexed in ESCI and Scopus.
Is International Journal of Comparative and Applied Criminal Justice open access, and what is the APC?
International Journal of Comparative and Applied Criminal Justice is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC charged, amount not published.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex; 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: .