Journal profile · Multiple
International Journal of Intercultural Relations
ISSN 0147-1767 · eISSN 1873-7552 · Elsevier
International Journal of Intercultural Relations: CAS Zone 2 · Sociology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 2.65; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,420; review about 209 days (submission to acceptance, publisher); 181 articles in 2025; indexed in SSCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
International Journal of Intercultural Relations is published by Elsevier and is in Zone 2 of Sociology in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are International Student and Expatriate Challenges, Cultural Differences and Values and Social and Intergroup Psychology, together about 42.9% of its articles. Its main subfields are Sociology and Political Science. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Affiliated with the International Academy for Intercultural ResearchInternational Journal of Intercultural Relations (IJIR) is dedicated to advancing knowledge and understanding of theory, research and practice in the field of intercultural relations, including, but not limited to, topics such as immigrant acculturation and integration; intergroup relations, and intercultural communication that have implications for social impact. The journal publishes quantitative and qualitative empirical research and reviews of research literature. Both full length papers and brief reports are published with high priority given to manuscripts that join theory and research with applications in the areas of education, health, social welfare and organizational and community development. IJIR provides an interdisciplinary forum for scholars in fields of psychology, communication, education, management, sociology and related disciplines.To be published in IJIR, manuscripts should focus on intercultural processes and should be grounded in theories of intercultural adaptation, communication, or learning.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Multiple
Editor-in-chief Seth SchwartzPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 13 in mainland China (about 9%); most named United States 26, Mainland China 13, India 10, United Kingdom 9, Netherlands 8 (140 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- International Student and Expatriate ChallengesSocial Sciences16.2%
- Cultural Differences and ValuesPsychology15%
- Social and Intergroup PsychologySocial Sciences11.8%
- Racial and Ethnic Identity ResearchSocial Sciences9%
- Global Education and MulticulturalismSocial Sciences5.2%
- Human auditory perception and evaluationEngineering4.5%
- Educational Robotics and EngineeringComputer Science4%
- Diverse Scientific and Economic StudiesEconomics, Econometrics and Finance3.7%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Sociology Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Sociology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Psychology, Social | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Social Sciences, Interdisciplinary | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Sociology | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Sociology Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Sociology | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Psychology, Social | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Social Sciences, Interdisciplinary | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Sociology | Zone 2 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Sociology Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Sociology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Social Sciences, Interdisciplinary | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Psychology, Social | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Sociology | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview 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
- 2.65LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 2.7Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 4.7LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 4.7Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.88LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.46LetPub ·
- h-index
- 172OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 1,860OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 3.09OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 14.8%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 41.65%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 174LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 3,354 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 113 | 58 | 30 |
| 2025 | 181 | 95 | 479 |
| 2024 | 159 | 83 | 890 |
| 2023 | 135 | 61 | 1,362 |
| 2022 | 115 | 43 | 1,597 |
| 2021 | 145 | 57 | 2,743 |
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
Publisher-reported review time from the journal's website
209 dayssubmission to acceptance
The publisher's own definition applies; dates from this journal's articles in the last 24 months are not available yet, so the publisher's figure is used.
Figures by source
- Submission to first decision
- 30 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 98 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 209 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 9 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 3,420 / EUR 3,200 / GBP 2,740 / JPY 424,180 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 3,620 | — | — |
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 prepare3 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 8,000 words
- Reference style
- APA
Article types accepted9, with length limits
- brief reportInternational Journal of Intercultural Relations publishes reviews and empirical research (both full length papers and brief reports) with high priority given t…main text ≤ 3,000 words
- brief reportsBrief reports may be up to 3,000 words in length. When submitting please select Short Communication as an article type.Length not stated
- full length articlesFull length articles should be no longer than 8,000 words (excluding tables)Length not stated
- registered reportInternational Journal of Intercultural Relations publishes reviews and empirical research (both full length papers and brief reports) with high priority given t…Length not stated
- registered reportsRegistered reports ). These submissions undergo a two-phase review process in which study rationale and methodology are considered prior to the research being u…Length not stated
- reviewInternational Journal of Intercultural Relations publishes reviews and empirical research (both full length papers and brief reports) with high priority given t…Length not stated
- review articleInternational Journal of Intercultural Relations publishes reviews and empirical research (both full length papers and brief reports) with high priority given t…main text ≤ 10,000 words
- review articlesReview articles should be longer than 10,000 words.Length not stated
- short communicationInternational Journal of Intercultural Relations publishes reviews and empirical research (both full length papers and brief reports) with high priority given t…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints
- AI use Declaration of generative AI use
Authors must declare the use of generative AI tools in the manuscript preparation process upon submission of the paper.Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies (“AI tools”) have been rapidly adopted in research and scholarly publishing, offering significant benefits while requiring clear standards for responsible and transparent use.Authors preparing a manuscript for this journal may use AI tool…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Group authorship
Corresponding author Model summary
Group authorship refers to the attribution of an article to a defined and named group of authors whose members have contributed to the work. Examples include research consortia, clinical trial groups, collaborative networks, task forces or working groups, expert panels or consensus groups, and participatory research groups. Group authorship must be declared on the title page at submission. When av…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Declaration of competing interests
All authors must disclose any financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence or bias their work. Examples of potential competing interests include:EmploymentConsultanciesStock ownershipHonorariaPaid expert testimonyPatent applications or registrationsGrants or any other fundingAffiliation with the journal as an Editor or Advisory Board …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics
Ethics in publishing Model summary
Authors must follow ethical guidelines stated in Elsevier's Publishing Ethics Policy.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright License options
Authors will be offered open access user license options which will determine how you, and third parties, can reuse your open access article. We advise that you review these options and any funding body license requirements before selecting a license option.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access
We refer you to our open access information page to learn about open access options for this journal.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer review
Double anonymized peer review Model summary
This journal follows a double anonymized review process. Your submission will initially be assessed by our editors. If your submission is deemed suitable, it will typically be sent to be reviewed by a minimum of two reviewers for an independent expert assessment of the scientific quality. The decision as to whether your article is accepted or rejected for publication will be made by our editors.Re…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprints
Preprint sharing Model summary
Preprint sharingAuthors may share preprints in line with Elsevier's article sharing policy. Sharing preprints, such as on a preprint server, will not count as prior publication.We advise you to read our policy on multiple, redundant or concurrent publication.
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
- Elsevier
- ISSN
- 0147-1767
- Electronic ISSN
- 1873-7552
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about International Journal of Intercultural Relations
What CAS zone is International Journal of Intercultural Relations in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, International Journal of Intercultural Relations is in Zone 2 of Sociology, and in Zone 3 of the minor category Psychology, Social / Social Sciences, Interdisciplinary / Sociology. 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 Journal of Intercultural Relations?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 2.65; CiteScore 4.7, h-index 172.
How long does peer review take at International Journal of Intercultural Relations?
The publisher reports about 209 days (submission to acceptance). 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 of Intercultural Relations?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Manuscript length: ≤ 8,000 words; Reference style: APA. 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 of Intercultural Relations based?
Of the 140 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 13 (about 9%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (26), Mainland China (13) and India (10). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index International Journal of Intercultural Relations?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, International Journal of Intercultural Relations is indexed in SSCI and Scopus.
Is International Journal of Intercultural Relations open access, and what is the APC?
International Journal of Intercultural Relations is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,420.
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: .