Journal profile · EDUCATION & EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH
International Review of Education
ISSN 0020-8566 · eISSN 1573-0638 · Springer Nature · 6 issues per year
International Review of Education: CAS Zone 3 · Education (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 1.9 (journal website); hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,190; review about 97 days (submission to first decision, publisher); 81 articles in 2025; indexed in ESCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
International Review of Education is published by Springer Nature and is in Zone 3 of Education in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Global Educational Policies and Reforms, Education Systems and Policy and Global Education and Multiculturalism, together about 32% of its articles. Its main subfields are Education. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
The International Review of Education – Journal of Lifelong Learning (IRE) is edited by the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning, a global centre of excellence for lifelong learning and learning societies. Founded in 1955, IRE is the world’s longest-running peer-reviewed journal of comparative education, serving not only academic and research communities but, equally, high-level policy and practice readerships throughout the world. Today, IRE provides a forum for theoretically-informed and policy-relevant applied research in lifelong and life-wide learning in international and comparative contexts. Preferred topic areas include adult education, non-formal education, adult literacy, open and distance learning, vocational education and workplace learning, new access routes to formal education, lifelong learning policies, and various applications of the lifelong learning paradigm. Consistent with the mandate of UNESCO, the IRE fosters scholarly exchange on lifelong learning from all regions of the world, particularly developing and transition countries. In addition to inviting submissions from authors for its general issues, the IRE also publishes regular guest-edited special issues on key and emerging topics in lifelong learning. Primary research or secondary analysis of primary research request a minimum of two peer reviewers and follow external peer-review according to the journal’s editorial procedures as described here. Further details on how reviewers are selected can be found here.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): EDUCATION & EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH
Editorial board by country: 1 in mainland China (about 2%); most named United States 9, Germany 8, Canada 7, United Kingdom 4, South Korea 3 (48 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Global Educational Policies and ReformsSocial Sciences14.1%
- Education Systems and PolicySocial Sciences11%
- Global Education and MulticulturalismSocial Sciences6.9%
- Higher Education Learning PracticesSocial Sciences5.4%
- Poverty, Education, and Child WelfareSocial Sciences4.7%
- Global Educational Reforms and InequalitiesSocial Sciences4.7%
- Human auditory perception and evaluationEngineering4.1%
- Sociology and Education StudiesSocial Sciences3.7%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Education Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Education | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Education & Educational Research | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Education Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Education | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Education & Educational Research | 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
ERICERIH PLUSPublisher website
Other: Google Scholar, EBSCO, ProQuest, Dimensions, CNKI, Baidu, Astrophysics Data System, 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
- 1.9Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 2.7Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 3.2LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.55LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.13LetPub ·
- h-index
- 85OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 944OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 1.94OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 10.5%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 42.15%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 45LetPub ·
- Articles per year (publisher)
- 2,025Publisher website ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 376,200Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 3,994 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 45 | 27 | 12 |
| 2025 | 81 | 37 | 154 |
| 2024 | 66 | 19 | 207 |
| 2023 | 57 | 21 | 1,447 |
| 2022 | 51 | 31 | 732 |
| 2021 | 56 | 31 | 990 |
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
- Submission to first decision
- 97 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 3,190 / EUR 2,590 / GBP 2,290 | — | — |
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)
What to prepare5 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- 150–250 words
- Keywords
- ≥ 4
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 6,000 words
- Reference style
- APA
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
Article types accepted4, with length limits
- book reviewThe International Review of Education (IRE) publishes original articles in the fields of international and comparative lifelong education and learning. The Jour…main text ≤ 1,000 words
- 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 articleThe International Review of Education (IRE) publishes original articles in the fields of international and comparative lifelong education and learning. The Jour…Length not stated
- reviewThe International Review of Education (IRE) publishes original articles in the fields of international and comparative lifelong education and learning. The Jour…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review
- 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
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 Competing Interests
Authors are requested to disclose interests that are directly or indirectly related to the work submitted for publication. Interests within the last 3 years of beginning the work (conducting the research and preparing the work for submission) should be reported. Interests outside the 3-year time frame must be disclosed if they could reasonably be perceived as influencing the submitted work. Disclo…
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 Review of Education, 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
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 ·
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
- 0020-8566
- Electronic ISSN
- 1573-0638
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 72, Issue 4 (August 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗LetPub
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about International Review of Education
What CAS zone is International Review of Education in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, International Review of Education is in Zone 3 of Education, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Education & Educational Research. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 3 of Education. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of International Review of Education?
The journal's website gives an impact factor of 1.9 (2025); this is the journal's own figure, as LetPub lists none for it; CiteScore 3.2, h-index 85.
How long does peer review take at International Review of Education?
The publisher reports about 97 days (submission to first decision); first decisions include desk rejections. 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 Review of Education?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: 150–250 words; Keywords: ≥ 4; Manuscript length: ≤ 6,000 words; Reference style: APA; 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 Review of Education based?
Of the 48 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 1 (about 2%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (9), Germany (8) and Canada (7). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index International Review of Education?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, International Review of Education is indexed in ESCI and Scopus. The journal's website also lists ERIC and ERIH PLUS; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is International Review of Education open access, and what is the APC?
International Review of Education is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,190.
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: .