Journal profile · Multiple
International Studies Quarterly
ISSN 0020-8833 · eISSN 1468-2478 · Oxford University Press
International Studies Quarterly: CAS Zone 1 · Sociology (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal); impact factor 3.11; hybrid open access; APC about USD 4,320; 82 articles in 2025; indexed in SSCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
International Studies Quarterly 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 Political Conflict and Governance, International Relations and Foreign Policy and International Development and Aid, together about 44.1% of its articles. Its main subfields are Sociology and Political Science and Political Science and International Relations. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
International Studies Quarterly (ISQ) is the flagship journal of the International Studies Association. It seeks to publish leading scholarship that engages with significant theoretical, empirical, and normative subjects in international studies. More detailed information about the journal's guidelines and policies is available here. 2022 Annual Report 2021 Annual Report 2020 Annual Report 2019 Annual Report 2018 Annual Report 2017 Annual Report 2016 Annual Report 2015 Annual Report 2014 Annual Report Journal metrics Citation metrics Clarivate 2025 Impact Factor 3.3 2025 5 Year Impact Factor 3.9 International Relations (Rank by Impact Factor) 21/173 Political Science (Rank by Impact Factor) 54/332 2025 Cited Half-Life 10.5 years 2025 Immediacy Index 0.7 2025 Eigenfactor Score 0.00809 2025 Article Influence Score 1.985 Scopus 2025 CiteScore 4.6 Political Science And International Relations (Rank by CiteScore) 105/745 Sociology And Political Science (Rank by CiteScore) 248/1530 2025 Source Normalized Impact per Paper (SNIP) 1.89 Readership 2025 Full Text Usage 541,265 About metrics Disclaimer Statements of fact and opinion in the articles in International Studies Quarterly are those of the respective authors and contributors and not of the Journal, International Studies Association, or Oxford University Press, unless otherwise expressly indicated. Neither Oxford University Press, International Studies Association, nor the Journal make any representation, express or implied, in respect of the accuracy of the material in the Journal and cannot accept any legal responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions that may be made. Readers should make their own evaluation as to the appropriateness or otherwise of the information included.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Multiple
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Political Conflict and GovernanceSocial Sciences17%
- International Relations and Foreign PolicySocial Sciences14.5%
- International Development and AidSocial Sciences12.6%
- Peacebuilding and International SecuritySocial Sciences5.3%
- Global Peace and Security DynamicsSocial Sciences5%
- Terrorism, Counterterrorism, and Political ViolenceSocial Sciences3.4%
- Electoral Systems and Political ParticipationSocial Sciences3.3%
- Political Influence and Corporate StrategiesBusiness, Management and Accounting3.2%
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 2 |
| Minor | Political Science | Zone 2 |
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 2 |
| Minor | Political Science | Zone 2 |
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 2 |
| Minor | Political Science | Zone 2 |
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
- 3.11LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 4.6Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 3.9Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 4.6LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher) 2025
- 4.6Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.64LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.89LetPub ·
- h-index
- 181OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 1,761OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 4.6OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 6.1%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 44.14%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 95LetPub ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 541,265Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 2,856 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 76 | 50 | 16 |
| 2025 | 82 | 46 | 197 |
| 2024 | 163 | 87 | 1,265 |
| 2023 | 100 | 48 | 942 |
| 2022 | 98 | 44 | 1,682 |
| 2021 | 101 | 42 | 2,403 |
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
- 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 4,320 | — | — |
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 prepare4 items from the author guidelines
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 12,000 words
- Reference style
- Chicago
- Cover letter
- Required
- Not considered
- under contract
Article types accepted4, with length limits
- original articleeces are accepted, the author(s) of the original article are invited to write a counter-response piece which is also blind reviewed and limited to 2500 words. S…main text ≤ 2,500 words
- original research articleOriginal Research Articles are long-form submissions to the journal—Original research articles should not exceed 12,000 words—including all tables, figures, foo…main text ≤ 12,000 words
- regular research articleOriginal Research Articles are long-form submissions to the journal—Original research articles should not exceed 12,000 words—including all tables, figures, foo…Length not stated
- reviewAuthors should submit their papers via ScholarOne. If authors do not already have ISQ accounts at ScholarOne, they will be prompted to establish them before pro…main text ≤ 12,000 words
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteOpen access, Peer review
- Open access Open Access
ISQ offers the option of publishing under either a standard licence or an open access licence. Please note that some funders require open access publication as a condition of funding. If you are unsure whether you are required to publish open access, please do clarify any such requirements with your funder or institution. Should you wish to publish your article open access, you should select your …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Review Process
Authors should submit their papers via ScholarOne. If authors do not already have ISQ accounts at ScholarOne, they will be prompted to establish them before proceeding. The editors will not consider manuscripts either concurrently under review, under contract, or already published elsewhere. All manuscripts submitted to ISQ are also submitted to iThenticate for an originality report. Before submit…
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
- Oxford University Press
- ISSN
- 0020-8833
- Electronic ISSN
- 1468-2478
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 70, Issue 4 (December 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about International Studies Quarterly
What CAS zone is International Studies Quarterly in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, International Studies Quarterly is in Zone 1 of Sociology, and in Zone 2 of the minor category International Relations / Political Science; 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 Studies Quarterly?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 3.11; CiteScore 4.6, h-index 181.
What are the manuscript requirements of International Studies Quarterly?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Manuscript length: ≤ 12,000 words; Reference style: Chicago; Cover letter: Required. 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.
Which databases index International Studies Quarterly?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, International Studies Quarterly is indexed in SSCI and Scopus.
Is International Studies Quarterly open access, and what is the APC?
International Studies Quarterly is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 4,320.
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 2026-08-25). Last updated: .