Journal profile · Social Sciences-Library and Information Sciences
Internet Reference Services Quarterly
ISSN 1087-5301 · eISSN 1540-4749 · Taylor & Francis
Internet Reference Services Quarterly: subscription journal; APC charged, amount not published; review about 30 days (submission to first decision, publisher); acceptance rate 18% (journal website); 31 articles in 2025; indexed in Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Internet Reference Services Quarterly is published by Taylor & Francis. By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Web and Library Services, Library Science and Information Literacy and Library Science and Information, together about 70.6% of its articles. Its main subfields are Information Systems. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Internet Reference Services Quarterly is a refereed journal that presents research and practical information about reference librarianship in the digital age. The journal offers studies and articles on technology and innovations related to the delivery of library user services, including reference, research consultation, instruction, information literacy, user design and usability, and electronic reference materials and sources. Internet Reference Services Quarterly welcomes articles covering topics on the online, electronic and digital aspects and nature of library reference and information services, including reference practices, research consultations, reference sources and tools, professional librarianship, electronic communications, information literacy, instruction, online searching, training and education, managing reference services, evaluating information services and sources, software and technology, and user populations. Peer Review Policy: All research articles in Internet Reference Services Quarterly have undergone peer review, based on initial editor screening and anonymous double anonymized review.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Social Sciences-Library and Information Sciences
Editor-in-chief Xiaotian ChenPublisher website
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Web and Library ServicesComputer Science27.4%
- Library Science and Information LiteracySocial Sciences23.2%
- Library Science and InformationComputer Science20%
- Library Collection Development and Digital ResourcesComputer Science5.8%
- Library Science and AdministrationSocial Sciences4.6%
- Information Retrieval and Search BehaviorComputer Science2.6%
- Publishing and Scholarly CommunicationArts and Humanities1.4%
- Information Architecture and UsabilityComputer Science1.3%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
CiteScore quartiles (Scopus, June 2026 release)
| Subject | Quartile | Rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Library and Information Sciences | Q1 | 58/296 | 80th |
Scopus ranks journals by CiteScore within each subject: the 75th percentile and above is Q1, then a quartile every 25 points. A different system from the CAS zones.LetPub
JCR / CiteScore quartiles on the journal's website
- 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
ScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
CINAHLPublisher website
Other: De Gruyter Saur, IBZ, Dietrich's Index Philosophicus, Academic Search Complete, Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts (LISTA), MasterFILE Complete, Professional Development Collection, TOC Premier, Elsevier BV, Military Policy Research Ltd., ArticleFirst, Library Literature, Aerospace Database, Civil Engineering Abstracts, Earthquake Engineering Abstracts, FRANCIS, Engineering Research Database, LISA: Library & Information Science Abstracts, Materials Research Database, METADEX, Water Resources Abstracts (online)
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
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 5.4LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher) 2025
- 5.4Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.68LetPub ·
- SJR (publisher) 2025
- 0.68Publisher website ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.18LetPub ·
- SNIP (publisher) 2025
- 1.18Publisher website ·
- h-index
- 30OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 148OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 4.29OpenAlex ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 0%LetPub ·
Volume
- Downloads per year (publisher)
- 32,000Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 837 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 24 | 4 | 337 |
| 2025 | 31 | 2 | 465 |
| 2024 | 24 | 3 | 358 |
| 2023 | 24 | 1 | 245 |
| 2022 | 14 | 3 | 195 |
| 2021 | 17 | 1 | 166 |
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
- Acceptance rate (publisher)
- 18%Publisher website ·
- Submission to first decision
- 30 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
Subscription journalLetPub
A subscription journal: articles are read by subscription or purchase, and authors usually pay no publication charge.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Publisher website | Yes, amount not published | — | — |
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
Zero Embargo Green OA Policy: authors retain copyright and may post Accepted Manuscripts immediately upon publication. Model summary
Internet Reference Services Quarterly 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 open access? Increase the disco…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review
Peer review policy: initial editor screening and anonymous double anonymized review for all research articles. Model summary
All research articles in Internet Reference Services Quarterly have undergone peer review, based on initial editor screening and anonymous double anonymized review.
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
- 1087-5301
- Electronic ISSN
- 1540-4749
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 30, Issue 3 (2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Internet Reference Services Quarterly
How long does peer review take at Internet Reference Services Quarterly?
The publisher reports about 30 days (submission to first decision); first decisions include desk rejections; the journal's website gives an acceptance rate of 18%. 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.
Which databases index Internet Reference Services Quarterly?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Internet Reference Services Quarterly is indexed in Scopus. The journal's website also lists CINAHL; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Internet Reference Services Quarterly open access, and what is the APC?
Internet Reference Services Quarterly is a subscription journal. 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 2026-08-25). Last updated: .