Journal profile · PSYCHOLOGY, CLINICAL
Journal for Specialists in Group Work
ISSN 0193-3922 · eISSN 1549-6295 · Taylor & Francis
Journal for Specialists in Group Work: CAS Zone 4 · Psychology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 1.2 (journal website); subscription journal; APC charged, amount not published; median 263 days to acceptance (21 articles, last 24 months); acceptance rate 44% (journal website); 12 articles in 2025; indexed in ESCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Journal for Specialists in Group Work is published by Taylor & Francis and is in Zone 4 of Psychology in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Counseling Practices and Supervision, Psychotherapy Techniques and Applications and Counseling, Therapy, and Family Dynamics, together about 48.2% of its articles. Its main subfields are Social Psychology and Clinical Psychology. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
As the official publication of the Association for Specialists in Group Work, The Journal for Specialists in Group Work is an indispensable resource for both practitioners and educators working with groups in clinical, organizational, educational and community settings. The Journal for Specialists in Group Work is directed toward group work practitioners with a focus on group work theory, interventions, training, current issues, and research. The group process is a powerful method for development and change in the individual, the organization, and the community. The Journal for Specialists in Group Work expands our understanding of this dynamic field. In each issue of the journal you’ll find peer-reviewed articles that: promote the practice of group work cover the continuum of types of group work - from task to therapy groups emphasize the processes that make groups effective integrate theory and practice provide specific information about how to lead groups and train group leaders. Okech, J. E. A. & Rubel, D. J. (2023).Publishing in The Journal for Specialists in Group Work: Understanding and Centering the Concept of Group Work. Journal for Specialists in Group Work, 48, 273–276. https://doi.org/10.1080/01933922.2023.2284081. PLEASE NOTE NEW SUBMISSION INFORMATION Manuscripts considered for publication in The Journal for Specialists in Group Work typically fall into one of the categories laid out below and match the criteria therein: Practice Practice manuscripts provide information about the purpose, structure, and populations addressed in group interventions. The role of group leaders in carrying out the intervention should be clearly delineated and the groups described must have been implemented in the field. Authors should provide some evaluation or commentary about the effectiveness of groups described in their manuscripts. Practice manuscripts should be clearly organized (see Okech et al., 2022): — Okech, J. E. A., Ort, J., Steen, S., & Goodrich, K. (2022). Group work practice articles: Recommendations for manuscript development. Journal for Specialists in Group Work, 47(1), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1080/01933922.2022.2014744. Research Manuscripts in this category should report findings from a systematic investigation of the effects of a group intervention (or other topic related to group work). JSGW invites research from a range of methodologies and authors should use the APA 7 th Ed. Guidelines for Content & Organization. Authors should clearly ind
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): PSYCHOLOGY, CLINICAL
Editor-in-chief Jane OkechPublisher website
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named United States 4 (4 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Counseling Practices and SupervisionPsychology20%
- Psychotherapy Techniques and ApplicationsPsychology15.4%
- Counseling, Therapy, and Family DynamicsPsychology12.9%
- Child Therapy and DevelopmentPsychology5.7%
- Team Dynamics and PerformancePsychology5.1%
- Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional DevelopmentPsychology4.8%
- Attachment and Relationship DynamicsPsychology4.2%
- Educational and Psychological AssessmentsPsychology4%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Psychology Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Psychology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Psychology, Clinical | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Psychology Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Psychology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Psychology, Clinical | Zone 4 |
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
PsycINFOCINAHLERICPublisher website
Other: ProQuest, OCLC, Chadywk-Healey - Periodicals Index Online (PIO), Education Resources Information Center (ERIC)
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
- 1.2Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 1.3Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 2.5LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher) 2025
- 2.5Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.35LetPub ·
- SJR (publisher) 2025
- 0.35Publisher website ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.49LetPub ·
- SNIP (publisher) 2025
- 0.49Publisher website ·
- h-index
- 46OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 468OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 1.09OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 41.7%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 4.88%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 12LetPub ·
- Downloads per year (publisher)
- 85,000Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 1,480 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 8 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | 12 | 3 | 8 |
| 2024 | 14 | 6 | 29 |
| 2023 | 26 | 6 | 91 |
| 2022 | 9 | 4 | 34 |
| 2021 | 34 | 5 | 306 |
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
263 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 205 days – 284 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 17 days (21 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 282 days
- Sample
- 21 articles with submission and acceptance dates (23 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)
- 44%Publisher website ·
- Submission to first decision
- 61 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)
Article types accepted6
- brief reportsJSGW will consider brief reports of research conducted on group work. Brief reports are no longer than 10 double-spaced pages, including tables, references, etc…Length not stated
- commentaryCommentary manuscripts may be invited or unsolicited and focus on current topics and debates in the field.Length not stated
- practicePractice manuscripts provide information about the purpose, structure, and populations addressed in group interventions.Length not stated
- researchManuscripts in this category should report findings from a systematic investigation of the effects of a group intervention (or other topic related to group work…Length not stated
- theoretical articlesManuscripts in this category draw upon currently published research literature with the aim of furthering theories in the field of group work.Length not stated
- training articlesTraining manuscripts are focused on important elements of the education, training, and service delivery associated with group work.Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteOpen access, Peer review
- Open access Open access
The Journal for Specialists in Group Work 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 d…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review
All articles in this journal have undergone editorial screening and double anonymized peer review by three anonymous reviewers. Model summary
All articles in this journal have undergone editorial screening and double anonymized peer review by three anonymous reviewers.
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
- 0193-3922
- Electronic ISSN
- 1549-6295
- Society / sponsor
- Association for Specialists in Group Work
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 51, Issue 2 (2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Journal for Specialists in Group Work
What CAS zone is Journal for Specialists in Group Work in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Journal for Specialists in Group Work is in Zone 4 of Psychology, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Psychology, Clinical. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 4 of Psychology. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Journal for Specialists in Group Work?
The journal's website gives an impact factor of 1.2 (2025); this is the journal's own figure, as LetPub lists none for it; CiteScore 2.5, h-index 46.
How long does peer review take at Journal for Specialists in Group Work?
Based on the dates recorded on 21 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 263 days (interquartile range 205–284 days); the journal's website gives an acceptance rate of 44%. 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.
Where are the editorial board members of Journal for Specialists in Group Work based?
Of the 4 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (4). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Journal for Specialists in Group Work?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Journal for Specialists in Group Work is indexed in ESCI and Scopus. The journal's website also lists PsycINFO, CINAHL and ERIC; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Journal for Specialists in Group Work open access, and what is the APC?
Journal for Specialists in Group Work 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 2026-08-28). Last updated: .