Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism

Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism is published by Oxford University Press and is in Zone 1 of Arts in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Visual Culture and Art Theory, Art, Politics, and Modernism and Aesthetic Perception and Analysis, together about 29.3% of its articles. Its main subfields are Visual Arts and Performing Arts. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)

Established in 1942 by the American Society for Aesthetics, The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism publishes current research articles, symposia, special issues, and timely reviews of books in aesthetics and the philosophy of art. The philosophy of art includes scholarship examining the nature, meaning and value of the arts, considered generally or individually, where the arts are taken in the broadest possible sense. Aesthetics includes work on aesthetic experiences and values wherever they are found both in and beyond the arts. The Journal takes a theoretical and interdisciplinary approach to the arts and aesthetic matters, including scholarship and practice in the fields of philosophy, English literature, comparative literature, art, music, theater and drama, art history, psychology, law, and related disciplines. The Journal welcomes philosophically-informed interdisciplinary research and exploration of non-traditional aesthetic issues. While the Journal does not publish criticism, it invites scholarly work on the purpose, value, and function of criticism throughout the arts as well as pieces that explore the philosophical or theoretical implications of individual artworks. The Journal does not publish manuscripts that consist mainly of commentary on articles published elsewhere, nor do we publish articles that are primarily expository. Normally, historical studies should concern issues of continuing philosophical or theoretical interest. We welcome short discussion pieces responding to articles published in the Journal. The Journal sponsors the bi-annual John Fisher Memorial Prize in Aesthetics in honor of John Fisher, editor of the Journal from 1973-1988. The Prize is offered to foster the development of new voices and talent in the field of aesthetics.

From the journal's Aims & Scope

Research area (LetPub): Multiple

CAS Journal Ranking

Database indexing

AHCIScopusLetPub

International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub

Indexing the journal's website claims

EBSCO, ProQuestPublisher website

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.

Impact

Impact factor (publisher) 2025

2.3Publisher website · 2026-09-30

5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025

1.4Publisher website · 2026-09-30

CiteScore 2026-06

2.3LetPub · 2026-09-13

CiteScore (publisher) 2025

2.3Publisher website · 2026-09-30

SJR 2026-06

0.71LetPub · 2026-09-13

SNIP 2026-06

1.58LetPub · 2026-09-13

h-index

181OpenAlex · 2026-10-01

i10-index

2,144OpenAlex · 2026-10-01

2-year mean citedness

1.11OpenAlex · 2026-10-01

Self-citation rate

11.1%LetPub · 2026-09-13

Share of gold OA articles

28.57%LetPub · 2026-09-13

Volume

Articles per year

26LetPub · 2026-09-13

Downloads per year (publisher) 2025

85,437Publisher website · 2026-09-30

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.

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.

Publisher

Oxford University Press

ISSN

0021-8529

Electronic ISSN

1540-6245

Latest issue on the website

Volume 84, Issue 2 (2026)

Official links

• Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
• Submission system ↗Publisher website
• Special issues ↗Publisher website