Journal profile · ETHNIC STUDIES
Journal of African American Studies
ISSN 1559-1646 · eISSN 1936-4741 · Springer Nature · 4 issues per year
Journal of African American Studies: CAS Zone 4 · Sociology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 0.6 (journal website); hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,390; review about 4 days (submission to first decision, publisher); 33 articles in 2025; indexed in ESCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Journal of African American Studies is published by Springer Nature and is in Zone 4 of Sociology in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Race, History, and American Society, Critical Race Theory in Education and Urban, Neighborhood, and Segregation Studies, together about 37.3% of its articles. Its main subfields are Sociology and Political Science and Gender Studies. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
The Journal of African American Studies publishes original research on topics of professional and disciplinary concern for the social progress of people of African descent. This includes subjects concerning social transformations that impact the life chances of continental Africans and the African diaspora. Papers may be empirical, methodological, or theoretical; including literary criticism. In addition to original research, the journal publishes book reviews, commentaries, research notes, and occasional special thematic issues. African American Studies is an interdisciplinary field; diverse disciplinary methods and perspectives that include anthropology, art, economics, law, literature, management science, political science, psychology, sociology, social policy research, and others are appreciated.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): ETHNIC STUDIES
Editor-in-chief Judson L. JeffriesPublisher website
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named United States 27, United Kingdom 4, Spain 1, Canada 1, Austria 1 (35 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Race, History, and American SocietySocial Sciences23.3%
- Critical Race Theory in EducationSocial Sciences8.3%
- Urban, Neighborhood, and Segregation StudiesSocial Sciences5.7%
- Homelessness and Social IssuesHealth Professions5.6%
- Racial and Ethnic Identity ResearchSocial Sciences5.4%
- Higher Education Research StudiesSocial Sciences4.8%
- Music History and CultureArts and Humanities3.6%
- Gender Roles and Identity StudiesSocial Sciences3.6%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Sociology Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Sociology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Ethnic Studies | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Sociology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Sociology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Ethnic Studies | 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
Google Scholar, EBSCO, ProQuest, Dimensions, CNKI, Baidu, Naver, OCLC, Portico, CLOCKSSPublisher 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.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 0.6Publisher website ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2024
- 0.5Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 0.8Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 1.3LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 3.1Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.22LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.59LetPub ·
- h-index
- 42OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 222OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 0.36OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 16.7%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 24.36%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 28LetPub ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 139,100Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 805 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 21 | 6 | 0 |
| 2025 | 33 | 14 | 10 |
| 2024 | 37 | 8 | 23 |
| 2023 | 35 | 5 | 41 |
| 2022 | 41 | 12 | 130 |
| 2021 | 54 | 12 | 138 |
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
- 4 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 3,390 / EUR 2,690 / GBP 2,390 | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
Other charges and waivers (author guidelines)
- Other fees
- No other fees
- Page charges
- For color in the print version
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
- 100–150 words
- Keywords
- ≥ 4
- Reference style
- APA
- First submission
- Free format: the journal's layout is not required
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
Article types accepted1
- 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
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAuthorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review
- 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 Disclosures and declarations
All authors are requested to include information regarding sources of funding, financial or non-financial interests, study-specific approval by the appropriate ethics committee for research involving humans and/or animals, informed consent if the research involved human participants, and a statement on welfare of animals if the research involved animals (as appropriate). The decision whether such …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability Data availability statements
All original research must include a data availability statement. This statement should explain how to access data supporting the results and analysis in the article, including links/citations to publicly archived datasets analysed or generated during the study. Please see our full policy here. If it is not possible to share research data publicly, for instance when individual privacy could be com…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics Compliance with Ethical Standards
To ensure objectivity and transparency in research and to ensure that accepted principles of ethical and professional conduct have been followed, authors should include information regarding sources of funding, potential conflicts of interest (financial or non-financial), informed consent if the research involved human participants, and a statement on welfare of animals if the research involved an…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Copyright
Copyright transfer Authors will be asked to transfer copyright of the article to the Publisher. This will ensure the widest possible protection and dissemination of information under copyright laws. Open Choice articles do not require transfer of copyright as the copyright remains with the author. In opting for open access, they agree to the Springer Open Choice Licence. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access publishing
To find out more about publishing your work Open Access in Journal of African American Studies, 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
- 4 issues per year
- ISSN
- 1559-1646
- Electronic ISSN
- 1936-4741
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 30, Issue 2 (June 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Journal of African American Studies
What CAS zone is Journal of African American Studies in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Journal of African American Studies is in Zone 4 of Sociology, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Ethnic Studies. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 3 of Sociology. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Journal of African American Studies?
The journal's website gives an impact factor of 0.6 (2025); this is the journal's own figure, as LetPub lists none for it; CiteScore 1.3, h-index 42.
How long does peer review take at Journal of African American Studies?
The publisher reports about 4 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 Journal of African American Studies?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: 100–150 words; Keywords: ≥ 4; Reference style: APA; First submission: Free format: the journal's layout is not required; 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 Journal of African American Studies based?
Of the 35 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (27), United Kingdom (4) and Spain (1). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Journal of African American Studies?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Journal of African American Studies is indexed in ESCI and Scopus.
Is Journal of African American Studies open access, and what is the APC?
Journal of African American Studies is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,390.
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: .