Journal profile · AREA STUDIES
Journal of Balkan and Near Eastern Studies
ISSN 1944-8953 · eISSN 1944-8961 · Taylor & Francis
Journal of Balkan and Near Eastern Studies: CAS Zone 3 · Sociology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 1 (journal website); JCR Q2 (journal website); hybrid open access; APC charged, amount not published; review about 69 days (first decision after review, publisher); acceptance rate 18% (journal website); 44 articles in 2025; indexed in SSCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Journal of Balkan and Near Eastern Studies is published by Taylor & Francis and is in Zone 3 of Sociology in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Turkey's Politics and Society, Balkans: History, Politics, Society and Post-Soviet Geopolitical Dynamics, together about 34.9% of its articles. Its main subfields are Political Science and International Relations. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
The Journal of Balkan and Near Eastern Studies (JBNES) is the leading English language journal for the study of modern international relations and the history, global economic relations and geopolitics of the former Ottoman and Soviet regions and states whose territories are in the Balkans and the greater Middle East. In this context, JBNES welcomes contributions in the fields of critical political economy and culture, sociology, economic history and political science. JBNES publishes research articles, review articles, book reviews and occasional interviews, and is indexed in the Clarivate Social Sciences Citation Index. The journal encourages critical perspectives, and also accepts proposals for special issues on topical themes concerning the position of the region and its individual states in regional, European, Asian and global politics. Peer Review Statement All research articles and review articles in this journal have undergone rigorous peer review, based on initial editor screening and anonymized refereeing by two anonymous referees. Book reviews and interviews are assessed by the Editors but are not externally peer reviewed. "This brainchild of the Association for the Study of Southern Europe and the Balkans, a discussion forum established in the mid-1990s by a group of alert graduate students of the University of London, is a welcome addition to the ongoing discussion about the future of the region" The Times Higher Education Supplement
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): AREA STUDIES
Editor-in-chief Vassilis K. FouskasPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 1 in mainland China (about 7%); most named United Kingdom 5, United States 2, Türkiye 2, Greece 2, Mainland China 1 (14 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Turkey's Politics and SocietySocial Sciences20.6%
- Balkans: History, Politics, SocietySocial Sciences8.2%
- Post-Soviet Geopolitical DynamicsSocial Sciences6.1%
- Islamic Studies and HistorySocial Sciences5.7%
- Middle East and Rwanda ConflictsSocial Sciences5.3%
- Cyprus History, Politics, SocietySocial Sciences5%
- Global Energy Security and PolicyEnergy4.4%
- Historical Turkish StudiesSocial Sciences4.1%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Sociology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Sociology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Area Studies | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Sociology Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Sociology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Area Studies | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Sociology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Sociology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Area Studies | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
JCR / CiteScore quartiles on the journal's website
- JCR Q2 · best quartile · 2025
- 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
SSCIScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
EBSCO, OCLC, America: History and Life, European Access, European Sources Online, Historical Abstracts, The International Bibliography of the Social Sciences (IBSS), International Political Science Abstracts, OCLC (OCLC FirstSearch & OCLC ArticleFirst), Public Affairs Information Service (PAIS), Sociological Abstracts, Worldwide Political Science AbstractsPublisher 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
- 1Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 1.2Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 2.2LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher) 2025
- 2.2Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.68LetPub ·
- SJR (publisher) 2025
- 0.68Publisher website ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.57LetPub ·
- SNIP (publisher) 2025
- 0.57Publisher website ·
- h-index
- 38OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 194OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 0.88OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 10%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 5.23%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 39LetPub ·
- Articles per year (publisher)
- 7Publisher website ·
- Downloads per year (publisher)
- 96,000Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 808 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 52 | 5 | 7 |
| 2025 | 44 | 3 | 18 |
| 2024 | 77 | 9 | 128 |
| 2023 | 57 | 9 | 216 |
| 2022 | 54 | 7 | 236 |
| 2021 | 74 | 18 | 447 |
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
Publisher-reported review time from the journal's website
69 daysfirst decision after review
The publisher's own definition applies; dates from this journal's articles in the last 24 months are not available yet, so the publisher's figure is used.
Figures by source
- Acceptance rate (publisher)
- 18%Publisher website ·
- Submission to first decision
- 29 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 69 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 29 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Single-anonymous peer reviewPublisher website · model-extracted
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Publisher website | Yes, amount not published | — | — |
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)
Article types accepted4
- book reviewsJBNES publishes research articles, review articles, book reviews and occasional interviewsLength not stated
- interviewsJBNES publishes research articles, review articles, book reviews and occasional interviewsLength not stated
- research articlesJBNES publishes research articles, review articles, book reviews and occasional interviewsLength not stated
- review articlesJBNES publishes research articles, review articles, book reviews and occasional interviewsLength not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteOpen access, Peer review
- Open access Open access
Journal of Balkan and Near Eastern Studies 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 …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer Review Statement
Peer review: All research articles and review articles have undergone rigorous peer review, based on initial editor screening and anonymized refereeing by two anonymous referees. Model summary
All research articles and review articles in this journal have undergone rigorous peer review, based on initial editor screening and anonymized refereeing by two anonymous referees. Book reviews and interviews are assessed by the Editors but are not externally peer reviewed.
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
- 1944-8953
- Electronic ISSN
- 1944-8961
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 28, Issue 5 (2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Journal of Balkan and Near Eastern Studies
What CAS zone is Journal of Balkan and Near Eastern Studies in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Journal of Balkan and Near Eastern Studies is in Zone 3 of Sociology, and in Zone 3 of the minor category Area Studies. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 2 of Sociology. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Journal of Balkan and Near Eastern Studies?
The journal's website gives an impact factor of 1 (2025); this is the journal's own figure, as LetPub lists none for it; CiteScore 2.2, h-index 38.
How long does peer review take at Journal of Balkan and Near Eastern Studies?
The publisher reports about 69 days (first decision after review); 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.
What JCR quartile is Journal of Balkan and Near Eastern Studies in?
The journal's website gives JCR Q2 (best quartile). JCR quartiles are Clarivate's to confirm and a different system from the CAS zones; in the CAS ranking the journal is in Zone 3 of Sociology.
Where are the editorial board members of Journal of Balkan and Near Eastern Studies based?
Of the 14 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 1 (about 7%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United Kingdom (5), United States (2) and Türkiye (2). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Journal of Balkan and Near Eastern Studies?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Journal of Balkan and Near Eastern Studies is indexed in SSCI and Scopus.
Is Journal of Balkan and Near Eastern Studies open access, and what is the APC?
Journal of Balkan and Near Eastern Studies is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: 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: .