Journal profile · Multiple
Journal of Business Ethics
ISSN 0167-4544 · eISSN 1573-0697 · Springer Nature · 28 issues per year
Journal of Business Ethics: CAS Zone 1 · Philosophy (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal); impact factor 5.98; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,790; median 339 days to acceptance (119 articles, last 24 months); 331 articles in 2025; indexed in SSCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Journal of Business Ethics is published by Springer Nature and is in Zone 1 of Philosophy in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Ethics in Business and Education, Corporate Social Responsibility Reporting and Management and Organizational Studies, together about 45.6% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
The Journal of Business Ethics publishes only original articles from a wide variety of methodological and disciplinary perspectives concerning ethical issues related to business that bring something new or unique to the discourse in their field. Since its initiation in 1980, the editors have encouraged the broadest possible scope. The term 'business' is understood in a wide sense to include all systems involved in the exchange of goods and services, while 'ethics' is circumscribed as all human action aimed at securing a good life. Systems of production, consumption, marketing, advertising, social and economic accounting, labour relations, public relations and organisational behaviour are analysed from a moral viewpoint. The style and level of dialogue involve all who are interested in business ethics - the business community, universities, government agencies and consumer groups. Speculative philosophy as well as reports of empirical research are welcomed. In order to promote a dialogue between the various interested groups as much as possible, papers are presented in a style relatively free of specialist jargon. Section Descriptions provide valuable information on the various topics covered by the journal and the sections available for submitting authors. Primary research or secondary analysis of primary research request a minimum of two peer reviewers and follow external peer-review according to the journal’s editorial procedures as described here. Further details on how reviewers are selected can be found here.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Multiple
Editor-in-chief Michelle GreenwoodPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 13 in mainland China (about 5%); most named United States 73, United Kingdom 34, Canada 29, France 24, Australia 18 (263 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Ethics in Business and EducationDecision Sciences24.6%
- Corporate Social Responsibility ReportingBusiness, Management and Accounting12.9%
- Management and Organizational StudiesBusiness, Management and Accounting8.1%
- Psychology of Moral and Emotional JudgmentNeuroscience7.5%
- Environmental Sustainability in BusinessBusiness, Management and Accounting5.8%
- Job Satisfaction and Organizational BehaviorBusiness, Management and Accounting4.7%
- Corporate Finance and GovernanceBusiness, Management and Accounting4.7%
- Workplace Spirituality and LeadershipSocial Sciences3.6%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Philosophy Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Philosophy | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Ethics | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Business | Zone 3 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Philosophy Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Philosophy | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Business | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Ethics | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Philosophy Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Philosophy | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Ethics | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Business | Zone 3 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
Database indexing
SSCIScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
SCIEPsycINFOEconLitERIH PLUSCurrent ContentsPublisher website
Other: Google Scholar, EBSCO, ProQuest, Dimensions, CNKI, Baidu, Naver, OCLC, Portico, CLOCKSS, RePEc
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
- 5.98LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 6.3Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 9.7Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 15.9LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 3.14LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 3.06LetPub ·
- h-index
- 379OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 8,487OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 6.15OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 9.5%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 44.93%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 311LetPub ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 6,000,000Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 10,727 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 241 | 131 | 86 |
| 2025 | 331 | 172 | 1,418 |
| 2024 | 320 | 183 | 3,984 |
| 2023 | 269 | 149 | 6,168 |
| 2022 | 297 | 169 | 12,995 |
| 2021 | 330 | 173 | 14,442 |
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
339 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 264 days – 471 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 19 days (119 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 359 days
- Sample
- 119 articles with submission and acceptance dates (647 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
- Submission to first decision
- 19 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 3,790 / EUR 2,890 / GBP 2,490 | — | — |
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)
Open calls for papers1, by deadline
- The Body and Business EthicsDeadline
What to prepare3 items from the author guidelines
- Keywords
- ≥ 4
- Reference style
- APA
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
Article types accepted8, with length limits
- book reviewarticle for all sections other than the book review section (see the Book Review section description for specific guidelines) is approximately 8,000 - 10,000 wo…main text ≤ 10,000 words
- commentaryAuthors are required to identify the article type of their manuscript from one of the following options: Original paper: A conceptual paper, literature review o…Length not stated
- 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
- literature reviewAuthors are required to identify the article type of their manuscript from one of the following options: Original paper: A conceptual paper, literature review o…Length not stated
- opinionAuthors are required to identify the article type of their manuscript from one of the following options: Original paper: A conceptual paper, literature review o…Length not stated
- original paperAuthors are required to identify the article type of their manuscript from one of the following options: Original paper: A conceptual paper, literature review o…Length not stated
- reviewAuthors are required to identify the article type of their manuscript from one of the following options: Original paper: A conceptual paper, literature review o…Length not stated
- review essayReview essay: A review of scholarly books and other media that advances dialogue between scholars and the public about business, ethics and society.Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Trial registration / reporting guidelines
- AI use Generative AI Images
Please check Springer’s policy on generative AI images and make sure your work adheres to the principles described therein. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- 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 ·- Publication ethics Compliance with Ethical Standards
Originality and exclusivity requirements Model summary
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
Open Choice articles do not require transfer of copyright as the copyright remains with the author. In opting for open access, the author(s) agree to publish the article under a Creative Commons license. Details of the OA licences offered to authors can be found on the individual journal website, in the journal's How to publish with us guide. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access publishing
To find out more about publishing your work Open Access in Journal of Business Ethics, 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
Double-blind peer review Model summary
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 ·- Trial registration / reporting guidelines Clinical Trial Registration
The World Health Organization (WHO) definition of a clinical trial is "any research study that prospectively assigns human participants or groups of humans to one or more health-related interventions to evaluate the effects on health outcomes". The WHO defines health interventions as “A health intervention is an act performed for, with or on behalf of a person or population whose purpose is to ass…
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
- 28 issues per year
- ISSN
- 0167-4544
- Electronic ISSN
- 1573-0697
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 207, Issue 4 (September 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗LetPub
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Journal of Business Ethics
What CAS zone is Journal of Business Ethics in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Journal of Business Ethics is in Zone 1 of Philosophy, and in Zone 1 of the minor category Ethics / Business; it is a Top journal. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 1 of Philosophy. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Journal of Business Ethics?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 5.98; CiteScore 15.9, h-index 379.
How long does peer review take at Journal of Business Ethics?
Based on the dates recorded on 119 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 339 days (interquartile range 264–471 days). 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 Business Ethics?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Keywords: ≥ 4; Reference style: APA; 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 Business Ethics based?
Of the 263 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 13 (about 5%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (73), United Kingdom (34) and Canada (29). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Journal of Business Ethics?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Journal of Business Ethics is indexed in SSCI and Scopus. The journal's website also lists SCIE, PsycINFO, EconLit, ERIH PLUS and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Journal of Business Ethics open access, and what is the APC?
Journal of Business Ethics is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,790.
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: .