Journal profile · AUDIOLOGY & SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY-REHABILITATION
Journal of Communication Disorders
ISSN 0021-9924 · eISSN 1873-7994 · Elsevier Inc. · UNITED STATES · Founded 1967
Journal of Communication Disorders: CAS Zone 3 · Medicine (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 2.12; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,960; median 222 days to acceptance (99 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: fairly easy; 83 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE, SSCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Journal of Communication Disorders is published by Elsevier Inc. and is in Zone 3 of Medicine in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Language Development and Disorders, Stuttering Research and Treatment and Phonetics and Phonology Research, together about 38.3% of its articles. Its main subfields are Developmental and Educational Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
The Journal of Communication Disorders publishes original articles on topics related to disorders of speech, language and hearing. Authors are encouraged to submit reports of experimental or descriptive investigations (research articles), review articles, tutorials or discussion papers. Please note that we do not accept case studies unless they conform to the principles of single-subject experimental design. Special issues are published periodically on timely and clinically relevant topics.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): AUDIOLOGY & SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY-REHABILITATION
Editor-in-chief Geoffrey CoalsonPublisher website
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named United States 24, Canada 5, Australia 3, United Kingdom 2, Japan 1 (40 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Language Development and DisordersPsychology16.9%
- Stuttering Research and TreatmentPsychology11.2%
- Phonetics and Phonology ResearchPsychology10.3%
- Neurobiology of Language and BilingualismNeuroscience10.1%
- Reading and Literacy DevelopmentPsychology6.9%
- Voice and Speech DisordersMedicine6.5%
- Hearing Impairment and CommunicationPsychology5.1%
- Hearing Loss and RehabilitationNeuroscience4.8%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Medicine Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Rehabilitation | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Audiology & Speech-language Pathology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Linguistics | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Medicine Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Audiology & Speech-language Pathology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Linguistics | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Rehabilitation | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Medicine Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Audiology & Speech-language Pathology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Linguistics | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Rehabilitation | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIESSCIScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
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
- 2.12LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 2.2Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 3.6LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 3.6Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.71LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.38LetPub ·
- h-index
- 56LetPub ·
- h-index
- 115OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 1,355OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 1.63OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 4.5%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 30.06%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 80LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 2,656 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 47 | 24 | 8 |
| 2025 | 83 | 43 | 120 |
| 2024 | 52 | 25 | 168 |
| 2023 | 62 | 24 | 436 |
| 2022 | 72 | 34 | 827 |
| 2021 | 70 | 23 | 903 |
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 PubMed · to
222 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 170 days – 268 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 1 days (99 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 223 days
- Sample
- 99 articles with submission and acceptance dates (142 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
- Average review time (community reports)
- over 12 weeksLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- Fairly easyLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 16 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 91 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 228 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 2 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 3,960 / EUR 3,700 / GBP 3,170 / JPY 491,160 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 4,350 | — | — |
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)
What to prepare7 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- 1–7
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 12,000 words
- Reference style
- APA
- First submission
- Free format: the journal's layout is not required
- Highlights
- Required
- Graphical abstract
- Optional
Article types accepted4
- discussion papersAuthors are encouraged to submit reports of experimental or descriptive investigations (research articles), review articles, tutorials or discussion papers.Length not stated
- research articlesAuthors are encouraged to submit reports of experimental or descriptive investigations (research articles), review articles, tutorials or discussion papers.Length not stated
- review articlesAuthors are encouraged to submit reports of experimental or descriptive investigations (research articles), review articles, tutorials or discussion papers.Length not stated
- tutorialsAuthors are encouraged to submit reports of experimental or descriptive investigations (research articles), review articles, tutorials or discussion papers.Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints
- AI use Declaration of generative AI use
Authors must declare the use of generative AI tools in the manuscript preparation process upon submission of the paper.Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies (“AI tools”) have been rapidly adopted in research and scholarly publishing, offering significant benefits while requiring clear standards for responsible and transparent use.Authors preparing a manuscript for this journal may use AI tool…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Group authorship
Manuscript length 10,000–12,000 words Model summary
Group authorship refers to the attribution of an article to a defined and named group of authors whose members have contributed to the work. Examples include research consortia, clinical trial groups, collaborative networks, task forces or working groups, expert panels or consensus groups, and participatory research groups. Group authorship must be declared on the title page at submission. When av…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Declaration of competing interests
All authors must disclose any financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence or bias their work. Examples of potential competing interests include:EmploymentConsultanciesStock ownershipHonorariaPaid expert testimonyPatent applications or registrationsGrants or any other fundingAffiliation with the journal as an Editor or Advisory Board …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics
Ethics in publishing Model summary
Authors must follow ethical guidelines stated in Elsevier's Publishing Ethics Policy.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright License options
Authors will be offered open access user license options which will determine how you, and third parties, can reuse your open access article. We advise that you review these options and any funding body license requirements before selecting a license option.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access
We refer you to our open access information page to learn about open access options for this journal.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer review
Double anonymized peer review Model summary
This journal follows a double anonymized review process. Your submission will initially be assessed by our editors. If your submission is deemed suitable, it will typically be sent to be reviewed by a minimum of two reviewers for an independent expert assessment of the scientific quality. The decision as to whether your article is accepted or rejected for publication will be made by our editors.Re…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprints
Preprint sharing allowed Model summary
Preprint sharingAuthors may share preprints in line with Elsevier's article sharing policy. Sharing preprints, such as on a preprint server, will not count as prior publication.We advise you to read our policy on multiple, redundant or concurrent publication. In support of Open Science, this journal offers its authors a free preprint posting service on SSRN, Elsevier’s preprint and early research …
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
- Elsevier Inc.
- Country or region
- UNITED STATES
- Language
- English
- Founded
- 1967
- ISSN
- 0021-9924
- Electronic ISSN
- 1873-7994
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Journal of Communication Disorders
What CAS zone is Journal of Communication Disorders in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Journal of Communication Disorders is in Zone 3 of Medicine, and in Zone 2 of the minor category Rehabilitation / Audiology & Speech-language Pathology / Linguistics. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 3 of Medicine. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Journal of Communication Disorders?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 2.12; CiteScore 3.6, h-index 115.
How long does peer review take at Journal of Communication Disorders?
Based on the dates recorded on 99 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 222 days (interquartile range 170–268 days); authors report an average review time of over 12 weeks; the community-reported acceptance is “Fairly easy”. 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 Communication Disorders?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 1–7; Manuscript length: ≤ 12,000 words; Reference style: APA; First submission: Free format: the journal's layout is not required; Highlights: Required; Graphical abstract: 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 Communication Disorders based?
Of the 40 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (24), Canada (5) and Australia (3). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Journal of Communication Disorders?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Journal of Communication Disorders is indexed in SCIE, SSCI and Scopus.
Is Journal of Communication Disorders open access, and what is the APC?
Journal of Communication Disorders is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,960.
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 2026-08-26). Last updated: .