Journal profile · AREA STUDIES
Journal of Contemporary China
ISSN 1067-0564 · eISSN 1469-9400 · Taylor & Francis
Journal of Contemporary China: CAS Zone 2 · Sociology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 2.85; JCR Q1 (journal website); hybrid open access; APC charged, amount not published; review about 76 days (first decision after review, publisher); acceptance rate 6% (journal website); 52 articles in 2025; indexed in SSCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Journal of Contemporary China is published by Taylor & Francis and is in Zone 2 of Sociology in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are China's Socioeconomic Reforms and Governance, Chinese history and philosophy and Hong Kong and Taiwan Politics, together about 48.5% of its articles. Its main subfields are Sociology and Political Science and Political Science and International Relations. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Journal of Contemporary China is the only English language journal edited in North America that provides exclusive information about contemporary Chinese affairs for scholars, business people and government policy-makers. It publishes articles of theoretical and policy research and book review essays (invitation only). The journal's fields of interest include economics, political science, law, culture, literature, business, history, international relations, sociology and other social sciences and humanities. Peer Review Statement All research articles in this journal have undergone an editorial screening and double-anonymized peer review process. Editorials, reflecting on a prominent theme or topic, do not undergo peer review. Related Book: Perspectives and Strategic Interactions Edited by Suisheng Zhao
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): AREA STUDIES
Editor-in-chief Suisheng ZhaoPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 9 in mainland China (about 53%); most named Mainland China 9, Hong Kong, China 4, Macau, China 2, Taiwan, China 1, United States 1 (17 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- China's Socioeconomic Reforms and GovernanceSocial Sciences26.3%
- Chinese history and philosophySocial Sciences11.5%
- Hong Kong and Taiwan PoliticsSocial Sciences10.7%
- International Relations and Foreign PolicySocial Sciences8.4%
- China's Ethnic Minorities and RelationsSocial Sciences6.2%
- International Development and AidSocial Sciences5.9%
- Global trade and economicsEconomics, Econometrics and Finance2.8%
- Vietnamese History and Culture StudiesSocial Sciences2.8%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Sociology Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Sociology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Area Studies | Zone 2 |
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 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Sociology Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Sociology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Area Studies | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
JCR / CiteScore quartiles on the journal's website
- JCR Q1 · 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
American History and Life, Bibliography of Asian Studies, British Humanities Index (BHI), CSA Abstracts, Directory of Periodicals, EOBASE, Historical Abstracts, International Development Abstracts, International Political Science Abstracts, MLA International BibliographyPublisher 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
- 2.85LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 3.1Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 3.3Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 6.5LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher) 2025
- 6.5Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.11LetPub ·
- SJR (publisher) 2025
- 1.11Publisher website ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0LetPub ·
- h-index
- 81OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 901OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 3.01OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 9.7%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 13.33%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 51LetPub ·
- Downloads per year (publisher)
- 363,000Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 1,691 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 52 | 22 | 8 |
| 2025 | 52 | 18 | 89 |
| 2024 | 68 | 26 | 420 |
| 2023 | 46 | 10 | 478 |
| 2022 | 78 | 20 | 964 |
| 2021 | 73 | 10 | 1,172 |
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
76 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)
- 6%Publisher website ·
- Submission to first decision
- 9 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 76 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 16 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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)
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteOpen access, Peer review
- Open access Open access
Journal of Contemporary China 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 discoverabili…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer Review Statement
All research articles undergo editorial screening and double-anonymized peer review. Model summary
All research articles in this journal have undergone an editorial screening and double-anonymized peer review process. Editorials, reflecting on a prominent theme or topic, do not undergo peer review.
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
- 1067-0564
- Electronic ISSN
- 1469-9400
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 35, Issue 161 (2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Journal of Contemporary China
What CAS zone is Journal of Contemporary China in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Journal of Contemporary China is in Zone 2 of Sociology, and in Zone 2 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 Contemporary China?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 2.85; CiteScore 6.5, h-index 81.
How long does peer review take at Journal of Contemporary China?
The publisher reports about 76 days (first decision after review); the journal's website gives an acceptance rate of 6%. 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 Contemporary China in?
The journal's website gives JCR Q1 (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 2 of Sociology.
Where are the editorial board members of Journal of Contemporary China based?
Of the 17 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 9 (about 53%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Mainland China (9), Hong Kong, China (4) and Macau, China (2). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Journal of Contemporary China?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Journal of Contemporary China is indexed in SSCI and Scopus.
Is Journal of Contemporary China open access, and what is the APC?
Journal of Contemporary China 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 2026-08-26). Last updated: .