Journal profile · ECONOMICS
Journal of Economic Theory
ISSN 0022-0531 · eISSN 1095-7235 · Elsevier
Journal of Economic Theory: CAS Zone 3 · Economics (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 1.11; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,030; review about 614 days (submission to acceptance, publisher); 124 articles in 2025; indexed in SSCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Journal of Economic Theory is published by Elsevier and is in Zone 3 of Economics in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Economic theories and models, Game Theory and Applications and Auction Theory and Applications, together about 40.5% of its articles. Its main subfields are Economics and Econometrics. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
The Journal of Economic Theory publishes original research on economic theory. It is the most general-interest journal among those specializing in economic theory. It is also one of nine core journals in all of economics. The Journal strives to respond in four months from receipt of the manuscript. It is committed to maintaining a fair and balanced view of different fields in economic theory, with an emphasis on innovative work. Submissions with significant empirical, experimental, quantitative, and computational contributions are welcome, provided they are firmly grounded in theory.Themes include, but are not limited to, mechanism design, information, finance, matching, decision theory, game theory, political economy, market design, macroeconomics and monetary economics.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): ECONOMICS
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named United States 33, Germany 7, Canada 5, United Kingdom 3, Australia 3 (59 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Economic theories and modelsEconomics, Econometrics and Finance21.5%
- Game Theory and ApplicationsDecision Sciences9.7%
- Auction Theory and ApplicationsDecision Sciences9.4%
- Game Theory and Voting SystemsEconomics, Econometrics and Finance8.1%
- Experimental Behavioral Economics StudiesSocial Sciences5.5%
- Economic Theory and PolicyEconomics, Econometrics and Finance4.6%
- Decision-Making and Behavioral EconomicsDecision Sciences4.4%
- Diverse Scientific and Economic StudiesEconomics, Econometrics and Finance3.7%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Economics Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Economics | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Economics | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Economics Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Economics | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Economics | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Economics Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Economics | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Economics | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SSCIScopusLetPub
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
- 1.11LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 1.1Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 2.3LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 2.3Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 2.84LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.41LetPub ·
- h-index
- 261OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 3,917OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 1.48OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 0%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 37.39%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 102LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 6,285 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 76 | 51 | 11 |
| 2025 | 124 | 76 | 130 |
| 2024 | 120 | 66 | 333 |
| 2023 | 131 | 78 | 790 |
| 2022 | 145 | 72 | 1,076 |
| 2021 | 167 | 87 | 2,297 |
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
614 dayssubmission to acceptance
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
- Submission to first decision
- 5 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 104 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 614 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 7 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Single 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 3,030 / EUR 2,830 / GBP 2,430 / JPY 375,810 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 3,190 | — | — |
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 prepare4 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- 1–7
- Reference style
- Author–date
- Highlights
- Optional
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
Authorship changes generally not considered after submission. 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 per Elsevier's Publishing Ethics Policy. 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
Single anonymized peer review process. Model summary
This journal follows a single 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 per Elsevier policy; does not count as prior publication. 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
- ISSN
- 0022-0531
- Electronic ISSN
- 1095-7235
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Journal of Economic Theory
What CAS zone is Journal of Economic Theory in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Journal of Economic Theory is in Zone 3 of Economics, and in Zone 3 of the minor category Economics. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 3 of Economics. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Journal of Economic Theory?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 1.11; CiteScore 2.3, h-index 261.
How long does peer review take at Journal of Economic Theory?
The publisher reports about 614 days (submission to acceptance). 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 Economic Theory?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 1–7; Reference style: Author–date; Highlights: 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 Economic Theory based?
Of the 59 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (33), Germany (7) and Canada (5). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Journal of Economic Theory?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Journal of Economic Theory is indexed in SSCI and Scopus.
Is Journal of Economic Theory open access, and what is the APC?
Journal of Economic Theory is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,030.
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: .