Journal profile · Social Sciences-Linguistics and Language
Journal of Language Evolution
ISSN 2058-458X · Oxford University Press
Journal of Language Evolution: CAS Zone 2 · Literature (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 2.9 (journal website); hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,943; review about 34 days (submission to final decision, publisher); 8 articles in 2025; indexed in ESCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Journal of Language Evolution is published by Oxford University Press and is in Zone 2 of Literature in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Language and cultural evolution, Linguistic Variation and Morphology and Syntax, Semantics, Linguistic Variation, together about 50.6% of its articles. Its main subfields are Experimental and Cognitive Psychology. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
The Journal of Language Evolution aims to be the venue of choice for language evolution research. Language evolution is concerned with the question of how language came to be and how it came to be the way it is today. We are therefore interested in both biological evolution and cultural evolution as well as their interaction, and in all the functional constraints that determine how these processes take place. The journal is highly interdisciplinary and covers theoretical, computational, database-driven, and experimental work emerging from linguistics, (neuro-)cognitive sciences, psychology, anthropology, biology, evolutionary theory, computer sciences, philosophy, and other relevant disciplines.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Social Sciences-Linguistics and Language
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named United States 6, United Kingdom 6, Germany 4, Spain 2, Netherlands 2 (31 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Language and cultural evolutionSocial Sciences29.3%
- Linguistic Variation and MorphologySocial Sciences11.2%
- Syntax, Semantics, Linguistic VariationArts and Humanities10.1%
- Language, Metaphor, and CognitionPsychology5%
- Animal Vocal Communication and BehaviorBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology5%
- Natural Language Processing TechniquesComputer Science4.7%
- Phonetics and Phonology ResearchPsychology4.7%
- Categorization, perception, and languagePsychology3.3%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Literature Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Literature | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Language & Linguistics | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Literature Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Literature | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Language & Linguistics | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
Database indexing
ESCIScopusLetPub
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 (publisher) 2025
- 2.9Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 1.6Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 2.9LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher) 2025
- 2.9Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.49LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.59LetPub ·
- h-index
- 27OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 61OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 0.55OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 9.1%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 59.26%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 7LetPub ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 32,539Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 137 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 8 | 8 | 0 |
| 2025 | 8 | 6 | 0 |
| 2024 | 6 | 3 | 12 |
| 2023 | 12 | 10 | 62 |
| 2022 | 15 | 9 | 171 |
| 2021 | 6 | 5 | 134 |
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
34 dayssubmission to final decision
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 2025
- 34 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to final decision 2025
- 34 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 | EUR 3,489 | — | — |
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 prepare9 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 350 words
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 8,000 words
- Reference style
- Author–date
- Templates
- LaTeX and Word
- First submission
- Free format: the journal's layout is not required
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
- Highlights
- Optional
- Graphical abstract
- Optional
- Cover letter
- Required
Article types accepted4
- editorialResearch article: scientific articles with a strong empirical component, focused on the results; 3000-8000 words; Short reports: focused reports of empirical or…Length not stated
- literature reviewResearch article: scientific articles with a strong empirical component, focused on the results; 3000-8000 words; Short reports: focused reports of empirical or…Length not stated
- research articleResearch article: scientific articles with a strong empirical component, focused on the results; 3000-8000 words; Short reports: focused reports of empirical or…Length not stated
- reviewResearch article: scientific articles with a strong empirical component, focused on the results; 3000-8000 words; Short reports: focused reports of empirical or…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteData availability, Publication ethics, Open access, Peer review, Preprints
- Data availability Availability of Data and Materials
Where ethically feasible, JoLE strongly encourages authors to make all data and software code on which the conclusions of the paper rely available to readers. Authors are required to include a Data Availability Statement in their article. We suggest that data be presented in the main manuscript or additional supporting files, or deposited in a public repository whenever possible. For information o…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics Publication Ethics
Authors should observe high standards with respect to publication ethics as set out by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Falsification or fabrication of data, plagiarism, including duplicate publication of the authors’ own work without proper citation, and misappropriation of the work are all unacceptable. Any cases of ethical misconduct will be treated seriously and will be dealt with i…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open Access
Journal of Language Evolution offers the option of publishing under either a standard licence or an open access licence. Please note that some funders require open access publication as a condition of funding. If you are unsure whether you are required to publish open access, please do clarify any such requirements with your funder or institution. Should you wish to publish your article open acces…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer Review
This journal operates double-anonymised peer review, meaning that the authors identity is hidden from reviewers, and the reviewers’ identities are hidden from authors. The Editor has oversight of the reviewers and the authors names. For full details about the peer review process, see Fair editing and peer review. OUP author FAQs.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprint Policy
Authors retain the right to make an Author’s Original Version (preprint) available through various channels, and this does not prevent submission to the journal. For further information see our Online Licensing, Copyright and Permissions policies. If accepted, the authors are required to update the status of any preprint, including your published paper’s DOI, as described on our Author Self-Archiv…
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
- Oxford University Press
- ISSN
- 2058-458X
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Journal of Language Evolution
What CAS zone is Journal of Language Evolution in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Journal of Language Evolution is in Zone 2 of Literature, and in Zone 2 of the minor category Language & Linguistics. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 2 of Literature. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Journal of Language Evolution?
The journal's website gives an impact factor of 2.9 (2025); this is the journal's own figure, as LetPub lists none for it; CiteScore 2.9, h-index 27.
How long does peer review take at Journal of Language Evolution?
The publisher reports about 34 days (submission to final decision). 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 Language Evolution?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 350 words; Manuscript length: ≤ 8,000 words; Reference style: Author–date; Templates: LaTeX and Word; First submission: Free format: the journal's layout is not required; Suggested reviewers: Optional; Highlights: Optional; Graphical abstract: Optional; Cover letter: Required. 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 Language Evolution based?
Of the 31 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (6), United Kingdom (6) and Germany (4). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Journal of Language Evolution?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Journal of Language Evolution is indexed in ESCI and Scopus.
Is Journal of Language Evolution open access, and what is the APC?
Journal of Language Evolution is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,943.
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 2026-08-25). Last updated: .