Journal profile · SOCIAL WORK
Journal of Social Work Practice
ISSN 0265-0533 · eISSN 1465-3885 · Taylor & Francis
Journal of Social Work Practice: CAS Zone 4 · Sociology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 1.14; hybrid open access; APC charged, amount not published; median 241 days to acceptance (82 articles, last 24 months); acceptance rate 41% (journal website); 51 articles in 2025; indexed in SSCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Journal of Social Work Practice is published by Taylor & Francis and is in Zone 4 of Sociology in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Social Work Education and Practice, Counseling, Therapy, and Family Dynamics and Mental Health and Patient Involvement, together about 40.4% of its articles. Its main subfields are Clinical Psychology. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
This journal promotes the use of psychodynamic and systemic perspectives to explore and explain social work practice and relationship-based practice. It publishes papers based on empirical research, theory and practice experience from the UK and around the world, all of which are anonymously reviewed by two peer reviewers. The journal aims to support and enliven practitioners and academics alike through deep and thoughtful exploration of matters relevant to contemporary practice. As the title suggests, social work is a prime focus. However, papers discussing allied fields of interpersonal help and the organisational and policy contexts that influence practice are also welcome, as are articles offering critical analysis of psychodynamic and systemic theory in the light of other explanatory frameworks. Contributions from practitioners are especially welcome, either in the form of full-length articles or as shorter pieces in the Voices from Practice section. The journal embraces social work values and seeks to represent diverse and intercultural perspectives. The journal aims to provide a forum in which: practice, institutional and policy matters are examined through psychodynamic and systemic lenses; the lived experience of practitioners, educators and researchers in contemporary helping professions in the UK and in other cultures and countries is reflected and made visible; psychodynamic and systemic perspectives are linked to and evaluated in the light of other theoretical orientations. Group for the Advancement of Psychodynamics and Psychotherapy in Social Work (GAPS), the owner of Journal of Social Work Practice, exists to promote good practice in all social work agencies. GAPS runs conferences, seminars and local groups and is run on a voluntary basis. For further details and membership enquiries, please contact: Pamela Trevithick, GAPS, Easton Business Centre, Felix Road, Bristol, BS5 0HE. Peer Review Integrity: All research articles in this journal, including those in special issues, special sections, or supplements, have undergone rigorous peer review, this generally involves initial editor screening and anonymized refereeing by at least two independent reviewers. Disclaimer
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): SOCIAL WORK
Editor-in-chief Gloria KirwanPublisher website
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named United Kingdom 6, Ireland 1, New Zealand 1 (8 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Social Work Education and PracticeSocial Sciences22.1%
- Counseling, Therapy, and Family DynamicsPsychology10.9%
- Mental Health and Patient InvolvementHealth Professions7.5%
- Psychotherapy Techniques and ApplicationsPsychology7.3%
- Child Abuse and TraumaPsychology6.6%
- Child Welfare and AdoptionSocial Sciences5.6%
- Homelessness and Social IssuesHealth Professions5.5%
- Healthcare innovation and challengesSocial Sciences3.5%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Sociology Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Sociology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Social Work | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Sociology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Sociology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Social Work | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Sociology Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Sociology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Social Work | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
JCR / CiteScore quartiles on the journal's website
- 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
SCIEPsycINFOCINAHLCurrent ContentsPublisher website
Other: OCLC, ASSIA, Educational Research Abstracts Online, IBSS, Periodicals Index Online, Family Index, Multicultural Education Abstracts, Research into Higher Education Abstracts, Social SciSearch, Social Services Abstracts, Special Educational Needs Abstracts, Studies on Women and Gender Abstracts, Sociological Abstracts
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
- 1.14LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 1.2Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 1.9Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 2.7LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher) 2025
- 2.7Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.53LetPub ·
- SJR (publisher) 2025
- 0.53Publisher website ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.8LetPub ·
- SNIP (publisher) 2025
- 0.8Publisher website ·
- h-index
- 53OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 365OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 0.96OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 8.3%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 28.72%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 42LetPub ·
- Downloads per year (publisher)
- 215,000Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 1,443 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 58 | 27 | 10 |
| 2025 | 51 | 26 | 39 |
| 2024 | 37 | 26 | 91 |
| 2023 | 34 | 13 | 97 |
| 2022 | 43 | 14 | 201 |
| 2021 | 29 | 7 | 276 |
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
241 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 181 days – 344 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 25 days (82 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 295 days
- Sample
- 82 articles with submission and acceptance dates (123 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
- Acceptance rate (publisher)
- 41%Publisher website ·
- Submission to first decision
- 64 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 187 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 26 daysPublisher 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
Hybrid open access journal under Taylor & Francis Open Select program. Model summary
Journal of Social Work Practice 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 discoverabi…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review
Peer review integrity statement: all research articles undergo rigorous peer review with initial editor screening and anonymized refereeing by at least two independent reviewers. Model summary
Peer Review Integrity: All research articles in this journal, including those in special issues, special sections, or supplements, have undergone rigorous peer review, this generally involves initial editor screening and anonymized refereeing by at least two independent reviewers.
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
- 0265-0533
- Electronic ISSN
- 1465-3885
- Society / sponsor
- GAPS
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 40, Issue 3 (2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Journal of Social Work Practice
What CAS zone is Journal of Social Work Practice in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Journal of Social Work Practice is in Zone 4 of Sociology, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Social Work. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 3 of Sociology. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Journal of Social Work Practice?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 1.14; CiteScore 2.7, h-index 53.
How long does peer review take at Journal of Social Work Practice?
Based on the dates recorded on 82 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 241 days (interquartile range 181–344 days); the journal's website gives an acceptance rate of 41%. 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.
Where are the editorial board members of Journal of Social Work Practice based?
Of the 8 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United Kingdom (6), Ireland (1) and New Zealand (1). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Journal of Social Work Practice?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Journal of Social Work Practice is indexed in SSCI and Scopus. The journal's website also lists SCIE, PsycINFO, CINAHL and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Journal of Social Work Practice open access, and what is the APC?
Journal of Social Work Practice 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 2026-08-25). Last updated: .