Journal profile
Journal of Sonic Studies
ISSN 2212-6252 · Leiden University Press (LUP) · Netherlands
Journal of Sonic Studies: diamond open access (no APC); no APC; review about 15 weeks (community reports); 17 articles in 2025.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Journal of Sonic Studies is published by Leiden University Press (LUP). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Sound Studies and Aurality, Music Technology and Sound Studies and Diverse Musicological Studies, together about 60.6% of its articles. Its main subfields are Music. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
The main purpose of Murray Schafer's work was to study the dynamic interaction between the sonic environment, the socio-cultural milieu, and the individual listener as well as the (conscious and unconscious) effects sound has on human behavior. This might be regarded as the purpose of sonic studies in general today and it is also the primary aim of the Journal of Sonic Studies (JSS): how can we understand the impact and importance of sound, both on an individual and a general cultural level? JSS thus provides a platform for theorists and artists who would like to present relevant work regarding the sonic environment. JSS presents, stimulates, and brings together a versatility of possible approaches. That is why it pays attention to the sonic design of consumer articles (cars, washing machines, coffee-makers) as well as to the influence of hearing on the relation between mother and fetus; to urban noise pollution as well as the use of sonic weapons in war zones; from interventions in public space by sound artists as well as the effects of background music in shopping malls. JSS offers the possibility to present new insights into the relation between sonority and (the deconstruction of) identity, the concept of space, the influence of digital technology, urban planning, deafness, etc. It covers both the material production and active consumption of sound (including music, noise and "silence") and the bio-cultural meaning of sound and listening. In this way, JSS contributes to a rethinking of the relation between acoustics and society. JSS advocates multidisciplinary research and is open for knowledge from various fields of study; from history to philosophy, sociology and anthropology; from medical studies to architecture, legal and technical sciences; from ecology to sound art, performance and media studies; etc.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named United Kingdom 5, United States 3, Netherlands 3, France 1, Australia 1 (15 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Sound Studies and AuralityPsychology37.8%
- Music Technology and Sound StudiesComputer Science12.5%
- Diverse Musicological StudiesArts and Humanities10.3%
- Musicology and Musical AnalysisArts and Humanities6.1%
- Noise Effects and ManagementHealth Professions5.5%
- Artistic and Creative ResearchArts and Humanities4.7%
- Music History and CultureArts and Humanities3.9%
- Urban and sociocultural dynamicsSocial Sciences2%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
Database indexing
DOAJLetPub
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
- h-index
- 11OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 14OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 0.26OpenAlex ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 0%LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 269 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 9 | 9 | 12 |
| 2025 | 17 | 17 | 45 |
| 2024 | 17 | 17 | 33 |
| 2023 | 13 | 13 | 26 |
| 2022 | 9 | 9 | 43 |
| 2021 | 21 | 21 | 58 |
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
- Average review time (community reports)
- about 15 weeksLetPub ·
- Submission to publication (journal-reported)
- about 15 weeksDOAJ ·
- Peer review
- Double anonymous peer reviewDOAJ
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
Diamond open access (no APC)DOAJ
Every article is open access and authors pay no article processing charge.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DOAJ | No APC | No | CC BY-SA | |
| LetPub | No APC | No | — | |
| Publisher website | No APC | — | — |
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 websiteLicense & copyright, Peer review
- License & copyright
Copyright and publishing rights reside with the author/s. Model summary
All copyright and publishing rights reside with the author/s.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review
All articles are subject to blind reviews by two reviewers. Model summary
All articles are subject to blind reviews by two 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
- Leiden University Press (LUP)
- Country or region
- Netherlands
- Language
- English
- ISSN
- 2212-6252
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Author guidelines ↗DOAJ
- Aims & Scope ↗DOAJ
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
- APC information ↗DOAJ
- Open access statement ↗DOAJ
- License & copyright ↗DOAJ
- Peer review process ↗DOAJ
- Editorial board ↗DOAJ
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Journal of Sonic Studies
How long does peer review take at Journal of Sonic Studies?
Authors report an average review time of about 15 weeks. 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 Sonic Studies based?
Of the 15 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United Kingdom (5), United States (3) and Netherlands (3). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Journal of Sonic Studies?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Journal of Sonic Studies is indexed in DOAJ.
Is Journal of Sonic Studies open access, and what is the APC?
Journal of Sonic Studies is a diamond open-access journal (no APC). It charges no article processing charge.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, OpenAlex, DOAJ, 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 2026-08-26). Last updated: .