Journal profile · Multiple
KOLNER ZEITSCHRIFT FUR SOZIOLOGIE UND SOZIALPSYCHOLOGIE
ISSN 0023-2653 · eISSN 1861-891X · Springer Nature · 4 issues per year
KOLNER ZEITSCHRIFT FUR SOZIOLOGIE UND SOZIALPSYCHOLOGIE: CAS Zone 4 · Sociology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 1.63; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,190; median 342 days to acceptance (63 articles, last 24 months); 55 articles in 2025; indexed in SSCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
KOLNER ZEITSCHRIFT FUR SOZIOLOGIE UND SOZIALPSYCHOLOGIE is published by Springer Nature 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 Sociology and Education Studies, German Social Sciences and History and Social Policy and Reform Studies, together about 40.2% 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)
The sociology journal Kölner Zeitschrift für Soziologie und Sozialpsychologie (KZfSS) ("Cologne Journal of Sociology and Social Psychology") was founded in 1948 by the Cologne sociologist Leopold von Wiese as the Kölner Zeitschrift für Soziologie. His successor, René König, broadened the journal's scope towards social psychological topics, including cultural sociology and qualitative social research, which gave the journal its current name. KZfSS is the most important sociological publication in the German-speaking world in terms of its scope and distribution. It publishes comprehensively on German sociological research in all disciplines and regularly communicates research results from many countries around the world. KZfSS follows the model of a universal sociology journal. In addition to more than 40 double-blind peer-reviewed original research articles per year, it publishes detailed literature reviews and book reviews of German and international literature in a comprehensive review section. The journal thus provides a forum for sociological research and open discussion. Special emphasis is placed on offering young colleagues an opportunity for their first publication. The journal is included in many renowned scientific Abstracting & Indexing databases such as the Social Science Citation Index. In addition to the four annual issues, a supplement coordinated by guest editors is published annually.
Source: LetPub
Research area (LetPub): Multiple
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Sociology and Education StudiesSocial Sciences19.1%
- German Social Sciences and HistorySocial Sciences11.3%
- Social Policy and Reform StudiesSocial Sciences9.9%
- Economic and Social IssuesSocial Sciences5.2%
- European history and politicsSocial Sciences4.9%
- German Literature and Culture StudiesArts and Humanities4.4%
- Public Administration and Political AnalysisSocial Sciences4.4%
- German legal, social, and political studiesSocial Sciences4.2%
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 | Psychology, Social | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Sociology | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Sociology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Sociology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Psychology, Social | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Sociology | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Sociology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Sociology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Psychology, Social | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Sociology | Zone 4 |
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
- 1.63LetPub ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 2.2LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.38LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.86LetPub ·
- h-index
- 65OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 545OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 1.72OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 0%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 94.17%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 38LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 2,181 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 52 | 46 | 62 |
| 2025 | 55 | 45 | 62 |
| 2024 | 52 | 46 | 150 |
| 2023 | 59 | 50 | 269 |
| 2022 | 59 | 52 | 393 |
| 2021 | 69 | 60 | 447 |
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
342 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 268 days – 433 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 30 days (95 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 377 days
- Sample
- 63 articles with submission and acceptance dates (117 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
- 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 | USD 3,190 / EUR 2,690 / GBP 2,290 | — | — |
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
- 150–250 words
- Keywords
- ≥ 4
- Reference style
- Author–date
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
Article types accepted9
- book reviewResearch article: double-blind peer-reviewed Original Paper, max. 70.000 characters for the main text (incl. spaces). References and Appendices are not consider…Length not stated
- editorialResearch article: double-blind peer-reviewed Original Paper, max. 70.000 characters for the main text (incl. spaces). References and Appendices are not consider…Length not stated
- news and announcementsNews and announcements: Neuigkeiten aus dem soziologischen HochschulwesenLength not stated
- original articleResearch article: double-blind peer-reviewed Original Paper, max. 70.000 characters for the main text (incl. spaces). References and Appendices are not consider…Length not stated
- original paperResearch article: double-blind peer-reviewed Original Paper, max. 70.000 characters for the main text (incl. spaces). References and Appendices are not consider…Length not stated
- research articleResearch article: double-blind peer-reviewed Original Paper, max. 70.000 characters for the main text (incl. spaces). References and Appendices are not consider…Length not stated
- research noteResearch note: doppelblind begutachteter Originalbeitrag mit max. 40.000 Zeichen (inkl. Leerzeichen). Literaturverzeichnis und Anhänge werden nicht mitgezählt.Length not stated
- reviewResearch article: double-blind peer-reviewed Original Paper, max. 70.000 characters for the main text (incl. spaces). References and Appendices are not consider…Length not stated
- review articleResearch article: double-blind peer-reviewed Original Paper, max. 70.000 characters for the main text (incl. spaces). References and Appendices are not consider…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints
- AI use Generative AI Images
Please check Springer’s policy on generative AI images and make sure your work adheres to the principles described therein.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Authorship principles
These guidelines describe authorship principles and good authorship practices to which prospective authors should adhere to. Authorship clarified The Journal and Publisher assume all authors agreed with the content and that all gave explicit consent to submit and that they obtained consent from the responsible authorities at the institute/organization where the work has been carried out, before th…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Competing Interests
Authors are requested to disclose interests that are directly or indirectly related to the work submitted for publication. Interests within the last 3 years of beginning the work (conducting the research and preparing the work for submission) should be reported. Interests outside the 3-year time frame must be disclosed if they could reasonably be perceived as influencing the submitted work. Disclo…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Copyright Transfer
Mit der Annahme des Artikels wird der Autor um Übertragung des Copyrights (bzw. das ausschließliche, räumlich und zeitlich uneingeschränkte Recht zur Publikation und zum Vertrieb) an den Verlag gebeten. Die Zeitschrift sowie alle in ihr enthaltenen einzelnen Beiträge und Abbildungen sind urheberrechtlich geschützt. Für Open Choice Artikel ist keine Übertragung des Copyrights erforderlich, da das C…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access publishing
To find out more about publishing your work Open Access in KZfSS Kölner Zeitschrift für Soziologie und Sozialpsychologie, including information on fees, funding and licences, visit our Open access publishing page. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer Review
Double-blind peer review; the author remains anonymous to reviewers throughout peer review. Model summary
Doppelblindes Peer-Review-Verfahren Diese Zeitschrift wendet ein doppelblindes Peer-Review-Verfahren an. Das bedeutet, dass der Autor/die Autorin während des gesamten Peer-Review-Prozesses für die Gutachter anonym bleibt. Es liegt in der Verantwortung des Autors/der Autorin, das Manuskript und alle zugehörigen Materialien zu anonymisieren. Autor:innennamen, Zugehörigkeiten und alle anderen potenzi…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints
Manuscripts must not have been published before or be under consideration elsewhere. Model summary
Voraussetzung für das Einreichen eines Manuskriptes ist, dass die Arbeit noch nicht publiziert oder an anderer Stelle zur Publikation eingereicht wurde.
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
- Springer Nature
- Frequency
- 4 issues per year
- ISSN
- 0023-2653
- Electronic ISSN
- 1861-891X
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗LetPub
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about KOLNER ZEITSCHRIFT FUR SOZIOLOGIE UND SOZIALPSYCHOLOGIE
What CAS zone is KOLNER ZEITSCHRIFT FUR SOZIOLOGIE UND SOZIALPSYCHOLOGIE in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, KOLNER ZEITSCHRIFT FUR SOZIOLOGIE UND SOZIALPSYCHOLOGIE is in Zone 4 of Sociology, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Psychology, Social / Sociology. 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 KOLNER ZEITSCHRIFT FUR SOZIOLOGIE UND SOZIALPSYCHOLOGIE?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 1.63; CiteScore 2.2, h-index 65.
How long does peer review take at KOLNER ZEITSCHRIFT FUR SOZIOLOGIE UND SOZIALPSYCHOLOGIE?
Based on the dates recorded on 63 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 342 days (interquartile range 268–433 days). 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 KOLNER ZEITSCHRIFT FUR SOZIOLOGIE UND SOZIALPSYCHOLOGIE?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: 150–250 words; Keywords: ≥ 4; Reference style: Author–date; Suggested reviewers: 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.
Which databases index KOLNER ZEITSCHRIFT FUR SOZIOLOGIE UND SOZIALPSYCHOLOGIE?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, KOLNER ZEITSCHRIFT FUR SOZIOLOGIE UND SOZIALPSYCHOLOGIE is indexed in SSCI and Scopus.
Is KOLNER ZEITSCHRIFT FUR SOZIOLOGIE UND SOZIALPSYCHOLOGIE open access, and what is the APC?
KOLNER ZEITSCHRIFT FUR SOZIOLOGIE UND SOZIALPSYCHOLOGIE is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,190.
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 2026-08-26). Last updated: .