Journal profile · Multiple
Language Policy
ISSN 1568-4555 · eISSN 1573-1863 · Springer Nature · 4 issues per year
Language Policy: CAS Zone 2 · Literature (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 3.54; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,090; median 205 days to acceptance (74 articles, last 24 months); 42 articles in 2025; indexed in SSCI, AHCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Language Policy is published by Springer Nature 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 Multilingual Education and Policy, Second Language Learning and Teaching and Linguistic Variation and Morphology, together about 58.3% of its articles. Its main subfields are Linguistics and Language and Language and Linguistics. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Language Policy is relevant to scholars, students, specialists, educators, and policymakers working in the fields of applied linguistics, sociolinguistics, linguistic anthropology, language teaching and learning, and related fields. The journal aims to publish empirical studies that cover a range of language policy related cases, situations, and regions worldwide while having a substantial theoretical underpinning that contributes to new understandings in the field. The editors remain interested in papers that explore language policy practices and processes at all levels, including by governments but also in schools, workplaces, families, health services, media and other institutional sites. Rather than just description and/or evaluation of policies, Language Policy seeks high-quality research that is empirically driven, allows us to understand ongoing processes of social change, and contributes to theory-building. We welcome research that is grounded in nuanced understandings of power that move away from its conceptualisation as something located in one place (e.g. a governmental body) and exercised via policymaking, towards recognition of power as a more diffuse, anonymous network that is not limited to state politics alone. We are also interested in contributions that describe and critique technologies of governmentality and forms of language policing which enable the daily regulation of communicative practices and speakers across a wide range of social domains, with a focus on the consequences for social groups’ unequal access to spaces and various material and symbolic resources. The journal seeks researchers’ vigilance in unsettling the epistemic traces of long-standing projects of capitalism, colonialism and white supremacy in their own work. We look forward to receiving contributions to the journal that press the boundaries of the field and reconsider what it is that we are actually fighting for in language policy research and activism. We also encourage papers informed through interdisciplinary work within related fields such as linguistics, education (inclusive of bilingual education), anthropology, sociology, political science, economics, law, history, ecology, and geography. Language Policy is interested in accounts focused on: Language policies, practices, and processes involving governments and governmental agencies, non-governmental organizations, business enterprises, public and private institutions, community organizations, families, and o
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Multiple
Editor-in-chief David CasselsPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 3 in mainland China (about 5%); most named United States 19, United Kingdom 7, Australia 5, Mainland China 3, Spain 3 (60 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Multilingual Education and PolicySocial Sciences33.3%
- Second Language Learning and TeachingArts and Humanities17.6%
- Linguistic Variation and MorphologySocial Sciences7.4%
- EFL/ESL Teaching and LearningArts and Humanities7.2%
- Linguistics, Language Diversity, and IdentityArts and Humanities6%
- Language, Discourse, Communication StrategiesArts and Humanities4%
- Gender Studies in LanguageSocial Sciences3.7%
- Global Education and MulticulturalismSocial Sciences2.1%
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 |
| Minor | Education & Educational Research | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Linguistics | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Literature Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Literature | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Education & Educational Research | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Linguistics | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Language & Linguistics | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Literature Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Literature | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Language & Linguistics | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Linguistics | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Education & Educational Research | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SSCIAHCIScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
SCIEERICERIH PLUSCurrent ContentsPublisher website
Other: Google Scholar, EBSCO, ProQuest, Dimensions, CNKI, Baidu, Naver, OCLC, Portico, CLOCKSS
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
- 3.54LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 3.7Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 2.8Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 4.7LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.95LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 2.55LetPub ·
- h-index
- 64OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 341OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 1.34OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 0%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 54.84%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 16LetPub ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 216,400Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 1,089 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 48 | 16 | 15 |
| 2025 | 42 | 13 | 18 |
| 2024 | 41 | 18 | 142 |
| 2023 | 37 | 16 | 386 |
| 2022 | 38 | 12 | 231 |
| 2021 | 37 | 9 | 435 |
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
205 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 104 days – 278 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 36 days (75 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 235 days
- Sample
- 74 articles with submission and acceptance dates (87 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
- Submission to first decision
- 22 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 | USD 3,090 / EUR 2,490 / GBP 2,190 | — | — |
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 prepare5 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- 150–250 words
- Keywords
- ≥ 4
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 9,000 words
- Reference style
- APA
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
Article types accepted3
- book reviewsBook reviews are commissioned by the book reviews editors only, unsolicited book reviews are not accepted.Length not stated
- editorialThe journal follows a double-blind reviewing procedure. Authors are therefore requested to place their name and affiliation on a separate page. Self-identifying…Length not stated
- original researchThe journal can receive original research and review papers.Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review
- AI use Generative AI Images
All authors must declare AI use upon submission; permitted use is restricted to grammar checking and layout of examples. Model summary
Please check Springer’s policy on generative AI images and make sure your work adheres to the principles described therein. Back to top
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 Disclosures and declarations
Authors must disclose financial or non-financial competing interests. Model summary
All authors are requested to include information regarding sources of funding, financial or non-financial interests, study-specific approval by the appropriate ethics committee for research involving humans and/or animals, informed consent if the research involved human participants, and a statement on welfare of animals if the research involved animals (as appropriate). The decision whether such …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability
Data and materials (including software/code) should support published claims and comply with field standards; journal-specific data sharing policy applies. Model summary
All authors are requested to make sure that all data and materials as well as software application or custom code support their published claims and comply with field standards. Please note that journals may have individual policies on (sharing) research data in concordance with disciplinary norms and expectations.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics Compliance with Ethical Standards
Journal is a COPE member and follows COPE guidelines on misconduct. Model summary
To ensure objectivity and transparency in research and to ensure that accepted principles of ethical and professional conduct have been followed, authors should include information regarding sources of funding, potential conflicts of interest (financial or non-financial), informed consent if the research involved human participants, and a statement on welfare of animals if the research involved an…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Copyright transfer
Copyright transfer to the publisher or grant of exclusive publication rights. Model summary
Authors will be asked to transfer copyright of the article to the Publisher (or grant the Publisher exclusive publication and dissemination rights). This will ensure the widest possible protection and dissemination of information under copyright laws.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access publishing
To find out more about publishing your work Open Access in Language Policy, including information on fees, funding and licences, visit our Open access publishing page. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review
Double-blind peer review; authors must place name and affiliation on a separate page and avoid self-identifying citations at first submission. Model summary
The journal follows a double-blind reviewing procedure. Authors are therefore requested to place their name and affiliation on a separate page.
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
- 1568-4555
- Electronic ISSN
- 1573-1863
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Language Policy
What CAS zone is Language Policy in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Language Policy is in Zone 2 of Literature, and in Zone 2 of the minor category Language & Linguistics / Education & Educational Research / Linguistics. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 1 of Literature. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Language Policy?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 3.54; CiteScore 4.7, h-index 64.
How long does peer review take at Language Policy?
Based on the dates recorded on 74 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 205 days (interquartile range 104–278 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 Language Policy?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: 150–250 words; Keywords: ≥ 4; Manuscript length: ≤ 9,000 words; Reference style: APA; 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.
Where are the editorial board members of Language Policy based?
Of the 60 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 3 (about 5%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (19), United Kingdom (7) and Australia (5). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Language Policy?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Language Policy is indexed in SSCI, AHCI and Scopus. The journal's website also lists SCIE, ERIC, ERIH PLUS and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Language Policy open access, and what is the APC?
Language Policy is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,090.
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: .