Journal profile · Multiple
Leisure Sciences
ISSN 0149-0400 · eISSN 1521-0588 · Taylor & Francis
Leisure Sciences: CAS Zone 2 · Sociology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 1.93; JCR Q2 (journal website); hybrid open access; APC charged, amount not published; median 204 days to acceptance (91 articles, last 24 months); acceptance rate 15% (journal website); 95 articles in 2025; indexed in SSCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Leisure Sciences is published by Taylor & Francis and is in Zone 2 of Sociology in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Recreation, Leisure, Wilderness Management, Sport and Mega-Event Impacts and Diverse Aspects of Tourism Research, together about 49.5% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Leisure Sciences presents transdisciplinary scientific, theoretical, and conceptual inquiries into the study of leisure, here conceived of as the concept of leisure in society and behavior: leisure theory, leisure philosophy, the social psychology of leisure, and the sociology of leisure. Additionally, the study of related concepts such as parks and urban spaces, recreation and events, travel and tourism, environmental engagement and well-being are all welcome here. Articles that highlight theory, methodology, methods and advance the understanding of leisure receive priority for publication consideration Articles cover: The social and psychological aspects of leisure The historical and anthropological representations of leisure The production of space for leisure The implications of leisure on society and populations The industry and function of leisure The political and sociocultural dimensions of leisure The Journal also features methodological notes, philosophical essays, and policy treatises, and book reviews. Readership: The trans- (wholistic use of disciplines and fields) and interdisciplinary (collaborative use of disciplines and fields) diversity of topics makes this international forum for the study of leisure of special interest to academicians, journalists, consultants, students, bureaucrats, practitioners, and organizers involved in research, promotion, teaching, planning, administration, and community engagement. Peer Review Policy: All Articles, Research Reflections, and Theoretical Analysis submitted to this journal undergo a “double-anonymous” peer review by one to three referees. Editorials are reviewed by the editors.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Multiple
Editor-in-chief Rasul A. MowattPublisher website
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named United States 3, Japan 1 (4 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Recreation, Leisure, Wilderness ManagementPsychology27.4%
- Sport and Mega-Event ImpactsSocial Sciences12.4%
- Diverse Aspects of Tourism ResearchSocial Sciences9.7%
- Adventure Sports and Sensation SeekingPsychology6%
- Urban Green Space and HealthEnvironmental Science4.9%
- Economic and Environmental ValuationEconomics, Econometrics and Finance4.8%
- Sports, Gender, and SocietySocial Sciences4.2%
- Urban Transport and AccessibilitySocial Sciences3.5%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Sociology Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Sociology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Sociology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Hospitality, Leisure, Sport & Tourism | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Sociology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Sociology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Hospitality, Leisure, Sport & Tourism | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Sociology | Zone 3 |
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 | Hospitality, Leisure, Sport & Tourism | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Sociology | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
JCR / CiteScore quartiles on the journal's website
- JCR Q2 · best quartile · 2025
- 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
SCIEPsycINFOCAB AbstractsCurrent ContentsPublisher website
Other: OCLC, CSA, EBSCOhost Online Research Databases, Elsevier GEOBASE, Family Index Database, PAIS International, PsycFirst, Research in Higher Education Abstracts, Sage Human Resources Abstracts, SPORT Database & SPORT Discus, SwetsWise All Titles and Ulrichs Periodicals Directory
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
- 1.93LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 1.9Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 3Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 6.3LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher) 2025
- 6.3Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.72LetPub ·
- SJR (publisher) 2025
- 0.72Publisher website ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.61LetPub ·
- SNIP (publisher) 2025
- 1.61Publisher website ·
- h-index
- 124OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 1,079OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 1.59OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 10.5%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 8.24%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 91LetPub ·
- Downloads per year (publisher)
- 214,000Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 1,972 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 114 | 31 | 23 |
| 2025 | 95 | 19 | 163 |
| 2024 | 88 | 22 | 285 |
| 2023 | 103 | 28 | 649 |
| 2022 | 63 | 19 | 642 |
| 2021 | 57 | 12 | 747 |
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
204 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 115 days – 314 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 17 days (91 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 237 days
- Sample
- 91 articles with submission and acceptance dates (233 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)
- 15%Publisher website ·
- Submission to first decision
- 27 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 57 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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)
Article types accepted7
- articlesAll Articles, Research Reflections, and Theoretical Analysis submitted to this journal undergo a “double-anonymous” peer review by one to three referees.Length not stated
- book reviewsThe Journal also features methodological notes, philosophical essays, and policy treatises, and book reviews.Length not stated
- methodological notesThe Journal also features methodological notes, philosophical essays, and policy treatises, and book reviews.Length not stated
- philosophical essaysThe Journal also features methodological notes, philosophical essays, and policy treatises, and book reviews.Length not stated
- policy treatisesThe Journal also features methodological notes, philosophical essays, and policy treatises, and book reviews.Length not stated
- research reflectionsAll Articles, Research Reflections, and Theoretical Analysis submitted to this journal undergo a “double-anonymous” peer review by one to three referees.Length not stated
- theoretical analysisAll Articles, Research Reflections, and Theoretical Analysis submitted to this journal undergo a “double-anonymous” peer review by one to three referees.Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteOpen access, Peer review
- Open access Open access
Leisure Sciences 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 discoverability and reader…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review
Double-anonymous peer review by one to three referees for Articles, Research Reflections, and Theoretical Analysis; Editorials are reviewed by the editors. Model summary
All Articles, Research Reflections, and Theoretical Analysis submitted to this journal undergo a “double-anonymous” peer review by one to three referees.
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
- 0149-0400
- Electronic ISSN
- 1521-0588
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 48, Issue 7 (2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Leisure Sciences
What CAS zone is Leisure Sciences in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Leisure Sciences is in Zone 2 of Sociology, and in Zone 3 of the minor category Sociology / Hospitality, Leisure, Sport & Tourism. 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 Leisure Sciences?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 1.93; CiteScore 6.3, h-index 124.
How long does peer review take at Leisure Sciences?
Based on the dates recorded on 91 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 204 days (interquartile range 115–314 days); the journal's website gives an acceptance rate of 15%. 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 JCR quartile is Leisure Sciences in?
The journal's website gives JCR Q2 (best quartile). JCR quartiles are Clarivate's to confirm and a different system from the CAS zones; in the CAS ranking the journal is in Zone 2 of Sociology.
Where are the editorial board members of Leisure Sciences based?
Of the 4 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (3) and Japan (1). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Leisure Sciences?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Leisure Sciences is indexed in SSCI and Scopus. The journal's website also lists SCIE, PsycINFO, CAB Abstracts and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Leisure Sciences open access, and what is the APC?
Leisure Sciences 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 2026-08-26). Last updated: .