Journal profile · SOCIAL SCIENCES, MATHEMATICAL METHODS
Methods Data Analyses
ISSN 1864-6956 · eISSN 2190-4936 · GESIS - Leibniz-Institute for the Social Sciences, Mannheim · Germany
Methods Data Analyses: CAS Zone 4 · Sociology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 2.6 (journal website); diamond open access (no APC); no APC; review about 40 weeks (community reports); 5 articles in 2025; indexed in ESCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Methods Data Analyses is published by GESIS - Leibniz-Institute for the Social Sciences, Mannheim 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 Survey Methodology and Nonresponse, Sociology and Education Studies and Social and Intergroup Psychology, together about 39.8% of its articles. Its main subfields are Sociology and Political Science. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
methods, data, analyses (mda) is an international, peer-reviewed, diamond open access journal that advances the methodological and analytical foundations of the social sciences. It provides a platform for cutting-edge work on scientific methods, quantitative data analysis, data, and research software, with a strong commitment to transparency, reproducibility, and best practices in scientific conduct. The journal places particular emphasis on two areas of research: Survey methodology and survey statistics – including innovative approaches to survey design, sampling, weighting and measurement, as well as advances in statistical modeling and inference for survey data. Contributions range from highly technical developments of new methods to innovative practical applications to improve data quality in empirical research. Computational social science and digital behavioral data – addressing the growing role of digital trace data, data from online platforms, and computational methods in the study of social phenomena. Topics include new forms of data collection, machine learning and network analysis, ethical and privacy concerns, and the integration of digital behavioral data with traditional social science approaches. These focus areas highlight core disciplines of mda, but the journal also welcomes high-quality contributions from social science methodology, data analysis, and research infrastructure. mda aims to be an essential resource for researchers seeking to deepen their methodological knowledge, apply cutting-edge analytical techniques, and contribute to the ongoing advancement of rigorous social scientific inquiry.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): SOCIAL SCIENCES, MATHEMATICAL METHODS
Editor-in-chief Melanie RevillaPublisher website
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named Germany 16, Netherlands 4, United States 2, United Kingdom 2, Canada 2 (29 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Survey Methodology and NonresponseSocial Sciences18%
- Sociology and Education StudiesSocial Sciences15.6%
- Social and Intergroup PsychologySocial Sciences6.3%
- Electoral Systems and Political ParticipationSocial Sciences5.5%
- Social Power and Status DynamicsSocial Sciences5.5%
- Social Media and PoliticsSocial Sciences4.7%
- Health and Medical StudiesHealth Professions4.7%
- Sports Science and EducationArts and Humanities4.7%
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 Sciences, Mathematical Methods | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Sociology Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Sociology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Social Sciences, Mathematical Methods | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
Database indexing
ESCIScopusDOAJLetPub
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 (publisher)
- 2.6Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 5.6LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.27LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 2.33LetPub ·
- h-index
- 5OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 4OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 0.8OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 0%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 0%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 10LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 90 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5 | 5 | 4 |
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 40 weeksLetPub ·
- Submission to publication (journal-reported)
- about 40 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 | |
| LetPub | No APC | No | — |
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 prepare6 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- 3–5
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 12,000 words
- Reference style
- APA
- Templates
- Word
- Cover letter
- Optional
Article types accepted7, with length limits
- commentary2,000 words Reviews: up to 12,000 words Commentaries: up to 12,000 words Research Notes: up to 4,000 words Data Reports: up to 4,000main text ≤ 12,000 words
- data reportData report. This category describes and documents datasets that are relevant for the social sciences.Length not stated
- original researchpendices, and supplementary materials): Original Research Reports: up to 12,000 words Reviews: up to 12,000 words Commentaries: up to 12,000 wordmain text ≤ 12,000 words
- original research reportOriginal research report. This category presents original research findings with methodological or theoretical relevance.Length not stated
- research noteResearch note. This category is for shorter papers that may not have extensive results but still provide valuable insights for the field.Length not stated
- reviewal Research Reports: up to 12,000 words Reviews: up to 12,000 words Commentaries: up to 12,000 words Research Notes: up to 4,00main text ≤ 12,000 words
- software reportSoftware report. This category presents new or existing software tools that are useful for methodological or analytical work in the social sciences.Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Data availability, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Peer review
- AI use
AI use must be declared and cited per APA guidelines Model summary
mda follows APA guidelines on the use of artificial intelligence (AI). If AI tools were used to assist in drafting or writing the manuscript, this must be explicitly declared, and the tool must be cited appropriately.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability
Data and code must be made publicly available Model summary
By submitting to mda, authors agree to make data and program routines publicly available to enable reproducibility and replication.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics Publication ethics and misconduct policy
Publication ethics and misconduct policy Model summary
Plagiarism and publication misconduct continue to be challenges in academic publishing. mda strictly opposes these practices and takes proactive steps to ensure that all articles meet the highest ethical standards. If the editorial team of mda becomes aware of, or independently discovers, any allegations of research misconduct, mda reserves the right to retract or correct articles as necessary. Au…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Copyright Notice
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0) Model summary
All rights remain with the author. All content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer review process
Submissions are initially screened by an editor for suitability. Manuscripts that pass this stage undergo a double-blind peer review by at least two independent experts. Based on these reviews, the handling associate editor makes the publication decision, which is one of the following: Accept submission. It is ready to go to Copyediting as is. Revisions Required. It requires minor changes that can…
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
- GESIS - Leibniz-Institute for the Social Sciences, Mannheim
- Country or region
- Germany
- Language
- English
- ISSN
- 1864-6956
- Electronic ISSN
- 2190-4936
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 20, Issue 1 (2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗DOAJ
- 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 Methods Data Analyses
What CAS zone is Methods Data Analyses in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Methods Data Analyses is in Zone 4 of Sociology, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Social Sciences, Mathematical Methods. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 4 of Sociology. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Methods Data Analyses?
The journal's website gives an impact factor of 2.6; this is the journal's own figure, as LetPub lists none for it; CiteScore 5.6, h-index 5.
How long does peer review take at Methods Data Analyses?
Authors report an average review time of about 40 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.
What are the manuscript requirements of Methods Data Analyses?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 3–5; Manuscript length: ≤ 12,000 words; Reference style: APA; Templates: Word; Cover letter: 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 Methods Data Analyses based?
Of the 29 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Germany (16), Netherlands (4) and United States (2). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Methods Data Analyses?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Methods Data Analyses is indexed in ESCI, Scopus and DOAJ.
Is Methods Data Analyses open access, and what is the APC?
Methods Data Analyses 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, Publisher website, DOAJ; 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: .