Journal profile · DEMOGRAPHY
Migration Studies
ISSN 2049-5838 · eISSN 2049-5846 · Oxford University Press
Migration Studies: CAS Zone 2 · Sociology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 2.77; hybrid open access; APC about USD 4,466; review about 101 days (first decision after review, publisher); acceptance rate 10% (journal website); 81 articles in 2025; indexed in SSCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Migration Studies is published by Oxford University Press 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 Migration and Labor Dynamics, Migration, Refugees, and Integration and Diaspora, migration, transnational identity, together about 59.2% of its articles. Its main subfields are Sociology and Political Science and Demography. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Migration Studies is a peer-reviewed, online-only journal dedicated to advancing the understanding of human mobility in all its forms. We welcome research on the drivers, processes, and consequences of migration, whether voluntary or forced, internal or international, historical or contemporary. The journal publishes work from across the social sciences and related disciplines, including sociology, political science, geography, economics, anthropology, and international development. We are especially interested in contributions that offer theoretical innovation, comparative insight, or methodological advancement. Submissions grounded in a single case or context should demonstrate how the study has broader analytical relevance, as well as engage actively with relevant conceptual or theoretical debates in migration studies. Manuscripts primarily focused on policy analysis and evaluation, or lacking a clear contribution to wider scholarly conversations, are unlikely to be successful. We encourage all scholars to ensure that their work clearly articulates its relevance to broader academic debates and engages with appropriate literature. The journal publishes original research articles and thematic special issues proposed through annual calls coordinated by Professor Maria Koinova, Deputy Editor. We follow a partial triple-anonymized review model to support fairness and transparency. All submissions are initially assessed anonymously by the editorial team, without access to author names or affiliations. For those manuscripts sent for external review, the process moves to a double-anonymized model: reviewers and authors do not know each other’s identities, but this information is available to editors solely to ensure appropriate conflict-of-interest management. Submissions should not exceed 10,000 words, excluding the abstract, reference list, and any supplementary materials intended for online publication, but including all notes and figure/table captions. Annual Report As part of its commitment to editorial transparency and community engagement, Migration Studies publishes an annual report outlining key developments in the journal’s operations, performance, and strategic direction. Download the 2024 Annual Report (PDF) Published August 2025, this report covers journal activity and data for the 2024 calendar year. Journal Metrics Currently, the journal has an average of 16 days from submission to first decision for all papers (including those sent for review);
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): DEMOGRAPHY
Editor-in-chief Gerasimos TsourapasPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 1 in mainland China (about 2%); most named United States 10, United Kingdom 9, Germany 4, Italy 3, Türkiye 3 (42 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Migration and Labor DynamicsSocial Sciences26.9%
- Migration, Refugees, and IntegrationSocial Sciences22.6%
- Diaspora, migration, transnational identitySocial Sciences9.8%
- Migration, Health and TraumaPsychology7.5%
- Migration, Ethnicity, and EconomySocial Sciences6.8%
- Employment and Welfare StudiesHealth Professions3.4%
- Climate Change, Adaptation, MigrationSocial Sciences2.8%
- Regional Socio-Economic Development TrendsSocial Sciences2.3%
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 | Demography | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Sociology Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Sociology | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Demography | Zone 2 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Sociology Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Sociology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Demography | Zone 3 |
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
- 2.77LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 3.9Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 3.5Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 3.9LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher) 2025
- 3.9Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.01LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 2.21LetPub ·
- h-index
- 48OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 230OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 1.99OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 14.3%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 53.28%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 54LetPub ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 2,025Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 714 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 51 | 33 | 11 |
| 2025 | 81 | 33 | 79 |
| 2024 | 63 | 38 | 298 |
| 2023 | 39 | 33 | 440 |
| 2022 | 40 | 22 | 500 |
| 2021 | 51 | 21 | 580 |
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
Publisher-reported review time from the journal's website
101 daysfirst decision after review
The publisher's own definition applies; dates from this journal's articles in the last 24 months are not available yet, so the publisher's figure is used.
Figures by source
- Acceptance rate (publisher)
- 10%Publisher website ·
- Submission to first decision
- 16 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 101 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 34 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Triple anonymous 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 | EUR 3,952 | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
Other charges and waivers (author guidelines)
- Page charges
- Charged; see the journal's website for the amount
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
- ≤ 250 words
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 10,000 words
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
- Cover letter
- Optional
Article types accepted4, with length limits
- letters to the editorMigration Studies accepts two types of articles: Research articles are a maximum of 10,000 words (excluding abstract, references list, and supplementary informa…main text ≤ 1,200 words
- research articleMigration Studies accepts two types of articles: Research articles are a maximum of 10,000 words (excluding abstract, references list, and supplementary informa…main text ≤ 10,000 words
- research articlesResearch articles are a maximum of 10,000 words (excluding abstract, references list, and supplementary information intended to be published online, but includi…Length not stated
- reviewMigration Studies accepts two types of articles: Research articles are a maximum of 10,000 words (excluding abstract, references list, and supplementary informa…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAuthorship, Code availability, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Peer review, Preprints, Self-archiving
- Authorship Authorship
Authorship is limited to those who have made a significant contribution to the design and execution of the work described. Any contributors whose participation does not meet the criteria for authorship should be acknowledged but not listed as an author. For a detailed definition of authorship, please see the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) definitions of authors and cont…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Code availability
Equitable citations policy Model summary
Migration Studies recognises that citation patterns can sometimes replicate and reinforce inequities experienced by scholars who have minority backgrounds.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest
Authors The Journal requires all authors to disclose any potential conflict of interest at the point of submission. It is the responsibility of the corresponding author to ensure that conflicts of interest of all authors are declared to the Journal. A conflict of interest exists when the position, activities, or relationships of an individual, whether direct or indirect, financial or non-financial…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability Availability of data and materials
Where ethically feasible, the Journal strongly encourages authors to make all data and software code on which the conclusions of the paper rely available to readers. Whenever possible, data should be presented in the main manuscript or additional supporting files or deposited in a public repository. Visit OUP’s Research data page for information on general repositories for all data types, and reso…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics Screening for misconduct
Manuscripts may be screened using iThenticate to help detecting publication misconduct including plagiarism and redundant publication. Manuscripts may also be screened, including with services provided by third parties, to help detect integrity issues such as inappropriate image alteration and papermill activity.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Open Government Licence
The Open Government Licence is an open licencing model for content produced by employees of UK Crown bodies allowing users to copy, publish, distribute adapt and transmit the Information for commercial and non-commercial purposes. For additional information see here.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer-Review Process
Format-free policy for original submissions Model summary
The Journal uses the ANSI/NISO Standard Terminology for Peer Review. If you would like further description of the peer review terms used here, please refer to the most recent standard definitions. If further clarification is needed, please contact the editorial office at migration.editorialoffice@paeditorial.co.uk. From 1 January 2025, the Journal uses a partial triple-anonymous review process to …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprints
Preprint policy Model summary
As an author, you retain the right to make an Author’s Original Version (preprint) available through various channels and this does not prevent submission to the Journal. If accepted, the authors are required to update the status of any preprint, including adding your published paper’s DOI. For full details on allowed channels and updating your preprint, please see our Author self-archiving policy…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Self-archiving Self-archiving
Self-archiving refers to posting a copy of your work on a publicly accessible website or repository. Under certain circumstances, you may self-archive versions of your work on your own webpages, on institutional webpages, and in other repositories. For information about the Journal's policy, and to learn which version(s) of your paper are acceptable for self-archiving, please see our Author self-a…
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
- Oxford University Press
- ISSN
- 2049-5838
- Electronic ISSN
- 2049-5846
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 14, Issue 4 (December 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Migration Studies
What CAS zone is Migration Studies in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Migration Studies is in Zone 2 of Sociology, and in Zone 2 of the minor category Demography. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 1 of Sociology. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Migration Studies?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 2.77; CiteScore 3.9, h-index 48.
How long does peer review take at Migration Studies?
The publisher reports about 101 days (first decision after review); the journal's website gives an acceptance rate of 10%. 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 Migration Studies?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Manuscript length: ≤ 10,000 words; Suggested reviewers: Optional; 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 Migration Studies based?
Of the 42 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 1 (about 2%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (10), United Kingdom (9) and Germany (4). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Migration Studies?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Migration Studies is indexed in SSCI and Scopus.
Is Migration Studies open access, and what is the APC?
Migration Studies is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 4,466.
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 2026-08-28). Last updated: .