Journal profile · EDUCATION & EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH
Open Learning
ISSN 0268-0513 · eISSN 1469-9958 · Taylor & Francis
Open Learning: CAS Zone 4 · Education (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 2.4 (journal website); JCR Q2 (journal website); hybrid open access; APC charged, amount not published; median 335 days to acceptance (37 articles, last 24 months); acceptance rate 4% (journal website); 27 articles in 2025; indexed in ESCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Open Learning is published by Taylor & Francis and is in Zone 4 of Education in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Online and Blended Learning, Open Education and E-Learning and Online Learning and Analytics, together about 44.4% of its articles. Its main subfields are Education and Computer Science Applications. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Open Learning is a leading international journal in the field of open, flexible and distance learning. The Journal is widely subscribed to and read throughout the world by those in specialist distance education institutions, and also by those using distance, flexible and technology based forms of learning in conventional education and training contexts. Open Learning publishes three kinds of article: Research Articles: theoretical and evidence-based scholarly articles reflecting developments in open, distance and e-learning Case Reports: shorter practical articles describing the implementation of forms of open, flexible and distance learning likely to interest our international readership Book Reviews Articles are peer reviewed by an international panel of experts in the field, are accepted from contributors world wide and reflect developments in the field globally. In 2019, the time taken between initial submission and first peer review decision was on average 8-9 weeks. Peer Review Policy: All research articles in this journal have undergone rigorous peer review, based on initial editor screening and anonymized refereeing by at least two anonymous referees. Peer Review Mentoring Scheme Open Learning Journal is pleased to announce a mentoring scheme to support new reviewers to develop peer review skills. This initiative grew out of a 2023-25 pilot scheme which engaged a 3 rd reviewer on some papers submitted to the journal, designed to encourage PhD students, early career researchers, and staff in academic-related roles to engage in peer review. As the pilot drew to a close, we - the editors - reflected on how we could continue to offer development opportunities to colleagues who have not previously peer reviewed for a journal. As a result, a new mentoring scheme has been instituted to support new reviewers to develop skills and confidence in peer review, with mentors drawn from our editorial team and wider editorial board. So, if your research interests are aligned with our journal aims and scope, and you would be interested in becoming a peer reviewer, please get in touch. We have a limited number of mentors, but we will endeavour to accommodate you. Contact Dr Charlotte Stevens < open-learning-journal@open.ac.uk>
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): EDUCATION & EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named United Kingdom 11, Hong Kong, China 1, United States 1, Germany 1, Portugal 1 (16 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Online and Blended LearningSocial Sciences25.9%
- Open Education and E-LearningComputer Science10.1%
- Online Learning and AnalyticsComputer Science8.5%
- Innovative Teaching and Learning MethodsPsychology7.2%
- Higher Education Learning PracticesSocial Sciences6.8%
- Reflective Practices in EducationSocial Sciences4.5%
- Higher Education Practises and EngagementSocial Sciences4%
- E-Learning and Knowledge ManagementComputer Science4%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Education Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Education | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Education & Educational Research | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Education Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Education | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Education & Educational Research | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
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
ESCIScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
ERICPublisher website
Other: Academic Search, ASSIA, Australian Education Index (AEI), Australian Research Council (ARC) Ranked Journal List, British Education Index, Caredata, EBSCOhost EJS, Education Journal, Educational Research Abstracts online (ERA), ERIH, VOCEDplus
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 (publisher) 2025
- 2.4Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 2.6Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 9.1LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher) 2025
- 9.1Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.65LetPub ·
- SJR (publisher) 2025
- 0.65Publisher website ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.36LetPub ·
- SNIP (publisher) 2025
- 1.36Publisher website ·
- h-index
- 70OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 478OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 2.58OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 20.8%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 15.38%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 16LetPub ·
- Downloads per year (publisher)
- 84,000Publisher website ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 84,000Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 1,353 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 26 | 6 | 6 |
| 2025 | 27 | 11 | 37 |
| 2024 | 44 | 13 | 207 |
| 2023 | 16 | 4 | 58 |
| 2022 | 28 | 20 | 204 |
| 2021 | 33 | 15 | 733 |
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
335 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 236 days – 431 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 38 days (37 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 384 days
- Sample
- 37 articles with submission and acceptance dates (67 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)
- 4%Publisher website ·
- Acceptance rate (publisher) 2025
- 4%Publisher website ·
- Submission to first decision
- 65 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to first decision 2025
- 65 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 195 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review 2025
- 195 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 57 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication 2025
- 57 daysPublisher 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 accepted3
- book reviewsBook ReviewsLength not stated
- case reportsCase Reports: shorter practical articles describing the implementation of forms of open, flexible and distance learning likely to interest our international rea…Length not stated
- research articlesResearch Articles: theoretical and evidence-based scholarly articles reflecting developments in open, distance and e-learningLength not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteOpen access, Peer review
- Open access Open access
Hybrid open access journal that is part of the Taylor & Francis Open Select publishing program, giving the option to publish open access. Model summary
Open Learning: The Journal of Open, Distance and e-Learning 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 acce…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer Review Mentoring Scheme
All research articles undergo rigorous peer review, based on initial editor screening and anonymized refereeing by at least two anonymous referees. Model summary
Open Learning Journal is pleased to announce a mentoring scheme to support new reviewers to develop peer review skills. This initiative grew out of a 2023-25 pilot scheme which engaged a 3 rd reviewer on some papers submitted to the journal, designed to encourage PhD students, early career researchers, and staff in academic-related roles to engage in peer review. As the pilot drew to a close, we -…
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
- 0268-0513
- Electronic ISSN
- 1469-9958
- Society / sponsor
- The Open University
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 41, Issue 3 (2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Open Learning
What CAS zone is Open Learning in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Open Learning is in Zone 4 of Education, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Education & Educational Research. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 2 of Education. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Open Learning?
The journal's website gives an impact factor of 2.4 (2025); this is the journal's own figure, as LetPub lists none for it; CiteScore 9.1, h-index 70.
How long does peer review take at Open Learning?
Based on the dates recorded on 37 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 335 days (interquartile range 236–431 days); the journal's website gives an acceptance rate of 4% (2025). 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 Open Learning 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 4 of Education.
Where are the editorial board members of Open Learning based?
Of the 16 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United Kingdom (11), Hong Kong, China (1) and United States (1). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Open Learning?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Open Learning is indexed in ESCI and Scopus. The journal's website also lists ERIC; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Open Learning open access, and what is the APC?
Open Learning 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: .