Journal profile · Multiple
Personal Relationships
ISSN 1350-4126 · eISSN 1475-6811 · Wiley-Blackwell
Personal Relationships: CAS Zone 4 · Psychology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 1.97; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,140; median 296 days to acceptance (86 articles, last 24 months); acceptance rate 14% (journal website); 61 articles in 2025; indexed in SSCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Personal Relationships is published by Wiley-Blackwell and is in Zone 4 of Psychology in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Attachment and Relationship Dynamics, Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior and Family Dynamics and Relationships, together about 53.9% of its articles. Its main subfields are Sociology and Political Science. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Personal Relationships, first published in 1994, is a flagship journal of the International Association for Relationship Research. PR is a premier international, interdisciplinary journal promoting rigorous, cutting-edge empirical scholarship that tests and advances theory on how people interact to create, maintain, and dissolve short- and long-term bonds. Innovative articles from distinguished scholars use a wide variety of methodologies and reflect multiple disciplines, including but not limited to psychology, communication studies, family studies, human development, gerontology, sociology, social work, anthropology, and health. The intellectually rich, high-quality content of Personal Relationships will interest researchers, practitioners, and educators. Manuscripts examining diverse personal relationships, including those between romantic or intimate partners, parents and children, siblings, and other close-relationship partners are welcome. Published work typically focuses on attributes of individual partners within relationships (e.g., personality factors or social positions as influences on relationship outcomes) at all stages of the life course, interactive relationship processes (i.e., behavioral, affective, or cognitive), the internal structure of dyads and networks, and relationships in social contexts (e.g., families, workplaces, institutions, historical periods, cultures). Besides original quantitative or qualitative research, PR welcomes other contributions such as theoretical or methodological treatises, systematic integrative reviews, meta-analyses, and critical assessments of the field. Studies with community samples (especially of understudied populations from different regions of the world), longitudinal designs, dyadic analyses, and measures that go beyond self-report (e.g., behavioral observation, physiological measures) are especially encouraged.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Multiple
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named United States 5, Hong Kong, China 1, Switzerland 1 (7 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Attachment and Relationship DynamicsPsychology31.1%
- Evolutionary Psychology and Human BehaviorPsychology12%
- Family Dynamics and RelationshipsSocial Sciences10.7%
- Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional DevelopmentPsychology6.4%
- Marriage and Sexual RelationshipsSocial Sciences5.1%
- Intergenerational Family Dynamics and CaregivingSocial Sciences3.4%
- Social and Intergroup PsychologySocial Sciences2.8%
- Behavioral Health and InterventionsPsychology2.7%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Psychology Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Psychology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Communication | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Family Studies | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Psychology, Social | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Psychology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Psychology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Communication | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Family Studies | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Psychology, Social | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Psychology Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Psychology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Communication | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Family Studies | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Psychology, Social | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SSCIScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
PMCPsycINFOCurrent ContentsPublisher website
Other: EBSCO, ProQuest
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
- 1.97LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 2Publisher website ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 2Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 3.4LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 3.4Publisher website ·
- CiteScore (publisher) 2025
- 3.4Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.9LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.13LetPub ·
- h-index
- 130OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 885OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 1.93OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 5%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 49.1%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 54LetPub ·
- Articles per year (publisher) 2025
- 54Publisher website ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 280,765Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 1,517 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 41 | 26 | 10 |
| 2025 | 61 | 41 | 70 |
| 2024 | 61 | 40 | 234 |
| 2023 | 69 | 53 | 410 |
| 2022 | 54 | 20 | 541 |
| 2021 | 56 | 9 | 681 |
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
296 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 223 days – 387 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 24 days (86 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 322 days
- Sample
- 86 articles with submission and acceptance dates (114 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)
- 14%Publisher website ·
- Acceptance rate (publisher) 2025
- 14%Publisher website ·
- Submission to first decision
- 11 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to first decision 2025
- 11 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance 2025
- 306 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication 2025
- 20 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 3,140 / EUR 2,650 / GBP 2,100 | — | — |
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)
- Submission fee
- No submission fee
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 prepare3 items from the author guidelines
- Reference style
- APA
- Templates
- Word
- Cover letter
- Required
Article types accepted9, with length limits
- brief reportArticle Preparation Support Wiley Editing Services offers expert help with English Language Editing, as well as translation, manuscript formatting, figure illus…main text ≤ 3,000 words
- case reportArticle Preparation Support Wiley Editing Services offers expert help with English Language Editing, as well as translation, manuscript formatting, figure illus…Length not stated
- comprehensive reviewComprehensive Review critical reviews of the literature, including systematic reviews and meta-analyses 12,000 words including all elements (title page, abstrac…main text ≤ 12,000 words
- letterArticle Preparation Support Wiley Editing Services offers expert help with English Language Editing, as well as translation, manuscript formatting, figure illus…Length not stated
- meta-analysisArticle Preparation Support Wiley Editing Services offers expert help with English Language Editing, as well as translation, manuscript formatting, figure illus…Length not stated
- original articleArticle Preparation Support Wiley Editing Services offers expert help with English Language Editing, as well as translation, manuscript formatting, figure illus…main text ≤ 9,000 words
- original researchArticle Preparation Support Wiley Editing Services offers expert help with English Language Editing, as well as translation, manuscript formatting, figure illus…Length not stated
- reviewArticle Preparation Support Wiley Editing Services offers expert help with English Language Editing, as well as translation, manuscript formatting, figure illus…main text ≤ 12,000 words
- systematic reviewArticle Preparation Support Wiley Editing Services offers expert help with English Language Editing, as well as translation, manuscript formatting, figure illus…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Data availability, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Plagiarism, Preprints
- AI use 4. AI Policy
AI use must be disclosed; AI cannot be an author Model summary
Personal Relationships (PR) follows the policies of its publisher, Wiley, and of the American Psychological Association (APA), a leading behavioral‑science publisher, on the use of generative AI in manuscript submissions. PR permits the responsible use of AI technologies in manuscript preparation, provided that authors remain fully accountable for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of their …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Authorship
All listed authors should have contributed to the manuscript substantially and have agreed to the final submitted version. Review editorial standards and scroll down for a description of authorship criteria.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability Data Sharing and Data Availability
This journal expects data sharing. Review Wiley’s Data Sharing policy where you will be able to see and select the data availability statement that is right for your submission.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics
COPE member Model summary
This journal follows the core practices of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE)
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Reproduction of Copyright Material
If excerpts from copyrighted works owned by third parties are included, credit must be shown in the contribution. It is your responsibility to also obtain written permission for reproduction from the copyright owners. For more information visit Wiley’s Copyright Terms & Conditions FAQ.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open Access
Subscription journal that offers Open Access, an open access option. You’ll have the option to choose to make your article open access after acceptance, which will be subject to an APC. You can read more about APCs and whether you may be eligible for waivers or discounts, through your institution, funder, or a country waiver. For more information on this journal’s APCs, please see the Open Access …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review 5. Peer Review Information
Double-anonymous peer review Model summary
Peer Review This journal operates under a double-anonymous peer review model. Papers will only be sent to review if the Editor-in-Chief determines that the paper meets the appropriate quality and relevance requirements. In-house submissions, i.e. papers authored by Editors or Editorial Board members of the title, will be sent to Editors unaffiliated with the author or institution and monitored car…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Plagiarism
iThenticate CrossCheck Model summary
This journal uses iThenticate’s CrossCheck software to detect instances of overlapping and similar text in submitted manuscripts.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints
Preprints accepted Model summary
This journal accepts articles previously published on preprint servers.
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
- Wiley-Blackwell
- ISSN
- 1350-4126
- Electronic ISSN
- 1475-6811
- Society / sponsor
- International Association for Relationship Research
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 33, Issue 3 (September 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Personal Relationships
What CAS zone is Personal Relationships in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Personal Relationships is in Zone 4 of Psychology, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Communication / Family Studies / Psychology, Social. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 3 of Psychology. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Personal Relationships?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 1.97; CiteScore 3.4, h-index 130.
How long does peer review take at Personal Relationships?
Based on the dates recorded on 86 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 296 days (interquartile range 223–387 days); the journal's website gives an acceptance rate of 14% (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 are the manuscript requirements of Personal Relationships?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Reference style: APA; Templates: Word; Cover letter: Required. 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 Personal Relationships based?
Of the 7 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (5), Hong Kong, China (1) and Switzerland (1). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Personal Relationships?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Personal Relationships is indexed in SSCI and Scopus. The journal's website also lists PMC, PsycINFO and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Personal Relationships open access, and what is the APC?
Personal Relationships is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,140.
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: .