Journal profile · PHILOSOPHY
Philosophical Studies
ISSN 0031-8116 · eISSN 1573-0883 · Springer Nature · 12 issues per year
Philosophical Studies: CAS Zone 1 · Philosophy (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal); impact factor 1.4 (journal website); hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,190; median 254 days to acceptance (57 articles, last 24 months); 181 articles in 2025; indexed in AHCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Philosophical Studies is published by Springer Nature and is in Zone 1 of Philosophy in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Philosophy and Theoretical Science, Epistemology, Ethics, and Metaphysics and Philosophy and History of Science, together about 48% of its articles. Its main subfields are Philosophy. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Philosophical Studies was founded in 1950 by Herbert Feigl and Wilfrid Sellars to provide a periodical dedicated to work in analytic philosophy. The journal remains devoted to the publication of papers in exclusively analytic philosophy. Papers applying formal techniques to philosophical problems are welcome. The principal aim is to publish articles that are models of clarity and precision in dealing with significant philosophical issues. It is intended that readers of the journal will be kept abreast of the central issues and problems of contemporary analytic philosophy. Double-blind review procedure The journal follows a double-blind reviewing procedure. Authors are therefore requested to place their name and affiliation on a separate page. Self-identifying citations and references in the article text should either be avoided or left blank when manuscripts are first submitted. Authors are responsible for reinserting self-identifying citations and references when manuscripts are prepared for final submission.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): PHILOSOPHY
Editor-in-chief Wayne DavisPublisher website
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named United States 34, United Kingdom 3, Australia 2, Canada 1, South Africa 1 (41 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Philosophy and Theoretical SciencePsychology19.9%
- Epistemology, Ethics, and MetaphysicsArts and Humanities18.3%
- Philosophy and History of ScienceArts and Humanities9.7%
- Philosophical Ethics and TheoryArts and Humanities8.5%
- Free Will and AgencyNeuroscience7.9%
- Psychology of Moral and Emotional JudgmentNeuroscience5.3%
- Political Philosophy and EthicsSocial Sciences3.6%
- Logic, Reasoning, and KnowledgeComputer Science3.6%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Philosophy Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Philosophy | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Philosophy | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Philosophy Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Philosophy | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Philosophy | Zone 2 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Philosophy Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Philosophy | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Philosophy | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
Database indexing
AHCIScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
ERIH PLUSCurrent ContentsPublisher website
Other: Google Scholar, EBSCO, ProQuest, Dimensions, CNKI, Baidu, Naver, OCLC, Portico, CLOCKSS
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
- 1.4Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 1.5Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 2.6LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.15LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.65LetPub ·
- h-index
- 157OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 2,910OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 1.93OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 7.1%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 57.91%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 170LetPub ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 887,400Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 6,754 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 148 | 106 | 14 |
| 2025 | 181 | 125 | 306 |
| 2024 | 179 | 140 | 662 |
| 2023 | 178 | 129 | 1,245 |
| 2022 | 141 | 84 | 936 |
| 2021 | 169 | 112 | 2,006 |
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
254 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 155 days – 409 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 28 days (99 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 298 days
- Sample
- 57 articles with submission and acceptance dates (378 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
- Submission to first decision
- 21 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 3,190 / EUR 2,590 / GBP 2,290 | — | — |
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)
Open calls for papers2, by deadline
- Change and ChangemakersDeadline
- Partial AggregationDeadline
What to prepare6 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- 150–250 words
- Keywords
- ≥ 4
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 10,000 words
- Reference style
- APA
- First submission
- Free format: the journal's layout is not required
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
Article types accepted1
- editorialDouble-blind peer review This journal follows a double-blind reviewing procedure. This means that the author will remain anonymous to the reviewers throughout p…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review
- AI use Generative AI Images
Please check Springer’s policy on generative AI images and make sure your work adheres to the principles described therein. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Authorship principles
Length of paper Model summary
These guidelines describe authorship principles and good authorship practices to which prospective authors should adhere to. Authorship clarified The Journal and Publisher assume all authors agreed with the content and that all gave explicit consent to submit and that they obtained consent from the responsible authorities at the institute/organization where the work has been carried out, before th…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Disclosures and declarations
Competing interests disclosure Model summary
All authors are requested to include information regarding sources of funding, financial or non-financial interests, study-specific approval by the appropriate ethics committee for research involving humans and/or animals, informed consent if the research involved human participants, and a statement on welfare of animals if the research involved animals (as appropriate). The decision whether such …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability
Data transparency Model summary
All authors are requested to make sure that all data and materials as well as software application or custom code support their published claims and comply with field standards.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Copyright
Open Choice articles do not require transfer of copyright as the copyright remains with the author. In opting for open access, the author(s) agree to publish the article under a Creative Commons license. Details of the OA licences offered to authors can be found on the individual journal website, in the journal's How to publish with us guide. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access publishing
To find out more about publishing your work Open Access in Philosophical Studies, including information on fees, funding and licences, visit our Open access publishing page. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Double-blind peer review
Double-blind peer review Model summary
This journal follows a double-blind reviewing procedure. This means that the author will remain anonymous to the reviewers throughout peer review. It is the responsibility of the author to anonymize the manuscript and any associated materials. Author names, affiliations and any other potentially identifying information should be removed from the manuscript text and any accompanying files (such as …
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
- Springer Nature
- Frequency
- 12 issues per year
- ISSN
- 0031-8116
- Electronic ISSN
- 1573-0883
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 183, Issue 9 (September 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗LetPub
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Philosophical Studies
What CAS zone is Philosophical Studies in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Philosophical Studies is in Zone 1 of Philosophy, and in Zone 1 of the minor category Philosophy; it is a Top journal. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 2 of Philosophy. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Philosophical Studies?
The journal's website gives an impact factor of 1.4 (2025); this is the journal's own figure, as LetPub lists none for it; CiteScore 2.6, h-index 157.
How long does peer review take at Philosophical Studies?
Based on the dates recorded on 57 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 254 days (interquartile range 155–409 days). 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 Philosophical Studies?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: 150–250 words; Keywords: ≥ 4; Manuscript length: ≤ 10,000 words; Reference style: APA; First submission: Free format: the journal's layout is not required; Suggested reviewers: 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 Philosophical Studies based?
Of the 41 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (34), United Kingdom (3) and Australia (2). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Philosophical Studies?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Philosophical Studies is indexed in AHCI and Scopus. The journal's website also lists ERIH PLUS and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Philosophical Studies open access, and what is the APC?
Philosophical Studies is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,190.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, OpenAlex, Publisher website; 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: .