Journal profile · Multiple
Political Geography
ISSN 0962-6298 · eISSN 1873-5096 · Elsevier
Political Geography: CAS Zone 1 · Sociology (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal); impact factor 4.38; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,540; review about 244 days (submission to acceptance, publisher); 161 articles in 2025; indexed in SSCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Political Geography is published by Elsevier and is in Zone 1 of Sociology in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Migration, Refugees, and Integration, Geographies of human-animal interactions and Water Governance and Infrastructure, together about 23.7% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Political Geography welcomes theoretically, empirically, and methodologically rigorous scholarship that advances understanding of the spatial dimensions of politics and the political. The journal is concerned with political processes in which space is a central object of conceptual, analytical, and empirical inquiry. We welcome work that demonstrates how power is constituted, contested, governed, represented, and transformed through spatial relations, spatial practices, and spatial imaginaries.The journal publishes contributions from across political geography and related fields, which engage meaningfully with political-geographical debates and show how their arguments contribute to spatial concepts, spatial analysis, or political-geographical explanation. We welcome diverse theoretical and methodological approaches, work at all scales of inquiry, and encourage scholarship from all parts of the world. We also encourage submissions from scholars working in different intellectual traditions, institutional settings, and career stages. Topics may include but are not limited to: bordering and boundary-making; territory, territoriality, and territorialization; sovereignty and state spatiality; scale and scalar politics; place, landscape, and spatial identity; mobility, circulation, and containment; infrastructure and spatial governance; spatial imaginaries and geopolitical representations; the spatialities of environmental and resource politics; urban and regional political formations; the spatialities of feminist, queer, and postcolonial engagements with the political; citizenship, statelessness, and the spatial politics of belonging; elections and spatial analysis of voting patterns; and the spatialities of violence, security, conflict, and resistance.Interdisciplinary submissions are encouraged, including work in international relations, political science, sociology, history, development studies, political ecology, environmental governance, cultural studies, and related fields, where they engage with political-geographical concepts and make a clear contribution to political-geographical debates. Strong submissions will typically show how spatiality shapes the framing of the research problem, the development of the argument, and the paper’s broader conceptual contribution.We encourage the submission of full-length, innovative high-quality papers (11,000 words max), in addition to shorter, responsive, and topical editorials and interventions, as well as book review essays and forums.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Multiple
Editor-in-chief Filippo MengaPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 6 in mainland China (about 5%); most named United Kingdom 38, United States 33, Italy 10, Mainland China 6, Norway 4 (120 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Migration, Refugees, and IntegrationSocial Sciences10.9%
- Geographies of human-animal interactionsSocial Sciences6.8%
- Water Governance and InfrastructureSocial Sciences6.1%
- Urban Planning and GovernanceSocial Sciences6%
- Electoral Systems and Political ParticipationSocial Sciences5.3%
- Diverse Scientific and Economic StudiesEconomics, Econometrics and Finance4.9%
- Human auditory perception and evaluationEngineering4.9%
- Educational Robotics and EngineeringComputer Science4.7%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Sociology Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Sociology | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Geography | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Political Science | Zone 2 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Sociology Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Sociology | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Geography | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Political Science | Zone 2 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Sociology Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Sociology | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Geography | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Political Science | Zone 2 |
Top journal: yesReview 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
- 4.38LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 4.6Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 9.1LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 9.1Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.56LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 2.34LetPub ·
- h-index
- 148OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 1,797OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 3.5OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 10.9%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 65.87%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 115LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 3,611 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 151 | 110 | 61 |
| 2025 | 161 | 97 | 464 |
| 2024 | 169 | 107 | 1,159 |
| 2023 | 157 | 96 | 2,315 |
| 2022 | 189 | 103 | 4,267 |
| 2021 | 184 | 88 | 4,571 |
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
244 dayssubmission to acceptance
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
- Submission to first decision
- 2 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 102 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 244 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 13 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 3,540 / EUR 3,310 / GBP 2,830 / JPY 439,070 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 4,290 | — | — |
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 papers1, by deadline
Publisher websiteWhat to prepare2 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 11,000 words
Article types accepted14, with length limits
- articlesArticles: Full research pieces, max 11,000 words, inclusive of abstract, references, notes, and figures.Length not stated
- commentariesCommentaries: Short essays that include responses to articles published in the journal, invited responses to plenary papers published in the journal; Max 2,000 …Length not stated
- commentaryArticles: Full research pieces, max 11,000 words, inclusive of abstract, references, notes, and figures.Interventions: A themed set of entries compiled as a sin…Length not stated
- editorialArticles: Full research pieces, max 11,000 words, inclusive of abstract, references, notes, and figures.Interventions: A themed set of entries compiled as a sin…Length not stated
- guest editorialGuest Editorial: Short reflections on the state of the discipline, the journal, the academy, and/or a particular area of research, with the aim of presenting an…Length not stated
- interventionsInterventions: A themed set of entries compiled as a single article with the aim of challenging current approaches to a topic or introducing new themes, concept…Length not stated
- perspectiveArticles: Full research pieces, max 11,000 words, inclusive of abstract, references, notes, and figures.Interventions: A themed set of entries compiled as a sin…Length not stated
- reviewArticles: Full research pieces, max 11,000 words, inclusive of abstract, references, notes, and figures.Interventions: A themed set of entries compiled as a sin…main text ≤ 2,000 words
- review essaysReview Essays: Thoughtful discussions of two or more recently published books on a particular topic. Max. 2,000 words (including references) for reviews of two …Length not stated
- review forumsReview Forums: Compilations of brief essays (generally under 2,000 words each) evaluating the contribution of a recently published book, with the final essay be…Length not stated
- special issuesSpecial Issues: Proposals for special issues are reviewed semi-annually, with deadlines for proposals falling on April 30 and October 31 of each year.Length not stated
- viewpointArticles: Full research pieces, max 11,000 words, inclusive of abstract, references, notes, and figures.Interventions: A themed set of entries compiled as a sin…main text ≤ 2,000 words
- viewpointsViewpoints: Short reflections on current issues and themes identified by the editorial team.Length not stated
- virtual forumsVirtual Forums: Collections of Viewpoint piecesLength not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints
- AI use Declaration of generative AI use
Authors must declare the use of generative AI tools in the manuscript preparation process upon submission of the paper.Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies (“AI tools”) have been rapidly adopted in research and scholarly publishing, offering significant benefits while requiring clear standards for responsible and transparent use.Authors preparing a manuscript for this journal may use AI tool…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Group authorship
Group authorship refers to the attribution of an article to a defined and named group of authors whose members have contributed to the work. Examples include research consortia, clinical trial groups, collaborative networks, task forces or working groups, expert panels or consensus groups, and participatory research groups. Group authorship must be declared on the title page at submission. When av…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Declaration of competing interests
All authors must disclose any financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence or bias their work. Examples of potential competing interests include:EmploymentConsultanciesStock ownershipHonorariaPaid expert testimonyPatent applications or registrationsGrants or any other fundingAffiliation with the journal as an Editor or Advisory Board …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics
Follows Elsevier's Publishing Ethics Policy. Model summary
Authors must follow ethical guidelines stated in Elsevier's Publishing Ethics Policy.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright License options
Authors will be offered open access user license options which will determine how you, and third parties, can reuse your open access article. We advise that you review these options and any funding body license requirements before selecting a license option.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access
We refer you to our open access information page to learn about open access options for this journal.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer review
Double anonymized peer review process. Model summary
This journal follows a double anonymized review process. Your submission will initially be assessed by our editors. If your submission is deemed suitable, it will typically be sent to be reviewed by a minimum of two reviewers for an independent expert assessment of the scientific quality. The decision as to whether your article is accepted or rejected for publication will be made by our editors.Re…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprints
Preprint sharing allowed. Model summary
Preprint sharingAuthors may share preprints in line with Elsevier's article sharing policy. Sharing preprints, such as on a preprint server, will not count as prior publication.We advise you to read our policy on multiple, redundant or concurrent publication.
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
- Elsevier
- ISSN
- 0962-6298
- Electronic ISSN
- 1873-5096
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Political Geography
What CAS zone is Political Geography in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Political Geography is in Zone 1 of Sociology, and in Zone 2 of the minor category Geography / Political Science; it is a Top journal. 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 Political Geography?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 4.38; CiteScore 9.1, h-index 148.
How long does peer review take at Political Geography?
The publisher reports about 244 days (submission to acceptance). 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 Political Geography?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Manuscript length: ≤ 11,000 words. 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 Political Geography based?
Of the 120 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 6 (about 5%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United Kingdom (38), United States (33) and Italy (10). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Political Geography?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Political Geography is indexed in SSCI and Scopus.
Is Political Geography open access, and what is the APC?
Political Geography is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,540.
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 2026-08-25). Last updated: .