Journal profile · Multiple
Post-Soviet Affairs
ISSN 1060-586X · eISSN 1938-2855 · Taylor & Francis
Post-Soviet Affairs: CAS Zone 2 · Sociology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 3.9; JCR Q1 (journal website); hybrid open access; APC charged, amount not published; median 205 days to acceptance (57 articles, last 24 months); acceptance rate 15% (journal website); 36 articles in 2025; indexed in SSCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Post-Soviet Affairs is published by Taylor & Francis 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 Political Conflict and Governance, Russia and Soviet political economy and Electoral Systems and Political Participation, together about 43.1% of its articles. Its main subfields are Political Science and International Relations and Sociology and Political Science. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Post-Soviet Affairs is a leading interdisciplinary journal devoted to the study of political, economic, social, and international dynamics in post-Soviet and post-communist countries. The journal publishes original research that advances theoretical and empirical understanding of state and society transformation, regime change and persistence, governance, and conflict in the region, with attention to both contemporary developments and long-term historical legacies. The journal welcomes submissions on a wide range of topics, including, but not limited to: • political regimes and regime contestation • state–society relations • political economy • elections and electoral manipulation • protest, civic activism, and repression • conflict, violence, and security • foreign policy and international relations • identity, gender, and social inequality • law, institutions, and governance • media, information politics, and propaganda • natural resources and development • migration, displacement, and demographic change • the legacies of communism, empire, and colonialism We are particularly interested in work that examines processes of liberalization and illiberalism, democratic resilience and authoritarian adaptation, and the domestic and international consequences of war and militarization. Post-Soviet Affairs encourages comparative research, including comparisons among post-Soviet states, across the broader post-communist world, and with countries in other regions facing similar political, economic, or social challenges. Both theoretically oriented and empirically grounded contributions are welcome. The journal is methodologically pluralist. Submissions may employ qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods, including archival research, fieldwork, interviews, surveys, content analysis and text-as-data approaches, econometric analysis, and other systematic methods. We seek contributions that combine theoretical rigor with substantial empirical evidence and that speak to broad scholarly audiences across disciplines. We welcome the use of large language models (LLMs) and other AI-based tools as part of established research designs when their use is theoretically grounded, replicable, and subject to appropriate validation. Authors must declare use of AI, as with any other computational tool, within the body of their text. Please view the section ‘ Research methodologies involving AI tools’ within the T&F Editorial Policies. The journal does not consider submissions that
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Multiple
Editor-in-chief Tomila LankinaPublisher website
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named United States 2, Russia 1 (3 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Political Conflict and GovernanceSocial Sciences16.5%
- Russia and Soviet political economySocial Sciences16.5%
- Electoral Systems and Political ParticipationSocial Sciences10.1%
- International Relations and Foreign PolicySocial Sciences6.2%
- Soviet and Russian HistorySocial Sciences5.4%
- Eastern European Communism and ReformsSocial Sciences4.8%
- Post-Soviet Geopolitical DynamicsSocial Sciences4.4%
- Political Influence and Corporate StrategiesBusiness, Management and Accounting3%
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 | Area Studies | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Economics | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Political Science | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Sociology Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Sociology | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Area Studies | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Economics | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Political Science | Zone 1 |
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 | Area Studies | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Economics | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Political Science | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
JCR / CiteScore quartiles on the journal's website
- JCR Q1 · 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
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
- 3.9LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 3.9Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 3.5Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 7.6LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher) 2025
- 7.6Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.71LetPub ·
- SJR (publisher) 2025
- 1.71Publisher website ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 2.92LetPub ·
- SNIP (publisher) 2025
- 2.92Publisher website ·
- h-index
- 73OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 460OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 3.64OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 5.1%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 26.19%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 35LetPub ·
- Downloads per year (publisher)
- 148,000Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 734 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 23 | 12 | 6 |
| 2025 | 36 | 18 | 112 |
| 2024 | 29 | 11 | 202 |
| 2023 | 22 | 10 | 313 |
| 2022 | 38 | 19 | 688 |
| 2021 | 28 | 10 | 409 |
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
205 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 150 days – 281 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 15 days (57 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 233 days
- Sample
- 57 articles with submission and acceptance dates (62 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)
- 15%Publisher website ·
- Submission to first decision
- 12 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 58 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 accepted5, with length limits
- data note00 words) and shorter Thoughtpieces and Data Notes (up to 5,000 words) that are published as a Research Notes section. Thoughtpiemain text ≤ 5,000 words
- data notesData Notes are a short, peer-reviewed article type that concisely describes research data (dataset) stored in a repository, prior to submission.Length not stated
- research articleffairs publishes papers in two formats: Research Articles of standard length (up to 10,000 words) and shorter Thoughtpieces and Data Notes (up to 5,000 wordmain text ≤ 10,000 words
- research articlesPost-Soviet Affairs publishes papers in two formats: Research Articles of standard length (up to 10,000 words)Length not stated
- thoughtpiecesshorter Thoughtpieces and Data Notes (up to 5,000 words) that are published as a Research Notes sectionLength not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Open access, Peer review
- AI use
AI/LLM use allowed as part of established research designs when theoretically grounded, replicable, and validated; authors must declare use of AI within the body of their text. Model summary
We welcome the use of large language models (LLMs) and other AI-based tools as part of established research designs when their use is theoretically grounded, replicable, and subject to appropriate validation. Authors must declare use of AI, as with any other computational tool, within the body of their text.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access
Post-Soviet Affairs 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 access? Increase the discoverability and rea…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer review statement
Double-anonymized review by at least two independent referees for Research Articles and Data Notes; Thoughtpieces are assessed by the Editors but are not externally peer reviewed. Model summary
All Research Articles and Data Notes published in Post-Soviet Affairs undergo rigorous peer review, including initial screening by the Editors and double-anonymized review by at least two independent referees. Thoughtpieces are assessed by the Editors but are not externally peer reviewed.
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
- 1060-586X
- Electronic ISSN
- 1938-2855
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 42, Issue 5 (2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Post-Soviet Affairs
What CAS zone is Post-Soviet Affairs in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Post-Soviet Affairs is in Zone 2 of Sociology, and in Zone 1 of the minor category Area Studies / Economics / Political Science. 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 Post-Soviet Affairs?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 3.9; CiteScore 7.6, h-index 73.
How long does peer review take at Post-Soviet Affairs?
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 205 days (interquartile range 150–281 days); the journal's website gives an acceptance rate of 15%. 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 Post-Soviet Affairs in?
The journal's website gives JCR Q1 (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 2 of Sociology.
Where are the editorial board members of Post-Soviet Affairs based?
Of the 3 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (2) and Russia (1). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Post-Soviet Affairs?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Post-Soviet Affairs is indexed in SSCI and Scopus.
Is Post-Soviet Affairs open access, and what is the APC?
Post-Soviet Affairs 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 2026-08-25). Last updated: .