Journal profile · SOCIOLOGY
Qualitative Sociology
ISSN 0162-0436 · eISSN 1573-7837 · Springer Nature · 4 issues per year
Qualitative Sociology: CAS Zone 2 · Sociology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 1.56; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,190; median 345 days to acceptance (25 articles, last 24 months); 36 articles in 2025; indexed in SSCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Qualitative Sociology is published by Springer Nature 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 Qualitative Research Methods and Ethics, Social and Cultural Dynamics and Contemporary Sociological Theory and Practice, together about 26.7% of its articles. Its main subfields are Sociology and Political Science. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Qualitative Sociology is dedicated to the qualitative interpretation and analysis of social life. The journal does not restrict theoretical or analytical orientation and welcomes manuscripts based on research methods such as interviewing, participant observation, ethnography, historical analysis, content analysis and others which do not rely primarily on numerical data.
Source: LetPub
Research area (LetPub): SOCIOLOGY
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Qualitative Research Methods and EthicsSocial Sciences10.5%
- Social and Cultural DynamicsSocial Sciences9.7%
- Contemporary Sociological Theory and PracticeSocial Sciences6.6%
- Management and Organizational StudiesBusiness, Management and Accounting5%
- Migration, Ethnicity, and EconomySocial Sciences4.5%
- Gender, Feminism, and MediaSocial Sciences4%
- Crime Patterns and InterventionsSocial Sciences3.9%
- Labor Movements and UnionsSocial Sciences3.8%
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 | Sociology | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Sociology Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Sociology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Sociology | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Sociology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Sociology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Sociology | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview 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
- 1.56LetPub ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 2.6LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.49LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.85LetPub ·
- h-index
- 98OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 701OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 1.48OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 6.2%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 36.05%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 36LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 1,461 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 28 | 18 | 4 |
| 2025 | 36 | 15 | 39 |
| 2024 | 27 | 12 | 92 |
| 2023 | 28 | 11 | 130 |
| 2022 | 22 | 13 | 187 |
| 2021 | 34 | 9 | 623 |
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
345 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 195 days – 524 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 133 days (58 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 488 days
- Sample
- 25 articles with submission and acceptance dates (69 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
- 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.
Other charges and waivers (author guidelines)
- Other fees
- Charged; see the journal's website for the amount
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 prepare2 items from the author guidelines
- Reference style
- Author–date
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
Article types accepted9
- afterwordsOriginal article, Book review essay, Review essay, Essay, Interview, AfterwordsLength not stated
- book reviewOriginal article, Book review essay, Review essay, Essay, Interview, Afterwords Back to topLength not stated
- book review essayOriginal article, Book review essay, Review essay, Essay, Interview, AfterwordsLength not stated
- 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
- essayOriginal article, Book review essay, Review essay, Essay, Interview, AfterwordsLength not stated
- interviewOriginal article, Book review essay, Review essay, Essay, Interview, AfterwordsLength not stated
- original articleOriginal article, Book review essay, Review essay, Essay, Interview, Afterwords Back to topLength not stated
- reviewOriginal article, Book review essay, Review essay, Essay, Interview, Afterwords Back to topLength not stated
- review essayOriginal article, Book review essay, Review essay, Essay, Interview, AfterwordsLength not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, Publication ethics, 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 & AI
Authorship & AI Model summary
Large Language Models (LLMs), such as ChatGPT, do not currently satisfy our authorship criteria. Notably an attribution of authorship carries with it accountability for the work, which cannot be effectively applied to LLMs. Use of an LLM should be properly documented in the Methods section (and if a Methods section is not available, in a suitable alternative part) of the manuscript. The use of an …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Disclosures and declarations
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 availability statements
Data transparency Model summary
All original research must include a data availability statement. This statement should explain how to access data supporting the results and analysis in the article, including links/citations to publicly archived datasets analysed or generated during the study. Please see our full policy here. If it is not possible to share research data publicly, for instance when individual privacy could be com…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics Compliance with Ethical Standards
To ensure objectivity and transparency in research and to ensure that accepted principles of ethical and professional conduct have been followed, authors should include information regarding sources of funding, potential conflicts of interest (financial or non-financial), informed consent if the research involved human participants, and a statement on welfare of animals if the research involved an…
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 Qualitative Sociology, 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
- 4 issues per year
- ISSN
- 0162-0436
- Electronic ISSN
- 1573-7837
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Qualitative Sociology
What CAS zone is Qualitative Sociology in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Qualitative Sociology is in Zone 2 of Sociology, and in Zone 3 of the minor category Sociology. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 2 of Sociology. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Qualitative Sociology?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 1.56; CiteScore 2.6, h-index 98.
How long does peer review take at Qualitative Sociology?
Based on the dates recorded on 25 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 345 days (interquartile range 195–524 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 Qualitative Sociology?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Reference style: Author–date; 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.
Which databases index Qualitative Sociology?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Qualitative Sociology is indexed in SSCI and Scopus.
Is Qualitative Sociology open access, and what is the APC?
Qualitative Sociology 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: .