Journal profile · PHILOSOPHY
Res Publica-A Journal of Moral Legal and Political Philosophy
ISSN 1356-4765 · eISSN 1572-8692 · Springer Nature · 4 issues per year
Res Publica-A Journal of Moral Legal and Political Philosophy: CAS Zone 3 · Philosophy (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 1.2 (journal website); hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,290; median 204 days to acceptance (54 articles, last 24 months); 52 articles in 2025; indexed in AHCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Res Publica-A Journal of Moral Legal and Political Philosophy is published by Springer Nature and is in Zone 3 of Philosophy in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Political Philosophy and Ethics, Philosophical Ethics and Theory and Free Will and Agency, together about 48.5% of its articles. Its main subfields are Political Science and International Relations and Philosophy. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Res Publica: A Journal of Legal, Moral and Social Philosophy is a peer-reviewed journal of social and political philosophy focusing on normative analysis of theoretical, practical, and public issues. We also welcome papers on applied and practical ethics. It provides a forum for discussion of theoretical issues; a public arena for voicing matters of practical concern; and a vehicle for addressing questions of morality, politics, law and society, the interconnections between them and, more generally, the relation of theory to practice. The journal seeks to publish articles and review essays which are both philosophically rigorous and accessible to a wide range of academics and professionals. Replies to articles are welcome. It is the policy of Res Publica to encourage publication by researchers at the beginning of their careers as well as by established scholars; and by those in non-Western countries.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): PHILOSOPHY
Editor-in-chief Clare ChambersPublisher website
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named United Kingdom 26, United States 5, Denmark 5, Canada 4, Netherlands 3 (52 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Political Philosophy and EthicsSocial Sciences30.2%
- Philosophical Ethics and TheoryArts and Humanities10.7%
- Free Will and AgencyNeuroscience7.6%
- War, Ethics, and JustificationArts and Humanities6.2%
- Critical Theory and PhilosophySocial Sciences3.9%
- Judicial and Constitutional StudiesSocial Sciences3.3%
- American Constitutional Law and PoliticsSocial Sciences2.9%
- Hannah Arendt's Political PhilosophySocial Sciences2.8%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Philosophy Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Philosophy | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Philosophy | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview 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 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Philosophy | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Philosophy | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
AHCIScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
ERIH PLUSPublisher 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
- 1.2Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 1.3Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 2.4LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.55LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.28LetPub ·
- h-index
- 43OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 244OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 0.81OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 8.3%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 63.24%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 44LetPub ·
- Articles per year (publisher)
- 2,500Publisher website ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 237,400Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 1,006 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 45 | 29 | 1 |
| 2025 | 52 | 34 | 27 |
| 2024 | 50 | 29 | 91 |
| 2023 | 60 | 42 | 208 |
| 2022 | 37 | 25 | 267 |
| 2021 | 47 | 23 | 276 |
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
204 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 132 days – 297 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 42 days (95 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 249 days
- Sample
- 54 articles with submission and acceptance dates (109 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
- 19 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 3,290 / EUR 2,690 / GBP 2,390 | — | — |
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)
What to prepare5 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- 150–250 words
- Keywords
- ≥ 4
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 8,500 words
- Reference style
- Author–date
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
Article types accepted2, with length limits
- 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
- reviewpublished articles of up to 2500 words. Review Essays, should be about 2500 words for reviews of a single book or about 4000 words for two bomain text ≤ 2,500 words
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 principles
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
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
The journal encourages authors to provide a statement of Data availability in their article. Data availability statements should include information on where data supporting the results reported in the article can be found, including, where applicable, hyperlinks to publicly archived datasets analysed or generated during the study. Data availability statements can also indicate whether data are av…
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 Res Publica, 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
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
- 1356-4765
- Electronic ISSN
- 1572-8692
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 32, Issue 2 (August 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗LetPub
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Res Publica-A Journal of Moral Legal and Political Philosophy
What CAS zone is Res Publica-A Journal of Moral Legal and Political Philosophy in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Res Publica-A Journal of Moral Legal and Political Philosophy is in Zone 3 of Philosophy, and in Zone 3 of the minor category Philosophy. 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 Res Publica-A Journal of Moral Legal and Political Philosophy?
The journal's website gives an impact factor of 1.2 (2025); this is the journal's own figure, as LetPub lists none for it; CiteScore 2.4, h-index 43.
How long does peer review take at Res Publica-A Journal of Moral Legal and Political Philosophy?
Based on the dates recorded on 54 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 204 days (interquartile range 132–297 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 Res Publica-A Journal of Moral Legal and Political Philosophy?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: 150–250 words; Keywords: ≥ 4; Manuscript length: ≤ 8,500 words; 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.
Where are the editorial board members of Res Publica-A Journal of Moral Legal and Political Philosophy based?
Of the 52 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United Kingdom (26), United States (5) and Denmark (5). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Res Publica-A Journal of Moral Legal and Political Philosophy?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Res Publica-A Journal of Moral Legal and Political Philosophy is indexed in AHCI and Scopus. The journal's website also lists ERIH PLUS; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Res Publica-A Journal of Moral Legal and Political Philosophy open access, and what is the APC?
Res Publica-A Journal of Moral Legal and Political Philosophy is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,290.
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: .