Journal profile · LINGUISTICS
Research Methods in Applied Linguistics
ISSN 2772-7661
Research Methods in Applied Linguistics: impact factor 5.5 (journal website); hybrid open access; APC about USD 2,000; review about 120 days (submission to acceptance, publisher); 116 articles in 2025; indexed in ESCI.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, Research Methods in Applied Linguistics's largest topics are EFL/ESL Teaching and Learning, Second Language Acquisition and Learning and Natural Language Processing Techniques, together about 33% of its articles. Its main subfields are Artificial Intelligence. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Research Methods in Applied Linguistics is the first and only journal devoted exclusively to research methods in applied linguistics, a discipline that explores real-world language-related issues and phenomena. Core areas of applied linguistics include bilingualism and multilingualism, computer-assisted language learning, conversation analysis, corpus linguistics, critical studies, discourse analysis, forensic linguistics, identity, language assessment, language policy and planning, language and migration, literacy, pragmatics, psycholinguistics, raciolinguistics, second language acquisition, sociolinguistics, teacher education, and translation and interpreting. The journal takes a domain-specific approach and publishes articles investigating current and new methodologies that have been developed for and/or are incorporated into the discipline of applied linguistics and its subdomains. The journal does not exclude submissions investigating methods and tools that are also applicable to, or introduced from, other disciplines, but they must be examined from the perspective of applied linguistics and for the purpose of solving problems in this discipline. The scope of the journal encompasses all aspects of research methods, including research design, data collection, data coding, data analysis, and reporting practices. It also includes methods used in other aspects of research such as literature review (literature retrieval, methods for evidence synthesis, etc.), methods for theory construction, ethics, research dissemination (e.g., open science), among others. The journal welcomes research from all paradigms, be they quantitative, qualitative, or mixed, and methods of all kinds, whether they are utilized to observe the occurrence of a phenomenon or behavior, explore correlations, or examine causal relationships.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): LINGUISTICS
Editor-in-chief Shaofeng LiPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 6 in mainland China (about 9%); most named United States 26, United Kingdom 10, Mainland China 6, Hong Kong, China 6, Japan 4 (66 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- EFL/ESL Teaching and LearningArts and Humanities14.7%
- Second Language Acquisition and LearningPsychology11.5%
- Natural Language Processing TechniquesComputer Science6.7%
- Discourse Analysis in Language StudiesArts and Humanities6.7%
- Second Language Learning and TeachingArts and Humanities6.3%
- Language, Discourse, Communication StrategiesArts and Humanities6.1%
- Multilingual Education and PolicySocial Sciences5.4%
- Text Readability and SimplificationComputer Science4.3%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
Database indexing
ESCILetPub
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 (publisher)
- 5.5Publisher website ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 12.4Publisher website ·
- h-index
- 25OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 84OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 4.54OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 14.5%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 50.41%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 113LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 369 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 83 | 59 | 36 |
| 2025 | 116 | 67 | 474 |
| 2024 | 84 | 56 | 776 |
| 2023 | 48 | 19 | 1,496 |
| 2022 | 37 | 10 | 3,615 |
| 2021 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
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
120 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
- 47 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 120 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 9 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 2,000 / EUR 1,870 / GBP 1,600 / JPY 248,060 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 3,000 | — | — |
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 prepare3 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- 1–7
- Reference style
- APA
Article types accepted4, with length limits
- brief reportl studies also fall into this category. Brief reports should not exceed 5,000 words, all inclusive (i.e., abstract, text, tables, figures, refemain text ≤ 5,000 words
- research articleles, or examine causal relationships. A research article should not exceed 10,000 words, all inclusive (i.e., abstract, text, tables, figures, refemain text ≤ 10,000 words
- review articleeria, and justified coding protocols. A review article should not exceed 10,000 words, all inclusive (i.e., abstract, text, tables, figures, refemain text ≤ 10,000 words
- tutorialo material is freely accessible. Method tutorials should not exceed 5,000 words, all inclusive (i.e., abstract, text, tables, figures, refemain text ≤ 5,000 words
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, 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 ·- 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 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
Free preprint posting service on SSRN 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. In support of Open Science, this journal offers its authors a free preprint posting service on SSRN, Elsevier’s preprint and early research …
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
- ISSN
- 2772-7661
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Research Methods in Applied Linguistics
What is the impact factor of Research Methods in Applied Linguistics?
The journal's website gives an impact factor of 5.5; this is the journal's own figure, as LetPub lists none for it; h-index 25.
How long does peer review take at Research Methods in Applied Linguistics?
The publisher reports about 120 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 Research Methods in Applied Linguistics?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 1–7; Reference style: APA. 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 Research Methods in Applied Linguistics based?
Of the 66 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 6 (about 9%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (26), United Kingdom (10) and Mainland China (6). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Research Methods in Applied Linguistics?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Research Methods in Applied Linguistics is indexed in ESCI.
Is Research Methods in Applied Linguistics open access, and what is the APC?
Research Methods in Applied Linguistics is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 2,000.
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 2026-08-30). Last updated: .