Journal profile · NURSING
Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences
ISSN 0283-9318 · eISSN 1471-6712 · Wiley-Blackwell
Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences: CAS Zone 4 · Medicine (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 2.09; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,400; median 255 days to acceptance (104 articles, last 24 months); acceptance rate 16% (journal website); 183 articles in 2025; indexed in SSCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences is published by Wiley-Blackwell and is in Zone 4 of Medicine in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Palliative Care and End-of-Life Issues, Geriatric Care and Nursing Homes and Family and Patient Care in Intensive Care Units, together about 25.7% of its articles. Its main subfields are General Health Professions. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences is an established quarterly, peer reviewed Journal with an outstanding international reputation. As the official publication of the Nordic College of Caring Science, the Journal shares their mission to contribute to the development and advancement of scientific knowledge on caring related to health, well-being, illness and the alleviation of human suffering. The emphasis is on research that has a patient, family and community focus and which promotes an interdisciplinary team approach. Of special interest are scholarly articles addressing and initiating dialogue on theoretical, empirical and methodological concerns related to critical issues. All articles are expected to demonstrate respect for human dignity and accountability to society. In addition to original research the Journal also publishes reviews, meta-syntheses and meta-analyses.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): NURSING
Editor-in-chief Oscar TranvågPublisher website
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named Norway 3, Finland 1 (4 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Palliative Care and End-of-Life IssuesMedicine8.8%
- Geriatric Care and Nursing HomesHealth Professions8.6%
- Family and Patient Care in Intensive Care UnitsHealth Professions8.3%
- Nursing education and managementNursing8%
- Patient-Provider Communication in HealthcareHealth Professions5.2%
- Health, psychology, and well-beingHealth Professions4.7%
- Dementia and Cognitive Impairment ResearchMedicine3.8%
- Ethics in medical practiceHealth Professions3.6%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Medicine Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Nursing | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Medicine Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Nursing | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Medicine Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Nursing | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SSCIScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
MEDLINEPubMedPsycINFOCINAHLCurrent ContentsPublisher website
Other: EBSCO
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
- 2.09LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 2.1Publisher website ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 2.1Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 3.9LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 3.9Publisher website ·
- CiteScore (publisher) 2025
- 3.9Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.8LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.18LetPub ·
- h-index
- 109OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 1,988OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 1.47OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 4.8%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 70.83%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 168LetPub ·
- Articles per year (publisher) 2025
- 172Publisher website ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 658,032Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 3,533 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 150 | 115 | 39 |
| 2025 | 183 | 129 | 302 |
| 2024 | 84 | 67 | 274 |
| 2023 | 88 | 83 | 659 |
| 2022 | 81 | 67 | 776 |
| 2021 | 115 | 83 | 1,779 |
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
255 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 187 days – 372 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 15 days (104 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 277 days
- Sample
- 104 articles with submission and acceptance dates (337 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)
- 16%Publisher website ·
- Acceptance rate (publisher) 2025
- 16%Publisher website ·
- Submission to first decision
- 12 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to first decision 2025
- 12 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance 2025
- 272 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication 2025
- 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 3,400 / EUR 2,850 / GBP 2,270 | — | — |
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
- ≤ 300 words
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 5,000 words
- Reference style
- Vancouver
- First submission
- Free format: the journal's layout is not required
- Cover letter
- Required
Article types accepted11, with length limits
- letter to the editorArticle Type Description/Purpose Word Limit Abstract Other Requirements Original Article Reports of original research, with methods, findings and conclusions. 5…main text ≤ 1,500 words
- literature reviewArticle Type Description/Purpose Word Limit Abstract Other Requirements Original Article Reports of original research, with methods, findings and conclusions. 5…Length not stated
- methodological articleMethodological Article Procedural method in the design and implementation of an experiment or study 5000 words, excluding abstract and tablesLength not stated
- opinionArticle Type Description/Purpose Word Limit Abstract Other Requirements Original Article Reports of original research, with methods, findings and conclusions. 5…Length not stated
- original articleArticle Type Description/Purpose Word Limit Abstract Other Requirements Original Article Reports of original research, with methods, findings and conclusions. 5…Length not stated
- original researchArticle Type Description/Purpose Word Limit Abstract Other Requirements Original Article Reports of original research, with methods, findings and conclusions. 5…Length not stated
- research reportArticle Type Description/Purpose Word Limit Abstract Other Requirements Original Article Reports of original research, with methods, findings and conclusions. 5…Length not stated
- review articleArticle Type Description/Purpose Word Limit Abstract Other Requirements Original Article Reports of original research, with methods, findings and conclusions. 5…Length not stated
- short communicationArticle Type Description/Purpose Word Limit Abstract Other Requirements Original Article Reports of original research, with methods, findings and conclusions. 5…Length not stated
- short communication (invitation only)Short Communication (Invitation only) Brief observations and research reports in a concise format. 1500 words, excluding abstract and tablesLength not stated
- theoretical articleTheoretical Article Reports of original research, with methods, findings and conclusions. 5000 words, excluding abstract and tables.Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAuthorship, Data availability, License & copyright, Peer review, Preprints
- Authorship Authorship
ORCID required for submitting author. Model summary
All listed authors should have contributed to the manuscript substantially and have agreed to the final submitted version. Review editorial standards and scroll down for a description of authorship criteria.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability Data Sharing and Data Availability
Data sharing expected; data availability statement required. Model summary
This journal expects data sharing. Review Wiley's Data Sharing policy where you will be able to see and select the data availability statement that is right for your submission.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Reproduction of Copyright Material
Open access licensing under CC-BY/CC-BY-NC/CC-BY-NC-ND. Model summary
If excerpts from copyrighted works owned by third parties are included, credit must be shown in the contribution. It is your responsibility to also obtain written permission for reproduction from the copyright owners. For more information visit Wiley's Copyright Terms & Conditions FAQ.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review 1. Submission and Peer Review Process
Double-blind peer review with at least two anonymous reviewers and an Associate Editor. Model summary
Please check to ensure that your proposed submission is in alignment with the Aims and Scope of this journal. Once the submission materials have been prepared in accordance with the Author Guidelines, manuscripts should be submitted online at https://authors.wiley.com/journal/SCS. For technical help with the submission system, please review our FAQs or contact submissionhelp@wiley.com. Article Pre…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints
Preprint articles accepted for review. Model summary
This journal accepts articles previously published on preprint servers. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences will consider for review articles previously available as preprints.
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
- Wiley-Blackwell
- ISSN
- 0283-9318
- Electronic ISSN
- 1471-6712
- Society / sponsor
- Nordic College of Caring Science
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 40, Issue 3 (September 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences
What CAS zone is Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences is in Zone 4 of Medicine, and in Zone 3 of the minor category Nursing. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 3 of Medicine. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 2.09; CiteScore 3.9, h-index 109.
How long does peer review take at Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences?
Based on the dates recorded on 104 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 255 days (interquartile range 187–372 days); the journal's website gives an acceptance rate of 16% (2025). 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 Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 300 words; Manuscript length: ≤ 5,000 words; Reference style: Vancouver; First submission: Free format: the journal's layout is not required; Cover letter: Required. 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 Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences based?
Of the 4 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Norway (3) and Finland (1). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences is indexed in SSCI and Scopus. The journal's website also lists MEDLINE, PubMed, PsycINFO, CINAHL and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences open access, and what is the APC?
Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,400.
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 2026-08-26). Last updated: .