Journal profile · History & Philosophy Of Science
Social History of Medicine
ISSN 0951-631X · eISSN 1477-4666 · Oxford University Press · ENGLAND · Tri-annual · Founded 1988
Social History of Medicine: CAS Zone 3 · Philosophy (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 0.48; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,864; review about 31 days (submission to final decision, publisher); community-reported acceptance: easy; 128 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE, SSCI, AHCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Social History of Medicine is published by Oxford University Press 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 Historical Psychiatry and Medical Practices, Historical Studies on Reproduction, Gender, Health, and Societal Changes and History of Science and Medicine, together about 45.5% of its articles. Its main subfields are History and History and Philosophy of Science. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Social History of Medicine , the journal of the Society for the Social History of Medicine, is concerned with all aspects of health, illness, and medical treatment in the past. It is committed to publishing work on the social history of medicine from a variety of disciplines. The journal offers its readers substantive and lively articles on a variety of themes, critical assessments of archives and sources, conference reports, up-to-date information on research in progress, a discussion point on topics of current controversy and concern, review articles, and wide-ranging book reviews. Journal metrics Citation metrics Clarivate 2025 Impact Factor 0.5 2025 5 Year Impact Factor 0.8 History (Rank by Impact Factor) 120/553 History & Philosophy Of Science (Rank by Impact Factor) 61/111 2025 Cited Half-Life 13.2 years 2025 Immediacy Index 0.2 2025 Eigenfactor Score 0.00102 2025 Article Influence Score 0.534 Scopus 2025 CiteScore 1.1 History (Rank by CiteScore) 283/1936 Medicine (Miscellaneous) (Rank by CiteScore) 304/466 2025 Source Normalized Impact per Paper (SNIP) 1.198 Readership 2025 Full Text Usage 174,703 Peer Review and Production 2025 Median days from submission to first decision 31 days 2025 Median days from submission to final decision 31 days About metrics Abstracting and indexing services Social History of Medicine is covered by the following abstracting/indexing services: America: History and Life Arts & Humanities Index (BIDS) Arts and Humanities Citation Index® CSA Worldwide Political Science Abstracts Current Contents® /Arts & Humanities Historical Abstracts IBZ Internationale Bibliographie der Geisted and Sozialwissenschaftlichen Zeitschriftenliterature International Medieval Bibliography Journal Citation Reports /Science Edition Journal Citation Reports /Social Sciences Edition Periodicals Index Online (PIO) PROQUEST DATABASE : MEDLINE with Full Text PROQUEST DATABASE : ProQuest 5000 International PROQUEST DATABASE : ProQuest Central PROQUEST DATABASE : ProQuest Health & Medical Complete PROQUEST DATABASE : ProQuest Health Management PROQUEST DATABASE : ProQuest Medical Library Science Citation Index Expanded (SciSearch®) Science Citation Index® Social Sciences Citation Index® Social Scisearch® Sociological Abstracts Disclaimer Statements of fact and opinion in the articles in Social History Of Medicine are those of the respective authors and contributors and not of the Journal, The Society for the Social History of Medicine, or Oxford Universit
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): History & Philosophy Of Science
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named United Kingdom 14, United States 7, Hong Kong, China 1, Taiwan, China 1, South Korea 1 (27 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Historical Psychiatry and Medical PracticesPsychology17.4%
- Historical Studies on Reproduction, Gender, Health, and Societal ChangesArts and Humanities14.7%
- History of Science and MedicineArts and Humanities13.4%
- Medical History and InnovationsArts and Humanities7.4%
- Historical Studies and Socio-cultural AnalysisArts and Humanities6.6%
- Diverse Historical and Scientific StudiesArts and Humanities6%
- Medical History and ResearchArts and Humanities5.3%
- Historical Economic and Social StudiesEconomics, Econometrics and Finance4.4%
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 | History | Zone 3 |
| Minor | History & Philosophy Of Science | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Philosophy Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Philosophy | Zone 3 |
| Minor | History | Zone 3 |
| Minor | History & Philosophy Of Science | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Philosophy Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Philosophy | Zone 2 |
| Minor | History | Zone 2 |
| Minor | History & Philosophy Of Science | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIESSCIAHCIScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
MEDLINECurrent ContentsPublisher website
Other: ProQuest
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
- 0.48LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 1.1Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 0.8Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 1.1LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher) 2025
- 1.1Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.25LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.2LetPub ·
- h-index
- 30LetPub ·
- h-index
- 71OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 712OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 0.2OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 0%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 62.81%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 50LetPub ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 174,703Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 4,367 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 73 | 23 | 2 |
| 2025 | 128 | 46 | 30 |
| 2024 | 97 | 37 | 28 |
| 2023 | 112 | 28 | 56 |
| 2022 | 62 | 17 | 82 |
| 2021 | 135 | 28 | 103 |
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
31 dayssubmission to final decision · community reports over 12 weeks
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
- Average review time (community reports)
- over 12 weeksLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- EasyLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision 2025
- 31 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to final decision 2025
- 31 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 | GBP 2,930 | — | — | |
| 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.
Other charges and waivers (author guidelines)
- Colour charges
- GBP 350
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 prepare8 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 150 words
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 5,000 words
- Reference style
- Author–date
- Templates
- Word
- Suggested reviewers
- Required
- Highlights
- Required
- Graphical abstract
- Required
- Cover letter
- Required
Article types accepted8, with length limits
- opiniong footnotes and text in tables). Second Opinions should not exceed 6,000 words. References. SHM uses footnotes (not endnotes) for referencmain text ≤ 6,000 words
- original articlely labelling both versions. Word limit. Original articles should not exceed 12,000 words (including footnotes and text in tables). Second Opinions smain text ≤ 12,000 words
- original articlesOriginal articles should not exceed 12,000 words (including footnotes and text in tables).Length not stated
- reviewbooks should be no more than 800 words. Reviews of edited volumes can be up to 1000 words. Review essays discussing related books would typically bemain text ≤ 1,000 words
- review essaysReview essays discussing related books would typically be around 4,000-5,000 words.Length not stated
- reviews of edited volumesReviews of edited volumes can be up to 1000 words.Length not stated
- reviews of single-authored booksReviews of single-authored books should be no more than 800 words.Length not stated
- second opinionsSecond Opinions should not exceed 6,000 words.Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAuthorship, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review
- Authorship
No simultaneous submission; final drafts only Model summary
Authors are requested not to submit typescripts that are under consideration for publication elsewhere and to send final drafts rather than earlier versions designed to elicit editors’ judgement on the potential suitability of the MS for publication in Social History of Medicine (SHM).
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics
COPE member Model summary
The journal is a member of COPE (the Committee on Publication Ethics) and adheres to its policies and procedures.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright
Creative Commons licences for open access Model summary
Open Access articles are published under Creative Commons licences.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access option for authors
Optional open access for a charge Model summary
Social History of Medicine authors have the option to publish their paper under the Open Access initiative; whereby, for a charge, their paper will be made freely available online immediately upon publication. After your manuscript is accepted the corresponding author will be required to accept a mandatory licence to publish agreement. As part of the licensing process you will be asked to indicate…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review
Double-blinded peer review Model summary
SHM conducts double-blinded peer reviews.
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
- Oxford University Press
- Country or region
- ENGLAND
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Tri-annual
- Founded
- 1988
- ISSN
- 0951-631X
- Electronic ISSN
- 1477-4666
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 39, Issue 3 (August 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Social History of Medicine
What CAS zone is Social History of Medicine in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Social History of Medicine is in Zone 3 of Philosophy, and in Zone 3 of the minor category History / History & Philosophy Of Science. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 3 of Philosophy. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Social History of Medicine?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 0.48; CiteScore 1.1, h-index 71.
How long does peer review take at Social History of Medicine?
The publisher reports about 31 days (submission to final decision); authors report an average review time of over 12 weeks; the community-reported acceptance is “Easy”. 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 Social History of Medicine?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 150 words; Manuscript length: ≤ 5,000 words; Reference style: Author–date; Templates: Word; Suggested reviewers: Required; Highlights: Required; Graphical abstract: 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 Social History of Medicine based?
Of the 27 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United Kingdom (14), United States (7) and Hong Kong, China (1). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Social History of Medicine?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Social History of Medicine is indexed in SCIE, SSCI, AHCI and Scopus. The journal's website also lists MEDLINE and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Social History of Medicine open access, and what is the APC?
Social History of Medicine is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,864.
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 2026-08-25). Last updated: .