Journal profile · Multiple
Social Policy and Society
ISSN 1474-7464 · eISSN 1475-3073 · Cambridge University Press
Social Policy and Society: CAS Zone 2 · Sociology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 1.79; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,550; 77 articles in 2025; indexed in SSCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Social Policy and Society is published by Cambridge University Press 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 Social Policy and Reform Studies, Employment and Welfare Studies and Housing, Finance, and Neoliberalism, together about 43% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Social Policy and Society is an international academic journal sponsored by the UK Social Policy Association. The journal welcomes stimulating original articles that draw upon contemporary policy-related research and associated developments in the social sciences at the national, regional and international level. The journal welcomes scholarly papers - both theoretical and empirical - which analyse any aspect of social policy and its relationships with society from different angles. Contributions on teaching and learning issues within the discipline are also welcome. Each issue contains stand-alone peer reviewed articles and, uniquely, a themed section, edited by a Guest Editor(s). Every themed section includes an introductory piece, a set of peer reviewed articles, a selected review of the key literature, plus a guide to key sources in the area.All articles need to be of a high academic quality and should also be accessible to a wide readership which includes policymakers, academic staff and students within and beyond the United Kingdom. Social Policy and Society is part of the 'Social Policy Package' along with the Journal of Social Policy and the Journal of International and Comparative Social Policy.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Multiple
Editorial board by country: 2 in mainland China (about 7%); most named United Kingdom 13, Mainland China 2, Hong Kong, China 1, South Korea 1, India 1 (28 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Social Policy and Reform StudiesSocial Sciences23.1%
- Employment and Welfare StudiesHealth Professions10.6%
- Housing, Finance, and NeoliberalismEconomics, Econometrics and Finance9.3%
- Healthcare innovation and challengesSocial Sciences8%
- Homelessness and Social IssuesHealth Professions5.7%
- Geological Studies and ExplorationEarth and Planetary Sciences4.3%
- Intergenerational Family Dynamics and CaregivingSocial Sciences3.7%
- Retirement, Disability, and EmploymentSocial Sciences3.3%
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 | Social Work | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Social Issues | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Sociology Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Sociology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Social Issues | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Social Work | Zone 2 |
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 | Social Work | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Social Issues | 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
- 1.79LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 23Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 6.5LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.73LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.36LetPub ·
- h-index
- 73OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 698OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 1.17OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 11.1%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 68.99%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 64LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 1,529 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 37 | 26 | 1 |
| 2025 | 77 | 67 | 75 |
| 2024 | 65 | 60 | 133 |
| 2023 | 55 | 45 | 330 |
| 2022 | 77 | 66 | 720 |
| 2021 | 95 | 67 | 1,407 |
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.
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 3,550 / GBP 2,460 | — | — |
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.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press
- ISSN
- 1474-7464
- Electronic ISSN
- 1475-3073
- Society / sponsor
- Social Policy Association
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Social Policy and Society
What CAS zone is Social Policy and Society in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Social Policy and Society is in Zone 2 of Sociology, and in Zone 1 of the minor category Social Work / Social Issues. 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 Social Policy and Society?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 1.79; CiteScore 6.5, h-index 73.
Where are the editorial board members of Social Policy and Society based?
Of the 28 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 2 (about 7%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United Kingdom (13), Mainland China (2) and Hong Kong, China (1). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Social Policy and Society?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Social Policy and Society is indexed in SSCI and Scopus.
Is Social Policy and Society open access, and what is the APC?
Social Policy and Society is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,550.
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: .