Journal profile · OPERATIONS RESEARCH & MANAGEMENT SCIENCE
Socio-Economic Planning Sciences
ISSN 0038-0121 · eISSN 1873-6041 · Elsevier Ltd · ENGLAND
Socio-Economic Planning Sciences: CAS Zone 1 · Economics (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal); impact factor 5.21; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,550; review about 213 days (submission to acceptance, publisher); 216 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE, SSCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Socio-Economic Planning Sciences is published by Elsevier Ltd and is in Zone 1 of Economics in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Efficiency Analysis Using DEA, Facility Location and Emergency Management and Fiscal Policy and Economic Growth, together about 23.3% of its articles. Its main subfields are Economics and Econometrics. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
The International Journal of Public Sector Decision-MakingDuring the last several years, there has been substantial and important growth in the application of quantitative analysis, i.e., operations research/management science, statistics, and related arenas, to interdisciplinary problems arising in the area of socio-economic planning and development.Socio-Economic Planning Sciences is an international journal devoted exclusively to research in this important, but under-represented area. It provides a medium for research that might not appear in more specialized journals, either because of the interdisciplinary or applied character of the study, or the mathematical/quantitative nature of the research. The journal thus serves as a focus for investigations that have hitherto appeared in widely-scattered sources and/or less-than-appropriate sources.Socio-Economic Planning Sciences strongly encourages contributions dealing with applications of quantitative models and techniques to important decision problems in the service and public sectors. Of particular interest are accounts of such studies carried out in developing countries and economically emerging regions of the world. Review articles in important methodological and substantive areas are also of interest.The principal criterion used in evaluating a manuscript submitted to the journal is: uniqueness or innovation of the work in terms of the methodology being developed, and/or its application to a problem of particular importance in the public or service sector and/or the setting within which the effort is being made, e.g. an emerging region of the world. That is to say, of the model/methodology itself, the application, and the problem context, at least one of these must be unique and important.Additional criteria considered in reviewing a submitted paper are its accuracy, the organization/presentation (i.e. logical flow), and writing quality.Representative of the topic areas included in the journal are the following:Studies directed toward the more effective utilization of existing resources, e.g. mathematical programming models of health care delivery systems with relevance to more effective program design; systems analysis of fire outbreaks and its relevance to the location of fire stations; statistical analysis of the efficiency of a developing country economy or industry.Studies relating to the interaction of various segments of society and technology, e.g. the effects of government health policies on the utilization and design of hospital facilities; the relationship between housing density and the demands on public transportation or other service facilities: patterns and implications of urban development and air or water pollution.Studies devoted to the anticipations of and response to future needs for social, health and other human services, e.g. the relationship between industrial growth and the development of educational resources in affected areas; investigation of future demands for material and child health resources in a developing country; design of effective recycling in an urban setting.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): OPERATIONS RESEARCH & MANAGEMENT SCIENCE
Editor-in-chief Rajan BattaPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 5 in mainland China (about 10%); most named United States 15, United Kingdom 7, Mainland China 5, Italy 3, Türkiye 3 (50 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Efficiency Analysis Using DEADecision Sciences10.4%
- Facility Location and Emergency ManagementBusiness, Management and Accounting7%
- Fiscal Policy and Economic GrowthEconomics, Econometrics and Finance5.9%
- Diverse Scientific and Economic StudiesEconomics, Econometrics and Finance5.9%
- Human auditory perception and evaluationEngineering5.7%
- Urban Transport and AccessibilitySocial Sciences5.2%
- Transportation Planning and OptimizationSocial Sciences5.1%
- Multi-Criteria Decision MakingDecision Sciences5.1%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Economics Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Economics | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Economics | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Operations Research & Management Science | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Management | Zone 3 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Economics Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Economics | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Economics | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Management | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Operations Research & Management Science | Zone 2 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Economics Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Economics | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Economics | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Operations Research & Management Science | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Management | Zone 3 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIESSCIScopusLetPub
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
- 5.21LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 5.2Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 11.9LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 11.9Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.22LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.53LetPub ·
- h-index
- 43LetPub ·
- h-index
- 109OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 1,530OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 6.31OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 5.8%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 30.08%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 203LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 3,473 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 182 | 78 | 162 |
| 2025 | 216 | 65 | 1,051 |
| 2024 | 296 | 147 | 3,167 |
| 2023 | 228 | 103 | 4,104 |
| 2022 | 215 | 81 | 5,121 |
| 2021 | 178 | 68 | 6,648 |
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
213 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
- 84 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 213 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 4 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Single 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 3,550 / EUR 3,320 / GBP 2,840 / JPY 440,310 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 3,840 | — | — |
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 papers2, by deadline
Publisher websiteWhat to prepare8 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- 1–7
- Reference style
- Numbered, in order of citation
- Templates
- LaTeX and Word
- Suggested reviewers
- Required
- Highlights
- Required
- Graphical abstract
- Required
- Cover letter
- Required
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
This journal follows a single 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
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
- Publisher
- Elsevier Ltd
- Country or region
- ENGLAND
- Language
- English
- ISSN
- 0038-0121
- Electronic ISSN
- 1873-6041
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Socio-Economic Planning Sciences
What CAS zone is Socio-Economic Planning Sciences in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Socio-Economic Planning Sciences is in Zone 1 of Economics, and in Zone 2 of the minor category Economics / Operations Research & Management Science / Management; it is a Top journal. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 1 of Economics. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Socio-Economic Planning Sciences?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 5.21; CiteScore 11.9, h-index 109.
How long does peer review take at Socio-Economic Planning Sciences?
The publisher reports about 213 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 Socio-Economic Planning Sciences?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 1–7; Reference style: Numbered, in order of citation; Templates: LaTeX and 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 Socio-Economic Planning Sciences based?
Of the 50 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 5 (about 10%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (15), United Kingdom (7) and Mainland China (5). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Socio-Economic Planning Sciences?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Socio-Economic Planning Sciences is indexed in SCIE, SSCI and Scopus.
Is Socio-Economic Planning Sciences open access, and what is the APC?
Socio-Economic Planning Sciences is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,550.
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: .