Journal profile · Multiple
Sociological Methods & Research
ISSN 0049-1241 · eISSN 1552-8294 · SAGE
Sociological Methods & Research: CAS Zone 2 · Sociology (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal); impact factor 4.83; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,900; review about 20 days (submission to first decision, publisher); acceptance rate 14.6% (journal website); 60 articles in 2025; indexed in SSCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Sociological Methods & Research is published by SAGE and is in Zone 2 of Sociology in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Statistical Methods and Bayesian Inference, Advanced Causal Inference Techniques and Survey Methodology and Nonresponse, together about 24.1% of its articles. Its main subfields are Statistics and Probability and Sociology and Political Science. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Now Indexed in the Research Papers in Economics (RePEC) database. Search 2010 issue articles here.When your research depends on the very latest information on the collection, measurement and analysis of data, turn to SMR/Sociological Methods & Research. For more than three decades, SMR has been a leading source of quantitative research methodology in the social sciences. Each issue of SMR presents new techniques and innovative approaches to recurring research challenges and also clarifies existing methods. SMR/Sociological Methods & Research provides the state-of-the-art tools that researchers and academics like yourself need to hone your skills and increase the validity of your research findings. An Interdisciplinary PerspectiveEach quarterly issue of SMR/Sociological Methods & Research brings you empirically based articles from a variety of perspectives, exploring research methods that are applicable to a wide range of fields, including: Anthropology Criminology Demography Economics Education Management Political Science Psychology Sociology Submit your manuscript today at https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/smr.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Multiple
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named United States 40, Netherlands 5, Hong Kong, China 1, Spain 1, Canada 1 (50 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Statistical Methods and Bayesian InferenceMathematics8.9%
- Advanced Causal Inference TechniquesMathematics7.8%
- Survey Methodology and NonresponseSocial Sciences7.3%
- Qualitative Comparative Analysis ResearchSocial Sciences6.9%
- Urban, Neighborhood, and Segregation StudiesSocial Sciences6.2%
- Statistical Methods and InferenceMathematics6%
- Advanced Statistical Methods and ModelsMathematics5.2%
- Survey Sampling and Estimation TechniquesMathematics4.6%
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 Sciences, Mathematical Methods | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Sociology | Zone 2 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Sociology Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Sociology | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Social Sciences, Mathematical Methods | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Sociology | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Sociology Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Sociology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Social Sciences, Mathematical Methods | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Sociology | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SSCIScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
RePEcPublisher website
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
- 4.83LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 5.3Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher)
- 9.5Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 16.2LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 3.47LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 4.29LetPub ·
- h-index
- 162OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 1,005OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 4.69OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 5.7%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 48%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 59LetPub ·
- Articles per year (publisher)
- 3Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 1,565 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 26 | 16 | 5 |
| 2025 | 60 | 40 | 364 |
| 2024 | 17 | 10 | 114 |
| 2023 | 26 | 19 | 446 |
| 2022 | 54 | 27 | 2,264 |
| 2021 | 53 | 25 | 1,443 |
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
- Acceptance rate (publisher)
- 14.6%Publisher website ·
- Submission to first decision
- 20 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 34 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 3,900 / GBP 2,859 | — | — |
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)
- Submission fee
- USD 3,900
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
- ≤ 150 words
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 10,000 words
- Reference style
- APA
- Suggested reviewers
- Required, 6
- Cover letter
- Required
Article types accepted1
- editorialChecking in Submitted manuscripts will be checked for adherence to submission instructions. Manuscripts in this stage will appear as “Awaiting Admin Processing”…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, Peer review, Preprints
- AI use Declaration of generative AI use (required for some manuscripts)
Authors may use generative artificial intelligence (AI) (e.g., ChatGPT) in the writing process to improve the readability of their manuscript. Authors should be aware of the limitations of generative AI tools, including the possibility that AI introduces errors or plagiarize its sources. Authors are responsible for the entire content of their manuscript, including passages edited by generative AI …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Authorship guidelines
All parties who have made a substantive contribution to the manuscript should be listed as authors. Authorship order should be alphabetical or based on the relative scientific or professional contributions of the individuals involved, regardless of their status. A student is usually listed as principal author on any multiple-authored publication that substantially derives from the student’s disser…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Preregistration statements and disclosures
For manuscripts not reporting empirical results: The preregistration statement states that the manuscript does not contain empirical results. For manuscripts reporting empirical results: The preregistration statement states whether or not the study and/or analysis plan were preregistered. Manuscripts without preregistration may explain why, for example by noting that the presented empirical analys…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability Code, materials, and data availability statement (required)
All manuscripts must include an availability statement disclosing where anonymized code and materials (and, optionally, data) can be accessed for peer review. If data are not shared at submission, the availability statement must also disclose how data will be shared if the paper is accepted and/or justify clearly if exceptions apply. See further guidance for code and materials sharing at submissio…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review External peer review process
For manuscripts that pass editorial review, the journal invites external reviewers and waits for reviews to arrive. Manuscripts in this stage may appear as “Awaiting Reviewer Selection,” “Awaiting Reviewer Invitation,” “Awaiting Reviewer Assignment,” or “Awaiting Reviewer Scores” in ScholarOne Manuscripts. External peer review typically takes a few months.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprints
Authors may post original (pre-peer review) or accepted (post-peer review) versions of the manuscripts to a preprint server. During the submission process, authors will be asked whether they have posted a preprint of the manuscript and to share the DOI of the preprint. After submission (i.e. during the editorial and peer review processes), you are asked to refrain from posting updated versions of …
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
- SAGE
- ISSN
- 0049-1241
- Electronic ISSN
- 1552-8294
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Sociological Methods & Research
What CAS zone is Sociological Methods & Research in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Sociological Methods & Research is in Zone 2 of Sociology, and in Zone 1 of the minor category Social Sciences, Mathematical Methods / Sociology; it is a Top journal. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 1 of Sociology. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Sociological Methods & Research?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 4.83; CiteScore 16.2, h-index 162.
How long does peer review take at Sociological Methods & Research?
The publisher reports about 20 days (submission to first decision); first decisions include desk rejections; the journal's website gives an acceptance rate of 14.6%. 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 Sociological Methods & Research?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 150 words; Manuscript length: ≤ 10,000 words; Reference style: APA; Suggested reviewers: Required, 6; 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 Sociological Methods & Research based?
Of the 50 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (40), Netherlands (5) and Hong Kong, China (1). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Sociological Methods & Research?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Sociological Methods & Research is indexed in SSCI and Scopus.
Is Sociological Methods & Research open access, and what is the APC?
Sociological Methods & Research is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,900.
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: .