Journal profile · Multiple
Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies
ISSN 1607-3614 · eISSN 1727-9461 · Taylor & Francis
Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies: CAS Zone 3 · Literature (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 0.49; hybrid open access; APC charged, amount not published; median 309 days to acceptance (64 articles, last 24 months); acceptance rate 23% (journal website); 85 articles in 2025; indexed in SSCI, AHCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies is published by Taylor & Francis and is in Zone 3 of Literature in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Multilingual Education and Policy, Second Language Learning and Teaching and EFL/ESL Teaching and Learning, together about 33.1% of its articles. Its main subfields are Language and Linguistics. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies publishes articles on a wide range of linguistic topics and acts as a forum for research into ALL the languages of southern Africa. Original contributions are welcomed on any of the core areas of linguistics, applied linguistics, and language practice, particularly regarding matters that are relevant for the (southern) African context. Review articles and short research reports are also welcomed. Book reviews are solicited by the reviews editor. Articles in languages other than English are accompanied by an extended English summary. For more information, visit the NISC website.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Multiple
Editor-in-chief Johanita KirstenPublisher website
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named South Africa 6 (6 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Multilingual Education and PolicySocial Sciences14.4%
- Second Language Learning and TeachingArts and Humanities9.7%
- EFL/ESL Teaching and LearningArts and Humanities9.1%
- Discourse Analysis in Language StudiesArts and Humanities7.9%
- Linguistic Variation and MorphologySocial Sciences6.7%
- Language, Discourse, Communication StrategiesArts and Humanities6.5%
- Syntax, Semantics, Linguistic VariationArts and Humanities4.7%
- Language, Metaphor, and CognitionPsychology4.6%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Literature Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Literature | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Language & Linguistics | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Linguistics | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Literature Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Literature | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Linguistics | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Language & Linguistics | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Literature Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Literature | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Language & Linguistics | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Linguistics | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
JCR / CiteScore quartiles on the journal's website
- CiteScore Q2 · 2025
Publisher-reported: JCR figures are Clarivate's and CiteScore figures Scopus's to confirm; both are a different system from the CAS zones.Publisher website
Database indexing
SSCIAHCIScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
Linguistics Abstracts OnlinePublisher 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
- 0.49LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 0.5Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 0.7Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 1LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher) 2025
- 1Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.22LetPub ·
- SJR (publisher) 2025
- 0.22Publisher website ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.85LetPub ·
- SNIP (publisher) 2025
- 0.85Publisher website ·
- h-index
- 53OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 289OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 0.7OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 40%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 36.81%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 76LetPub ·
- Downloads per year (publisher)
- 33,000Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 1,037 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 62 | 37 | 4 |
| 2025 | 85 | 43 | 61 |
| 2024 | 60 | 25 | 80 |
| 2023 | 57 | 15 | 139 |
| 2022 | 44 | 2 | 130 |
| 2021 | 41 | 5 | 242 |
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
309 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 207 days – 396 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 86 days (64 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 401 days
- Sample
- 64 articles with submission and acceptance dates (182 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)
- 23%Publisher website ·
- Submission to first decision
- 51 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 176 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 54 daysPublisher 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
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 prepare1 items from the author guidelines
- Not considered
- Book reviews
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteOpen access
- Open access Open access
Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies is a hybrid open access journal that is part of the Taylor & Francis Open Select publishing program, giving you the option to publish open access. Publishing open access means that your article will be free to access online immediately on publication, increasing the visibility, readership, and impact of your research. Why choose open access…
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
- Taylor & Francis
- ISSN
- 1607-3614
- Electronic ISSN
- 1727-9461
- Society / sponsor
- Southern African Linguistics and Applied Linguistics Society
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 44, Issue 3 (2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies
What CAS zone is Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies is in Zone 3 of Literature, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Language & Linguistics / Linguistics. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 3 of Literature. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 0.49; CiteScore 1, h-index 53.
How long does peer review take at Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies?
Based on the dates recorded on 64 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 309 days (interquartile range 207–396 days); the journal's website gives an acceptance rate of 23%. 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.
Where are the editorial board members of Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies based?
Of the 6 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are South Africa (6). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies is indexed in SSCI, AHCI and Scopus.
Is Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies open access, and what is the APC?
Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC charged, amount not published.
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: .