Journal profile · Multiple
TESOL Quarterly
ISSN 0039-8322 · eISSN 1545-7249 · Wiley-Blackwell
TESOL Quarterly: CAS Zone 1 · Literature (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal); impact factor 5; hybrid open access; APC about USD 2,850; review about 281 days (submission to acceptance, publisher); acceptance rate 12% (journal website); 98 articles in 2025; indexed in SSCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
TESOL Quarterly is published by Wiley-Blackwell and is in Zone 1 of Literature in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are EFL/ESL Teaching and Learning, Second Language Learning and Teaching and Multilingual Education and Policy, together about 58.8% of its articles. Its main subfields are Language and Linguistics. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
TESOL Quarterly, a professional, refereed journal, was first published in 1967. The Quarterly encourages submission of previously unpublished articles on topics of significance to individuals concerned with English language teaching and learning and standard English as a second dialect. As a publication that represents a variety of cross-disciplinary interests, both theoretical and practical, the Quarterly invites manuscripts on a wide range of topics, especially in the following areas: psychology and sociology of language learning and teaching issues in research and research methodology testing and evaluation professional preparation curriculum design and development instructional methods, materials, and techniques language planning professional standards Because the Quarterly is committed to publishing manuscripts that contribute to bridging theory and practice in our profession, it particularly welcomes submissions that address the implications and applications of research in, for example, anthropology applied and theoretical linguistics communication education English education, including reading and writing theory psycholinguistics psychology first and second language acquisition sociolinguistics The Quarterly prefers that all submissions be written in a style that is accessible to a broad readership, including those individuals who may not be familiar with the subject matter. TESOL Quarterly is an international journal. It welcomes submissions from English language contexts around the world. Abstracting and Indexing Information ArticleFirst (OCLC) Education Full Text (HW Wilson) Education Index/Abstracts (EBSCO Publishing) Education Research Complete (EBSCO Publishing) ERIC: Educational Resources Information Center (CSC) IBR & IBZ: International Bibliographies of Periodical Literature (KG Saur) Linguistics Collection (ProQuest) MLA International Bibliography (MLA) OmniFile Full Text Mega Edition (HW Wilson) Periodical Index Online (ProQuest) SCOPUS (Elsevier) Social Science Premium Collection (ProQuest) Social Sciences Citation Index (Clarivate Analytics) SocINDEX (EBSCO Publishing) SocINDEX with Full Text (EBSCO Publishing) TOC Premier (EBSCO Publishing) Web of Science (Clarivate Analytics)
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Multiple
Editor-in-chief Jim McKinleyPublisher website
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named Hong Kong, China 13, Philippines 1 (14 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- EFL/ESL Teaching and LearningArts and Humanities23.4%
- Second Language Learning and TeachingArts and Humanities18.2%
- Multilingual Education and PolicySocial Sciences17.1%
- Second Language Acquisition and LearningPsychology6.8%
- Discourse Analysis in Language StudiesArts and Humanities5.9%
- Language, Discourse, Communication StrategiesArts and Humanities2.5%
- Reading and Literacy DevelopmentPsychology2.4%
- Lexicography and Language StudiesArts and Humanities2.2%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Literature Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Literature | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Linguistics | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Education & Educational Research | Zone 2 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Literature Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Literature | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Education & Educational Research | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Linguistics | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Literature Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Literature | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Linguistics | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Education & Educational Research | Zone 2 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
Database indexing
SSCIScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
Web of ScienceERICPublisher website
Other: EBSCO, ProQuest, OCLC
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
- 5LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 5.1Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher)
- 4.67Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 8.6LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher) 2025
- 8.6Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 2.23LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 2.84LetPub ·
- h-index
- 266OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 2,195OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 4.16OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 5.9%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 52.27%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 77LetPub ·
- Articles per year (publisher) 2025
- 83Publisher website ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 490,713Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 4,547 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 180 | 109 | 114 |
| 2025 | 98 | 61 | 473 |
| 2024 | 84 | 58 | 919 |
| 2023 | 101 | 75 | 1,572 |
| 2022 | 97 | 36 | 1,766 |
| 2021 | 91 | 20 | 1,902 |
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
281 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
- Acceptance rate (publisher) 2025
- 12%Publisher website ·
- Submission to first decision 2025
- 64 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance 2025
- 281 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication 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 | USD 2,850 / EUR 2,390 / GBP 1,880 | — | — |
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 prepare5 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 200 words
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 8,000 words
- Reference style
- APA
- Graphical abstract
- Optional
- Cover letter
- Required
Article types accepted10
- book reviewFull-length Articles Articles should present substantial empirical, theoretical, or methodological contributions. To submit a manuscript for an Article, please …Length not stated
- book reviewsBook Reviews TQ does not accept unsolicited completed book reviews.Length not stated
- brief reportFull-length Articles Articles should present substantial empirical, theoretical, or methodological contributions. To submit a manuscript for an Article, please …Length not stated
- editorialFull-length Articles Articles should present substantial empirical, theoretical, or methodological contributions. To submit a manuscript for an Article, please …Length not stated
- full-length articlesFull-length Articles Articles should present substantial empirical, theoretical, or methodological contributions.Length not stated
- in briefIn Brief Articles should present concise, focused contributions addressing a clearly defined question, issue, or context.Length not stated
- letterFull-length Articles Articles should present substantial empirical, theoretical, or methodological contributions. To submit a manuscript for an Article, please …Length not stated
- reviewFull-length Articles Articles should present substantial empirical, theoretical, or methodological contributions. To submit a manuscript for an Article, please …Length not stated
- special topic issuesSpecial Topic Issues Typically, the September issue in each volume will be devoted to a special topic.Length not stated
- surveyFull-length Articles Articles should present substantial empirical, theoretical, or methodological contributions. To submit a manuscript for an Article, please …Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Data availability, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Plagiarism, Preprints
- AI use Artificial Intelligence (AI) Programs including ChatGPT
We discourage the use of AI programs to write sections of your manuscript, but we understand that it may be useful for some purposes. We require that anyone using ChatGPT to generate text follow the Committee on Publication Ethics' guidelines, namely, “Authors who use AI tools in the writing of a manuscript, production of images or graphical elements of the paper, or in the collection and analysis…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Authorship
All listed authors should have contributed to the manuscript substantially and have agreed to the final submitted version. Review editorial standards and scroll down for a description of authorship criteria.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability Data Sharing and Data Accessibility
Data sharing encouraged Model summary
TQ encourages authors to share the data and other artefacts supporting the results in the paper by archiving it in an appropriate public repository. Authors may provide a data availability statement, including a link to the repository they have used, in order that this statement can be published alongside their paper. Shared data should be cited. Please review Wiley's Data Citation policy. Please …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Reproduction of Copyright Material
If excerpts from copyrighted works owned by third parties are included, credit must be shown in the contribution. It is your responsibility to also obtain written permission for reproduction from the copyright owners. For more information visit Wiley's Obtaining Permission to Reproduce Material.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open Access
No submission fees Model summary
This journal is a subscription journal that offers an Open Access option. You'll have the option to make your article open access after acceptance, which will be subject to an APC unless a waiver applies. Read more about APCs here.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review 1. Submission and Peer Review Process
Double-anonymous peer review Model summary
New submissions should be made via the Research Exchange submission portal https://authors.wiley.com/journal/TESQ. You may check the status of your submission at any time by logging on to submission.wiley.com and clicking the “My Submissions” button. For technical help with the submission system, please contact submissionhelp@wiley.com. This journal does not charge submission fees. Article Prepara…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Plagiarism iThenticate CrossCheck
This journal uses iThenticate's CrossCheck software to detect instances of overlapping and similar text in submitted manuscripts. Read Wiley's Top 10 Publishing Ethics Tips for Authors and Wiley's Publication Ethics Guidelines.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints
Preprints accepted Model summary
This journal accepts articles previously published on preprint servers.
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
- Wiley-Blackwell
- ISSN
- 0039-8322
- Electronic ISSN
- 1545-7249
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 60, Issue 3 (September 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about TESOL Quarterly
What CAS zone is TESOL Quarterly in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, TESOL Quarterly is in Zone 1 of Literature, and in Zone 1 of the minor category Linguistics / Education & Educational Research; it is a Top journal. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 1 of Literature. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of TESOL Quarterly?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 5; CiteScore 8.6, h-index 266.
How long does peer review take at TESOL Quarterly?
The publisher reports about 281 days (submission to acceptance); the journal's website gives an acceptance rate of 12% (2025). 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 TESOL Quarterly?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 200 words; Manuscript length: ≤ 8,000 words; Reference style: APA; Graphical abstract: Optional; 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 TESOL Quarterly based?
Of the 14 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Hong Kong, China (13) and Philippines (1). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index TESOL Quarterly?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, TESOL Quarterly is indexed in SSCI and Scopus. The journal's website also lists Web of Science and ERIC; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is TESOL Quarterly open access, and what is the APC?
TESOL Quarterly is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 2,850.
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 2026-08-25). Last updated: .