Journal profile · SOCIOLOGY
Theory and Society
ISSN 0304-2421 · eISSN 1573-7853 · Springer Nature · 6 issues per year
Theory and Society: CAS Zone 2 · Sociology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 1.86; hybrid open access; APC about USD 2,890; median 90 days to acceptance (48 articles, last 24 months); 69 articles in 2025; indexed in SSCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Theory and Society is published by Springer Nature 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 and Cultural Dynamics, Contemporary Sociological Theory and Practice and Political Economy and Marxism, together about 31.8% of its articles. Its main subfields are Sociology and Political Science. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Without good theories, data will remain difficult to interpret and impossible to predict. Theory and Society is committed to publishing work that helps elucidate the fundamental regularities and dynamics underlying social and cultural processes. These regularities and dynamics can be discovered or described in myriad ways and, as such, the Journal strives to be interdisciplinary in approach and open to work from both new and eclectic points of view. The best tools for understanding and changing the world come from our theories and models of how that world works; Theory and Society is a platform open to all who are motivated to improve the variety, interdisciplinarity, and scientific focus of sociological theory. Please refer to this page for the journal's Statement of Goals.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): SOCIOLOGY
Editor-in-chief Kevin McCaffreePublisher website
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named United States 35, United Kingdom 2, Germany 2, Denmark 2, Hong Kong, China 1 (46 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Social and Cultural DynamicsSocial Sciences13.2%
- Contemporary Sociological Theory and PracticeSocial Sciences10.8%
- Political Economy and MarxismSocial Sciences7.9%
- Management and Organizational StudiesBusiness, Management and Accounting6%
- Critical Theory and PhilosophySocial Sciences4.8%
- Critical Realism in SociologySocial Sciences4.3%
- Diverse Scientific and Economic StudiesEconomics, Econometrics and Finance4.2%
- Social Policy and Reform StudiesSocial Sciences4.2%
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 | Sociology | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Sociology Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Sociology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Sociology | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Sociology Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Sociology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Sociology | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SSCIScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
SCIEERIH PLUSCurrent ContentsPublisher website
Other: Google Scholar, EBSCO, ProQuest, Dimensions, CNKI, Baidu, Naver, OCLC, Portico, CLOCKSS
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
- 1.86LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 1.9Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 3.7Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 3.3LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.73LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.5LetPub ·
- h-index
- 138OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 998OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 1.98OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 5.3%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 53.72%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 52LetPub ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 514800Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 1,892 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 85 | 49 | 41 |
| 2025 | 69 | 38 | 198 |
| 2024 | 51 | 34 | 167 |
| 2023 | 27 | 13 | 153 |
| 2022 | 36 | 18 | 343 |
| 2021 | 47 | 26 | 929 |
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
90 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 65 days – 130 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 28 days (75 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 148 days
- Sample
- 48 articles with submission and acceptance dates (164 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
- Submission to first decision
- 16 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Double anonymous peer review, Open 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 2,890 / EUR 2,290 / GBP 1,990 | — | — |
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 papers3, by deadline
Publisher websiteWhat to prepare5 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- 150–250 words
- Keywords
- ≥ 4
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 10,000 words
- Reference style
- APA
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
Article types accepted6, with length limits
- commentaryincluding references excluding tables. Commentary article Short commentaries on current and trending topics in the field, with a maximum of 2500 words. Commenta…main text ≤ 2,500 words
- commentary articleShort commentaries on current and trending topics in the field, with a maximum of 2500 words.Length not stated
- editorialDouble-blind peer review This journal follows a double-blind reviewing procedure. This means that the author will remain anonymous to the reviewers throughout p…Length not stated
- research articleTypical article word length is approximately 7500 words, with a minimum of 5000 and a maximum of 10,000 including references excluding tables.Length not stated
- review articleAnalysis of existing literature and/or data, whether a literature review, meta-analysis/content analysis. Typical article word length is approximately 7500 word…main text ≤ 7,500 words
- theory briefsShort-form “theory briefs” highlight new or experimental ideas. These can range from 1,000-3,000 wordsLength not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review
- AI use Generative AI Images
Please check Springer’s policy on generative AI images and make sure your work adheres to the principles described therein. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Authorship principles
Original work not under consideration elsewhere Model summary
These guidelines describe authorship principles and good authorship practices to which prospective authors should adhere to. Authorship clarified The Journal and Publisher assume all authors agreed with the content and that all gave explicit consent to submit and that they obtained consent from the responsible authorities at the institute/organization where the work has been carried out, before th…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Disclosures and declarations
All authors are requested to include information regarding sources of funding, financial or non-financial interests, study-specific approval by the appropriate ethics committee for research involving humans and/or animals, informed consent if the research involved human participants, and a statement on welfare of animals if the research involved animals (as appropriate). The decision whether such …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability Data availability statements
All original research must include a data availability statement. This statement should explain how to access data supporting the results and analysis in the article, including links/citations to publicly archived datasets analysed or generated during the study. Please see our full policy here. If it is not possible to share research data publicly, for instance when individual privacy could be com…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics Compliance with Ethical Standards
To ensure objectivity and transparency in research and to ensure that accepted principles of ethical and professional conduct have been followed, authors should include information regarding sources of funding, potential conflicts of interest (financial or non-financial), informed consent if the research involved human participants, and a statement on welfare of animals if the research involved an…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Copyright
Permissions required for previously published material Model summary
Open Choice articles do not require transfer of copyright as the copyright remains with the author. In opting for open access, the author(s) agree to publish the article under a Creative Commons license. Details of the OA licences offered to authors can be found on the individual journal website, in the journal's How to publish with us guide. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access publishing
To find out more about publishing your work Open Access in Theory and Society, including information on fees, funding and licences, visit our Open access publishing page. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Double-blind peer review
Double-blind peer review Model summary
This journal follows a double-blind reviewing procedure. This means that the author will remain anonymous to the reviewers throughout peer review. It is the responsibility of the author to anonymize the manuscript and any associated materials. Author names, affiliations and any other potentially identifying information should be removed from the manuscript text and any accompanying files (such as …
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
- Springer Nature
- Frequency
- 6 issues per year
- ISSN
- 0304-2421
- Electronic ISSN
- 1573-7853
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗LetPub
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Theory and Society
What CAS zone is Theory and Society in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Theory and Society is in Zone 2 of Sociology, and in Zone 3 of the minor category Sociology. 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 Theory and Society?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 1.86; CiteScore 3.3, h-index 138.
How long does peer review take at Theory and Society?
Based on the dates recorded on 48 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 90 days (interquartile range 65–130 days). 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 Theory and Society?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: 150–250 words; Keywords: ≥ 4; Manuscript length: ≤ 10,000 words; Reference style: APA; Suggested reviewers: Optional. 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 Theory and Society based?
Of the 46 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (35), United Kingdom (2) and Germany (2). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Theory and Society?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Theory and Society is indexed in SSCI and Scopus. The journal's website also lists SCIE, ERIH PLUS and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Theory and Society open access, and what is the APC?
Theory and Society is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 2,890.
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: .