The Social Science Journal is the official journal of the Western Social Science Association. The principal purpose of the journal is to publish scholarly work in the social sciences. The research that is published may take a theoretical or speculative model as well as statistical and mathematical. Contributions are welcome from all fields which have relevant and insightful comments to make about the social sciences.
The journal also includes a Research Note section which is devoted to supporting scholarly research that is in progress. The journal has a well-established book review section which reflects the academic and intellectual diversity within the WSSA. While The Social Science Journal is the publication of a regional association, it attracts submissions from a wide range of countries.
Journal metrics
Usage
145K annual downloads/views
Citation metrics
1.8 (2023) Impact Factor
Q2 Impact Factor Best Quartile
2.0 (2023) 5 year IF
4.7 (2023) CiteScore (Scopus)
Q1 CiteScore Best Quartile
0.793 (2023) SNIP
0.548 (2023) SJR
Speed/acceptance
91 days avg. from submission to first
decision
17% acceptance rate
Understanding and using journal metrics
Journal metrics can be a useful tool for readers, as well as for authors
who are deciding where to submit their next manuscript for publication.
However, any one metric only tells a part of the story of a journal’s
quality and impact. Each metric has its limitations which means that it
should never be considered in isolation, and metrics should be used to
support and not replace qualitative review.
We strongly recommend that you always use a number of metrics, alongside
other qualitative factors such as a journal’s aims & scope, its
readership, and a review of past content published in the journal. In
addition, a single article should always be assessed on its own merits and
never based on the metrics of the journal it was published in.
Usage and acceptance rate data above are for the last full calendar year
and are updated annually in February. Speed data is updated every six
months, based on the prior six months. Citation metrics are updated
annually mid-year. Please note that some journals do not display all of
the following metrics
(find out why).
Usage:
the total number of times articles in the journal were viewed by users
of Taylor & Francis Online in the previous calendar year, rounded to the
nearest thousand.
Citation Metrics
Impact Factor*:
the average number of citations received by articles published in the
journal within a two-year window. Only journals in the Clarivate Science
Citation Index Expanded (SCIE), Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI),
Arts and Humanities Citation Index (AHCI) and the Emerging Sources
Citation Index (ESCI) have an Impact Factor.
Impact Factor Best Quartile*:
the journal’s highest subject category ranking in the Journal Citation
Reports. Q1 = 25% of journals with the highest Impact Factors.
5 Year Impact Factor*:
the average number of citations received by articles in the journal
within a five-year window.
CiteScore (Scopus)†:
the average number of citations received by articles in the journal over
a four-year period.
CiteScore Best Quartile†:
the journal’s highest CiteScore ranking in a Scopus subject category. Q1
= 25% of journals with the highest CiteScores.
SNIP
(Source Normalized Impact per Paper):
the number of citations per paper in the journal, divided by citation
potential in the field.
SJR
(Scimago Journal Rank):
Average number of (weighted) citations in one year, divided by the
number of articles published in the journal in the previous three years.
Speed/acceptance
From submission to first decision:
the average (median) number of days for a manuscript submitted to the
journal to receive a first decision. Based on manuscripts receiving a
first decision in the last six months.
From submission to first post-review decision:
the average (median) number of days for a manuscript submitted to the
journal to receive a first decision if it is sent out for peer review.
Based on manuscripts receiving a post-review first decision in the last
six months.
From acceptance to online publication:
the average (median) number of days from acceptance of a manuscript to
online publication of the Version of Record. Based on articles published
in the last six months.
Acceptance rate:
articles accepted for publication by the journal in the previous
calendar year as percentage of all papers receiving a final decision.
Editor-in-Chief Diane Calloway-Graham, Utah State University
Co-Editor-in-Chief Rick Wheelock, Fort Lewis College
Managing Editor Kate Herke, World Social Science Association
Book Review Editor Jon Westover, Utah Valley University
Associate Editors Richard Adkisson, New Mexico State University Mandi Bates Bailey, Valdosta State University Erin L. Borry, University of Alabama, Birmingham Erica Bower, Tennessee Tech University Robert Boyd, Mississippi State University Ronald (Chip) Burns, Texas Christian University Renee Buster, Texas Women's University James Gerard Caillier, University of Alabama Jeremiah Castle, Metropolitan State University of Denver Adam Chamberlain, Coastal Carolina University Chau-kiu Cheung, City University of Hong Kong Christopher A. Cooper, Western Carolina University Malcolm Cort, Athens State University Christopher Donoghue, Montclair State University Francisco Dumanig, University of Hawaii, Hilo Roderick Graham, Old Dominion University Donald Haider-Markel, University of Kansas Marissa Harrison, Pennsylvania State University, Harrisburg Jay Hmielowski, Washington State University Mark Joslyn, University of Kansas Andre Kehn, University of North Dakota Ae-Sook Kim, Quinnipiac University Jihyun Kim, University of Central Florida Hakseon Lee, James Madison University Jiyoung Lee, Sungkyunkwan University Yu-Feng Lee, New Mexico State University Sang Hun Lim, Kyung Hee University Yanqin Lu, Bowling Green State University Donna Lybecker, Idaho State University Benjamin Lyons, University of Exeter Thomas N. Maloney, The University of Utah Todd Lee Matthews, Sacred Heart University Kenneth Moffett, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Aditi Paul, Pace University Eric Primm, University of Pikeville Dave Rausch, West Texas A&M University William Reese, Augusta State University (deceased) James Rice, New Mexico State University Antonio Saravia, Mercer University Sebastian Scherr, University of Augsburg Kimberly Eretzian Smirles, Emmanuel College Shunfeng Song, University of Nevada, Reno Justin Strickland, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Michael Touchton, University of Miami Kelly Tzoumis, DePaul University Brian Urlacher, University of North Dakota J. Mitchell Vaterlaus, Montana State University Rebecca Vidourek, University of Cincinnati Lacey Wallace, Pennsylvania State University, Altoona Ching-Hsing Wang, National Cheng Kung University Bradley Wilson, Midwestern State University Zheng Yang, California State University, Dominguez Hills L.J Zigerell, Illinois State University Former Editors Oscar H. Lentz, Jr., Colorado School of Mines Stephen E. Schoderbek, U.S. Air Force Academy Cortland P. Auser, U.S. Air Force Academy Sidney Heitman, Colorado State University D. Stanley Eitzen, Colorado State University R.P. Cuzzort, University of Colorado Robert M. Regoli, University of Colorado David Howard Davis, University of Wyoming Michael A. Katovich, Texas Christian University David A. Freeman, Washburn University N. Prabha Unnithan, Colorado State University Scott Alan Carson, University of Texas, Permian Basin Stephanie Witt, Boise State University Krista Lynn Minnotte, University of North Dakota Daphne Pedersen, University of North Dakota
Abstracting and indexing
The Social Science Journal is abstracted/indexed in:
Scopus Sociology of Education Abstracts Studies on Women Abstracts America: History and Life Current Geographical Publications Economic Abstracts Historical Abstracts Index to Periodical Articles Related to Law Human Resources Abstracts International Political Science Abstracts PAIS Bulletin Public Affairs Information Service Bulletin Sage Urban Studies Abstracts Sociological Abstracts Social Sciences Citation Index (Web of Science)
Open access
The Social Science Journal is a hybrid open access journal that is part of our 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?
Increase the discoverability and readership of your article
Make an impact and reach new readers, not just those with easy access to a research library
Freely share your work with anyone, anywhere
Comply with funding mandates and meet the requirements of your institution, employer or funder
Rigorous peer review for every open access article
Article Publishing Charges (APC)
If you choose to publish open access in this journal you may be asked to pay an Article Publishing Charge (APC). You may be able to publish your article at no cost to yourself or with a reduced APC if your institution or research funder has an open access agreement or membership with Taylor & Francis.
Western Social Science Association and our publisher Taylor & Francis make every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the "Content") contained in our publications. However, Western Social Science Association and our publisher Taylor & Francis, our agents (including the editor, any member of the editorial team or editorial board, and any guest editors), and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinions and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors, and are not the views of or endorsed by Western Social Science Association and our publisher Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sources of information. Western Social Science Association and our publisher Taylor & Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to, or arising out of the use of the Content. Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/page/terms-and-conditions .
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