Visitor Studies is a semi-annual, peer-reviewed journal that publishes high-quality articles focusing on visitor research, reflections on the field, research methodologies, and theoretical perspectives. The journal also covers subjects related to museums and learning in out-of-school settings such as zoos, nature centers, visitor centers, historic sites, and parks.
The aim of Visitor Studies is to provide an accessible, authoritative source of information within the visitor studies field. The journal offers both theoretical and practical insights of relevance to practitioners and scholars. Visitor Studies strives to develop its reputation as an international publication.
Contributors to the journal share their research procedures and findings with practitioners and other researchers. Original and review articles present a forum for new data and provide practical and useful conclusions. Material found in Visitor Studies contributes to the ongoing progress and development of the field.
Visitor Studies is the official journal of the Visitor Studies Association, today's premier professional organization focusing on all facets of the visitor experience in museums, zoos, nature centers, visitor centers, historic sites, parks, and other informal learning settings. VSA is committed to understanding and enhancing visitor experiences in informal learning settings through research, evaluation, and dialogue. Our common vision is for a world where lifelong learning is embraced, and where learning in informal settings benefit individuals, communities, and society at large.
Issues of Visitor Studies are accessible to paid members of the Visitor Studies Association in print and electronic format, and to individuals, libraries, and other institutions through subscription.
Peer Review Policy: All research articles in this journal have undergone rigorous peer review, based on initial editor screening and refereeing by two anonymous referees.
Publication office: Taylor & Francis Inc., 530 Walnut Street, Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106
Journal metrics
Usage
49K annual downloads/views
Citation metrics
1.6 (2023) Impact Factor
2.3 (2023) 5 year IF
2.9 (2023) CiteScore (Scopus)
Q1 CiteScore Best Quartile
1.251 (2023) SNIP
0.620 (2023) SJR
Speed/acceptance
5 days avg. from submission to first
decision
12% 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.
Karen Knutson - University of Pittsburgh Center for Learning in Out-of-School Environments, USA Kevin Crowley - University of Pittsburgh Center for Learning in Out-of-School Environments, USA
Editorial Board:
David Anderson - University of British Columbia, Canada
Stephen Bitgood- Jacksonville State University, USA
Jennifer DeWitt -Research and Evaluation Consultant, UK
Regan Forrest -University of Queensland, Australia
Alice Fu -SK Partners, California, USA
James Kisiel- California State University, Long Beach, USA
Jan Packer- University of Queensland, Australia
Scott Pattison -Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, USA
Kelly Riedinger -Senior Researcher, Center for Research on Lifelong STEM Learning, Oregon State University, USA
Beverly Serrell -Serrell & Associates, Illinois, USA
Theopisti Stylianou-Lambert -Cyprus University of Technology, Cyprus, Greece
Nick Visscher -Denver Zoo, USA
Abstracting and indexing
Abstracted and/or indexed in: Applied Social Sciences Index & Abstracts; EBSCOhost Online Research Databases; Elsevier Scopus; ESCI; Leisure Tourism Database; Scopus; and SwetsWise All Titles.
Open access
Visitor Studies 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.
VSA and our publisher Taylor & Francis make every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the "Content") contained in our publications. However, VSA 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 VSA 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. VSA 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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