American Political Science Review Metrics

The American Political Science Review (APSR; ISSN 0003-0554, E-ISSN 1537-5943) is the flagship quarterly peer-reviewed research journal of the American Political Science Association (APSA), published by Cambridge University Press. In Clarivate Journal Citation Reports, it holds a Journal Impact Factor of 5.9 and a 5-year Impact Factor of 9.1.

ByCASRAI Editorial Board

· Last updated 8 Nov 2026

What Is the American Political Science Review?

Established in 1906, the American Political Science Review is the oldest general research journal in the discipline. It publishes peer-reviewed scholarly articles across political science, including political theory, American politics, comparative politics, international relations, and public policy. The journal emphasizes theoretical innovation and empirical rigor.

Unlike sister journal Perspectives on Politics, which focuses on integrative review essays and symposia, APSR concentrates on primary theoretical and empirical research.

Journal Impact Factor and Citation Performance

APSR’s influence is tracked across major bibliometric indexing platforms:

Clarivate Journal Impact Factor (JIF): 5.9 (Social Sciences Citation Index).
Clarivate 5-Year Impact Factor: 9.1, reflecting extended citation longevity.
Article Influence Score: 5.645, measuring relative article influence across citations.
Scopus CiteScore: 11.0 (four-year citation window).
SCImago Journal Rank (SJR): 5.433 (Quartile 1, Political Science and International Relations).
Source Normalized Impact per Paper (SNIP): 4.828.

Editorial Process and Research Transparency Standards

Manuscripts are evaluated via double-anonymous peer review through Editorial Manager. Submissions must remove all author and institutional identifiers.

Under Data Access and Research Transparency (DA-RT) guidelines, APSR requires authors of empirical manuscripts to deposit replication data and analysis scripts in a public repository (such as Harvard Dataverse) prior to publication, ensuring reproducible statistical analysis.

Indexing and Top Political Science Journals Context

APSR is indexed in the Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI). Dissemination includes hybrid open access under the Cambridge University Press open access policy.

Along with the American Journal of Political Science (AJPS) and the Journal of Politics (JOP), APSR is one of the discipline’s “Big Three” general research journals. Each holds top-quartile impact factors while serving distinct research communities.

Responsible Metric Use and Evaluation Cautions

In accordance with DORA principles, journal-level metrics must not serve as proxies for individual article quality or researcher performance. Citation distributions in political science are heavily skewed, with a minority of articles driving aggregate impact factors.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is American Political Science Review a good journal?

Yes. APSR is widely recognized as one of the most prestigious journals in political science, published since 1906 by APSA.

Is American Political Science Review a scholarly source?

Yes. APSR is a peer-reviewed academic journal operating under double-anonymous review and empirical replication standards.

What is the impact factor of the American Political Science Review?

In Clarivate Journal Citation Reports, APSR’s Journal Impact Factor is 5.9, with a 5-year Impact Factor of 9.1.

What are the top 3 political science journals?

The top three general political science research journals are the American Political Science Review, the American Journal of Political Science, and the Journal of Politics.

Sources

Cambridge University Press. American Political Science Review Journal Overview and Metrics. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/american-political-science-review (2026-11-07).
American Political Science Association. American Political Science Review Editorial Policy and DA-RT Guidelines. https://www.apsanet.org/apsr (2026-11-07).
Clarivate. Journal Citation Reports: Social Sciences Citation Index. https://jcr.clarivate.com (2026-11-07).

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