American Sociological Review

The American Sociological Review (ASR) is the flagship peer-reviewed journal of the American Sociological Association, founded in 1936 and published bimonthly by SAGE Publications. It publishes original theoretical and empirical research of broad significance across all areas of sociology. Its journal-level citation impact is tracked through Clarivate's Journal Citation Reports, where it consistently holds a first-quartile (Q1) ranking.

ByCASRAI Editorial Board

· Last updated 7 Nov 2026

Overview of the American Sociological Review Journal

The American Sociological Review serves as the primary disciplinary publication of the American Sociological Association. Established in 1936 to provide an independent forum for sociological scholarship, the journal is published six times per year (bimonthly) under Print ISSN 0003-1224 and Electronic ISSN 1939-8271. SAGE Publications produces and distributes the journal in print and digital formats on behalf of the association.

Submissions to the American Sociological Review journal undergo rigorous double-blind peer review administered via the ScholarOne Manuscripts platform (SAGE Track). Reviewers and authors remain anonymous to each other throughout evaluation. The editorial mission focuses on exceptional work that introduces new theoretical paradigms, presents rigorous empirical investigations, or provides methodological advancements relevant to general sociological research rather than narrow institutional specializations. Researchers engaging with complex demographic, institutional, or fieldwork datasets must also adhere to rigorous social science research ethics regarding human subject protections, confidentiality, and data reproducibility.

American Sociological Review Impact Factor and Metric Calculation

The American Sociological Review impact factor is evaluated annually by Clarivate in the Journal Citation Reports (JCR) as part of the Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI). The conventional two-year Journal Impact Factor (JIF) measures citation frequency by dividing the total number of citations received in a target year by articles published in the preceding two years by the total number of citable items published during that same two-year window.

According to Clarivate JCR metrics reported by SAGE Publications (read 2026-11-07), ASR holds a two-year Journal Impact Factor of 6.9. Because major sociological monographs, longitudinal surveys, and theoretical treatises often accrue citations across extended timelines, Clarivate also calculates a five-year Impact Factor for ASR, which stands at 11.1. These metrics position ASR in the top tier of international sociology journals, reflecting heavy disciplinary citation velocity.

Quartile Ranking and Disciplinary Context

In disciplinary categorizations within the SSCI Sociology subject category, ASR occupies the first quartile (Q1), typically ranking in the 98th percentile or higher among tracked sociological journals. In addition to JCR metrics, the publication is indexed across major bibliographic databases including Scopus, Sociological Abstracts, and Google Scholar, where its citation metrics reflect broad interdisciplinary influence spanning political science, economics, demography, and public policy.

Responsible Assessment and Citation Governance

While the journal’s high metrics indicate broad readership and citation volume, research assessment frameworks caution against relying solely on journal-level indicators to judge individual research contributions. Under the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA) and the Leiden Manifesto, hiring, promotion, and grant funding committees are urged to evaluate an individual paper’s scientific merit, methodology, and direct contribution rather than using the American Sociological Review impact factor as a surrogate metric for individual scholarship.

Sources

American Sociological Association. American Sociological Review Journal Overview and Editorial Policy. https://www.asanet.org/publications/journals/american-sociological-review/ (read 2026-11-07).
SAGE Publications. American Sociological Review Journal Metrics and Submission Guidelines. https://journals.sagepub.com/home/asr (read 2026-11-07).
Clarivate. Journal Citation Reports: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI) Sociology Category. https://mjl.clarivate.com/ (read 2026-11-07).

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