International Journal of Applied Linguistics: Scope, Indexing, and Submission Guide

The International Journal of Applied Linguistics (InJAL) is a peer-reviewed academic journal published by Wiley-Blackwell. Founded in 1991, the journal connects empirical linguistics, second language acquisition theory, and institutional communication across multilingual contexts. For prospective authors, this guide outlines the journal’s scope, indexing profile, APC policies, and submission workflow.

What it is

The International Journal of Applied Linguistics publishes critical empirical and theoretical research in language pedagogy, language policy, and sociolinguistics. Operating continuously since 1991, the journal examines how linguistic principles intersect with social life, classroom interaction, translation, and public discourse.

The journal is cataloged under standard serial identifiers:

• Print ISSN: 0802-6106
• Electronic ISSN: 1473-4192
• Linking ISSN (ISSN-L): 0802-6106
• Scopus Source ID: 100147329
• ERA Journal ID: 8839
• OpenCitations Venue ID: 1001656

The journal operates under a hybrid open access model. Authors can publish under the subscription track with zero author-facing fees, or choose open access by paying article processing charges (APCs). This structure allows unfunded authors to publish without barrier while accommodating funder open access mandates.

Who runs it and what it covers

The journal is published by Wiley (Blackwell Publishing), led by an international Editor-in-Chief and an editorial board representing universities globally across Europe, the Americas, Asia, and Australasia.

Bibliometric cataloging across OpenAlex and Crossref identifies its primary subject areas:

• EFL and ESL Teaching: Classroom discourse, task-based instruction, curriculum design, and language teacher cognition.
• Second Language Acquisition: Learner development, interlanguage pragmatics, affective factors, and processing mechanisms.
• Multilingual Education and Policy: Language planning, minority language rights, bilingual education models, and language ideologies.
• Discourse Analysis: Professional discourse, institutional interaction in legal and medical settings, and multimodal communication.
• Language Assessment: Formative classroom assessment, testing validity, and diagnostic language proficiency frameworks.

OpenAlex records 1,929 scholarly works published by the journal from 1991 to 2026, generating over 34,600 citations, with an h-index of 87 and a 2-year mean citedness of 5.44. In parallel, Crossref records 1,891 registered DOIs spanning backfiles and current issues.

The journal is indexed in international citation registries and evaluation frameworks:

• Web of Science: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI) and Arts & Humanities Citation Index (AHCI).
• Scopus: Q1 in Linguistics and Language, and Q1 in Education.
• ERIH PLUS: European Reference Index for the Humanities and Social Sciences.
• Finnish Publication Forum (JUFO): Level 2 (leading international venue).
• Italian ANVUR: Class A in Area 10 (humanities and linguistics).
• Norwegian Scientific Register: Level 1 scientific venue.
• CWTS Leiden Core: Recognized core scientific venue.

How to search or use it

Authors and researchers navigating the journal’s official interfaces follow an eight-step workflow:

1. Access the Journal Portal: Visit the homepage on Wiley Online Library (onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/14734192) to view current issues, early-view releases, and active calls for papers.
2. Review Author Guidelines: Check the “Author Guidelines” tab for article word limits (standard empirical papers range from 7,000 to 9,000 words inclusive of references) and formatting rules.
3. Prepare Anonymized Files: The journal uses double-anonymized peer review. Strip author names, affiliations, and self-identifying citations from the main text. Prepare a separate Title Page with author affiliations and funding acknowledgments.
4. Authenticate in Wiley Research Exchange: Click “Submit an Article” on the journal page. Log in with your Wiley ID or authenticate via ORCID.
5. Input Manuscript Metadata: Enter article title, structured abstract (150–250 words covering background, methods, findings, and pedagogical implications), and 4 to 6 keywords.
6. Upload Manuscript Components: Upload the blinded main file (Word or LaTeX PDF), data tables, high-resolution figures, and data availability statements.
7. Complete Declarations: Enter funding disclosures, ethics statements for human participant research, conflict of interest declarations, and approve the generated PDF proof.
8. Track Peer Review Progression: Monitor manuscript progression through administrative triage, referee assignments, revisions, and editorial decisions within the author dashboard.

Strengths and limits

Prospective authors should evaluate the following structural strengths and limits:

Strengths

• Established Academic Stature: Over 35 years of publication with consistent indexing in Web of Science SSCI and Scopus Q1 tiers.
• High Metadata Integrity: According to Crossref DOI deposit and metadata tracking data, the journal deposits 98.5% of articles for Similarity Check (iThenticate plagiarism screening), 98.5% of license metadata, 95.4% of reference lists, and 75.6% of author ORCID identifiers.
• Flexible Publishing Paths: Authors without grant funding can publish in the subscription track without author-facing page or color fees.
• Transformative Agreements: Authors at participating institutions in the UK (Jisc), Germany (Projekt DEAL), Norway (Sikt), the Netherlands (UKB), Australia (CAUL), and other consortia can publish open access with APCs covered centrally.

Limits

• High Open Access APC: For unfunded authors outside transformative agreements, the APC is $3,240 USD (€2,660 EUR / £2,160 GBP as of 2025/2026).
• Subscription Access Barriers: Subscription-track articles are paywalled on Wiley Online Library. Authors self-archiving their author-accepted manuscript (AAM) in institutional repositories face a 12-month publisher embargo.
• Selective Acceptance Rates: The journal receives submissions globally. Papers focusing strictly on local classroom descriptions without broader linguistic grounding face swift editorial desk rejection.

Alternatives

Authors should distinguish between similarly named journals and specialized subfield outlets when selecting a venue in applied linguistics. The matrix below compares key venues:

Journal Title	Publisher	Model	APC (Open Access)	Primary Scope Focus	Key Indexing Tiers
International Journal of Applied Linguistics (InJAL)	Wiley-Blackwell	Hybrid	$3,240 USD / €2,660 EUR	Sociolinguistic interaction, language policy, educational linguistics, and institutional discourse	Web of Science (SSCI), Scopus Q1, ERIH PLUS, JUFO 2, ANVUR Class A
Applied Linguistics	Oxford University Press	Hybrid	$3,850 USD / £3,000 GBP	Foundational theory, critical discourse, and broad empirical methodology across applied linguistics	Web of Science (SSCI), Scopus Q1, ERIH PLUS, JUFO 3
Studies in Second Language Acquisition (SSLA)	Cambridge University Press	Hybrid	$3,450 USD / £2,450 GBP	Experimental, psycholinguistic, and cognitive mechanisms of second language learning	Web of Science (SSCI), Scopus Q1, ERIH PLUS, JUFO 2
ITL – International Journal of Applied Linguistics	John Benjamins Publishing	Hybrid	$2,100 USD / €1,800 EUR	Language acquisition, language pathology, educational technology, and multilingualism in European contexts	Web of Science (ESCI/SSCI), Scopus Q2, ERIH PLUS
Language Teaching Research	SAGE Publishing	Hybrid	$3,500 USD / £2,600 GBP	Classroom pedagogy, language teacher development, and instructional intervention	Web of Science (SSCI), Scopus Q1, ERIH PLUS, JUFO 2

Choosing Between InJAL and Related Applied Linguistics Journals

• Choose InJAL: When your work investigates language use in educational, sociopolitical, or institutional contexts, particularly linking micro-discourse to macro-level language policies and multilingual education.
• Choose Studies in Second Language Acquisition: When your research design centers primarily on psycholinguistic, cognitive, or experimental language acquisition data, such as reaction time paradigms or longitudinal syntax development.
• Choose Applied Linguistics: When presenting major theoretical syntheses or broad empirical studies with field-wide implications across theoretical and applied domains.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between InJAL and Oxford’s Applied Linguistics?

While both are premier Q1 applied linguistics journals, Applied Linguistics (Oxford University Press) is the flagship general journal of BAAL and AAAL, publishing broad theoretical and empirical syntheses across all subfields. InJAL (Wiley) specifically focuses on how linguistic expertise connects with real-world language experiences, emphasizing sociolinguistics, educational policy, and classroom communication.

Does the International Journal of Applied Linguistics charge submission fees?

No. InJAL does not charge manuscript submission fees or review fees. Publication under the subscription model is completely free of charge. Authors only pay an article processing charge if they proactively select open access without coverage from an institutional transformative agreement.

What peer review model does the journal utilize?

The journal uses double-anonymized (double-blind) peer review. Reviewers do not receive author identities or affiliations, and reviewer identities remain shielded from authors. Submitting authors must prepare a blinded main text along with a separate unblinded title page.

Which citation and referencing format does InJAL require?

The journal adheres to American Psychological Association (APA) referencing standards (7th edition). Authors must provide in-text citations with author surnames and publication years, and supply complete HTTPS DOI links for cited articles in the reference list.

Can authors self-archive their manuscripts in institutional repositories?

Yes. Under Wiley’s green open access policy, authors publishing in the subscription track may deposit their peer-reviewed author-accepted manuscript (AAM) into an institutional or subject repository following a 12-month post-publication embargo.

Sources

• OpenAlex Bibliographic Database. Source Record: International Journal of Applied Linguistics (ID: S174221484, ISSN: 1473-4192). Data verified November 9, 2026. Available at: https://api.openalex.org/sources/S174221484
• Crossref Metadata Registry. Journal Deposit Record: International Journal of Applied Linguistics (ISSN: 1473-4192 / 0802-6106). Data verified November 9, 2026. Available at: https://api.crossref.org/journals/1473-4192
• Wikidata Structured Knowledge Base. Entity Record: International Journal of Applied Linguistics (Item Q15757904). Data verified November 9, 2026. Available at: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Special:EntityData/Q15757904.json
• Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ). Journal Search Query: ISSN 1473-4192. Verification confirmed non-OA / hybrid status November 9, 2026. Available at: https://doaj.org/api/v2/search/journals/1473-4192
• Wiley Online Library. International Journal of Applied Linguistics Portal and Author Guidelines. Accessed November 9, 2026. Available at: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/14734192