Journal of Criminology: Scope, Metrics & Guide

The Journal of Criminology is an international, peer-reviewed academic journal published quarterly by SAGE Publications in partnership with the Australian and New Zealand Society of Criminology (ANZSOC). Established in 1968 as the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Criminology, the publication officially adopted its current title in March 2021 (Volume 54, Issue 1) to mark its expanding international reach while sustaining its foundational commitment to Australasian criminological inquiry. The journal serves as a premier venue for theoretical, empirical, methodological, and policy-oriented scholarship covering crime, criminal justice institutions, penology, victimology, and social control.

For scholars, university research offices, and legal specialists preparing manuscripts, this guide provides an authoritative reference profile covering the journal’s editorial governance, disciplinary scope, ScholarOne submission procedures, double-blind peer review protocols, bibliometric indexing, open access pathways, and mandatory ethical statements.

What it is

The Journal of Criminology is the flagship scholarly journal of the Australian and New Zealand Society of Criminology (ANZSOC). It operates as an internationally refereed forum dedicated to advancing criminological science, socio-legal analysis, and justice policy. Within academic publishing, the journal occupies a vital position bridging sociological criminology, legal philosophy, institutional justice analysis, and empirical evaluation of policing and correctional practices. In contrast to purely theoretical sociology outlets or narrow statutory law reviews, the journal prioritizes rigorous empirical research, analytical theory-building, and critical policy critiques that interrogate how criminal justice systems function in real-world contexts.

Historically established in 1968, the journal was titled the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Criminology (ANZJC) for over five decades. During this era, it served as the definitive scholarly record for regional crime trends, pioneering Australasian penal policy studies, and Indigenous justice inquiries. In March 2021, commencing with Volume 54, the journal was retitled the Journal of Criminology. This strategic rebranding recognized that the publication had evolved into a globally relevant journal attracting submissions from Europe, North America, Asia, and Latin America, while simultaneously reaffirming its historic responsibility to Australasian research, Indigenous sovereignty issues, and comparative penal systems.

Disambiguation: Navigating Distinct Criminology Journals

Because multiple high-profile academic periodicals share similar naming conventions, authors and bibliometric researchers must distinguish between these independent publications:

• Journal of Criminology (SAGE / ANZSOC): The journal profiled here (ISSN: 2633-8076). Official journal of the Australian and New Zealand Society of Criminology, published by SAGE. Distinct for its double-blind review, APA 7th style, 8,000-word limit, and global-regional scope.
• Criminology (Wiley / ASC): The flagship journal of the American Society of Criminology. Highly quantitative and theoretical, primarily focused on North American sociological criminology and criminology theory.
• The British Journal of Criminology (Oxford University Press / BSC): Flagship journal associated with the British Society of Criminology, known for qualitative sociology, critical criminology, penology, and historical sociological inquiries.
• Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology (Northwestern University): A student-edited American law review focusing primarily on United States constitutional law, criminal procedure, and doctrinal legal scholarship.

Understanding these institutional distinctions is crucial for researchers determining submission suitability within broader legal studies and social science frameworks, ensuring manuscripts reach the appropriate editorial audience.

Who runs it and what it covers

The Journal of Criminology is governed through a collaborative editorial partnership between the Australian and New Zealand Society of Criminology (ANZSOC) and SAGE Publications. While SAGE manages global production, digital hosting, licensing, and distribution through its SAGE Journals platform, ANZSOC appoints the academic editorial leadership and maintains independent oversight over peer review standards and editorial policy.

Editorial Governance and Leadership

The journal is led by a Trans-Tasman editorial team whose three-year tenure commenced in December 2025 and extends through December 2028:

• Associate Professor Alice Mills (Co-Editor-in-Chief) — University of Auckland (Waipapa Taumata Rau), Aotearoa New Zealand.
• Associate Professor Jodi Death (Co-Editor-in-Chief) — Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, Australia.
• Dr. Michael Chataway (Co-Editor-in-Chief) — Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, Australia.
• Dr. Rebecca Powell (Managing Editor).

This leadership structure ensures balanced representation across Australia and New Zealand while drawing on diverse methodological strengths in qualitative criminological research, institutional child protection, public perceptions of crime, and penal policy. The current editorial team succeeds previous editorial stewards, including Asher Flynn and Rebecca Wickes (2023–2025) and Andrew Goldsmith and Mark Halsey (2017–2022), maintaining continuity in academic standards.

Aims, Thematic Scope, and Article Formats

The journal invites scholarly contributions addressing crime, criminality, deviance, victimization, and justice administration. The substantive scope encompasses several primary pillars:

• Empirical Research Articles: Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods investigations into offending patterns, victim experiences, court processing, sentencing, corrections, and community rehabilitation.
• Criminological Theory and Conceptual Frameworks: In-depth theoretical papers advancing critical, cultural, developmental, feminist, green, and desistance theories of crime.
• Policy Critiques and Justice Reform: Rigorous policy evaluations analyzing legislation, policing tactics, penal architectures, and systemic inequities within the justice complex (connecting directly with inquiries explored in criminology versus criminal justice).
• First Nations and Decolonial Criminology: A core priority area focusing on Indigenous overrepresentation in the criminal legal system, colonial harm, self-determination, and community-led justice initiatives.

The journal evaluates submissions under three primary editorial categories:

1. Original Research Articles: Comprehensive empirical or theoretical investigations up to 8,000 words, inclusive of all front matter, main text, tables, figures, notes, and references.
2. Research Notes and Commentaries: Shorter analytical interventions, preliminary empirical findings, or focused methodological debates up to 4,000 words.
3. Review Essays and Book Reviews: Commissioned or editorially approved assessments evaluating recent significant literature in criminology.

Ethical Protocols and Indigenous Research Standards

Scholarly integrity and rigorous ethical compliance are foundational to the journal’s mission. The editorial team adheres to the guidelines established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and requires all authors to maintain high standards of transparency.

A distinctive feature of the Journal of Criminology is its structured policy regarding Indigenous scholarship. Criminological studies frequently examine communities disproportionately affected by state justice apparatuses. To prevent extractive research practices and protect Indigenous data sovereignty, the journal enforces the following requirements for any study involving Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, Māori, or other First Nations populations:

• Adherence to Ethical Frameworks: Research conducted in Australia must align with the AIATSIS Code of Ethics for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Research. Studies involving Māori cohorts must adhere to equivalent Māori ethical principles (such as Te Ara Tika).
• Meaningful Community Engagement: Authors must demonstrate genuine collaboration, reciprocal benefit, and community consent rather than passive observation.
• Indigenous Voice and Co-Authorship: The editorial team strongly encourages co-authorship with Indigenous community members, practitioners, or scholars who contributed to the study design, fieldwork, or interpretation.
• Ethics Disclosures: Details of community approvals and local Indigenous governance oversight must be articulated in the submitted Title Page and manuscript text.

How to search or use it

For authors submitting manuscripts, peer reviewers evaluating drafts, and academic librarians managing journal collections, navigating the official SAGE Track portal requires following precise operational steps. The submission workflow operates entirely through the ScholarOne Manuscripts system under journal code ANJ.

Step-by-Step Manuscript Submission Workflow (7-Step Protocol)

Authors must execute the following structured protocol using authentic interface terminology:

1. Step 1: Access the SAGE Track Portal and Authenticate. Navigate to the official submission site at mc.manuscriptcentral.com/anj or follow the “Submit Paper” link from the SAGE Journals homepage (journals.sagepub.com/home/anj). Log in using your existing ScholarOne credentials or create a new user profile. Ensure your profile is linked directly to your authenticated ORCID iD, which is mandatory for the corresponding author.
2. Step 2: Prepare Separate Anonymized and Identification Files. Because the journal enforces double-blind review, you must prepare two separate primary document files before uploading:
   • Title Page File: Contains article title, full names of all authors, institutional affiliations, ORCID iDs, corresponding author contact address, acknowledgments, and financial/funder disclosure statements.
   • Main Document File: Contains article title, structured or unstructured abstract (150–250 words), 4–6 keywords, full body text, tables, and reference list. All identifying author names, institutional ethics committee names, self-identifying bibliographic citations (e.g., “as we showed in Author, 2021”), and document file properties must be completely removed.
3. Step 3: Initiate Submission and Designate Manuscript Type. From the ScholarOne Author Dashboard, click “Start New Submission”. Select the designated manuscript type from the dropdown menu (e.g., “Original Research Article” or “Research Note”). Confirm that the manuscript word count falls strictly within the prescribed limit (maximum 8,000 words for original articles).
4. Step 4: Input Bibliographic Metadata and Abstract. In the “Attributes and Metadata” tab, paste the exact manuscript title and the 150–250 word abstract into the respective interface fields. Add 4 to 6 searchable keywords that reflect the core theoretical domain, methodology, and regional focus of your study.
5. Step 5: Register Co-Authors and Assign Contributorship. Search and add all co-authors by their institutional email addresses. Ensure the author ordering in the ScholarOne system exactly matches the order on your uploaded Title Page. Assign each author’s contributorship credentials in accordance with international authorship standards.
6. Step 6: Complete Mandatory Ethical and Compliance Disclosures. Complete the mandatory system disclosure questionnaires:
   • Conflict of Interest: Disclose any financial, personal, or professional relationships that could influence the study.
   • Funding Declaration: State all grant agencies, foundation awards, or institutional funding supporting the work (including grant numbers).
   • Research Ethics Approval: Confirm institutional ethics committee or Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval, stating protocol approval numbers (anonymized in the main document, stated on the title page).
   • Data Availability Statement: Select the appropriate data sharing classification (e.g., data archived in an open repository, data available on request, or data restricted due to ethical/privacy constraints).
   • Indigenous Research Statement: For research involving First Nations, Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, or Māori peoples, affirm adherence to institutional ethical frameworks such as the AIATSIS Code of Ethics.
7. Step 7: Upload Files, Inspect PDF Proof, and Submit. Upload the Title Page under file designation “Title Page (not for review)” and the blinded main text under “Main Document”. Upload any high-resolution figures or supplementary data files under their respective designations. Click “Build PDF Proof”, carefully inspect the generated document for formatting integrity and blinding compliance, and click “Submit” to place the paper into the editorial triage queue.

Literature Discovery and Archive Navigation

Researchers conducting literature reviews can access the complete backfile from 1968 to the present via SAGE Journals. The platform supports advanced boolean searching, DOI lookups, citation downloads (in RIS, BibTeX, and EndNote formats), and RSS or email alerts for new “OnlineFirst” articles published ahead of print issues.

Strengths and limits

When selecting an academic journal for research dissemination, scholars and research administrators must evaluate both institutional advantages and practical editorial boundaries.

Core Strengths

• Authoritative Society Affiliation: Direct sponsorship by the Australian and New Zealand Society of Criminology provides strong disciplinary prestige and guarantees visibility among leading scholars across the Southern Hemisphere and global criminological communities.
• Rigorous Double-Blind Review: The journal maintains strict anonymization protocols during peer review, reducing unconscious bias regarding author seniority, institutional affiliation, or geographic location.
• Robust Indexing and Bibliometric Visibility: Full inclusion in Clarivate’s Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI) and Elsevier’s Scopus ensures high international discoverability and citation tracking through metrics like CiteScore and Journal Impact Factor.
• Transformative Open Access Coverage: Through SAGE’s read-and-publish agreements with the Council of Australian University Librarians (CAUL) and international consortia like Jisc, corresponding authors at participating universities can publish Open Access without paying out-of-pocket article processing charges (APCs).
• Pioneering Indigenous Research Standards: The journal’s explicit commitment to ethical, decolonial, and community-partnered First Nations scholarship provides a respectful, rigorous venue for Indigenous criminological work.

Limitations and Constraints

• Strict Word Count Cap: The 8,000-word limit (inclusive of references and notes) demands exceptional conciseness, which can challenge extensive multi-site qualitative monographs or complex econometric crime modeling.
• Peer Review Timelines: Because the journal draws on specialized academic reviewers across legal, criminological, and sociological domains, comprehensive double-blind peer review typically takes between 8 and 16 weeks from initial submission to first decision.
• Hybrid APC Cost for Unaffiliated Authors: For authors situated outside participating CAUL, Jisc, or institutional transformative agreements, publishing Gold Open Access through SAGE Choice requires standard hybrid APC fees.
• Selective Acceptance Thresholds: As a flagship Q1/Q2 journal in criminology and socio-legal studies, the acceptance rate is competitive, with desk rejections commonly issued for manuscripts that lack clear conceptual innovation or regional/comparative relevance.

Open Access Licensing and Self-Archiving Rights

The Journal of Criminology operates under a hybrid journal publishing framework. This structure provides authors with multiple dissemination routes tailored to funder mandates and institutional resources:

• Subscription Publishing (No Author Fees): Authors may elect traditional subscription publication without paying any submission fees or publication charges. Published articles are accessible to institutional subscribers and ANZSOC members.
• Gold Open Access via SAGE Choice: Authors who wish to make their final version of record immediately accessible worldwide may select SAGE Choice, publishing under Creative Commons licenses (CC-BY or CC-BY-NC).
• Institutional Transformative Agreements: Corresponding authors affiliated with CAUL member institutions in Australia and New Zealand, or Jisc institutions in the UK, have their APCs covered entirely under national transformative agreements.
• Green Open Access and Self-Archiving: Under green open access policies, authors may deposit their Author Accepted Manuscript (AAM) in institutional or non-commercial repositories following a standard 12-month post-publication embargo.

Author Pre-Submission Checklist: Common Mistakes

To avoid desk rejection or administrative return, verify these pre-flight criteria:

1. Blinding Integrity: Ensure no author names, affiliations, funding grants, or institution-specific ethics committee names appear in the Main Document.
2. Word Count Compliance: Ensure total word count (including abstract, references, and tables) does not exceed 8,000 words.
3. Referencing Style: Confirm all references adhere strictly to APA 7th edition formatting with complete DOIs.
4. Separate Title Page: Check that author details, affiliations, ORCIDs, and financial disclosures reside exclusively in the uploaded Title Page file.
5. Indigenous Research Statement: Ensure studies involving First Nations populations explicitly articulate ethical compliance aligned with AIATSIS standards.

Alternatives

Researchers weighing manuscript submission strategies should assess how the Journal of Criminology compares to other premier journals in crime and justice research. The table below outlines five established peer publications across critical publishing dimensions:

Strategic Submission Decision Guidance

To determine the most appropriate venue for your research:

• Choose Journal of Criminology if: Your manuscript examines criminology, policing, sentencing, youth justice, or penal policy with an international or Australasian comparative focus; engages Indigenous or First Nations justice; or benefits from CAUL read-and-publish open access agreements.
• Choose Criminology (ASC) if: Your manuscript tests formal sociological theories of crime using advanced quantitative modeling, national longitudinal survey cohorts, or US-centric criminological datasets.
• Choose The British Journal of Criminology if: Your scholarship is grounded in historical sociology, cultural criminology, critical political economy, or qualitative penological theory.
• Choose Justice Quarterly if: Your study evaluates specific operational interventions, criminal court sentencing outcomes, or police agency organizational structures.
• Choose Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency if: Your work focuses heavily on psychological etiology, developmental trajectories of delinquency, or youth misconduct patterns.

FAQ

What is the difference between the Journal of Criminology and the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Criminology?

They are the same publication. Founded in 1968 as the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Criminology (ANZJC), the periodical officially changed its name to the Journal of Criminology in March 2021 (Volume 54, Issue 1). The renaming reflects its expanding international readership and global author base while retaining its core partnership with the Australian and New Zealand Society of Criminology (ANZSOC).

Who publishes the Journal of Criminology and what society oversees it?

The journal is published by SAGE Publications on behalf of the Australian and New Zealand Society of Criminology (ANZSOC). SAGE manages digital hosting, production, and distribution, while ANZSOC appoints the academic editorial leadership and oversees scholarly direction.

What is the word count limit for research articles in the Journal of Criminology?

Original Research Articles have a strict maximum limit of 8,000 words. This word count is inclusive of the abstract, main body, tables, figures, footnotes, and bibliographic references. Research Notes and Policy Commentaries are restricted to a maximum of 4,000 words.

Does the Journal of Criminology charge an Article Processing Charge (APC)?

No fee is required to publish under the traditional subscription model. Authors who choose Gold Open Access via SAGE Choice must pay an APC; however, corresponding authors affiliated with participating universities in Australia and New Zealand (under the CAUL-SAGE transformative agreement) or the UK (under Jisc) have their APCs fully covered with no out-of-pocket cost.

What peer review model does the Journal of Criminology utilize?

The journal employs a rigorous double-blind peer review process. Author identities are concealed from peer reviewers, and reviewer identities are concealed from authors. Submissions must include an anonymized main text file and a separate title page containing author details and acknowledgments.

What citation and referencing style is required?

The Journal of Criminology adheres strictly to the American Psychological Association (APA) 7th Edition style for in-text citations and reference lists. Authors must include Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) for all referenced sources where available.

Is the Journal of Criminology indexed in Web of Science and Scopus?

Yes. The journal is indexed in Clarivate’s Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI) within the Criminology & Penology category and in Elsevier’s Scopus across Law, Sociology, and Political Science, alongside coverage in Criminal Justice Abstracts.

Sources

• SAGE Journals: Journal of Criminology Official Homepage and Overview (URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/home/anj, accessed 2026-11-12).
• SAGE Journals: Journal of Criminology Manuscript Submission Guidelines and Author Instructions (URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/author-instructions/ANJ, accessed 2026-11-12).
• Australian and New Zealand Society of Criminology (ANZSOC): Journal of Criminology Editorial Governance and Announcements (URL: https://anzsoc.org/journal-of-criminology/, accessed 2026-11-12).
• SAGE Publications: SAGE Choice Open Access and Transformative Agreements (URL: https://www.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/sage-choice, accessed 2026-11-12).
• Clarivate Web of Science: Master Journal List — Journal of Criminology (SSCI) (URL: https://mjl.clarivate.com/, accessed 2026-11-12).
• Elsevier Scopus: Source Profile — Journal of Criminology (URL: https://www.scopus.com/, accessed 2026-11-12).
• Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS): Code of Ethics for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Research (URL: https://aiatsis.gov.au/research/ethical-research/code-ethics, accessed 2026-11-12).