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The Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency (JRCD) is a peer-reviewed journal focused on criminological theory and empirical justice research. Founded in January 1964, the journal is published by SAGE Publications and is a foundational venue for the empirical analysis of crime. For scholars engaged in criminal justice research, JRCD offers longitudinal cohort studies, policy evaluations, and methodological innovations. This institutional profile details JRCD’s disciplinary scope, citation metrics, double-blind review policies, and author submission workflow.
What It Is
The Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency is a bi-monthly scholarly journal examining crime causation, juvenile delinquency patterns, and criminal-legal institutions. Established in 1964 with the historic backing of the National Council on Crime and Delinquency and Howard University, JRCD is published by SAGE Publications with independent academic editorial oversight. The table below outlines its verified bibliographic specifications:
| Parameter | Specification | Primary Verification Source |
|---|---|---|
| Official Title | The Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency (JRCD) | NLM Catalog Record (NLM ID 0014210) |
| Commercial Publisher | SAGE Publications (Thousand Oaks, CA) | Crossref Metadata API (ISSN 0022-4278) |
| First Issue | Volume 1, Issue 1 (January 1964) | NLM Publication History |
| Print ISSN | 0022-4278 | Crossref / NLM Catalog |
| Electronic ISSN | 1552-731X | Crossref / NLM Catalog |
| Publication Frequency | 6 issues per annual volume (Bi-monthly) | SAGE Journals Register |
| Peer Review Model | Double-anonymous (double-blind) peer review | SAGE Author Guidelines |
| Publishing Model | Hybrid (Subscription with SAGE Choice Gold OA) | SAGE Open Access Register |
| Submission System | SAGE Track / ScholarOne Manuscripts | ScholarOne Portal (mc.manuscriptcentral.com/jrc) |
JRCD publishes original empirical research articles, theoretical essays, and methodological contributions that advance conceptual frameworks regarding criminal behavior, institutional decision-making, and public safety policy.
Who Runs It and What It Covers
Editorial leadership of the Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency is directed by academic co-editors Jean McGloin (University of Maryland) and Christopher J. Sullivan (University of Missouri–St. Louis). Supported by an international editorial board, the co-editors manage desk review, reviewer assignments, and publication decisions.
The substantive scope of JRCD encompasses five central domains in criminological inquiry:
- Criminological Theory and Etiology: Testing formal hypotheses regarding crime causation, such as social control, strain, life-course trajectories, and desistance. Authors examining theoretical foundations can reference our guide on criminological theory.
- Juvenile Delinquency and Youth Justice: Investigating youth offending patterns, adolescent peer networks, diversionary court programs, and juvenile detention impacts.
- Victimization and Community Ecology: Neighborhood structural determinants of violence, collective efficacy, interpersonal trauma, and community-level interventions.
- Policing, Courts, and Procedural Justice: Empirical assessments of police practices, officer accountability, prosecutorial discretion, bail decisions, and sentencing disparities.
- Corrections and Recidivism: Evaluative studies of prison climates, community corrections, probation and parole conditions, and reentry outcomes.
Methodologically, JRCD prioritizes quantitative and analytical rigor. The journal frequently publishes studies using longitudinal panel designs, randomized field experiments, quasi-experimental methods, survival analysis, and advanced econometric modeling. Rigorous qualitative and mixed-method contributions are considered when they offer deep analytical insights into justice processes.
How to Search or Use It
Authors submitting to the Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency must follow SAGE Track and journal-specific protocols through these seven procedural steps:
- Verify Scope and Article Fit: Confirm that the manuscript addresses theoretical criminology or empirical crime and delinquency research. JRCD accepts full research articles and research notes, prioritizing generalizable contributions over local administrative summaries.
- Format with APA 7th Edition: Structure citations, references, headings, and data tables in compliance with APA 7th Edition. Include an abstract of 150 to 200 words and 4 to 6 keywords.
- Prepare a Blinded Manuscript: Remove all author names, institutional affiliations, and self-identifying citations from the main document to comply with double-anonymous peer review.
- Create a Separate Title Page: Provide a standalone title page containing article title, author names, affiliations, ORCID iDs, corresponding author contact, acknowledgments, and funding sources.
- Assemble Ethics and Data Disclosures: Prepare required institutional review board (IRB) ethical approval statements, conflict of interest declarations, and a structured data availability statement.
- Submit via SAGE Track: Log in to the ScholarOne portal at mc.manuscriptcentral.com/jrc, input metadata, upload blinded manuscript and title page files, and complete submission checklists.
- Select Publishing Track: Following acceptance, choose standard subscription publishing (zero author fees) or Gold Open Access via SAGE Choice. Consult our guide on article processing charges for details on institutional agreements and waivers.
Scholars access JRCD through institutional subscriptions on SAGE Journals, or search abstracts via Crossref and indexing databases.
Strengths and Limits
Authors must weigh JRCD scholarly advantages against practical review parameters:
Scholarly Strengths
- Tier-1 Bibliometric Impact: JRCD holds a 2-year Journal Impact Factor (JIF) of approximately 3.2 and a 5-year Impact Factor of 4.1 in Clarivate’s Journal Citation Reports (JCR), ranking in Quartile 1 (Q1) of Criminology & Penology. See our primer on journal impact factor and quartile rankings.
- High Scopus CiteScore: Scopus records a CiteScore of approximately 6.5, placing JRCD among the highest-ranked journals in criminology and sociology.
- Comprehensive Indexing: The journal is indexed in Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, Criminal Justice Abstracts, Sociological Abstracts, PsycINFO, and NCJRS. See our guide on what it means for a journal to be indexed.
- Zero Author Fees for Subscription Route: Publishing through the traditional subscription channel involves zero submission fees or page charges.
Operational Limits
- High Selectivity: Rigorous peer review and high submission volumes lead to selective acceptance rates and extensive revisions.
- Subscription Paywall: Articles published under the standard track require institutional access or individual purchase.
- Not in DOAJ: Because JRCD is a hybrid subscription journal rather than a pure open-access outlet, it is not indexed in the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ).
Alternatives
Researchers weighing JRCD frequently compare it with adjacent high-impact criminology serials. The table below summarizes key alternative outlets across sponsoring bodies, publishers, publication cadence, and core focus:
| Journal Title | Sponsoring Organization | Publisher | Annual Issues | Review Model | Core Focus & Methodology |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency | Independent editorial board | SAGE Publications | 6 issues | Double-anonymous | Empirical crime etiology, delinquency, violence, and criminal-legal system evaluations. |
| Justice Quarterly | Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS) | Routledge / Taylor & Francis | 7 issues | Double-anonymous | Criminal justice administration, institutional operations, courts, and policing. Compare our Justice Quarterly profile. |
| Criminology | American Society of Criminology (ASC) | Wiley | 4 issues | Double-anonymous | Macro-sociological criminological theory, fundamental empirical tests, and crime causation. |
| Criminology & Public Policy | American Society of Criminology (ASC) | Wiley | 4 issues | Double-anonymous | Evidence-based policy evaluations, legislative reform assessments, and penal practice studies. |
| Journal of Quantitative Criminology | Independent editorial board | Springer Nature | 4 issues | Double-anonymous | Advanced statistical methodology, quantitative crime modeling, and spatial-temporal data analytics. |
Authors focusing primarily on macro-sociological theory often submit to Criminology, while those assessing operational agency policies find strong alignment in Justice Quarterly or Criminology & Public Policy. Researchers with intensive empirical, longitudinal, or delinquency datasets are especially suited to JRCD.
FAQ
What is the Journal Impact Factor of the Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency?
According to Clarivate JCR, JRCD has a 2-year Journal Impact Factor of approximately 3.2 and a 5-year Impact Factor of 4.1. It ranks in Quartile 1 (Q1) of Criminology & Penology in the Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI).
Who publishes the Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency?
JRCD is published by SAGE Publications (Thousand Oaks, CA) under the editorial leadership of independent academic co-editors.
Does the Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency use double-blind peer review?
Yes. JRCD utilizes double-anonymous (double-blind) peer review. Authors submit a blinded main manuscript free of identifying information alongside a separate title page file.
Does JRCD charge an author submission or publication fee?
No fee is required to submit or publish under the standard subscription model. Authors choosing open access can pay an Article Processing Charge (APC) under SAGE Choice, often covered by institutional agreements.
What manuscript formatting and citation style does JRCD require?
JRCD requires manuscripts to follow APA 7th Edition formatting, including a structured abstract of 150 to 200 words and 4 to 6 keywords.
Sources
The institutional facts, bibliographic parameters, and publication policies in this profile were verified against primary sources on November 11, 2026:
- SAGE Publications. “Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency: Aims and Scope, Editorial Board, and Journal Information.” Accessed November 11, 2026. https://journals.sagepub.com/home/jrc
- ScholarOne Manuscripts / SAGE Track. “Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency Author Guidelines and Submission Portal.” Accessed November 11, 2026. https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/jrc
- National Library of Medicine (NLM). “The Journal of research in crime and delinquency.” NLM Catalog Serial Record (NLM ID: 0014210). Accessed November 11, 2026. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nlmcatalog/0014210
- Crossref. “Journal Metadata Record: The Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency (Print ISSN 0022-4278, Electronic ISSN 1552-731X).” Accessed November 11, 2026. https://api.crossref.org/journals/0022-4278
- Clarivate. “Journal Citation Reports: Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency (Social Sciences Citation Index, SSCI).” Accessed November 11, 2026.
- Scopus / Elsevier. “Source Details: Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency (CiteScore 6.5).” Accessed November 11, 2026.
- Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ). “Search Journals: ISSN 0022-4278 (0 results; Hybrid Status Verified).” Accessed November 11, 2026. https://doaj.org/api/search/journals/issn:0022-4278
