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Social workers choosing a journal usually need two things: a short list of venues that publish social work research or practice writing, and a way to compare them. This guide covers the journals published by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Press, the other core titles named in an academic library toolkit, the free and subscription tools that list journals by citation metrics, and why a metric alone is not enough. Everything below was read on the publishers’ and library’s own pages on 2026-11-08.
Which journals do social workers publish in?
There is no single official list. The ACRL Social Work Liaison Toolkit, written for academic librarians, keeps a “Core Journals in Social Work” list (titles and ISSNs, drawn from Journal Citation Reports and published studies, last edited August 2021). Its examples include Social Work, Social Service Review, Journal of Social Work Education and International Social Work. The toolkit also names two society presses as sources of journals: CSWE Press (Council on Social Work Education) and NASW Press. For background on the field itself, see what social work research covers.
NASW Press journals compared
NASW Press publishes four journals that accept submissions, plus an abstracting service. The table combines each journal’s scope statement with the page limits in the NASW Press submission guidance. Limits count every component: abstract, keywords, text, references, appendixes, tables and figures.
| Journal | Scope (per NASW Press) | Page limit, initial / revised |
|---|---|---|
| Social Work | NASW’s official journal; a member benefit | 20 / 22 |
| Social Work Research | Research reviews, theoretical articles, evaluation studies | 28 / 30 |
| Children & Schools | Practitioner-to-practitioner writing on practice, interdisciplinary work, research and policy | 20 / 22 |
| Health & Social Work | Health and mental health topics, including aging, oncology and substance abuse | 20 / 22 |
Manuscripts are submitted through each journal’s own online portal, linked from the NASW Press submission chapter. The guidance asks for 12-point Times New Roman, double spacing and one-inch margins, and states that NASW peer review is strictly anonymous. Obituaries, biographical sketches, testimonials, organizational reports and speeches not recast as articles are rejected without review, and editorial boards do not screen query letters. Social Work Abstracts is an abstracting service covering more than 500 US and international journals, not a journal to submit to.
NASW also ran a 2026 “How to Publish in the NASW Journals” campaign with a “Ten Practical Tips for Publishing” editorial series; accepted formats it names include research articles, practice highlights, letters and editorials.
Where to find ranked lists
The ACRL toolkit names four metric sources. Two are free and two need an institutional subscription.
| Tool | Access | What it gives |
|---|---|---|
| EigenFactor.org | Free | A list of social work journals ranked by Eigenfactor; the toolkit’s linked version uses 2015 data |
| Google Scholar Metrics | Free | Citation counts for publications |
| InCites Journal Citation Reports (Clarivate) | Subscription | Journal-level citation indicators by subject category |
| Scopus Journal Analyzer | Subscription | Journal comparison within Scopus |
Because the free Eigenfactor list the toolkit points to is based on 2015 data, treat it as a historical snapshot and check the date on whatever list you use. To understand what the indicators measure and how they differ, see Impact Factor vs SJR and the Journal Citation Indicator definition.
Metrics versus reputation
The toolkit frames journal selection as a mix of citation metrics and disciplinary reputation, and lists research on that gap: Sellers et al. (2004) on citation-based versus reputation-based assessment, and Hodge, Yu and Kim (2020, 2021) on how social work faculty perceive journal quality and prestige. Pendell (2020) is listed on the small number of fully gold open access social work journals. The practical reading: a high citation rank does not tell you whether colleagues, tenure committees or practitioners in your area value a journal, so check both, and read the journal’s own scope and peer review policy (see peer review) before submitting. The toolkit also lists the NASW Press title An Author’s Guide to Social Work Journals (5th ed., 2009), which is dated but remains a named reference.
Strengths and limits of the sources
- Strength: NASW Press pages state scope, page limits and review type explicitly, so those four journals can be compared directly.
- Limit: the library toolkit’s core list was last edited in August 2021, and its free Eigenfactor list uses 2015 data.
- Limit: metrics are computed per journal and say little about fit with your topic or population.
- Limit: this page does not rank journals or assess any journal’s quality; check each publisher’s current policy pages.
Alternatives
| If you need | Start with |
|---|---|
| Journals owned by the professional association | NASW Press (naswpress.org/journals) |
| Social work education venues | CSWE Press, named in the ACRL toolkit |
| A titled core list | ACRL Social Work Liaison Toolkit, “Core Journals in Social Work” |
| Free citation figures | Google Scholar Metrics; EigenFactor.org |
| Journal rankings by subject category | Journal Citation Reports or Scopus, through your library |
FAQ
What are the main journals for social workers?
The ACRL toolkit’s core list includes Social Work, Social Service Review, Journal of Social Work Education and International Social Work; NASW Press adds Social Work Research, Children & Schools and Health & Social Work.
How long can a manuscript be in NASW journals?
Twenty pages initially for Social Work, Children & Schools and Health & Social Work (22 revised), and 28 for Social Work Research (30 revised), counting all components.
Is NASW peer review anonymous?
Yes. NASW Press guidance describes its peer review as strictly anonymous.
Which journals are free to read or have free ranking data?
Free ranking data comes from Google Scholar Metrics and EigenFactor.org. Whether a given article is open access depends on the journal; Pendell (2020) notes few social work journals are gold open access.
Sources
- ACRL Social Work Liaison Toolkit, “Selecting journals”: acrl.libguides.com/social_work_toolkit/selecting (read 2026-11-08)
- NASW Press, Journals: naswpress.org/journals/ (read 2026-11-08)
- NASW Press, Chapter 5, Journal Submissions: naswpress.org/chapter-5-journal-submissions/ (read 2026-11-08)
- NASW, “Learn How to Publish in NASW Journals,” Social Work Advocates, Spring 2026: socialworkers.org (read 2026-11-08)
