Best open-access journals for Psychology

1. 1
   Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience

   15.0 cites/paper · Q1 · Canadian Medical Association

   Open AccessScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
2. 2
   JMIR Mental Health

   7.6 cites/paper · Q1 · JMIR Publications

   Open AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
3. 3
   Journal of Medical Internet Research

   6.1 cites/paper · Q1 · JMIR Publications

   Open AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
4. 4
   International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity

   5.5 cites/paper · Q1 · BioMed Central

   Open AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
5. 5
   Journal of Behavioral Addictions

   5.0 cites/paper · Q1 · Akadémiai Kiadó

   Open AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
6. 6
   Psychology Research and Behavior Management

   5.0 cites/paper · Q1 · Dove Medical Press

   Open AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
7. 7
   Australasian Journal of Educational Technology

   4.4 cites/paper · Q1 · Australasian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education

   Open AccessDOAJScopusWeb of Science
8. 8
   Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience

   4.3 cites/paper · Q1 · Elsevier BV

   Open AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
9. 9
   Comprehensive Psychiatry

   4.3 cites/paper · Q1 · Elsevier BV

   Open AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
10. 10
    JMIR mhealth and uhealth

    3.9 cites/paper · Q1 · JMIR Publications

    Open AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
11. 11
    Frontiers in Digital Health

    3.8 cites/paper · Q1 · Frontiers Media

    Open AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
12. 12
    Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences

    3.7 cites/paper · Q1 · Cambridge University Press

    Open AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
13. 13
    CBE—Life Sciences Education

    3.7 cites/paper · Q1 · American Society for Cell Biology

    Open AccessScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
14. 14
    Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health

    3.7 cites/paper · Q1 · BioMed Central

    Open AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
15. 15
    Education Sciences

    3.6 cites/paper · Q1 · Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute

    Open AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
16. 16
    Campbell Systematic Reviews

    3.5 cites/paper · Q1 · The Campbell Collaboration

    Open AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
17. 17
    BMC Psychiatry

    3.5 cites/paper · Q1 · BioMed Central

    Open AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
18. 18
    BMC Psychology

    3.3 cites/paper · Q1 · BioMed Central

    Open AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
19. 19
    Online Learning

    3.2 cites/paper · Q1 · Online Learning Consortium

    Open AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
20. 20
    Cogent Education

    3.1 cites/paper · Q1 · Taylor & Francis

    Open AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
21. 21
    Annals of General Psychiatry

    3.1 cites/paper · Q1 · BioMed Central

    Open AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
22. 22
    Digital Health

    3.1 cites/paper · Q1 · SAGE Publishing

    Open AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
23. 23
    European journal of psychotraumatology

    3.1 cites/paper · Q1 · Taylor & Francis

    Open AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
24. 24
    Physical Review Physics Education Research

    3.1 cites/paper · Q1 · American Physical Society

    Open AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
25. 25
    Journal of Eating Disorders

    3.0 cites/paper · Q1 · BioMed Central

    Open AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
26. 26
    International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research

    3.0 cites/paper · Q1 · Wiley

    Open AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
27. 27
    Psicothema

    2.9 cites/paper · Q1 · Cologio Oficial de Psicólogos del Principado

    Open AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
28. 28
    Apunts Educación Física y Deportes

    2.9 cites/paper · Q1 · Institut National d'Educació Física de Catalunya

    Open AccessDOAJScopusWeb of Science
29. 29
    Behavioral Sciences

    2.8 cites/paper · Q1 · Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute

    Open AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
30. 30
    Frontiers in Psychology

    2.8 cites/paper · Q1 · Frontiers Media

    Open AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
31. 31
    Frontiers in Education

    2.8 cites/paper · Q1 · Frontiers Media

    Open AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
32. 32
    Frontiers in Psychiatry

    2.7 cites/paper · Q1 · Frontiers Media

    Open AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
33. 33
    Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience

    2.6 cites/paper · Q1 · University of Oxford

    Open AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
34. 34
    International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

    2.5 cites/paper · Q1 · Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute

    Open AccessScopusPubMed
35. 35
    Journal of Intelligence

    2.5 cites/paper · Q1 · Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute

    Open AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
36. 36
    Acta Psychologica

    2.5 cites/paper · Q1 · Elsevier BV

    Open AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
37. 37
    Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics & Gynecology

    2.3 cites/paper · Q1 · Informa

    Open AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
38. 38
    European Journal of Sport Science

    2.3 cites/paper · Q1 · Taylor & Francis

    Open AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
39. 39
    SAGE Open

    2.1 cites/paper · Q1 · SAGE Publishing

    Open AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
40. 40
    Children

    2.1 cites/paper · Q1 · Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute

    Open AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed

“Cites/paper” is the OpenAlex 2-year citation rate — a transparent signal, not a licensed Impact Factor. Many regional and open-access journals are strong but aren’t covered by Scimago, so they show “no Scimago quartile”; that’s a coverage gap, not a quality judgement.